Birrieria El Taco Solito

So my Yelp Elite Friend Andrew K had recommended this place to me last year and I've had it bookmarked for months and finally decided I should take a trip back close to the hood I grew up in. Arrived just around noon for lunch. My husband and I were greeted. I was surprised to see how big this place was on the inside and it's painted a beautiful red with murals all around. We were greeted and told to sit anywhere. There's plenty of chairs and tables. We had a stroller with us so it was nice that there was enough room to put it on the side without it getting in the way. Our server was nice he came and dropped off condiments (lemon, cilantro and onions) and took our drink orders. They had water in bottles and Pepsi in a can all of which we were okay with. Love that their menu is simple. Made ordering easy. Our order: small goat birria, 4 quesabirria with consomé, 2 birria Pepena tacos and one quesadilla all on handmade tortillas. Our order came out hot and fast. The quesabirria tacos were huge with double tortillas. They are very generous with the meat and the birria was very tender and has so much flavor . The goat birria smelled and tasted gamey but it was also very good. The small bowl they gave was full of meat. The small order of cheese Quesadilla was just the perfect size for my daughter. The birria pepena meat is a combo of intestine, gizzard, kidney and heart. It was a bit different but I've have had these meats before so I'm familiar with these type of meat texture and flavors. Tripas is actually one of my favorite taco meat. However, gizzard, kidney and heart are normal not my go to choice of proteins but glad to have tried it was a deliciously huge taco I would recommend trying it. The homemade tortillas are thick and tasted AMAZING, perfect balance of sweet and salty it was delicious! Highly recommend this place, they really do serve one of the best birrias in town! The owner Fernando was very kind, attentive and checked on us and made sure we had everything we needed from the start to the end of our dinning experience. Thanks to my Yelp Friend Andrew K again for the rec! If you're looking for a delicious birria place with big portions for the price and amazing customer service this place is IT!

Amazing food and amazing service! All the workers are so nice and welcoming they make you feel right at home. Quesabirrias are to die for especially with the hand made tortillas.

I really wish I could give this place more than 5 stars. Hand made tortillas de maíz and the food is outstanding. Not great, not delicious, but like your Mexican grandma prepared the dishes in the kitchen and hand delivered then to your table. The birria is great, but the real savory dish is the costillas with nopales. The meat falls off the bone it's so tender.

Birrieria El Taco Solito represents some of the best Mexican food in Central California. The dishes are authentic, and freshly prepared with pride using quality ingredients, aromatic, and flavor-packed. The Fresno Bee has awarded them the people's choice for the best birrieria (also spelled birria) Central Valley in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Additionally, the Fresno Bee awarded them the best Mexican restaurant and menudo in the Central Valley for 2024. Both are the signature dishes of this family-owned restaurant and the taste, they claim, will transport you to the streets of Jalisco.The quesabirria tacos with broth, $17.99 are a must-order dish for first-timers. Birrieria-style (stewed meat) beef on consomme dipped corn tortillas with melted oaxaca cheese (queso), served with a side of broth (consomme), along with diced onions, cilantro, dried chiles, herbs, and lemon wedges. It is paired with consomme (broth) for dipping and comes with rice and beans.What may set Birrieria El Taco Solito apart from its competitors when it comes to the quesabirra tacos is the sheer size of the tacos: made with larger corn tortilla shells and packed with delicious stewed beef and melted cheese. The dish comes with four hearty-sized tacos. The meat is very tender and succulent, and the broth is rich and has a pleasant umami taste. Dipping the tip of the taco into the consomme just before you bite into it takes the flavors to yet another stratosphere. As good as it gets.One of the few places where you can get birrieria with either beef or goat meat. The birrieria de res (beef) is as good as it gets. However, the birrieria de chivo (goat) is even better. The goat meat has more flavor and is more tender than beef. Goat meat is cooked with the bones inside them. This explains why the taste and richness of the broth in goat meat are even better. Cooking stew with the meat bone adds flavor, and richness, and cooks the meat more evenly.If I had the choice (and I do here), I would pick the birrieria de chivo every time unless I order it as a taco. The menudo is also as good as advertised. It is a comforting traditional Mexican soup made with cow tripe. The dish seems equally popular as the birrieria on the weekends when it is served. The tripe tasted clean and was well trimmed. It was very tender. The broth was flavorful and rich. I like that you have pig trotter as an option in the soup. Menudo should have tripe, bone marrow, and pig trotter anyway, so it was an empathetic yes for me. Hominy is added to the soup. Diced onion, chopped cilantro, and lemon wedges, along with freshly hand-padded tortillas are served with the soup. While there are several places to enjoy a tasty bowl of menudo, there is nothing quite like dipping homemade tortillas in them. They have other savory caldos (soups) including beef, chicken, shrimp and fish, and pepena.If you enjoy offal meats, the pepena - a combination of tripe, kidney, heart, and gizzard in a special sauce - is another one of their specialty dishes. You can enjoy it on a taco, in a soup, or with rice and beans.The adobada (marinated pork) was delicious: zesty, subtle sweetness, and full-flavored. Roasted pork and beef, birrieria, and pepena complete their meat choices. This restaurant gets packed on the weekends and popular spot within the community for desayunos (Mexican breakfast). There is plenty of seating during the afternoons on weekdays.Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, caldos, desayunos, and succulent meat with rice dishes round out their menu.Service is good. You get seated immediately and the servers are attentive, friendly, and very helpful in making suggestions on what to try or answering any questions about the dishes.The prices are very reasonable. A large bowl of menudo is $13.49. A handmade taco is $3.49. A burrito is $9.99. A chile verde plate is $12.99. The prices, in addition to the taste and food quality, contribute to their popularity.The food is authentic and inexpensive, and they serve singularly the top local Mexican dish. See why Birrieria El Taco Solito makes the best birrieria in the Valley.

Been coming here for the past two years and they still have the best birria and other Mexican fare. The sauce is seasoned so well. Just like homemade if not better. Husband loves the menudo. Great fast service, clean and freshly painted murals on walls. Enough street parking. You definitely want to bring the family here.

Hands down, the best Birria tacos in Calwa The red building is a local gem, serving up flavorful tacos that hit the spot every time. Pair them with a glass bottled Coke, and you're in instant heaven. Plenty of seating, great vibe, and the heart of the community. A must visit! The service is cool prompt to take your order since it's empty he was able to cater to us

I'm visiting from Santa Monica & this place came up in Yelp. Drove from my hotel and walked in to an almost empty restaurant. Turns out they were closing early because of Halloween. Well they kept it open enough for me to order & eat my order of tacos de birria. They were great tacos, beef was tender, tortillas fresh & the consommé delicious! Highly recommend this place!!

Food was delicious, even tho there was a lot of people waiting we didn't wait long to be seated.

Burritos and tacos were amazing. The meat is well seasoned and the sauce was tasty. Nice local restaurant. Good food for the price.

Had an asada burrito, good flavor, pero the asada was way too salty! The salsa was the biggest disappointment, not a fan of the red salsa, it was all Mexican oregano flavored. Green salsa was mid but could be better. Please make a different kind of salsa or improve the recipe.