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<\/a>Carnitas plate with rice and beans. (Photo by Frank Sabatini Jr.\/Special for Times of San Diego)<\/p>\nHis concern when looking ahead, however, is whether the restaurant might have to someday change locations, should the landlord decide to sell out to encroaching developers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t own the building. So, my big wish is to see things keep going nice and smoothly,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Having visited three times in the past 10 months with various dining cohorts, our only complaints were directed at the house margaritas. They seemingly contained subdued measures of tequila. <\/p>\n
Perhaps the loose pours of yesteryear at Jimmy Carter\u2019s ended because of tariffs, which has hit the tequila industry with a 25 percent clobber. Or maybe these were flukes. Otherwise, the restaurant maintains genuine consistency in both its food and service, which is becoming increasingly rare in our inflated economy.<\/p>\n
Carnitas and carne asada among the top sellers. I often preface either with house-made jalapeno poppers, which are stuffed with the same creamy Oaxaca cheese used in the chile rellenos. Served four to an order, these breaded beauties can be upgraded with the pork on the inside or swathed in bacon on the outside.<\/p>\n
Traditional pork shoulder is used for carnitas. It is slowly roasted onsite with garlic and seasonings. The shredded meat is reliably juicy and tender, and it is always generously portioned no matter how you order it \u2014 in tacos, burritos, salads, or in plate-form with rice and beans.<\/p>\n
For the carne asada, the kitchen still sources the beef from Central Meat & Provision in Barrio Logan. The wholesale butchery dates to 1912, and Carter maintained a close friendship with one of the owners since childhood. The meat is marinated at the restaurant in citrus juices and is generally tastier and suppler than what you\u2019ll chomp into elsewhere.<\/p>\n I recently learned that Jimmy Carter\u2019s re-fried pinto beans are lard-free, which came as a surprise given their unctuous, savory quality. Ditto for the nicely seasoned black beans.<\/p>\n Other standouts include the menu\u2019s longstanding chili Colorado, which uses a novel trick for adding texture to the robust pepper-rich sauce. Mojica said it comes from one of the restaurant\u2019s established cooks, who soaks tortillas in water before blending them into the chilis.<\/p>\n The recipe offers a decent level of flavor complexity, much like dishes involving mole sauce, which Mojica said is made in-house \u201cwith at least 16 ingredients\u201d including dark chocolate.<\/p>\n<\/a>The large carne asada salad. (Photo by Frank Sabatini Jr.\/Special for Times of San Diego)<\/p>\n