Andrew K.
Yelp
Birrieria El Taco Solito represents some of the best Mexican food in Central California. The dishes are authentic, and freshly prepared with pride using quality ingredients, aromatic, and flavor-packed. The Fresno Bee has awarded them the people's choice for the best birrieria (also spelled birria) Central Valley in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Additionally, the Fresno Bee awarded them the best Mexican restaurant and menudo in the Central Valley for 2024. Both are the signature dishes of this family-owned restaurant and the taste, they claim, will transport you to the streets of Jalisco.
The quesabirria tacos with broth, $17.99 are a must-order dish for first-timers. Birrieria-style (stewed meat) beef on consomme dipped corn tortillas with melted oaxaca cheese (queso), served with a side of broth (consomme), along with diced onions, cilantro, dried chiles, herbs, and lemon wedges. It is paired with consomme (broth) for dipping and comes with rice and beans.
What may set Birrieria El Taco Solito apart from its competitors when it comes to the quesabirra tacos is the sheer size of the tacos: made with larger corn tortilla shells and packed with delicious stewed beef and melted cheese. The dish comes with four hearty-sized tacos. The meat is very tender and succulent, and the broth is rich and has a pleasant umami taste. Dipping the tip of the taco into the consomme just before you bite into it takes the flavors to yet another stratosphere. As good as it gets.
One of the few places where you can get birrieria with either beef or goat meat. The birrieria de res (beef) is as good as it gets. However, the birrieria de chivo (goat) is even better. The goat meat has more flavor and is more tender than beef. Goat meat is cooked with the bones inside them. This explains why the taste and richness of the broth in goat meat are even better. Cooking stew with the meat bone adds flavor, and richness, and cooks the meat more evenly.
If I had the choice (and I do here), I would pick the birrieria de chivo every time unless I order it as a taco.
The menudo is also as good as advertised. It is a comforting traditional Mexican soup made with cow tripe. The dish seems equally popular as the birrieria on the weekends when it is served. The tripe tasted clean and was well trimmed. It was very tender. The broth was flavorful and rich. I like that you have pig trotter as an option in the soup. Menudo should have tripe, bone marrow, and pig trotter anyway, so it was an empathetic yes for me. Hominy is added to the soup. Diced onion, chopped cilantro, and lemon wedges, along with freshly hand-padded tortillas are served with the soup.
While there are several places to enjoy a tasty bowl of menudo, there is nothing quite like dipping homemade tortillas in them. They have other savory caldos (soups) including beef, chicken, shrimp and fish, and pepena.
If you enjoy offal meats, the pepena - a combination of tripe, kidney, heart, and gizzard in a special sauce - is another one of their specialty dishes. You can enjoy it on a taco, in a soup, or with rice and beans.
The adobada (marinated pork) was delicious: zesty, subtle sweetness, and full-flavored. Roasted pork and beef, birrieria, and pepena complete their meat choices.
This restaurant gets packed on the weekends and popular spot within the community for desayunos (Mexican breakfast). There is plenty of seating during the afternoons on weekdays.
Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, caldos, desayunos, and succulent meat with rice dishes round out their menu.
Service is good. You get seated immediately and the servers are attentive, friendly, and very helpful in making suggestions on what to try or answering any questions about the dishes.
The prices are very reasonable. A large bowl of menudo is $13.49. A handmade taco is $3.49. A burrito is $9.99. A chile verde plate is $12.99. The prices, in addition to the taste and food quality, contribute to their popularity.
The food is authentic and inexpensive, and they serve singularly the top local Mexican dish. See why Birrieria El Taco Solito makes the best birrieria in the Valley.