Where to Find Birria Tacos Around Charleston

Don’t forget the consomme for dipping and sipping

by Erin Perkins Feb 16, 2021, 3:00pm EST

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by Erin Perkins Feb 16, 2021, 3:00pm EST

Mike Ledford

As the birria de res taco (or “red taco”) craze continues sweeping the nation, Eater Carolinas went in search of birria and quesabirria tacos around Charleston. Originating in the Mexican state of Jalisco and traditionally made as a savory, chile-laden stew using goat meat, birria eventually traveled north to Tijuana becoming a street taco, and then to Los Angeles, where it really took off in America. The Tijuana-style birria de res taco sees goat, lamb, and now beef slow cooked with chiles until the meat forms a brick-red stew that can be eaten as is or encased within a tortilla which has been dipped into the mixture and griddled. To create a quesabirria taco, the tortilla is dipped in birria broth and griddled, before being topped with meat and cheese and then folded into the now crunchy, red-tinged tortilla. It’s pure comfort that comes with a side of consomme (birria broth) for dipping.

While not as prevalent here as in other cities, like Los Angeles and San Francisco, several Charleston-area establishments and pop-ups feature birria tacos (mostly made with beef) on the menu. Here are a few restaurants and pop-ups to check out around town.

A number of South Carolina restaurants have resumed dine-in service. The level of service offered is indicated on each map point. However, this should not be taken as endorsement for dining in, as there are still safety concerns: for updated information on coronavirus cases in your area, please visit here. Studies indicate that there is a lower exposure risk when outdoors, but the level of risk involved with patio dining is contingent on restaurants following strict social distancing and other safety guidelines.

Gorditas Locas

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Food truck Gorditas Locas offers a dedicated birria menu, in addition to it’s other fare. Customers can choose from a beef birria taco, quesabirria, grilled cheese with birria, birria ramen, and more. Basically, if it’s edible, they can find a way to incorporate birria.

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105 Slate Stone Dr, Summerville, SC 29483

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Posted by Gorditas Locas on Wednesday, February 10, 2021

La Cocina de Lucy

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Serving the Goose Creek area for over eight years, La Cocina de Lucy is a small restaurant filled with an enthusiastic customer base. Most anyone who has visited this Mexican eatery will tell you that you need to go immediately. La Cocina de Lucy recently started offering birria tacos made with shredded goat, which makes this version the closest to the original birrias found in Jalisco.

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933 Red Bank Rd, Goose Creek, SC 29445

(843) 870-2991

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El Kiosko

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Food truck operator JR Villasenor Gonzalez got a bit famous around the Lowcountry as one of the first chefs to start offering birria tacos. From Goose Creek to Mount Pleasant, mobile kitchen El Kiosko can be found serving beef birria almost every day of the week.

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1240 Yeamans Hall Rd, Hanahan, SC 29410

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El Molino Supermarket

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Mexican supermarket El Molino offers a variety of traditional fare to go, but it recently added beef birria to the menu. Staff takes orders at the counter for birria in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and tortas. Each order is served with the red dipping broth, a fresh salsas, radishes, and limes. These are some of the cheesiest quesabirria around.

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1610 Sam Rittenberg Blvd Suite 301, Charleston, SC 29407

(843) 225-8244

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Beefy, cheesy Birria goodness from El Molino Supermarket in West Ashley - 3/$10 El Molino Supermarket
Posted by Charlotte Tice Gadomski on Monday, January 18, 2021

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El Pincho Taco

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Meeting Street taqueria El Pincho Taco offers quesabirria on Mondays at its shop, but it also travels to Johns Island to set up at Irish bar Seanachai, from 4 p.m. to 9 .m. El Pincho brings the shredded beef birria tacos, but it also offers birria ramen made with the flavorful consomme.

616 Meeting St ste b, Charleston, SC 29403

(843) 406-5958

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Micho at Charleston Pour House

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After trying birria tacos in Arizona, Micho co-owners Tina Heath-Schuttenberg and Dave Schuttenberg knew they needed to bring that flavor back to Charleston. Schuttenberg’s version is made with savory shredded lamb in a griddled Mitla tortilla. It’s served with a with a side of rich consomme filled with hominy, chopped onion, and herbs. The leftover bright-red broth is worth slurping. The tacos are so good that workers from a nearby Mexican restaurant have been spotted ordering them.