Chris V.
Yelp
Some Insta-trends are too popular to ignore.
I've had some birria at taquerias before, but never at a dedicated birrieria until today. I was looking for something new to try when I noticed that Birria El Compa was convenient enough and that it had good reviews from friends. Off I went!
Birria El Compa is located not far off 95 and Charleston (the not-so-well-to-do end) and can be found in a very nondescript shopping plaza near a Dollar General. The very simple menu focuses on either birria de chivo (goat) or barbacoa de res (beef). You can get them in soft tacos, "crispy" tacos, queso tacos (cheese), quesadillas, or plates. I decided to try a bit of both.
But first, they brought out some complimentary corn tortilla chips and some dips. The frijoles here were quite good and had a reddish tinge, suggesting that they're not just the plain ol' beans which you'll find elsewhere. I even scooped my leftovers into my to-go box. The mild salsa was also tasty. The chips were perfectly crunchy too.
First order out was my Taco Dorado ($3) with beef. The tortilla wasn't really crunchy, but it was cooked nicely golden brown. The beef was delicious and fairly tender. The grilled onions and peppers were nice too. It's probably not the best around, but it's worth trying if you haven't had anything exceptional lately.
Not long afterward, my goat birria plate ($15) showed up. It's pretty good, yes, but much of it was tough to chew. I actually didn't get all that much gamey flavor in the tougher portions either, but the parts near the bones (yes, you gotta watch out for those) provided me with the distinct goatiness. The consomme which is served alongside was about the same as I've experienced in birria previously. It's savory and has some spices (not the capsaicin variety), but isn't something which I'd want to slurp up on its own. I didn't actually dip fully loaded tacos into the consomme, so I was glad that they provided spoons.
Masks are required due to the pandemic and social distancing is highly highly encouraged, but individual seats at tables are sometimes separated by fewer than 6 feet. On that note, there was surprisingly a bit of a post-lunch rush at 2-ish PM. Employees do all wear masks and sanitize tables between customers at least. Oh, and they accept cards and cash, but request exact change for cash-paying customers
I don't think Birria El Compa is likely to be the best I'll find in town, but it's pretty solid. It's worth a look if you live nearby or find its proximity to the highway to be good enough. Maybe I'll swing by to try a queso taco soon.