LAReview
photo credit: Stan Lee
Birrieria Gonzalez
Included In
If we had to choose just one Tijuana-style birria spot—a decision we really do not want to make—it would be Birrieria Gonzalez. That's because this South Central truck adds multiple kinds of dried chiles to its consommé until it's dark and smoky. The piles of slow-cooked beef soak up the spicy broth like a fresh mop, and the tortillas are lightly stained like the napkins we use to wipe spicy birria drippings off our grubby faces. Eating curbside tacos dorados Birriera Gonzalez is the closest we've found to late-night birria in Tijuana, except without the hours spent in border traffic afterward.
photo credit: Stan Lee
Food Rundown
Birria Quesataco
These quesatacos are just the level of crispy that we’re looking for, and for that, we are forever grateful to this place. The cheese is perfectly browned on the top layer but still white and gooey as it clings to the consommé-dipped tortilla. The beef birria is also super flavorful, with the spicy consommé still dripping off the shredded meat.
Birria Taco Dorado
The consommé is really what makes these tacos dorados so damn tasty. Without being too oily, the dunked tortillas come out nicely crisp and full of that dried chile flavor we can’t get enough of. The tender beef and crackly tortillas create a great contrast in texture, with the meat’s fatty bits bringing some extra richness to the taco.
Consommé Con Birria
Eating birria this way makes you really appreciate all the textures and warm flavors of the slow-cooked beef. The meat is soft enough to cut with a plastic spoon and it’s smoky, savory, and just hot enough to make you break a minor sweat.