Do It for the Blog: Trying Birria Tacos and the Quesabirria

If you’ve been on Instagram over the last few months, you’ve probably noticed a trendy new dish popping up in Mexican restaurants across the country. Birria tacos have been sweeping the nation, as food bloggers share photos and boomerangs of this popular entrée that’s actually been around for quite some time.

What is Birria?

Let’s start with the basics. Birria is a flavorful Mexican stew, traditionally made with goat. Of course, when the dish made its way here, it became more Americanized. Birria has transformed from a stew, that originates from the state of Jalisco, to a taco-style dish made with beef.

The birria served in the U.S. is a seasoned, Tijuana-style shredded beef taco, accompanied by onions, on a corn tortilla that’s been dipped in adobo sauce and heated on the grill. The pièce de résistance of birria tacos is the crimson-colored consomé that is made with drippings from the braised meat. This dish has gone viral, from Tijuana to Los Angeles then everywhere else, with the mouthwatering shots of the tacos getting dunked in the consomé.

The American version of birria comes in different forms. I headed to a local Mexican restaurant in Virginia Beach and tried two of their birria options—more traditional birria tacos and the trendy quesabirria. The main difference between a birria taco and the quesabirria is that the quesabirria is a hybrid of a quesadilla and taco.

Birria in Virginia Beach

Mexican restaurants across the Coastal Virginia/Hampton Roads region have joined in the birria food trend. The Virginian-Pilot covered the birria wave by focusing on the ooey, gooey quesabirria. I used this as my reference point to figure out which restaurant to go to.

Taqueria La Patrona had been on my list to try for several months. I tried to order from them on Cinco De Mayo, but they were out of most dishes by the time I called to order. I knew then that this had to be a fantastic Mexican restaurant.

Following the Pilot’s article, Taqueria La Patrona was overrun with orders for their birria dishes. Throughout the week, the restaurant has to update their Facebook page to let people know that they don’t have the ingredients to make anymore. Fortunately, I’ve found a sweet spot for ordering these birria dishes before they’re sold out. No, I won’t be spilling my secret time to order (unless you ask really nicely). However, I will tell you that they’re no longer selling the dish on Mondays and Wednesdays.

First, I tried Taqueria La Patrona’s Tacos de Birria con Consomé. Three crispy, but not crunchy, corn tortilla tacos, filled with shredded beef, cilantro and onion, are served with a flavorful consomé that’s mild in heat.

It’s like the Mexican version of a French dip sandwich. Although, the consomé is not as heavy as au jus, which is why the traditional dish is served as a soup to enjoy after the tacos. The tender beef didn’t need the assist from the consomé, but I never pass up an opportunity to dip or dunk any of my food.

Taqueria La Patrona has their quesabirria under the “Gringas” section of the menu, which did make me laugh since it’s so far from the authentic dish. The Gringa de Birria con Consomé still utilizes the birria beef, onions and cilantro, but pairs it with stringy Oaxaca cheese in a golden flour tortilla.

The hardest part of ordering Taqueria La Patrona’s quesabirria is that there are only two halves. I could eat at least five orders of the quesadilla filled with the juicy beef and melted cheese. Due to the ever-growing demand they face, I can’t blame Taqueria La Patrona for their serving sizes. That just means I’ll be ordering them more often.

Taqueria La Patrona also offers a Vampiro de Birria that doesn’t come with the consomé. Given how much I love their vampiros tacos (I order them every time I go), I have no doubt that the birria version of the gigantic taco, stuffed with onion, cilantro, melted cheese and guacamole, is not to be missed either.

Taqueria La Patrona is located at 1153 Lynnhaven Parkway, Virginia Beach.

Have you tried birria tacos or the quesabirria yet? If so, let me know in the comments below.