There are now three branches of this purveyor of Michoacán-style carnitas, distinct cuts of pork slow-cooked in lard until each reveals its special texture and flavor. The Heart of Chicago original, opened by Inocencio Carbajal in 1975, is now a carryout joint; as you assemble a to-go feast, your attendant will hand you a tasty morsel of maciza (shoulder) across the counter. Carbajal’s son Marcos expanded to larger full-service locations in Gage Park and, in 2025, Little Village. The latter seats 100, has a bar program, and shares a busy street corner with the ice cream shop Las Tres Campanitas, the mini-mart Todo de Mexico, and various outlets for sending money home to Mexico. A simple $11 lunch is a profusion of gifts: a pink bowl filled with puffy chicharrones; a crisp taco dorado stuffed with potato; fresh salsas; endless hot tortillas; and so much delicious meat. Try the costillas, rib meat that just sloughs off the bone, and the buche, melt-away ribbons of stomach. But the maciza, with its tangle of textures, is the go-to here. If this isn’t the flavor of love, what is? 

Price: $
Address: 1725 W. 18th St.; 2813 W. 55th St.; 3801 W. 26th St.
Website: carnitasuruapanchi.com