The King of the Baby Goat

Lately, I've been missing being able to go out for food and drinks with friends. To rectify this, a few of us went out for supper on Friday night (and do remember that supper hour is about 9pm). The restaurant that we went to is called El Rey del Cabrito, which translates to 'The King of the Baby Goat.' Their specialty is...baby goat. Click here for the menu; the good stuff is on the 'Botanas' and the 'Ordenes de Carbrito' links. And yes, baby goat head is available on the Botanas menu. In case you're wondering, the whole baby goat will only set you back about $120USD.

The inside of this place is very kitschy. There are faded, back-lit pictures of the owner--complete with 70's mustache--adorning the wood-paneled walls. A giant strobe-lit Christmas tree. And taxidermied lions (which were posed fighting each other), deer, and other assorted animals. It was so bad that it was great.

I ordered the baby goat leg. It comes sizzling on a bed of onions, and that's it, no sides other than the requisite guacamole and tortillas on the table (this place is not for vegetarians). The meat was very tender and juicy, and similar to any smoked meat. I couldn't finish it all, because earlier I had made a Creamy White Cheese Dip, and ended up eating it all. The leftovers are currently in the fridge, waiting to be deployed later this week.

Baby goat is considered a bit of a delicacy here, and I had been wanting to go to a goat restaurant for a while now. When we were leaving, I saw into the cooking area. There were about 6 whole goat, stretched out and propped over-top of hot coals. The chef/butcher/cook took a cleaver to another on a chopping block. I found out that these goats are all less than 30 days old, and it seems like the industry is similar to that of veal-production. All I can say is that I would not hesitate to have it again.