Dishes · Dinner · Tacos
Birria tacos, and what the cup is for
Birria began as a goat stew in Jalisco, in western Mexico: meat rubbed with dried chiles, cooked for hours and served in its own red broth.
Cantina Rooftop
Dinner menu · Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm
Tacos
Three corn tortilla tacos per order, with creamy zucchini sauce, chile de árbol sauce, onion, cilantro & lime. Flour tortillas +2
- Birria$22
Slow-braised beef, consomé for dipping, onion & cilantro
- Al Pastor$21
- Carne Asada$20
- Carnitas$19
- Taco Vegetariano$19
Same dish and price on the brunch menu (Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to 4pm).
Please tell your server about any food allergies.
How a stew became a taco with a cup
The taco came later. In Tijuana in the 1950s, a taco vendor named Guadalupe Zárate switched to beef because goat cost more, and that version crossed into Southern California and on to New York. The cooking broth became consomé, served on the side.
The name is a puzzle too. The common story says the Spanish called the dish birria, worthless, as a dig at tough goat, but that's folk history.
Dress the taco first, dip the end, bite, repeat, and drink what's left in the cup. It drips, so lean over the plate.
Ours are the beef kind, slow-braised, with consomé for dipping, onion and cilantro.
Birria: questions
What kind of meat is birria?
Goat is the traditional meat. Beef is the usual choice for birria tacos in the US, and lamb shows up too.
Is birria spicy?
Usually more rich than hot. Dried chiles give the broth its color and depth, with mild to medium heat, and the sharper heat comes from whatever salsa you add.
What's in the birria tacos at Cantina Rooftop?
Our menu says: Slow-braised beef, consomé for dipping, onion & cilantro. Tell your server about any allergies when you order.
How much for the birria tacos at Cantina Rooftop?
$22 on our menu right now. See it on the full menu.
When can I order the birria tacos?
It's on our dinner menu (Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm) and our brunch menu (Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to 4pm). We're at 605 W 48th St in Hell's Kitchen. Book a table.