This past winter break, I visited Mexico for the first time through a study-abroad program. Before the program started, I explored the streets of Mexico City with my cousin’s brother-in-law, Javier Griffin, who works as an Uber driver there.

I hired Griffin for a few days as a personal driver. Besides being a great driver, he was an excellent guide, taking me on a food tour of Mexico City’s most delicious street food vendors. Griffin didn’t disappoint with his suggestions.

On a Sunday morning, Griffin drove me to Santa Maria Aztahuacan, a vibrant neighborhood located outside of Mexico City’s downtown area, where I tasted the most delicious birria tacos. This popular Mexican dish is made with shredded beef, a corn tortilla and is accompanied by a side dish of consomé, a red, warm broth that the meat is cooked in.

Griffin lived a few blocks away from this neighborhood, so I trusted his suggestion to eat birria, a typical meal in Mexico on Sundays. When we arrived at the restaurant, it was packed with people, so I knew this was a popular place in the community.

Griffin and I ordered birrias tacos with the consomé. I quickly fell in love with the dish because the combination paired with a delicious, savory taste. Once I returned to Fresno after my 10-day stay in Mexico, I had a mission to find which restaurant in the region served the best birrias tacos.

My search ended quicker than expected after discovering Birrieria El Taco Solito, a family-owned Mexican restaurant located at 4002 E. Jensen Ave.

The restaurant offers a variety of popular Mexican dishes, from huevos rancheros, a breakfast egg dish, to a warm bowl of pozole.

Birrieria El Taco Solito has numerous awards for its tasty dishes. In 2022, Birrieria El Taco Solito was voted Best of Central California for its birria. This past year, The Fresno Bee voted the restaurant’s best menudo, a traditional Mexican soup made from cow’s stomach in a red chili pepper broth.

According to Fernando Membrila, owner of Birrieria El Taco Solito, the restaurant was established in 2005 through a partnership with a family member. Eventually, they parted ways and Membrila took sole ownership of the restaurant.

Since then, Membrila has elevated Birrieria El Taco Solito to new heights.

“My focus is a small menu, to assure fresh food. Cleanliness and customer service makes you feel like family,” Membrila said. “I’m trying to make you feel like you are having a meal at your abuelita’s house.”

It’s not hard to notice why the restaurant is a fan-favorite in the community. Each Sunday morning, every table at Birrieria El Taco Solito is full of customers eating their favorite dishes in the family-friendly environment. If customers want to dine at the restaurant, I suggest arriving early to avoid a long wait.

Birrieria El Taco Solito is open for service Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The go-to item on Birrieria El Taco Solito’s menu is the order of four quesabirria tacos served with a side of consomé that costs $16.24. Similar to birria tacos, quesabirrias are shredded beef tacos cooked with melty cheese. Customers will immediately enjoy this dish after taking a first bite of the crunchy taco. I wasn’t expecting the first bite to be so crunchy, but it was delicious and satisfying.

To make this culinary experience much more enjoyable, I dipped the quesabirria tacos into the consomé. These type of tacos have become popular on social media for the past year, but I have always questioned why people dip the taco into the red broth. After trying it, the consomé is an essential dipping sauce to enjoy delicious quesabirria tacos because it adds a depth of juicy flavor that is out of this world.

To set the record straight, the birria tacos in Mexico City and the quesabirria tacos at Birrieria El Taco Solito are two different dishes. However, one thing is similar: the juicy birria.

Eating at Birrieria El Taco Solito was a friendly reminder that every restaurant has its different approach to birrias tacos. At Birrieria El Taco Solito, I now have a home to enjoy delicious Mexican food on weekends.