Birria bonanza: Where to find birria tacos in Dayton

From TikTok to Dayton

“When we first started, we thought it was just going to be one of those big TikTok trends that would die off, but each week we see at least 10 to 12 people that have never tried them before,” said Alex Achs, owner of It’s All Good food truck.

Achs, who has always had a passion for cooking, started serving birria tacos in April 2021 after seeing various videos about them on YouTube and TikTok. He recalled making the tacos at home for family and friends and everyone loved them, so he decided to give it a shot. Two years later, he has a food truck and continues to expand his menu.

Darion Lewis, owner of More Than A Apron in Miamisburg, has a similar story. After losing his job as a travel consultant in the medical industry due to the coronavirus pandemic, he started selling food in Huber Heights. He was cooking traditional American food until he found a recipe for birria tacos and put his own twist on it. He continues to do pop-ups across the Dayton area, and nearly one year ago became the first brick-and-mortar restaurant in the area to offer a variety of birria-inspired items.

In 2021, Anthony Thomas, owner of Taco Street Co., expanded from a food truck to a permanent location in the Mall at Fairfield Commons’ food court. He recalled several customers asking if he had birria tacos before he perfected a recipe and added it to the menu. Birria tacos were his top seller at the Beavercreek mall and when he moved to W. Social Tap & Table in Dayton, they remained a best seller. The tacos were so popular that Thomas said he had to buy a bigger grill to keep up with the demand.

History of birria

Birria goes back to Jalisco, Mexico, where it’s known as a traditional breakfast food. Throughout the Dayton area, foodies often see beef and chicken as the most popular birria options, but in Mexico goat was traditionally used.

“Indigenous people found goat meat to be too gamey, especially the meat of older goats,” according to Vallarta Eats Food Tours, the first and now longest-operating food tour company in Puerto Vallarta. “As a way to combat the strong taste and smell of the meat, complex mixes of herbs, chiles, and fragrant spices were used to temper the flavor of the meat. But all the spices and flavors couldn’t mask the toughness of the meat, so a ‘low-and-slow’ method of stewing the meat underground overnight for many hours, both tenderizing the meat and also making it ready to eat during early morning ‘breakfast hours.’ Traditionally you will find birria only available into the early afternoon, with the exception of weddings and quinceañeras where it is used as a cost-effective way to feed large groups by stewing a whole goat.”

Achs, Lewis and Thomas continue to use the idea of cooking the birria meat low and slow for the best results.

Every birria tastes different

The use of different seasonings and ingredients like peppers and onions contributes to ensuring birria maintains a sense of variety.

Lewis and Thomas recalled the first time they made birria from a traditional recipe and said it was very bland, so they put their own twist on it. For example, Thomas mixed a traditional recipe with his late mother’s pot roast recipe to create the ultimate comfort food.

Another part of the dish the three men customize is the consommé that people dip the tacos into. Lewis said he does not use the broth from the meat. Instead, he blends peppers and a little bit of water to make a thin but flavorful broth.

Birria hype continues

When asked why there is so much hype over birria, Thomas believes a lot of foodies recognize it as a comfort food that melts in their mouth. He described birria tacos as a Mexican French dip that is savory, flavorful and provides a glimpse of home.

Achs and Lewis agreed there is still room for birria to grow because there are so many people that still haven’t tried it. They believe some people are not ready to get out of their comfort zone.

Consumer research firm Datassential reported in Nov. 2022 that 23 percent of the U.S. population knows of birria. Awareness was highest among Hispanic and Gen Z consumers yet only 13 percent have tried it.

Datassential predicted in Dec. 2022 that birria will be one of the top flavors and ingredients in 2023.

Here is a list of places throughout the Dayton region offering birria-inspired items:

🌮 It’s All Good

Location: Varies but is typically found at 2623 Valley Pike in Dayton or 2023 Harshman in Dayton

Details: Every Tuesday It’s All Good features birria-inspired items like tacos, quesadillas, bowls, burritos and ramen noodles. Customers have the choice of beef or chicken.

For more information, visit the food truck’s Facebook page.

🌮 More Than A Apron

Location: 1015 S. Main St. in Miamisburg

Details: More Than A Apron features birria tacos made with beef, chicken or lamb. They also serve birria bowls, fries and mac and cheese.

For more information, visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.

🌮Taco Street Co.

Location: 1100 W. Third St. in Dayton

Details: Taco Street Co., located in W. Social Tap & Table, offers beef, chicken, salmon or shrimp birria tacos. They have also made birria taquitos as a special.

For more information, visit the establishment’s Facebook or Instagram pages.

🌮 Taqueria Mixteca

Location: 1609 E. Third St. in Dayton

Details: Taqueria Mixteca offers quesa birria tacos featuring slow cooked, marinated shredded beef, served in a corn tortilla, dipped in consommé with melted cheese, onions, cilantro, limes and side of consommé.

For more information, visit www.taqueriamixteca.net or the restaurant’s Facebook page.

🌮Mami Fina’s

Location: 10 N. Main St. Suite A in Waynesville

Details: Mami Fina’s, a new family-owned Mexican restaurant in Waynesville, offers birria sliders, burgers, wings and tacos. The burgers are topped with birria and served with consommé. The wings are tossed in consommé.

For more information, visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.

🌮 La Base Mexican Restaurant

Location: 428 N. Broad St. in Fairborn

Details: La Base Mexican restaurant offers two different types of birria tacos. Tacos de birria feature corn tortillas, slow roasted beef with sauce, onions and cilantro or quesa birria feature flour tortillas with cheese, slow roasted beef with sauce, onions and cilantro.

For more information, visit www.basemexrestaurant.com or the restaurant’s Facebook page.

🌮Agave & Rye

Location: 11 N. Main St. in Centerville and 2 N. Market St. in Troy

Details: Agave & Rye offers a choice of flour or corn tortillas dipped in house-made consommé for birria tacos. The tacos feature slow-braised beef with guajillo chilies, oaxaca cheese, cilantro, onion and dipping consommé.

For more information, visit www.agaveandrye.com.

🌮 Taqueria El Paisa

Location: 4200 Kettering Blvd. in Moraine

Details: Taqueria El Paisa, a Mexican restaurant specializing in tacos, offers quesa birria tacos with toppings like mozzarella cheese, cilantro and onion. According to its menu, birria meat can be used in other entrees.

For more information, visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.

🌮El Toro

Location: 14 restaurants across the Dayton area

Details: Locally owned El Toro Mexican restaurant offers birria tacos. Customers have the option to get them with or without cheese.

For more information, visit www.eltorobarandgrill.com.

🌮 El Meson

Location: 903 E. Dixie Dr. in West Carrollton

Details: Marked as a family favorite, El Meson’s birria tacos features slow cooked shredded beef and cheese in three corn tortillas. The tacos are topped with onion and cilantro and served with a side of consommé and salsa verde.

For more information, visit elmeson.net.

Please note this is not a comprehensive list of all places in the Dayton area that offer birria-inspired items.