Carnitas at Sombrero’s Is Delicious, But Burrito Itself Falls Short

Carnitas (aka slow-roasted pulled pork) always seems to be an overlooked choice in the burrito game. I’ve had a few samplings previously in The Burrito Blotter, but I was craving it when I walked into Sombrero’s Mexican Food last week.

Carnitas can be tricky, and can easily be ruined, so we’ll see how the Sombrero’s offering ($4.29) stands up to criticism. We break down the ingredients:

Tortilla
Marginal at best tortilla. It was soft and chewy, but the texture was forgettable, as was the flavor. The tortilla also seemed a bit small, as the burrito was a bit shorter in length than most burritos. However, Sombrero’s packed it full of stuff, making it pretty substantive, despite the size of the tortilla.

Carnitas
The carnitas was tender and succulent, but also very crispy, as it was finished on the flat top and had a good deal of crunchy char on it. Very well executed. The meat wasn’t overly juicy, but it still packed a punch with tons of flavor.

Pico de Gallo
I loved this ingredient! It was full of savory goodness, and freshness. The tomatoes were juicy, the onions and cilantro had a nice bite. The cilantro itself added a tremendous, cooling “tone” to the burrito, if that makes sense. It kind of cut through the flavor of the carnitas.

Guacamole
Woefully unimpressive. It was very chunky, and the pretty bland. All things considered, I would have preferred it to be left out.

Overall
The burrito was pretty massive (not meaning incredibly large, just that it was packed full), and I felt satisfied after. But the carnitas, despite its good flavor, wasn’t overly distributed throughout the burrito very well, and there were a few bites that were simply tortilla and guacamole. Not a great combo. There were just too many flaws for me to consider it a success, but if you like carnitas, it's definitely worth your time.

Rating: 3.6 (out of 5)