6 years after we first tried this spot and 3 years after my first review of it, I'm still obsessed with this spot. The tacos are top notch, service is prompt and attentive, lines move quickly, tables are clean, and the food is a good value. You can't ask for anything more.

This is the only place for carnitas en Oxnard --yes this is the best place to eat carnitas with hand made tortillas . I believe the just opened another location in Ventura, go try it out you will be very pleased.

After getting new tires at the pep boys down the street I needed food. As I sat in the lobby I came across Carnitas El Rey and I'm so happy I did. They've earned those stars and reviews. First off the burrito was huge they aren't stingy. The main attraction the Carnitas was supper tender with every bite, no pulling the meat out with every bite. The chili was a perfect amount of heat. The service was pretty fast and super easy. They have a pretty simple menu to choose from. The ambiance was chill for this hot day, great music playing, super clean and I appreciate the murals on the wall. All in all, now I'm craving their burrito after all this

I really liked the carnitas here!! They ran out of skin for the mixed carnitas, but the meat alone was surprisingly tender and still juicy. It's definitely better than any carnitas I've had in the Bay Area. They also LOAD the taco up with meat. I came in thinking that this was really pricey for two tacos, but these are way bigger than your average street taco. I can usually eat 12 street tacos, but 2 tacos here got me moderately full. Compared to Carnitas El Momo, it was slightly more bland. However, paired with the salsa, I didn't have much issues. I definitely suggest salting a bit more though. The staff was friendly. I'll definitely come back!

Best carnitas in town definitely!!! Whenever I'm in the mood for carnitas, El Rey is the first place that comes to mind !

Definitely the king of carnitas!! Awesome place! Fantastic food. We've been going there for years and now we are extremely excited that we'll have a new location close to us in Ventura. If you are visiting for the first time don't be afraid to ask them for mixed carnitas (all the different textures and flavors complement each other). We love the 2 lbs family combo, for $50 4 people eat well for lunch and dinner (we also eat more than the average joe, so make that 6 people... ). I can't say enough about their food, in fact, let me just go get me some Carnitas El Rey right now... bye!

Best place to get carnitas! The service is always FANTASTIC!! Super friendly and family owned restaurants. I have only been to this location, but I'm super excited to see that they are opening a new location walking distance from my home!! The carnitas are always so flavorful, tender and fresh. Everything is so good! The tortillas are freshly made and huge! I love their green salsa, pico de gallo, rice and beans too. Their portions are very generous! My family have been coming to this location for years and we'll always be faithful customers. The restaurant is clean and the decor is cute! My mom is from Michoacán and I tell you that the food here is very authentic!

Family Dinner #2 is our perfect meal for 4 adult eaters ordering bonus lg size salsa roja, salsa verde and pico. Comes with 2 lb carnitas, lg whole beans & delicious rice and homemade tortillas- had some tortilla chips at home to scoop up all the great flavors! That's how we do Taco Tuesday!! Service is friendly and efficient and there are some inside tables but I always take my order home. Carnitas are flavorful and perfectly roasted without drying out meat. Consistently good and can't wait for the new Ventura location to open on Main St!

I was told that this is the Carnitas spot of all Carnitas spots in the 805. I had been eager to try this place for awhile now and finally had the chance to come in for an early lunch on a weekday. The restaurant itself is small, unassuming, and a real local treat. There is a parking lot behind the restaurant which made it easy to get in and out. The restaurant itself isn't too big and we were really in awe of how crowded it gets here, even for an early lunch on a weekday. So definitely come early so you don't have to wait in line too long and so you can grab a table. The layout is simple enough, order at the counter, they chop up the carnitas servings fresh and build your plate. Once done ordering you pay at the register and grab a seat. Pricing is average, a two taco combo plate with rice, beans, and a drink ran me about $15+. The portions are a really good size though, they don't skimp on the meat. Staff were friendly and kept the line moving, no issues. The carnitas are solid but I personally found them to be a tad overhyped. I don't cook a lot well but I prefer my carnitas over theirs here (and that's shocking to say). I think while they give a good portion of pork and it was juicy, there lacked any real seasoning or flavor to the meat. I also prefer a bit more of a crunchy skin. For carnitas tacos they were definitely good but not a place I'd rush right back too. Another good bite was the rice. Traditional Mexican rice it was moist and flavorful. The beans were average, not bad but not my preferred style but that's more a preference thing. Lastly I was a bit disappointed that the Jamaica drink wasn't freshly made, comes out of box soda stream thing in the back. Bummer. All in all the service was friendly and the atmosphere felt very family like and inviting. Good classic neighborhood vibes which I can appreciate. And clearly their carnitas are good to the general public, I just like mine with a little more seasoning and crunch. It's nice to have a spot to go to for some good carnitas tacos when I'm not in the mood to cook them myself. If your in downtown Oxnard it's definitely a staple taco spot to try out at least once.