Taco night, here we come!
Birria tacos have exploded in popularity over the past year, thanks in part to mouthwatering TikToks showing tacos being dipped into glossy red consommé. These food porn videos brought the birria taco, previously a regional dish without widespread popularity outside its birthplace in Coatzingo, a small Mexican town near Izúcar de Matamoros.
The common thread between all birria tacos is birria, a slow-simmered and richly seasoned meat stew traditionally made from goat. In the case of a birria taco, the tortillas are first dipped into the rich, flavorful liquid at the top of the stew and then filled with the meat itself. The result is succulent, savory meal that’s also super photo—and video—worthy.
Cleveland’s Hola Tacos is a family-owned taqueria inspired by the street tacos of LA (where birria tacos first began to explode in popularity) and Mexico. Since they specialize in wood-fired tacos and birrias, they’ve been buoyed by the recent popularity of birria. Beyond the classic birria de res, prepared with slow-cooked braised beef and chihuahua cheese, they offer quesabirria (meat-filled quesadillas prepared the same way), corn-and-pepper esquite with tostadas and a colorful range of paletas, or ice pops.
Find it at 12718 Larchmere Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44120.
[Featured image: Hola Tacos Facebook]