Birria Taco Showdown Part 1
Welcome to the NEPA Birria Taco showdownnnnnnn!
Can you believe there are six small business serving up this super popular dish locally? While my heart wanted to hit all 6 in one week, my stomach and my wallet decided to split this up into two parts, 3 this week and 3 next week.
The birria taco has become super popular, but what is it exactly? Birria is a Mexican dish - a meat stew traditionally made from goat. Preparation techniques vary, but the dish is often served as a taco made with corn tortillas, onion, cilantro and lime and a side of the stew.
So what am I looking for when I order this taco locally? I’m looking for a full flavor dish with deep color. A stew that has a good fat to broth ratio, meat that’s prepared traditionally with not a lot of fat or gristle. A crispy shell with a juicy inside.
The Contenders
2wayz one passion is a food truck whose home base is Scranton. They serve the birria as a special and if this doesn’t become a permanent menu item I would be surprised. While the color was lighter on the shell than I expected it was not an indication of lack of flavor! The stew is made with Beef oxtail, bone in, then it’s shredded and braised. No gristle on the meat just tender and juicy . Shell was a crispy corn tortilla. No cheese, but trust me you don’t miss it here. It has just enough spice that it didn’t hit you until after and sat perfectly on my tongue! The stew was a perfect ratio with not a lot of fat sitting at the top. 5 in this showdown 🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊.
Burrito Loco. There’s a few burrito Locos, last year I had the birria at the Wilkes pizza and grill, but today I am reviewing Dickson city cantina and grill. The birrira is a permanent menu item here and is made with beef. What made this birria stand out were the extras. The veggies, radish and cucumber were a welcomed surprise. Great flavor, not a lot of spice, so if you don’t want the heat this is the birria for you! Beautiful crunch on the outside and a flavorful inside. They use a delicious mozzarella cheese to bind this together and the consume was perfect! 4 in this showdown 🥊🥊🥊🥊.
Hacienda Volcan. Goat and lamb meat made up this delicious red sauce stew. And I found your spice! My only minimal complaint here was the broth was a little fatty. Can we talk about the cheese on this thing, you could literally see the fresh chunks of Mexican cheese binding it together. Home made corn tortillas... the crunch, the flavor, it was amazing. 5 in this showdown 🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊.
Next Time:
Del Taco, J Zappata, El Rey Azteca
