Forget about chicken or steak tacos, you should be eating carnitas tacos! We often hang out for awhile after eating at trucks and I am always frustrated with the amount of people that order chicken and to a lesser extent, steak. If you’ve read my other articles, you can infer that I love less approachable tacos such as tripa and cabeza, but with Americans’ general love for barbecue, pulled pork and other related dishes, carnitas should be a no-brainer… and we are going to highlight the best place in town to get them.
Carnitas, which translates to “little meats” in English, are various cuts of pork confited in pork lard over a long period of time, which results in juicy, somewhat fatty deliciousness that can be consumed in taco format as well as other options like gorditas, tortas, etc. It isn’t known for certain, but some speculate they were invented in Mexico City, but perfected in the southwestern state of Michoacán, Mexico. Due to popularity and outright tastiness, they have made their way to many taco trucks, stands and restaurants throughout the U.S.
We have covered a few trucks already that offer carnitas as part of a broader menu, which are great in their own way, but Carnitas Y Tacos Don Chava focuses on the preparation as their specialty. The truck can be found on the West Side near the casino, an area home to the highest concentration of trucks in Columbus. Despite the competition, Don Chava is always busy because they offer an amazing product through an expert attention to detail, care and focus on the process.
The truck is owned and operated by husband and wife team, Salvador and Guadalupe Guzman, and in the summer, daughters Carla and Daniela pitch in to help keep up with increased demand. The couple spent several years preparing carnitas for parties and special events, and their customers and friends kept telling them that they make the best carnitas in town and that they should open a truck. In 2019 they took the plunge and opened their truck (technically a trailer) and I can’t argue otherwise!
Guadalupe is from Michoacán, while Salvador is from El Salvador. When trying to determine a name for their business, they were thinking of something with the “West Side” in it. Their initial clientele kept calling Salvador “Chava” and “Don Chava” when ordering as Chava is a friendly nickname for Salvadorians to Mexicans, so the name just stuck.
As mentioned before, what sets Don Chava apart is their care and attention to detail in their process. Most places only offer a few cuts of meat which are typically the upper leg/shoulder (pierna), sometimes the skin (cuero) and stomach (buche), whereas Don Chava cooks the entire pig. Cooking the entire animal is a very laborious process and that is partly why they are only open on Saturdays and Sundays. Of course carnitas can be eaten really any day of the week, but it seems to be more of tradition to have them on the weekends for parties or special events. As such, customers start filling up the parking lot as early as 8 – 9 a.m. when they don’t open until 10 a.m., mostly to purchase by the pound or their botanas offering (more on that later).
When you order a “carnitas” taco at Don Chava it comes with a mix of a little bit of everything (mixta or mixed), however you can also order tacos consisting of only two specific cuts, cuero and buche (again, skin and stomach). Cuero and buche might be a little intimidating to the uninitiated, but you will likely get a little bit of each in the mixed taco, so you will be trying them anyways. Buche and cuero are more about having different textures than notably different flavor profiles. Neither are gamy or organy in flavor. Buche is soft and tender while cuero is even more tender, almost borderline gummy in texture (in a good way).
Don Chava also places a lot of importance in their customers’ satisfaction. One can find carnitas tacos for as low as $2, but the average price in Columbus is likely $3. Their tacos are $4, but Salvador and Guadalupe want you to leave stuffed to the gills as their tacos are easily more than double the size of your typical taco.
Without knowing them at all, they have given me extra items on multiple occasions too, which is typically a bonus section of costilla (rib). A handful of other spots have since joined the complex, but Don Chava is really the star of the place. With their popularity and other nearby options, in the summer time it can become quite the party, so be prepared for the crowds and the corresponding wait.
A sound alternative for your first visit is to order their Botanas, which translates to snacks, but size-wise is more appropriately described as a feast. Included in this option are two pounds of mixed carnitas, tortillas, onions, cilantro, jalapeños, salsa and limes, everything needed for your own taco fiesta. The Botanas feeds four to six people depending on appetite. Don Chava also sells their carnitas by the pound and offers cabeza, barbacoa, tripa and asada tacos. They also have consommé as a special and one can wash it all down with one of their aguas frescas.
Don Chava can be found on the West Side at 84 Phillipi Rd.
For more information, visit their Facebook page.
