Teddy’s Red Tacos made Birria de Res popular in LA. Unlike the traditional Mexican birria made with goat, their version is made with beef. The latest restaurant to feature beef birria de res is Papi’s Tacos and Churros in the Jefferson Park area of LA. They recently took over the space occupied by Taco Window.
Birria is a stew from the Jalisco state of Mexico. It is traditionally made from goat meat or mutton, but occasionally from beef or chicken. The dish is often served at celebratory occasions, such as weddings and baptisms, and holidays, such as Christmas and Easter. Papi’s Tacos and Churros’ slow cooks their beef for 16 hours.
Papi’s Tacos is technically a fast-casual restaurant. Two bar height tables and a bench reside on the sidewalk. Orders are placed at the outdoor window and orders are either packaged “to go” or delivered to you. The difference is the sidewalk in front of Papi’s Tacos is the outdoor dining room where everyone dines al fresco.
Like Taco Window, their menu is printed on the front wall of their restaurant. In addition to tacos dorados (fried tacos), they also prepare quesatacos (with melted cheese), mulitas (closed face grilled taco), and quesadillas. For dessert, they have housemade churros and a Nutella dulce de leche.
The owner, Omar, is friendly and helpful. He suggested I order the OG Plate because it is the most popular item on the menu. He added that it is a sample of everything they offer. It also comes with their rich beef consomme. At $11.99, I thought the OG Plate was a good deal.
The consomme comes in a wide-mouth cup which makes it easy to use as a dipping sauce. Eating their tacos is quite an experience. The tortilla inherits its taste and red color from the consomme. It is crisp and yet it doesn’t fall apart. The shredded beef is extremely tender and benefits from a multitude of spices such as garlic, chile peppers, cumin, oregano and I’m sure many more. The fresh cilantro and onions gave this a nice additional boost in flavor.
The churros are made fresh in-house and come drizzled in chocolate, dulce de leche, or Nutella sauce. What hit the spot for me was their refreshing agua fresca.
Papi’s Tacos and Churros is only 2 miles due west of USC. If it’s not already, I’m sure it will be popular with the students and faculty.
Papi’s Tacos and Churros, 2622 W Jefferson Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90018; 323.373.9671