Bottom Line: Texas Taco Box makes some first-rate Birria tacos with hot sauce and jalapenos on the side to bring the heat.
Birria is starting to show up on menus on a regular basis these days, and this is a trend that I can really get behind. It is a stew made with beef, lamb, chicken, or goat that is seasoned with dried chilis, garlic, onions, and herbs and spices and it originates from the state of Jalisco. (It’s pronounced bee-ree-ah with a rolling of the “r”, if you are able.) And what has become particularly popular of late is Birria tacos, which are tacos dipped in the broth then cooked on the grill or griddle and served with some of the jus on the side.
San Antonio has quite a number of places that offer some first-rate Birria as well as the Birria Tacos, and I have been remiss in covering those here. I plan to rectify that, but in the meantime, I happened to be in Houston recently at 11 Below Brewery (which I highly recommend), and the Texas Taco Box truck was there that night. They had several Birria selections including street tacos, quesabirrias, and burritos, and all of those sounded like good options to pair with one of the excellent beers on tap at the brewery. I went with the street tacos, and that proved to be an excellent choice.
The tortillas taste freshly-made and are dipped in the Birria broth and cooked up on the grill. They aren’t cooked to the point of being crispy, though, so these count as soft tacos. And even though they refer to them as street tacos (which are usually smaller), the tortillas are decent in size. The meat is fall-apart tender and well-seasoned with a nice earthy taste. It does not bring any heat, but they make good use of the spices to infuse it with plenty of flavor. The diced onions and cilantro add to the picture by bringing in some freshness and a little crunch from the former and a nice herbaceous kick from the latter. The broth is rich and earthy and makes for a great dipping sauce, though all of that gets rather messy. (But who cares?) These are not served with the Oaxacan cheese typically added to Birria tacos (that’s on the quesabirrias), but I certainly did not miss it.
As mentioned, these tacos do not bring much heat by themselves, and those who do not care for spicy food (we weep for them) will have no problem with them. But fortunately, they offer a tasty hot sauce on the side for those of us looking for some burn. It has a peppery flavor along with some tang, and I assume that chilis and vinegar or citrus are the primary ingredients. It rises above Medium heat on my scale and pairs quite nicely with the tacos. In addition, they give one Toreado with each order (a blistered jalapeno or serrano cooked on the griddle) and that kicks things up even more. Add some of that and the sauce to each taco, and your mouth will be burning by the time you are done!
As mentioned, Texas Taco Box also has quesabirrias and burritos, and other members of my party tried those and really liked them. They also have Birria nachos, wraps, and Ramen, all of which should be worth trying. They have a restaurant in New Braunfels which is open seven days a week and I recommend checking it out if you happen to be in the area. I’m not certain what area the food truck covers (they don’t appear to have a social media account tracking it), but I know that it at least gets to Houston. If you happen to see it, I advise placing an order because these guys know how to get the most from a pot of Birria. And if you have never tried it, you will certainly be hooked after tasting one of their offerings.
As for 11 Below Brewing Co., their Hipster Sauce IPA is one of my favorites as a hoppy choice that is not too fruity or too bitter but has the good balance that you are looking for in this type of beer. The Rad Robot American IPA also pairs well with spicy food as does the Oso Bueno Amber Ale. They are open Wednesday through Sunday and have a food truck on the premises most nights. You can see the calendar of food trucks and peruse their beers at their website.
Texas Taco Box:
993 SH loop 337
New Braunfels, Texas 78130
Website: https://texas-taco-box.square.site/
11 Below Brewing Co.
6820 Bourgeois Rd.
Houston, TX 77066
Website: http://www.11belowbrewing.com/