Food icon: Inocencio Carbajal, El Guëro of Carnitas Uruapan in Chicago
Inocencio Carbajal founded Carnitas Uruapan at a small storefront in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood in 1975. A big expansion under a new generation led to a location in Gage Park, and finally a stunning flagship in Little Village for their 50th anniversary.
The taqueria still focuses on the so-called little meats from every part of the pig. Carnitas traditionally start with a whole pig. It's flash-fried golden brown, then slow-cooked for hours. The result is pulled pork that's crispy, fatty and tender.
But Carbajal didn't do it alone. He had a family carnitas recipe from their hometown of Uruapan in the Mexican state of Michoacán, the legendary birthplace of the iconic dish. And he had his wife and co-founder, the enigmatic Abigail Carbajal. Eventually, their only child would return to the family business, becoming a James Beard Awards semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur.
The man known as El Guëro to his family, friends and community is a Chicago food icon. He is the next in our series marking my 10th anniversary at the Tribune. I'm revisiting the people whose stories we’ve had the privilege to tell in the past decade.
The following interview, conducted in Spanish with assistance from his son and Carnitas Uruapan second-generation owner Marcos Carbajal, has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: What is your full name?
A: "Inocencio Carbajal Rojas, but everyone calls me El Guëro."
His nickname refers to his fair skin and green eyes. It's a common term of endearment, which literally translates to The Blond Guy, but meant more like blondie.
Q: When were you born?
A: "April 26, 1948."
Q: Where were you born?
A: "Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico."
Q: When did you come to Chicago?
A: "On Jan. 17, 1969. There had just been a snowstorm and the plane wasn't able to taxi all the way to the gate. We had to get off the plane and walk quite some distance. I didn't bring a coat and had never imagined or experienced this type of weather before. I almost ran back to the plane to go back.”
(His son shared more. "My dad heard from a friend who owned a bar in Uruapan that in Chicago you could sweep dollars up off the streets," said Marcos Carbajal. There was a calendar on the wall of the bar from Carnitas Sabás Vega, then in Pilsen. The friend told the elder Carbajal to go to the carnitas restaurant and owner Sabás Vega would help him. Vega had helped many others before, and he allowed the new arrival to sleep in the basement. "Within a week, my dad was working in Fulton Market as a butcher, and renting a room at Monroe and Ashland for $10 a week," said his son. The elder Carbajal would return to Mexico every six months for years, until he opened their restaurant in 1975.)
Q: What is your business title?
A: “I'm the founder. On the weekends, I'm also the doorman at 26th Street.”
Q: What is your business's full name?
A: "Carnitas Uruapan."
Q: What is your bestselling or signature item?
A: “Carnitas and quite a bit of chicharron too."
Q: What was your first job?
A: "I was 7 years old, and my job was to clean off the ground of the back patio at our house. My father made carnitas there to sell in the local market. He would slaughter the pig and shave off all of its hair."
("My dad became the primary breadwinner," said Marcos Carbajal, because his grandfather abandoned the young family. "From the time he was 8 or 9 years old, he worked as a street vendor and sold jello, popcorn and chicharron in the plaza of his hometown, and he's never stopped working since." After immigrating to Chicago, El Guëro supported his mother and helped put his two younger siblings through college and medical school. When his own son was around 10 years old, he reconnected with his estranged father, and they eventually developed a close relationship.)
Q: What is your most memorable moment?
A: "When my son came back and told me he wanted to join the business. I never thought he would come back to this. I'll never forget when Marcos told me he wanted to continue what I started."
("My dad never wanted me to take over the business when I was growing up," said Marcos Carbajal. "He never had the opportunity to go to school past the second grade, and he always pushed me to pursue higher education and a professional career path.")
Q: As a Chicago food icon, what are a few words of wisdom you could share with the next generation?
A: "If you know how to do something well and see an opportunity to start a business, then pursue it. Don't think about it too much. Just do it. Don't say to yourself, ‘I can't,' or ‘it's too late.' It's never too late."
Carnitas Uruapan; 1725 W. 18th St. (takeout only), 312-226-2654; 2813 W. 55th St., 773-424-7617; 3801 W. 26th St., 773-940-2770; carnitasuruapanchi.com
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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 5:24 AM.