Went to Carnitas’ Snack Shack with Chris on Thursday for our first San Diego Burger Mob outing.

My review

Carnitas’ Snack Shack is a great place with a great concept. You order at window and walk around back to eat at a bar or tables under a big open roof. I join SD Urban in asking, “why don’t more establishments take advantage of San Diego’s climate” like Carnitas’ has? It’s almost shocking how nice it is to eat there, outside, tucked back from the street. Plus look at that graffiti.

Andy just pointed out to me something that I didn’t notice while I was there: there’s no way to tip. No jar. Nothing to add when you sign your receipt. He thinks it’s intentional, and I agree. It makes for a very easy, very pleasant experience. The food isn’t cheap, but it’s high value. The service is just right: a kid brings you your food. It’s as if they’ve stripped away as many things as possible that might distract you from the food – even any unnecessary walls.

The only time I noticed the service was when I asked the kid for mayonaise and didn’t get any. This fact was offset by their table of condiments which featured the giant bottle of sriracha pictured above.

The burger is really good. I decided to get it as they make it, which includes “bacon jam.” I think bacon jam is just a bunch of minced bacon. It was overwhelming and prevented me from appreciating the cheese or the spread. Otherwise, the beef, lettuce, tomato, and bun were all top notch. I ordered my burger medium, but they gave it to me pretty rare. I didn’t mind.

The fries are good too, nicely tossed with some kind of fry seasoning that I’ve had before but can’t pinpoint – slightly cuminy and maybe some celery seed in there too. Share an order because they give you a lot for one person.

I felt gross for the rest of the day. The burger and fries were really heavy and I ate too much. I’ll skip the bacon next time I order the burger, but I’ll definitely be back – it’s a nice place to be, and there’s a lot of other stuff on the menu I want to try.