Panther City's Birria Bucketlist

Birria-style dishes can seem heavy at first glance. In the right culinary hands, though, the Jalisco, Mexico spices can elevate ramen, pizza, and tacos to sublime and savory heights bursting with beefy, spicy flavors. 

I recently stopped by Papi’s Tacos and More on the West Side to try their Instagram-famous birria ramen — a West Coast specialty that is surprisingly hard to find in Panther City. The cozy restaurant was packed when I grabbed the last open table and snagged a pair of chopsticks as my steaming hot bowl of noodles arrived. Topped with diced onion, cheese, and cilantro, the thick and savory soup was steeped in cumin, chile, garlic, and bay leaf flavors. Dense mounds of shredded beef and perfectly soft-yet-chewy ramen made for a memorable meal that topped the hype. 

 Birrieria Y Taqueria Cortez’s birria pizza on the East Side sticks close to the spirit of the OG Jalisco taco.

Buena Vida Taqueria brings Miami vibes to a South Main Street already boasting notable Latin dining destinations Tinies Mexican restaurant and Funky Calavera food trailer. Chef Alex Lines may have outdone himself with Buena Vida’s birria pizza, featuring tender cuts of beef, melted white cheese, spicy red sauce, diced onions, cilantro, and a creamy white sauce atop two crispy tortillas. The side cup of consommé makes for savory dunks. Birrieria Y Taqueria Cortez’s birria pizza on the East Side sticks close to the spirit of the OG Jalisco taco. 

Sylvania Avenue’s Guapo Taco, headed by Chef Angel Fuentes, was one of the first local taquerias to sell authentic birria tacos in Fort Worth. He still grills these popular crimson-colored tacos along his crave-worthy Mexican cuisine at the popular taqueria. 

Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez, originally a popular Eastside food truck, serves crispy birria tacos along with birria quesadillas and other dishes primed for consommé dipping. South Main’s Funky Calavera serves tacos (including birria), well-crafted burritos, and other Latin delights off South Main Street most nights. 

If only Panther City served a birria Bloody Mary.