Birria tacos and quesabirria took over San Francisco around 2021 and unlike most food trends, they stuck. The problem now is that everyone serves them, and quality varies wildly. Some spots braise the meat for hours, make their own consomme, and it shows. Others are riding the trend with pre-made filling and thin dipping broth.
The reviews make the difference obvious. We scored every birria spot on how positively people describe the actual food.
The ranking
Cocina Mama Cholita
El Garage Birria
La Vaca Birria
Birria Lovers SF
Taqueria Los Altos
Why Cocina Mama Cholita wins
96% love from 120 mentions is the highest love score of any Mexican dish we track across the entire city. That number is almost absurd. What makes them different is the consomme: reviewers describe it as "life-changing," "the best broth I have had in years," and "worth going to Bernal Heights for." The meat is slow-braised, the tortillas are hand-pressed, and the whole plate comes together like it should.
El Garage Birria in Bayview is the runner-up and the more interesting story. It is a weekend-only operation out of an actual garage, and the overnight slow-cook means the meat practically falls apart. At 94% love, reviewers are just as enthusiastic, but availability is limited. Get there before noon or do not bother.
The consomme test
Here is a tip: the consomme tells you everything you need to know about a birria spot. If the dipping broth is thin and tastes like it came from a can, the meat will be mediocre too. If it is rich, red, slightly spicy, and you want to drink it straight, you are in the right place. Every spot in our top three passes that test.
See the full birria map →