Ultimate Tri-Cities taco guide. Deliciously dippable birria is the latest food craze

The latest taco craze has hit the Tri-Cities.

It’s the birria boom — and it’s showing up more and more on Mexican restaurant menus across the U.S.

“At the beginning nobody knew what it was,” said Daisy Vargas. Now, it’s one of the first thing she runs out of each day at her popular Picante Mexican Taqueria truck in downtown Kennewick.

“Birria is a very traditional dish. You usually don’t find that at a regular food truck — mainly special events,” she said.

But that’s changing.

The shredded meat — usually beef in the U.S. and traditionally goat meat in Mexico — is served with tortillas and a flavorful red broth for dipping along with limes wedges, cilantro, sliced radishes or other spices.

Vargas serves hers with one of 10 fresh homemade salsas such as avocado lime, piña habañero, hibiscus or diablo, that she soon will be selling by the jar.

“It is a trend that people just don’t know about,” Vargas said. “It was the best kept secret.”

The dippable delicacy — originally from the Mexican state of Jalisco — is no longer served only taco style with a side of rice and beans. Vargas said customers began asking for it in burritos, crunch wraps — even in ramen.

“Birria is something my mom encouraged me to put on the menu and so she was the one who said, ‘Let’s have birria everyday available for customers,” said Vargas, who went from being a full-time mental health therapist to having one of the most sought out food trucks in Tri-Cities.

Picante’s beef birria is made with 30 ingredients from a family heirloom recipe committed to memory.

“Biriria is such a unique flavor. You won’t get another item that tastes similar to it,” she said.

Vargas believes it’s the homestyle cooking with quality ingredients, like the birria and homemade tortillas, that have made Picante a success in just over a year.

A few months after opening, Picante landed the No. 2 spot for Best Food Trucks on the 2020 People’s Choice Awards.

▪ Picante Mexican Taqueria: 419 W. Columbia Drive in Kennewick.

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, closed Sunday. 509-303-3331. Online: Facebook

More taco spots for birria, lengua and more

▪ A Tacos La Esperanza : 1427 N. Fourth Ave. in Pasco.

This gem flies under the radar. Tacos La Esperanza isn’t active on social media or online — just a an understated silver food truck where loyal customers have been going for decades.

Locals know a good thing — it was voted the best tacos of the first-ever Pasco Taco Crawl in 2016.

▪ El Fat Cat: 539 N. Edison St. in Kennewick. 509-546-1413.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Online: elfatcatgrill.com or Facebook.

El Fat Cat’s traditional taco stands on it own but their tacos with a twist stand out even more.

The Fiji is filled with curry marinated chicken and topped with mango, jicama and vegetable jardinière (garnish), as well as lettuce and house mayo. The Green Hornet has beef, jalapeño cream cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo and cilantro.

Or try: Barbacoa cheesy taco occasionally on special.

El Fat Cat has had a firm grip on the top spot of the People’s Choice Awards for best food truck at least five years and was even named one of the Top 10 food trucks in Washington in 2015.

▪ Golden Taco Mexican Kitchen: 272 Wellisan Way in Richland. 509-380-2266.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Online: Facebook.

The Golden Taco is a newcomer and opened its food truck late last year, featuring basic tacos for $1.75, as well as three taco dorados for $10 or three beef birria tacos with consomme for $11.

Not to miss: Taco Tuesday specials.

▪ Kikos Tacos: 1014 S. Washington St. in Kennewick. (509) 585-0508.

Hours: 10:30 to 8 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sundays. Online: Facebook.

A longtime Tri-City staple, Kikos Tacos has the hard-to-find hard shell taco and the choice of a flour tortilla taco.

Kikos touts its authentic al hambre tacos — topped with bacon, onion, green and red bell peppers and melted cheese.

Also note: Shrimp and fish tacos.

▪ Mas Tacos: 1415 George Washington Way in Richland. 509-528-4785.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. Online: mas-taco.business.site or Facebook.

It isn’t too often when you can choose mini or mighty at a taco truck.

For the small appetite, get a taco mini for $2 with with cilantro, onion, radish and lime. Or the Mas Tacos for $3.50 comes plated with grilled onions, grilled jalapeños, avocado, pico de gallo radish and lime.

Meat choices range from beef, pork, chicken, pork carnitas, lengua (tongue), cabeza (head) and beef birria

▪ Mexico Lindo: 1819 W. Court St. in Pasco. 509-545-8730.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. Online: Facebook.

Mexico Lindo has the heart of authenticity where you can sit down and enjoy your meal. Their birria is made from tender goat meat, seasoned with chile and ground spices, then baked and served with onions, cilantro and lemon.

Also try: Tacos dorado with choice of meat topped with cabbage, tomato, Mexican cheese and special sauce.

▪ Tacos el Agavito: 5718 W. Clearwater Ave. in Kennewick. 509-430-0468.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Online: tacoselagavito.com or Facebook.

Tacos el Agavito reopened in late February after several months of being closed for revamping. They now have a new menu, fresh look and are taking orders for catering.

Specialty: Tacos al pastor — pork cooked on a spit similar to the Middle Eastern shawarma.

▪ Taqueria El Sazón: 2226 W. Court St. in Pasco, 509-547-6997 and 4115 W Clearwater Ave. 509-735-1555.

Hours: 8 a.m. to midnight at both locations. Online: taqueriaelsazon.com and Facebook.

You can’t go wrong with 99 cent tacos, and two locations to find them.

Taqueria El Sazón has happy hour specials 2 to 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. to closing every day. Tacos come in adobada (spicy pork), carnita (fried pork), chicken or buche (pork stomach).

Other taco meat choices are asada (steak), birria (shredded beef), carne molida (ground beef), lengua (tongue) and tripe (beef stomach)

▪ Jose’s Taco Truck: 3680 W. Van Giesen in West Richland. 509-438-3055.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Head across the Yakima River to West Richland to find this local favorite. On Wednesdays, get pork and chicken tacos for $1.00 or beef for $1.25.

Do you have tacos you want to feature is this list? Email Allison Stormo at astormo@tricityherald.com to share news about your new restaurant, food truck drinking establishment or other changes.

This story was originally published March 4, 2021 at 5:00 AM.