Beto's Carnitas & Guisados

Beto’s is a cheery little spot on the LES serving Mexico City street-style tacos, sandwiches, and stews. It’s a friendly little place with a charming owner whose passion is evident from the way he works the station and chats with guests about his passion and work. The buildout is narrow but classy, more midcentury modern than Mexican mercado. But the food here isn’t trussed-up or affected. This is simple Mexican food with a ton of flavor per square inch.

This particular stretch of Clinton Street is dense with businesses and people; it’s easy to miss Beto’s if you aren’t destined for it in the first place. The front has a stand-up taco counter for those on the move. There are a few tables in the back and a bar reminiscent of the kind you’ll find in a ramen ya. If Beto’s is busy, the place can get packed out and sweaty. And if you show up on a Friday or Saturday near close at 10pm, that’s how you’ll find it. But make a trip during the week, especially outside of lunch hours, and you’ll have no problem.

The braised meats come in a few enticing varieties. The carnitas are fatty and meaty, the perfect platform for salsa. The chicken in mole verde has satisfying chew and that beautiful mole complexity, tart and intense. You can get them and all of the other proteins (also mushrooms) in different forms and these can be tailored to suit your appetite. The tacos are a convenient, quick platform served on house-made tortillas. Fixed up with salsa at the tables, these can be dialed in and they present the greatest opportunity for variety; each is just a few bites so you can have three or four without busting a gut. The platos give a hefty portion plus rice and beans. The tortas are delicious, particularly the carnitas topped with chicharrones–fried pork skin and avocado. It’s layers of texture and flavor that are hard to beat pound-for-pound by any other format.

Beto’s is exceedingly straightforward, the product of clear love–all of that low-and-slow cooking can’t be rushed. It’s not the place you’re going to sit down for a thought-provoking tasting menu, but it’s more interesting by a damn sight than a dollar-slice. It’s a place where you’re going to get a quick, easy, delicious, satisfying lunch or dinner. If you live in or find yourself in the neighborhood, do yourself a favor and drop in.