It didn’t take long, just 13 posts, for me to drift a bit from the title of this blog. Carnitas is braised or slow roast pork simmered in spices. It’s basically a dish sent to us from Pork Heaven. I’d like to think that’s a real place.
![](https://i0.wp.com/lifelightdev11.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/carnitas-at-la-estrellita-tacos-and-pho.jpg?w=750&ssl=1)
This meat serves as stuffing for burritos, sopapillas, and tacos, or it is simply served on a platter with tortillas. In this way, the person ordering the meal makes their own carnitas tacos. Since I basically make everything a sandwich or taco, this dinner suits me.
When I go to a Mexican restaurant (the type where you sit and get service and folks rave about their margaritas) I order carnitas. It’s been my go-to dish for the last couple of years. Some of the best carnitas I’ve stumbled across in Northern Colorado are at Palomino’s Mexican Restaurant in Loveland and Rancheros Restaurant in Longmont.
![](https://i0.wp.com/lifelightdev11.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/la-estrellita-brighton-colorado-tacos-and-pho.jpg?w=750&ssl=1)
The carnitas at La Estrellita is good and the size of the meal is generous. It made two meals for me (I added the meat to a breakfast burrito I made later that week). It is also affordable at just $12.25. In Colorado, a carnitas plate is usually around $16 or more. That’s one excellent truth about Brighton, it is a Colorado town with prices that won’t put a big dent in your bank account.
RELATED: Taco Chihuas in Brighton, Colorado, A Good Mexican Food Town
La Estrellita is a typical Mexican restaurant in appearance with hanging ristras and several patios. The standout here was our waitress who seemed genuinely nice. So often we have waiters with a little too much fake flair, and it’s refreshing to experience a little authenticity.
![](https://i0.wp.com/lifelightdev11.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/la-estrellita-2-brighton-colorado-tacos-and-pho.jpg?w=750&ssl=1)
Also, I give this Brighton restaurant a standing ovation. Earlier this month La Estrellita celebrated 35 years in business. As the co-owner of a small business, that is not an easy feat. La Estrellitas must be doing something right to have been around since I was 10!
There are many reasons La Estrellita is rated as the best Mexican restaurant in Brighton on TripAdvisor and other online sites. And, that rating is meaningful in a town with a tremendous amount of Mexican restaurants.
La Estrellita Mexican Restaurant, 45 N. Main Street, Brighton, Colorado, 80601
Now, go get some carnitas!