The Weekender: Three places for beef birria

Photo courtesy of Alyson Strickler-Vazquez

Last year brought Columbus an ongoing obsession with beef birria. The slow build has culminated in a wealth of trucks and restaurants serving this craveable dish throughout the 614. Beef birria has become so popular that we are now wolfing down spin-offs like birria egg rolls and birria pizza. I have easily tried over 30 different proprietors looking for the perfect balance of crispy shell, tender beef, and flavorful consomé.

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Taqueria El Guero, found at the corner of Sancus Boulevard. and Staffington Drive, is humbly tucked away in the corner of Platinum Auto Wash. This hidden gem serves some of the best birria in the city! Taqueria El Guero’s secret is in the well-developed consomé that packs a subtle heat that slowly develops with each bite. They also don’t scrimp on a premium high-moisture/high-fat cheese, which melts beautifully and forms crispy bits on the shell – which is sometimes the best part!

Charritos Mexican Grill is one of my favorite authentic Mexican restaurants for countless reasons, but lately, the birria has made them almost a weekly stop. Felipe, the owner, brought his family recipes from Oaxaca, Mexico. Charritos refers to their beef birria as Kike’s because, in Mexico, birria is traditionally made with goat or lamb. The true standout is the depth of flavor found in Charritos’ consomé. It is customary and highly recommended to drink the consomé after finishing the tacos at this eatery off Henderson Road.

Blackbird Kitchen found its home inside Woodlands Tavern less than a year ago. Featuring a small menu of eclectic and upscale bar food, Blackbird focuses its efforts on ingredients and execution. The beef birria is no exception. Confident in their low and slow griddling and double-shell application, Blackbird develops the crunchiest birria shell you will eat: a shell so crispy it holds up even after dunking it in their well-developed consomé.

Insider tip: In addition to the regular menu, Blackbird Kitchen offers a creative Taco Tuesday menu that rotates each week.

Once you have started spiraling down the birria rabbit hole, don’t worry, because resources are available to you. If you have a passion for beef birria, I recommend checking out other great resources like Birria Connoisseurs of Columbus on Facebook and following @birria_onthetown on Instagram. This wealth of resources will key you into other great spots around Columbus to get your beef birria fix.