El Parian is a colorful, family-owned staple in Pico-Union, serving up mouthwatering goat birria and fresh homemade tortillas in a cozy, no-frills atmosphere.
"Pico-Union’s El Parian is an “if-you-know-you-know” kinda place when it comes to Jalisco-style goat birria. After decades of business, this local shop still serves bowls of slow-roasted goat in a flavorful, dark red consommé and pounds of birria tatemada (aka oven roasted) with fresh tortillas on the side. While maybe not as popular as the birria, El Parian’s pozole is worth your full, undivided attention. It comes in a delicious red broth with plenty of dried chiles, garlic, and sweet oregano stewed together with chunks of tender pork. The soup also gets served with a side of chicharron with bits of dried meat still attached, all of which gets gently rehydrated in the soup." - sylvio martins
"El Parian has a couple of "bests" under its belt, like some of LA's best pozole and (as this guide implies) some of the best birria. Goat is the house specialty at this Pico-Union classic, which you can order by the pound or as a stew—the superior choice. That's because the consommé the meat swims in is deliciously zingy and citrusy, rich in flavor but not greasy in the slightest. The fatty chunks of goat meat barely hang on to the bones in your bowl, making it easy to assemble some DIY tacos with their handmade tortillas. Cash only. " - Sylvio Martins
"El Parian has a couple of "bests" under its belt, like some of LA's best pozole and birria. Specifically goat birria is the house specialty at this Pico-Union classic, which you can order by the pound or as a stew—the superior choice. That's because the consommé the meat swims in is deliciously zingy and citrusy, rich in flavor but not greasy in the slightest. The fatty chunks of goat meat barely hang on to the bones in your bowl, making it easy to assemble some DIY tacos with their handmade tortillas. Cash only. photo credit: Matt Gendal" - Sylvio Martins
"While birria has become a certified street food craze over the past few years, longtime Angelenos know that some of the best old school stuff can be found at El Parian on Pico Boulevard. Championed by the late Jonathan Gold, this is the spot for homey bowls of goat." - Farley Elliott
"Birria (goat meat) is the specialty at El Parian, and it’s worth the price of admission at El Parian. Pillowy tortillas, heaping plates of rice and beans and the aforementioned gamey goat meat is a perfect pair for a cold Modelo to get you ready for the game." - Euno Lee
