For those that enjoy Birria, this will either be your favorite or top five in the city. Here, birria is made authentic to what's served in the small towns of Mexico. Most birria spots around Chicago prepare their consume with beef to please American tastes. However, the authentic version is produced with goat or lamb. I love that you can buy kits for preparing your own. I usually get the large DIY kit. I have a hot plate /tabletop nonstick electric griddle which I keep on hand for gatherings. I enjoy preparing it my way and preparing it how guests would enjoy. I can shred extra cheese and add on additional toppings. There is a mercado in Avondale where I get tasty salsas and pickled vegetables. They pair so well with this birria. BET has a small restaurant on the corner of Lawrence & Lawndale Avenues. The shop is manned with enough kitchen staff to fulfill daily orders though I'm not sure if they have one person designated as a waiter. So, if dining in, self service will play a major role. It's Lawrence Avenue so you should expect parking may not be close by. read more

Food 6/10 Service 2/10 The food was decent, and I would've even considered going back if the waitress we had wasn't so rude. It wasn't all the waitresses - the one we were dealt just had it out for us, I guess. For example, I didn't know there was complimentary chips and salsa until I saw her handing it out to other tables. She never gave us any. She brought us a vase of water with 1 glass - we were a table of 6. She didn't give us utensils until we asked for them. She knew we intended to share birria, but we had no plates (and utensils) to share it with. We had kids at our table - no plates were brought for the kids at all. At first, I thought she hated us because we had kids, but there were other tables with children too and she seemed pleasant with them. Frankly, there are better birria spots in this city with nicer service so I won't be going back. read more

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I picked up some tacos, and two burritos. I originally ordered two tacos de tripas and they were sold out, and instead of just refunding me they were nice enough to call and ask me if i wanted a substitution! great services. the salsa verde was delicious, and the red salsa was so spicy, i had to stop eating it! picked up the food for takeout, but the inside was very nice, and felt like i was eating at my grandmas kitchen. will definitely be coming back!! read more

They have to change their rice recipe its always undercooked and dry i dont like their rice at all i have given them many chances and said maybe the rice is good today but no its always undercooked Change your rice recipe drop this one make another one different way there are many other ways on youtube try another one read more

I had high hopes for this place, but it was a bit let down. I ordered delivery and reviewed information on the restaurant website and the delivery app before I ordered. Most of the places that I've ordered birria tacos and quesadillas from will either include the consome with the meal or will specifically mention that they don't include the consome and that it needs to be purchased separately. Both their website and the delivery app didn't mention whether it came with the meal or not and I wished I had called them to ask. I shouldn't have assumed. When I opened the bag, I noticed that there was no consome. I was disappointed but figured I could just add some salsa to help. There wasn't any salsa either. I am used to most Mexican restaurants including at least 1 or 2 small containers of salsa, but I'm guessing that this must be added on as well. Food Rating- Birria Tacos (6/10) (Meat and flavor was good, but not necessarily better than most other places in the area) Horchata (10/10) Mexican Rice (9/10) Guacamole (7/10) ---- Very few chips included, but Guac ok I hope that this restaurant will consider adding information on the website and delivery apps about what specifically is included with the Birria tacos/quesadillas (Consome/Vs No Consome) and the other meals. Tacotlan still remains my favorite for birria. read more

Friendly staff, cute little place with not that many seating, decent steak and chicken taco, delicious quesadilla taco, flavorful goat soup, and AMAZING salsa. Highly recommended for those who enjoy birria tacos. read more

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I have found my new favorite place for birria tacos!!! Finding a place that makes authentic goat meat birria is extremely hard! Everywhere has beef and it's not good. This place is AMAZING. Everything is always fresh, the meat is tender, and their Jamaica's are phenomenal. read more

Highly recommend. Stopped in to order two carne asada tacos and chips and salsa to go. The lady at the counter was very pleasant and my wait wasn't long, given the fact that the food is cooked to order. The chips are clearly homemade and they're incredible. Very fresh and crispy. The tacos were great, they're very generous with the amount of meat, and I love that they give a side of lime and radish wrapped on the side. This will be my new go to spot for Mexican food. read more

My friend was feeling down after a long day of work and so we decided to come have some good food from El Texcal. I've always passed by but never really caught my eye until today. We had some delicious Birreria quesadillas and horchata. The meal was very good, even their chips and salsa were delish. Our waitress was very kind and patient, she would check up on us and always asked if we were doing ok. Overall, great food, service, and drinks. I am happy we came for dinner and will be back again. read more

Birreria El Texcal - 2 Quesadilla de Birria con Arroz y Frijoles - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So today I wanted to try something different yet familiar. I wound up ordering takeout from Birrieria El Texcal, a relatively new place on Lawrence Avenue that apparently resides in the former location of El Poblano (the old signage says so). So I wound up with a lunch of 2 goat quesadillas which came with a side salad and cups of salsa. The prep of the quesadillas is kind of unique (at least unique to me anyway). The tortilla is fried or griddled so it is crispy like a fried taco, or a gordita, or perhaps even a quesadilla. The filling included goat, cheese, onion and cilantro. The quesadillas are pretty good, and all in all the amount of food was the right size for lunch. One of these days I'll have to try the birria. They have a sign that says "cash only" so bring some bucks. read more

One of the best birria taco places in chicago. It's a bit hole in the wall but that's what makes it so great. The focus is on the great food that's served. I ordered the birria quesadillas combo and with consume on the side. Also ask for both salsas. The food was fresh and absolutely delicious. read more

Birreria El Texcal - 2 Quesadilla de Birria con Arroz y Frijoles - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The consume is PERFECT. I could drink a whole liter of it. The birria quesadillas were also very tasty and paired well with the consume. I most definitely will be back here to eat this dinner again. I don't know if I'd look anywhere else to eat birria. My only complaint would be that two quesadillas is nowhere enough. God I love this place The waitress was so polite and friendly. They ran out of rice, but I did not mind because the birria and consume were delicious on their own. I also ordered the horchata; what a perfect drink to pair with this lovely dinner. read more

Birreria El Texcal - Cheesy Birria Quesadilla Consome Minni Horchata chica - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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RATING: 10/10 I'm pretty stingy with my 10/10s so let this be a sign that Birreria El Texcal is worth the trip. I'm also pretty dramatic so I say this pretty often, but I ACTUALLY mean it this time with my whole heart and soul when I say the birria CHANGED. MY. LIFE. I've wanted to try birria for so long--it had become this obsession of mine that consumed my every waking thought but the longer I waited to try it, the more it seemed like a pipe dream. Until one day, my friend and I took a 50 minute bus ride and 20 minute walk to Birreria El Texcal!! The restaurant itself is super homey and feels like the kitchen area of a friend's house. We received free chips and salsa which were perfectly crispy. Then, the birria. Holy freaking mother of God. Truly the "GOAT." I got the Dinner de quesabirrias which was two quesadillas with birria inside served with rice and beans. I also got the consome (goat stew) which is essential for dipping. The outside of the quesabirria is crispy but the inside is filled with oozing cheese, meat, and onions. When you dip it in consumme, your mouth bursts with an explosion of goat flavor and cheese. Ugh. Sublime. Please please please please please go here to try the birria because sincerely you have not lived until you have!! read more

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Great tacos and burritos It sucked the one time I wanted to go because they were out of meat, which could be a good sign read more

Stayed in downtown Chicago for the weekend. Very glad I made the trip to check out this place. The menu is simple you can't go wrong with the quesadilla birria tacos or other carne asada tacos they have. They also surprisingly offer tacos de cabeza (head) which is interesting. It's a very cozy spot with a few seats to dine in, but worth going either way for its authenticity. The service was really fast. I'd go again! read more

Birreria El Texcal - Quesadilla Birria - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Absolutely unrealllll. I've been ranking taco places in Chicago and this place is #2 out of 31. The bierria and consume is sooo damn good. Like omg. This is definitely gonna be a new place that I crave. Can't wait to come back. Service is fantastic too read more

Here is me eating two quesadillas de birria with a small side of consomme: *Takes bite. Puts down phone. Closes eyes.* *Eats rest of food with singular, attention, so as to ingest maximum deliciousness.* This is one of the best meals I have ever eaten. If I were nearing death, I would need to eat these every day because they are pure orgasmic, blissful pleasure. The meat. The cheese. The texture of the tortillas. The freshness of the produce. The warming spices of the consomme with a hit of spice. All warming my insides, making me want to chug this stuff. I work a half mile from here, they may soon be owning all my cash. read more

So so good and yummy birria Tacos. My family's Love this place north side Chicago read more

Birreria El Texcal - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Goat Birreria-- Good Chorizo Taco -- Decent Steak Taco-- Good Pros: ------ Quick service Friendly staff Decent prices Street Pay Parking Cons: --------- None to me but think Birreria can be better. read more

Birreria El Texcal - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Do yourself a favor and come visit Birreria El Texcal for some DELICIOUS food and great service!! We came for the Birria tacos (which definitely lived up to the hype), but I wanted to vouch for the other food as well! I ordered the Asada (steak) Burrito, which was one of the best I have ever had at an amazing price. Half the burrito was plenty filling, and I was able to enjoy the leftovers for lunch the next day :) Also, special shoutout to the free chips + salsa- I probably could have eaten 5 baskets of those read more

Birreria El Texcal - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place has some good goat tacos. I ordered the birria quesadilla and 3 birria tacos. Comes with goat gravy so you can dip. Tender, juicy meat. Not the best I've had but not bad at all by any means. Two cons however: I ordered 3 tacos(3$ each) and a quesadilla plate no sides(7.99$).. but my total was a little over 22$. Im not sure how tax on 17$ is 5$. They also dont accept credit cards only cash. Really wanted to like this place but the overcharging left a bad taste in my mouth, no pun intended. So my return here is questionable. Not hating at all but I just cant justify paying more than whats listed on their own website. read more

I visited on Sunday, September 6 - all staff were wearing masks. I ordered a steak burrito - which was very good and not enormous which I appreciated. My partner ordered a small birria and loved it. My toddler enjoyed rice, beans, and lots of horchata and jamaica. Great place. We'll be back! Oh and it's cash only! read more

I have eaten here three times and now think about eating here all the time. Birria is a meat (lamb, chicken, beef, etc.) or stew, braised until it's falling apart. Its a Mexican dish served in tacos or as a stew or in quesadillas. The ambiance here is very laid back. It feels like you are at someone's home. The service is warm, efficient and prompt. The portions are very generous and there is an impressive range of choices. You can get adventurous and try the tacos de cabeza (goat or lamb head) or stick with something familiar, like quesadillas or chicken tacos or a burrito asada. Either way, you will be really happy. The food is fresh, the flavors are layered. So layered you will just sit and focus on the taste, the texture, the flavor. If you're with friends, you will all talk about what you're experiencing when you can regain speech. It sounds dramatic because it IS dramatic. They have a beef broth listed on the menu as consome. It's what you want when you are feeling down, hungover or have a cold. Or just are at Texcal and you know you need to order it with whatever else you're having so you don't get mad at yourself later. Do your future self a favor and make a plan to get here with a group so you can order different things and share. You will happily have leftovers to eat for breakfast the next day and a new place to take people who also enjoy mind blowing food experiences. read more

Excellent no frills birreria! Don't expect chips & salsa and subpar carne asada tacos. They have goat or lamb soup and tacos, and that's it. The goat soup is amazing! The broth is rich and garnished only with chopped white onion and cilantro. Not to mention a heaping serving of goat meat! No fillers like hominy or potato. It's served with a side of perfectly warmed corn tortillas and a couple wedges of lime. Goat & lamb lovers can rejoice in this casual foody sanctuary! NOTE: As of this time credit cards processed cannot add tips. read more

Birreria El Texcal - Birreria de chivo (goat soup) - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped in on a cold snowy winter night for the goat soup. Might be the best thing I've eaten this year. Takes 6-7 hours to make - it tastes like it too. It's a deep rich brown beefy/goat broth with a generous amount of slow roasted goat pieces.. cilantro and onion added at order. It's served with tortillas, limes, and a somewhat spicy very flavorful house salsa with which you make little goat tacos. Oh man... so damn good!!! read more

Birreria El Texcal - Goat Soup, Tortillas, Limes - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The quesabirrias from there is good and juicy I recommend u guys to go is really good and is worth it

Lawrence Avenue is one of the great streets for taco crawling west from Kedzie to Pulaski! This place is really a highlight. Discovered it taking my daughter home late from a show at the Aragon. LATE NIGHT TACOS - cool! The food was good, better than good. Barbacoa tacos, birria tacos, al pastor. My daughter just wanted chicken tacos with no sauce (I think she's adopted). Really liked it. They take credit cards even though there's a sign that says they don't. Took my wife who declared she wanted to go back for her birthday! She said the chips were the best she's ever had (in the US). She thought the salsa was too hot and asked why they serve dried chilis on the side. There are thousands of taco places in Chicago. It's hard to say that any stand out from others. The tacos, chips and salsa are all really good. read more

I only have DoorDash experience from this place. The food and the consome was still hot upon arrival, so they packed it quite well. The birria quesadilla was very delicious! I definitely wished I ordered more but I was stuffed afterwards. However, the other regular carne asada taco we got was mediocre. Overall, I would say it was okay. It is also on the pricier side than other birria places I've been at. read more

Ordered takeout from here tonight and the 2 Quesadilla De Birria dinner was amazing! The rice and beans flavorful and authentic with corn and peas. The chico consume is huge and can easily be shared for 2-3 people. I will definitely be coming back and highly recommend checking out this restaurant if you are looking for birria tacos! read more

Good Birreria but very expensive compared to South Side establishments. Asked for extra lime wedges and they charged a dollar. Considering the price of the food that should be included. read more

I live not far from this restaurant, Birreria El Texcal. I love their goat tacos. They are just so damn flavorful. I got the small size and wish I'd gotten the large, which I will definitely get next time around. And there will be a next time for sure. Located in the Albany Park neighborhood. read more

Omg gotta get the lamb birria quesadillas with the consomme to dip the quesadillas in. So so good. I also got the housemade horchata and that was also bomb. But remember, this place is CASH ONLY. read more

I was there , I couldn't pass it up . I'm a big fan of Goat Quesabirria tacos , tried the Lamb also with the consume for dipping. The taste the goodness the little family owned restaurant on Lawerance in Chicago blew me away . Does it get any better ?? I've searched all over including Mexico . It's some of the best I've found . It's not cheap . I hear goat is about 10$ a pound . Highly recommended. Homemade salsa that was kicking as well . read more

I'm glad I found this place on the north when searching up for birria near me. I love love love the goat birria. My boyfriend and I have come here a few times now, and we usually get that and a side of lamb tacos to dip them in. The birria has a great amount of spice. It's so delicious especially now that the winter is here. Highly recommend! read more

I am a big fan of goat tacos, so when I noticed that this place opened up near me, I had to try it. I came with a friend, and we each got one small order of the goat birria. Oh. My. God. So good! The flavor of the broth was amazing, it gives you such a warm, comforting feeling, and the meat was cooked to perfection. It was so, so tender. The cilantro and onion were perfect accompaniments, and the two different sauces (red and green) were both AMAZING. The two guys that were working were so friendly, and they gave us extra tortillas when we went through our first order very quickly, lol. I will definitely be coming back, and often! read more

Birreria El Texcal - Small order of goat birria. Amazing! - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love this place. Family owned from the looks of it and they are very on top of the hospitality side of service. The food never disappoints and you'll be happy with the portion sizes. read more

Came for the first time to this place . Ordered 3 different tacos and the al pastor was the best ! They have. Great customer service , the only negative is that they don't have Diet Coke . Other than that it was a great experience! Will surely come back . read more

Unassuming spot with delicious food! Mom n pop feel, very welcoming, great pride in product and service. Really good birrieria is hard to find, especially on the north side, but this is some of the best in the city! I used to travel an hour each way to get great birrieria on the south side despite living far north, and this rivals, if not beats what I used to travel hours for. ¡Bravo El Texcal! read more

THE BIRRIERA TACCOS OMG, literally one of the best things I've ever eaten. The staff was super sweet to help us order. Food was fresh and delicious, will definitely be back! read more

Mediocre food and none of the staff wear masks. I was looking forward to some authentic Mexican food but was disappointed. The food was mediocre and the consume was pretty bland and watery. No one on staff was wearing masks even my waitress when she approached my table. The restaurant was super hot as well. I'd rather go somewhere with better food and a staff who abide my the mask mandate. read more