Tuétano Taquería
Restaurant · Chula Vista ·
Birria tacos with bone marrow & natural aguas frescas
Birria tacos with bone marrow & natural aguas frescas
"It’s been a year since the taqueria moved from Old Town to Chula Vista, and judging from the crowd spilling out of its new home, the move paid off; I’ve missed Priscilla Curiel’s birria, which is supremely succulent from a 30-hour braise and deeply flavored. Getting the taco on a freshly made corn tortilla is the move, and adding melted cheese and a drizzle of salsa macha elevates it further, though ordering a side of roasted bone marrow to really take things over the top is perfectly understandable." - Eater Staff
"After reopening in a stand-alone storefront along downtown Chula Vista’s dynamic Third Avenue, I’ve watched this Michelin-honored taqueria (recognized by the Michelin Guide in 2020) settle into its new home after a journey from San Ysidro and the Old Town Urban Market. The fast-casual shop revolves around Priscilla Curiel’s sought-after beef birria, slow-braised for 30 hours with spices and aromatics including cinnamon, cloves, and guajillo chiles. Its compact menu features quesabirria tacos, birria tortas, and quesadillas, plus rotating seasonal aguas frescas and sides like consomé; Curiel’s signature tuetano (bone marrow) can be eaten on its own or scooped onto tacos, and for extra indulgence I’d order a side of roasted bone marrow." - Candice Woo
"Recognized by Michelin, the taqueria’s chef shuttered Tuetano’s Old Town Urban Market space to return to Chula Vista and says the taqueria will be ready to reopen later this year as she prepares a suite of restaurants on Third Avenue in Chula Vista." - Candice Woo
"A birria specialist, Tuetano Taqueria is aiming to open by November 27 as part of Old Town Urban Market’s first wave of vendors, I saw." - Candice Woo
"In San Ysidro I found Tuétano Taqueria's stewed, spiced beef shoulder — the birria de res — to be the inarguable star: on a reliably busy day the tiny dining room sees the kitchen go through about 60 pounds of it, and admirers range from Tijuana residents who cross the border just to dine there to Latin food pro Bill Esparza, who wrote in Food & Wine that its menu offers “sheer deliciousness and inspiration.” Owner Priscilla Curiel, 32, born in San Diego and raised in Tijuana, is the first professional chef in her family (she grew up working in her parents' well-established restaurants La Espadaña and Talavera Azul) and is an alum of the Art Institute of San Diego; her recipes were developed during the eatery’s early days as a taco-catering outfit and pop-up and are made almost daily in a small, freezer-less kitchen. The birria is flavored with an adobo of cinnamon, cloves, guajillo chiles, whole onions, and garlic. Curiel’s best-selling quesabirria starts with a fresh-pressed tortilla made with masa from National City's Tortilleria La Estrellita, tinged crimson from chile-infused fat skimmed from the stewed birria, then layered with melted mozzarella for a milky contrast to the deeply spiced beef. Optional but emphatically advised is the namesake tuétano (bone marrow): chunky cross-sections of roasted beef shank are melted within, dipped in meaty birria consommé, seared on the grill until smoky and charred, and scooped in buttery nuggets atop a taco; an oil-based salsa macha made with roasted garlic and chile de árbol adds richness while diced onion and cilantro add freshness. Bone-marrow tacos took a little while to catch on, but Tuétano now has a growing cadre of regulars, many of whom also like to eat the fat from the bones with tortillas and salt. Though birria is the standout, the menu is rounded out by other guisados like rajas con crema and chicharrón en salsa verde, as well as tacos filled with cochinita pibil and carne asada quesadillas, and Curiel has plans to add more seating, obtain a beer license, and eventually open Tuétano outposts in Los Angeles and New York City." - Candice Woo