On the streets of Jalisco, Mexico, in the small town of Degollado, three generations of family members prepare large simmering pots of juicy, tender slow-stewed meat known as birria. The dish is cooked for several hours before generous heaping ladlefuls are served on plates to patrons, featuring a homemade mole sauce, salsa and a side of corn tortillas.
Crowds gather for a plate of birria — pronounced “beer-ryah,” and traditionally made with goat meat — from the family of Jose “El Chino” Reyes. Although Reyes continues to vend with his own father and son, one of his other children found restaurant job opportunities in the United States and eventually made his way to southern New Hampshire.
At Los Reyes Street Tacos & More, which opened inside Derry’s Hillside Plaza last April, Manchester couple Jose Reyes and his wife, Isabel, honor his family’s tradition with simple flavors of authentic Mexican street food. Birria is among their most popular items, and while you won’t find it with goat meat, you can try quesabirrias, or birria tacos inspired by the traditional stew and featuring beef, cheese, onion, cilantro and consommé, or the stewed broth, for dipping.
It’s a dish that has steadily gained traction across Granite State restaurant menus just in the last couple of years. Isabel Reyes said she believes that’s in part due to the viral nature of social media — the striking golden-red color of the taco shell and the oozing melted cheese look delicious in the many attractive, shareable photos that we eat with our eyes.
Birria tacos start with a simmering pot of slow-stewed meat. After cooking for several hours, the meat (and sometimes also cheese) is stuffed into a corn tortilla, topped with cilantro and onions and thrown on the grill.
The golden-red color of these tacos comes from grilling the tortilla with a coating of consommé from the meat it was stewed in. Being able to dip them in a cup of that same consommé for extra flavor, Reyes said, also makes for a new and unique way to eat tacos for many.
“I feel like everybody at some point … definitely needs to try birria at least one time in their life. It will maybe make you feel like you literally went to eat in Mexico, because it’s a whole experience,” Reyes said. “We do notice a lot of people that come in love to take pictures of the birria and post them on social media. … People love to take pictures of their food, and it’s definitely helped us, because a lot people, if you post a picture of the birria, they’d be like, ‘Oh my God, those look delicious, where did you get them?’”
Amanda Portillo, who runs Rico’s Burritos food truck with her husband, Danilo, also surmised the popularity of birria tacos has largely spread due to social media and word of mouth. The truck, which can often be found at Griffin Park in Windham, introduced birria tacos on the menu as a special last fall to resounding success.
“At first it was once in a while, but [they’ve been] in such popular demand that we have to make them much more often than before,” Portillo said. “It’s a unique entree, and the texture with the broth is different from most Mexican food, so people are drawn to it.”
In Milford, Rosana Vargas of Taco Time decided she would try and make quesabirrias at the suggestion of a customer, who was visiting the state from California. Today they’re among the eatery’s top-selling menu items — taco lovers sometimes travel from miles away to try them.
“People try it for the first time and they just get hooked,” Rosana’s husband, Rey Vargas, said. “We have people that don’t even try anything else on the menu except that.”
With differing variations in their own right depending on where you go, here’s a closer look at one of New Hampshire’s hottest taco trends and where you can try an order of birria.
Simmered to perfection
Jalisco, Reyes said, is a Mexican state best known for three things: mariachi, tequila and birria.
“Birria would be the process of how it’s prepared, versus the meat,” she said. “Birria can be any meat, but goat and sheep were the first two that originated in Mexico. … It’s most commonly served for brunch … [and] was not served in a taco the way it is served now.”
Because it’s common for Mexican street vendors to serve corn tortillas with a plate of birria on the side, Reyes said, some people like to scoop the tortilla into the meat and juices like a spoon. Quesabirria tacos, as they’re known today, became widely associated with the cuisines of southern California, and Tijuana, a city in northwestern Mexico just south of San Diego.
Featured on the menu at the Reyes family’s Derry restaurant are Chino’s birria tacos. The slow-stewed beef uses a house recipe combining various methods and ingredients from Jose Reyes’s family with those of his own. He even has a special pot he bought from Mexico that is specifically used for stewing the birria.
The beef, typically mixed with several spices and dried chiles, is simmered for several hours until it’s very tender. The consommé provided with the tacos for dipping, meanwhile, is itself the same broth from that stew that is normally strained and set aside.
“It’s like a ritual. You literally have to put a lot of time into it,” Reyes said of cooking birria. “The stewing itself takes us about four hours, but the whole process altogether is about six hours, because you have to prepare it and marinate it beforehand.”
Birria tacos are always made with corn tortillas — that’s simply because they crisp up better on the grill when assembled compared to their flour counterparts. Like for most traditional Mexican street tacos, Reyes said theirs are then topped with onions and cilantro. Melted cheese is available as an added option.
“A lot of people think quesabirria … is a quesadilla with the birria, but it’s not. It’s still the tacos, but just with cheese,” she said. “That’s why I ended up changing the menu. I left them as Chino’s birria tacos, and I just say you can upgrade it as a quesabirria, with cheese. It was just sometimes confusing having to explain the difference. … It doesn’t [traditionally have cheese], but I feel like cheese just makes everything better.”
Trends and variations
Although just about every birria taco you’ll find in New Hampshire uses corn tortilla shells, there are still all kinds of subtle variations to discover in how they are prepared.
“[Birria] is not something that repeats. Usually the seasoning and the broth recipe changes from family to family and from restaurant to restaurant,” said Louie Rodriguez, whose wife, Karen Lopez, owns Iguana’s Restaurant & Bar in Manchester. “The consommé is very unique from restaurant to restaurant as well.”
Iguana’s is notable for combining Mexican cuisine with that of Lopez’s native country of Honduras. The eatery opened in the former Granite State Escape storefront on Maple Street in late 2021.
Not only does Iguana’s serve birria tacos with shredded beef, but additionally it offers birria taco options with chicken and lamb. Rodriguez noted that even the ingredients and the time necessary for cooking the meat will vary among those three. Lopez will simmer the chicken for one hour, while the beef is simmered for five hours and the lamb for seven hours.
“She recovers some of the fat, and she makes it part of the recipe for the broth that the tortillas are dipped in, in order to grill it,” Rodriguez said. “She uses the fat that [is released] from the meat itself … and that’s what helps make it crispy.”
Taco lovers often have their own preferences and ways of eating birria, especially when it comes to the provided cups of consommé, Rodriguez said.
“Some people dip the taco in it, and some people don’t, as a matter of fact,” he said. “Some people love it just crispy like that and they don’t want to touch the consommé at all. But then, you get others that ask for a bowl of it and they just dunk that thing in like they’re dunking a doughnut in milk.”
Over at Lounge 38 Bar & Grill in Nashua, owner Vince Villafan said his birria tacos feature yellow corn tortillas and a melted three-cheese mozzarella blend. Three tacos are served per order with a side of rice and some consommé.
“Many people get full with the birria taco plate, but we do also offer them individually,” he said.
Villafan added that he has noticed more and more of his customers trying birria tacos for the first time.
“I think people have seen pictures and they are really intrigued by it and want to try it,” he said, “but they’ll still ask, like, ‘Hey, what actually is this that I’m eating?’ So there is a lot of information that we give out to people when they are ordering.”
Birria: beyond the tacos
Birria doesn’t have to be just about tacos — some Granite State eateries will utilize the same stewed beef on other menu items as well. Derry’s Los Reyes Street Tacos & More, for example, offers birria burritos with Mexican rice and refried pinto beans, as well as loaded birria fries — those are topped with a cheese dip, an avocado salsa, sour cream and Southwest pico de gallo.
“The birria burrito is a huge hit,” co-owner Isabel Reyes said. “We grill it the same way as the tacos.”
In Litchfield, Day of the Dead Mexican Taqueria offers pizza birria that’s great for sharing. According to owner and founder Karina Flores, the pizza birria is very similar to the tacos but features two large flour tortillas that are stuffed with birria meat, cheese, cilantro and onions, all grilled and smothered with the birria broth. The tortillas are then cut into triangles.
Even birria ramen is a thing — you can get a bowl of that at Lounge 38 Bar & Grill in Nashua.
“We love ramen noodles ourselves here, and so we thought why not cook those same noodles in the birria broth,” Lounge 38 owner Vince Villafan said. “The beef is the same, but we’re just essentially cooking the noodles inside the broth after the meat has already been cooked … and then we just throw on the cheese, onions and cilantro.”
Where to get birria tacos
Birria tacos (also frequently known as quesabirria when you add cheese) have popped up on menus of many local restaurants and food trucks. Here’s a list of places where you can get them in southern New Hampshire — some offer them all the time, while others will serve them as specials on select days, or only on certain days of the week. Do you know of an eatery in the Concord, Manchester or Nashua areas offering birria tacos that we may have missed? Tell us about it at [email protected].
Baja Tacos and Burritos
494 Amherst St., Nashua, 417-5532, bajatacosburritos.com
Birria tacos are regular menu staples of this Nashua eatery, featuring three per order on homemade corn tortillas, with consommé available for dipping.
Cinco’s Cantina
1 Brickyard Square, Suite 9, Epping, 734-2191, cincoscantina.com
Cinco’s Cantina’s Epping restaurant is the second of two owned by brothers Crescencio and Miguel Alberto Tellez, who opened the first one in downtown Dover in late 2014. Birria tacos are served a la carte, featuring stewed beef topped with freshly sliced radishes, onions and cilantro, and served with lime wedges and salsa.
Day of the Dead Mexican Taqueria
454 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield, 377-7664, find them on Facebook @dayofthedeadtaqueria
A stone’s throw from Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield, Day of the Dead is owned and operated by Karina Flores and her family, who also run Monarquia Mexican Restaurant in Amherst’s Salzburg Square shopping center. Birria tacos are among the most popular dishes at Day of the Dead, which also offers pizza birria.
El Ranchito Bar & Grill
44 W. Hollis St., Nashua, 864-8157, elranchitobarandgrillnh.com
Birria tacos are among the most popular menu staples at El Ranchito — they feature corn tortillas with slow-braised beef, and a side of consommé for dipping.
Iguana’s Restaurant and Bar
245 Maple St., Manchester, 935-8917, find them on Facebook @iguanasrestaurantandbar
Iguana’s Restaurant & Bar opened in the former Granite State Escape space on Maple Street in Manchester in November 2021, its menu featuring a combination of authentic Mexican and Honduran dishes. In addition to quesabirria tacos with shredded beef, Iguana’s regularly offers chicken and lamb options — all come three per order with a side of consommé.
La Carreta Mexican Restaurant
545 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 628-6899; 1875 S. Willow St., Manchester, 623-7705; 44 Nashua Road, Londonderry, 965-3477; 35 Manchester Road, Derry, 421-0091; lacarretamex.com
Both Manchester La Carreta Mexican Restaurants offer quesabirrias, featuring slow-stewed beef topped with cilantro and onion and served with a side of consommé. La Carreta’s Londonderry and Derry locations, meanwhile, offer them on Wednesdays only.
Los Primos Mexican Restaurant
3 Amherst Road, Merrimack, 420-8860, losprimosmexnh.com
This Merrimack restaurant opened in late January 2020, in the former space of a D’Angelo sandwich shop. Birria tacos and quesadillas are available.
Los Reyes Street Tacos & More
127 Rockingham Road, Unit 15, Derry, 845-8327, losreyesstreettacos.com
Los Reyes co-owner Jose Reyes of Manchester comes from multiple generations of street food vending in Mexico — his father, grandfather and brother all continue to serve traditional goat birria on the streets of his family’s home state of Jalisco. The Derry restaurant, which opened in April 2022, honors Reyes’s family’s traditions with Chino’s birria tacos (the name borrowed from his dad’s nickname), featuring slow-stewed beef in corn tortillas with cilantro, red onions and consommé on the side. You can also turn them into quesabirrias by adding cheese, or try other related items like the birria burrito or the loaded birria fries.
Lounge 38 Bar & Grill
38 E. Hollis St., Nashua, 459-8314, lounge38restaurant.com
This Nashua restaurant, which opened in October 2020, blends traditional Mexican and Puerto Rican cuisines for many of its menu items. The birria taco plate features three fried tortillas filled with slow-stewed beef, cheese, onions and cilantro, served with Spanish rice and consommé on the side for dipping. Single birria tacos are also available a la carte, while other birria-inspired dishes include burritos, quesadillas and even birria ramen noodles.
Mi Jalisco Restaurante Mexicano
300 S. Willow St., Manchester, 606-2184, mijaliscomanchester.com
Quesabirria tacos are among the many grilled taco options at this Manchester eatery, served with rice, beans and pico de gallo.
Nuevo Vallarta Mexican Restaurant
791 Second St., Manchester, 782-8762, vallartamexicannh.com
Birria menu options at Nuevo Vallarta include three birria tacos per order — topped with cilantro and onions and served with rice, beans and consommé for dipping — along with birria burritos and quesadillas.
Puerto Vallarta Mexican Grill
865 Second St., Manchester, 935-9182, vallartamexicannh.com
Like its sister establishment, Nuevo Vallarta, this Manchester eatery offers birria burritos and quesadillas, in addition to birria tacos topped with cilantro and onions, and served with rice, beans and consommé for dipping.
Rice & Beans 603
288 N. Broadway, Unit D, Salem, 890-1626, find them on Facebook @riceandbeans603
Longtime Manchester-area food trucker Tony Elias took over this Salem restaurant, his first brick-and-mortar location as owner, in mid-January. Birria tacos prepared with traditional Puerto Rican spices are among his regular menu items, in addition to empanadas and sandwiches.
Rico’s Burritos Food Truck
475-4898, ricosburritosfoodtruck.com
Plaistow couple Danilo and Amanda Portillo launched this food truck last summer. Rico’s Burritos gets its name both in inspiration from their son, Ricardo, and for the Spanish word meaning “tasty” or “delicious.” The truck has a regular presence at venues across northern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire, perhaps most notably at Griffin Park (101 Range Road, Windham). Birria tacos are offered on the truck as a special, featuring three per order with a few freshly cut lime wedges and consommé for dipping.
Riviera Nayarit
116 W. Pearl St., Nashua, 521-8602, riverianh.com
Named after the popular tourist destination off the Pacific coast of Mexico, Riviera Nayarit opened on West Pearl Street in Nashua in March 2021. Individual birria tacos featuring slow-stewed beef are available a la carte.
Taco Time Cocina & Cantina Mexicana
11 Wilton Road, Milford, 554-1424, tacotimenh.com
Rosana Vargas and her husband, Reymundo “Rey,” are the owners of Taco Time, originally launched as a food trailer in 2018. Since then, Taco Time has expanded into a brick-and-mortar restaurant, which opened in January 2021 near the Milford and Wilton town line. Taco Time’s quesabirria plates are among their more popular menu items, featuring grilled corn tortillas of tender braised beef with cilantro and onions, and a side of consommé for dipping.
Taqueria Y Pastelitos To Go
917 Valley St., Manchester, 232-3348, taqueriaypastelitos.com
Three birria tacos come per order from this Manchester restaurant, featuring marinated beef topped with cilantro and onions. They can also be ordered as meals with rice and beans.
Tim’s Drunken Sauces and Rubs
244 Elm St., Milford, 967-4242, find them on Facebook @timsdrunkensauces
Parked outside of DHR Fabrications in Milford, this food trailer usually serves quesabirria tacos four days a week, from Thursday through Sunday.
