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| - The restaurant was founded in 1968 by namesake Carolina Valenzuela, who still presides over the kitchen. It was first at 105 W. Hilton Ave. and later at 1519 E. Mohave St. Since 1986, it has been at 1202 E. Mohave in a building that also has housed a coin-operated laundry and a grocery store.
No one is bothered by Carolina's vague pricing. People just order what they want with the understanding that their tab, including a large, refillable drink, likely won't exceed $5.
The tortillas, which are available by the dozen for takeout, are churned out by a crew of workers who stand before a bank of hot griddles, deftly flipping the paper thin rounds of dough and piling them up for packaging.
I am particularly partial to the soft-shell machaca taco. It's a simple affair with a warm corn tortilla wrapped around a generous portion of the subtly spiced shredded beef filling. It's a perfect starter before tackling the main course --- one of Carolina's incredible burros wrapped in a homemade flour tortilla.
The plain bean burro is majestic; the green chile burro, marvelous; the red chile burro, legendary; but the Oaxaca special with beans, chorizo, potatoes and cheese is pure heaven.
The rich, piquant flavor of the chorizo is enhanced by the cheese and potatoes and tempered by the beans and the chewy tortilla wrap.
Carolina's burros can be ordered enchilada-style with red or green sauce, lettuce and cheese, or deep-fried like a chimichanga.
Reprinted from an Az. Business Gazette article:May 1, 1997,
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