Birria-Landia
Foodies rejoice! West 72nd Street is enjoying a double whammy of new eateries this month. First Kossar’s, the storied Jewish deli, opened a new location at 72nd and West End Avenue last week. And on Friday, Birria-Landia, one of the more popular taco trucks in the city, will roll up to its newest location on 72nd and Broadway, where it will sell fresh tacos and other fare every evening from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Advertisement
Birria-Landia has announced its grand opening, where the public is invited to celebrate the festive food stand’s expansion to the UWS by stopping by for a free drink and menu item. Look for the white truck with an awning, the enticing aroma of steaming Mexican food wafting down the street and, possibly, two animated brothers welcoming new customers to the business they founded in Queens in 2019. And, if history is any indication, there may be a long line of customers waiting to order the inexpensive but highly-praised tacos from the very short menu.
View this post on Instagram
“Mark your calendars and bring your appetites,” Birria-Landia said on its Instagram page. “Let’s make this opening unforgettable.”
The taco truck’s IG fans were downright giddy about the new outpost.
“The best news!” wrote one person in the comments. “Best tacos in NYC!” wrote another. A lot of people really want them to expand to Long Island, too.
The taqueria on wheels was launched five years ago by José and Jesús Moreno, brothers from a small town in Mexico who bring an authenticity and unique blend of flavors to their zesty street food. It didn’t take long for them to reach the pinnacle of success, at least by one measure – it’s made The New York Times’ list of the ‘100 Best Restaurants in New York City’ for the past two years (most recently ranking at # 70).
Advertisement
Their first truck was in Jackson Heights, Queens. Soon after handing out their first tacos, The New York Times called them “the most talked-about tacos of the year.” They now have trucks on the Lower East Side, in the Bronx and in Williamsburg, making the Upper West Side location their fourth. According to Eater New York, a new stand will open in Flushing, Queens this summer. Eater NY calls the truck business “still the city’s best place for birria tacos.”
The entrepreneurs’ culinary expertise began to form when they worked at notable restaurants like Lupa Parm and Del Posto. José also helped open Eataly’s Chicago and Los Angeles locations, and it was in LA that José discovered his love for birria de res, a Tijuana-style beef dish marinated in a rich adobo and slow-cooked for five hours every day. Today, Birria is the centerpiece of the food truck’s tacos and other items.
Their menu is small – just tacos ($4), tostadas ($4), mulitas ($5) and a consomé soup ($5 / $6). The consomé is also recommended for dipping the tacos into. Whether the soup accompanies the tacos or is enjoyed by itself, The New York Times says it’s not to be missed, calling it “so flavorful and meat-laden it almost overshadows everything else.”
Yelp reviews are mixed but positive overall, with a score of 4.6 out of 5 stars (based on 583 reviews).
Advertisement
“Worth ALL the hype,” writes one customer. “These tacos are bursting with flavor, crunch and textures. I get two of them each time but need to start considering upping that count since I’m always sad when they’re done.”
Some say the tacos are disappointing – or just not as amazing as they’d expected.
“To be honest, the birria tacos did not live up to the hype,” writes a reviewer. “I expected more as many people were waiting in line to eat these tacos.”
“Don’t get me wrong. These tacos are really good but I’ve had better,” reads another review.
Big line on Friday 5/17 @6pm.
Looks like a lot of trash too – how will trash be handled?
Relax