CHIReview
photo credit: Jack Li
La Birrieria Restaurant
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Oh, how we love you, La Birrieria. Is it because of your large parking lot where we never have to worry about getting a spot? Your friendly servers who make sure we have plenty of habanero sauce? Or is it that we’ve never had to wait more than two seconds for a table, even if we stroll in with a party of seven.
Yes, it’s all of those things. But mainly, we love this casual Mexican spot in Humboldt Park for its food.
La Birrieria specializes in birria, and having a platter of it at your table should be required by law if you dine here. The first time we ate La Birrieria’s tender goat sitting in red consomé, time stopped and nothing existed but the braised meat and our greedy fingers. We also encourage taking this relationship to the next level with an order of quesabirria. It has a great balance of juicy birria and cheese, and is made with pliable handmade tortillas that hold up to repeated dunkings.
photo credit: Jack Li
The menu also includes things like garlicky guacamole, fajitas, possibly the best rice and refried beans in Chicago, and spicy chilaquiles made with fresh chips. You’ll get a choice of red or green sauce, and we’re fans of both. The important thing is that the thick chips stay crispy even after being simmered in salsa, and despite being buried under a mound of cheese, eggs, and meat. That, incidentally, is where we’d like to be buried too.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jack Li
Chips and Guacamole
photo credit: Jack Li
Birria
photo credit: Jack Li
Quesabirria
photo credit: Jack Li