Taqueria El Chaparrito’s birria is irresistible

I’m the kind of person who, if you recommend a movie or TV show, some contrarian part of my psyche will cause me to avoid said content for reasons unknown to me. So, when birria tacos became all the rage a couple of years ago, I didn’t seek them out, even though they look delicious. Recently, I finally came around.

Taqueria El Chaparrito, on the other hand, is not new to me; it’s a favorite my friends and I have begun convening at regularly. The menu is huge, so you never run out of new things to try, and there’s plenty of seating in the large, colorful dining room, so you don’t need to worry about getting a table. I’ve had the burrito, enchiladas and tacos, both chicken and fish, and everything is always fresh and delicious.

On my last visit, after seeing my friend’s birria the visit prior and leaving full of regret, I decided it was finally time. In the picture accompanying this review, you might notice that one of the three tacos has a bite taken out of it. This is because it looked so mouthwatering that I forgot all decorum and dug in before documenting.

Birria is a traditional Mexican stew often made with goat meat, beef or lamb that’s braised for hours in an aromatic broth. At Chaparrito, the beef is shredded and added to two corn tortillas fried with cheese between them, like a quesadilla. Topped with raw onion, cilantro and lime juice, the final touch is a dunk in the broth, or consommé.

Chapparito’s birria made me furious at that contrarian part of myself that resists suggestion — I’ve missed out on years of enjoying this! The melt-in-your-mouth beef and the gooey, cheesy corn tortillas that enveloped it were delectable, but the consommé was out of this world. Deeply savory, a little smoky and complemented perfectly by the drizzle of lime, you’ll definitely want to — and should — drink what’s left when you’re done with your tacos. It tasted like a lot of time and love went into making it.   

If you haven’t tried birria yet, or just haven’t tried Chaparrito’s, don’t be like me and please take this suggestion to give it a try. And remember not to fill up on chips and salsa, because those are really good, too.