Pork Lovers, Rejoice: Chipotle Is Bringing Back Carnitas

This past January, the pork-loving community was shaken by the devastating news that Chipotle would stop selling carnitas at a third of its locations after one of its suppliers was found to be violating the chain's standards for animal treatment.

At the time, spokesman Chris Arnold said "It's hard to say how long [the situation] will last," and with the news that the chain was testing a new pork option this summer, it seemed that carnitas was destined to become just a distant, if not delicious, memory.

But carnitas devotees can breathe easy, as Chipotle has just announced that it has a brand-new supplier: UK-based Karro Food. According to the company, Karro's practices "meet or exceed" all of the chain's animal-raising standards. Chipotle is known for its devotion to humanely raised meat, and recently removed all GMOs from its menu.

The company says that carnitas has already made a triumphant return to "most of [its] Florida restaurants," and CNN Money reports that all locations are expected to have it back by the end of the year. Chipotle is still looking for domestic suppliers, but "right now the supply simply isn't available." It's OK, we will gladly accept the elite European carnitas with open arms and mouths.

Thrillist reached out to Chipotle for further comment. Has carnitas made its return to your local Chipotle? Let us know in the comments.

Lucy Meilus is a staff writer for Thrillist and spends more time in Chipotle than her apartment. Follow her on Twitter at @Lucymeilus and send news tips to news@thrillist.com.