Ed Fernandez Restaurant Birrieria

"This busy spot for beef birria has a loyal clientele who love the strewed meat loaded into bowls or tacos with a side of consommé. Must-try highlights include the queso taco con nervio, chupacabras, and taco tatemado, served with extra char to the birria." - Helen I. Hwang

"Fernandez Restaurant is packed on the weekends, for good reason. Most consider birria a Sunday staple, whether to cure a hangover or just to curb an insatiable weekly craving. The menu is limited and consists of Tijuana-style birria, made from beef in a broth of dried chiles, spices, and beef juices. The meat can also be ordered inside a crispy taco, as a quesataco (a tortilla filled with grilled, melty cheese and topped with the stewed beef), or as a family-style portion served with warm handmade corn tortillas, chopped cilantro, and onion for do-it-yourself tacos. It’s true comfort food, without any frills. Take note that the restaurant is closed on Monday and Tuesday." - Kristin Díaz de Sandi

"This always-bustling spot frequently lines out the door for its famous birria, served in bowls with traditional garnishes or in tacos with a side consomme. Our pick is the taco tatemado, which applies an extra roasty char to the birria, and don’t miss the menudo on weekends." - Mario A. Cortez, Candice Woo

"There's much to choose from at Fernandez Restaurant. You may get some tacos and mulitas as appetizers, including the crowd-favorite Quesotaco Extremo—a housemade tortilla fried, packed with cheese and velvety beef, and splashed with their famous birria broth. But the reason people start lining up here as early as 9 a.m. is for the birria, made with luscious, slow-cooked meat that, on Fridays, can be accented with lengua, or beef tongue. There are a handful of birria spots nearby, but none have the same warm, enveloping, ultra-homemade taste." - Archana Ram

"A Sunday morning must for many South Bay residents, brothers Miguel Angel and Jorge Fernandez have cooked their perennially in-demand birria since 2006. With a recipe which calls for simmering beef overnight in a proprietary blend of arbol chilies and spices, the end product yields a soft meat in a rich, spicy broth. Ask for tatemado style to crisp up your meat on the grill." - Mario A. Cortez