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.
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