The aroma of sizzling pork, the bouncy sound of regional Mexican music and knife cutting blares out of Los Arcos De Alisal Restaurant.
The place is located in East Salinas, where a long line of people forms outside the restaurant's door on the afternoon of Sunday May, 17. The folks are here for carnitas, a popular dish originating from the state of Michoacán in Mexico, and to also meet well-known cook Roberto Rivera from Carnitas Carmelo—the birthplace of carnitas.
Carnitas Carmelo, a family-operated business from Quiroga, Michoacán began in the 1900s and continues through five generations. Since 2024, Rivera and his team of more than 20 people have traveled north of the Mexican border and other countries to share their culinary art.
“We bring certified quality pork fried in its own fat cooked with grain salt and water, that’s what identifies us,” says 40-year-old Rivera, who was immediately noticed by customers with his mustache, his business shirt and his sombrero serving the juicy pork and many attendees wanted to take selfies with him.
For the people of Michoacán, carnitas isn't just another food, but a part of their culture and identity. Most of the people who waited in line to get a pound of carnitas were from Michoacán or Guanajuato, Mexico.
“We haven't slept since Friday to cook and prepare everything and just yesterday we sold 500 pounds of carnitas,” Rivera says. “People were lining up since just after 5am.”
On both days of the weekend, from 7am-5pm, Carnitas Carmelo served about 10 pigs' worth of carnitas in addition to fried pork belly, chamorritos, artisanal pork rinds and pigs feet in vinegar.
People and families come not only for the taste but for the price, as a pound of carnitas is $20.
Miguel Sandoval, a 51-year-old resident of Salinas, originally from Michoacán, knew Rivera would be in Salinas during the weekend through social media. He says the flavor of carnitas is distinguished by many from the area.
“I’ve had Carnitas Carmelo before in Mexico and the meat is very soft and delicious. It’s the dish of our hometown which we are known for,” Sandoval says. “Michoacán is also known for traditional dishes such as corundas, morisquetas and uchepos.”
Corunda is a tamale wrapped in corn leaf or reed plant leaf, that has no filling and is folded to form a triangular shape. Uchepos are sweet tamales and are made by grinding fresh, tender corn kernels rather than nixtamalized corn flour. The morisqueta is a comfort meal consisting of white rice and cooked pinto beans topped with a spicy tomato salsa, Mexican crema and crumbled queso fresco.
Roberto del Real, who goes by Don Roberto, is the owner of Los Arcos de Alisal Restaurant. He knows Rivera and his family through his parents, where Don Roberto would visit Carnitas Carmelo in Michoacán to savor carnitas as a child. Rivera decided to show support for Don Roberto’s business reopening by stopping in to say hello.
The business on the corner of South Madeira Avenue and East Alisal Street, has been open since 1988, where families come to eat, enjoy music, dance and drink. Los Arcos De Alisal Restaurant has a total of five employees and is regularly open from 9am-7pm Monday-Friday and 9am-2pm on the weekends.
“We had more than 3,000 people come in on Saturday for the most famous carnitas," says Don Roberto. “We remodeled the kitchen so we stopped serving food for the last three months. But the space was still open for music and dances.”
The restaurant re-opened to serve its food menu on Saturday that includes its signature tacos that have $1 taco specials on Wednesdays. The menu also contains seafood dishes, burritos and its most popular dish: menudo.
Don Roberto, 70, came to Salinas when he was 15 years old from Tlaltenango, Zacatecas, Mexico and before opening the restaurant in the late ‘80s, he worked in the fields for 25 years.
“I didn’t get any education, I just started working and it hasn't been an easy process,” he says. “We have our dedicated customers and people that enjoy coming to the restaurant to have a fun time.”
Rocio Leon Chavez, also from Michoacán, has been working at the restaurant for 30 years and says the business has never had any trouble, vandalism or robberies.
“Don Roberto is the best boss and he is like a father-figure to me. Plus the atmosphere is very joyful,” Chavez says. “There are many people from Michoacán in the area and when I go to Mexico I always stop by to eat at Carnitas Carmelo, so it’s an honor to have [Rivera] in our restaurant.”
Rivera and his team were at Los Arcos De Alisal Restaurant both Saturday and Sunday, May 16-17, and also went to the fields on Friday to serve carnitas to agricultural workers.
“Salinas has hard-working people and those working in the fields feed the whole U.S. and I’m impressed,” Rivera says. “It’s incredible to see the support and the people who are excited to eat our carnitas and share our gastronomic platter.”
Carnitas Carmelo is headed next to the states of Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Kansas, New York, Kentucky, Chicago and Tennessee as part of its U.S. food tour.