Birria’s El Padrino

We moved to Oceanside from Chicago this year and have been looking for a good place that served actual Birria de Chivo and that was good. We found places but no where as good as Birria's El Padrino. We had the Birria de Chivo tacos and they were great. We will be back.

Birrias El Padrino is a birrieria that specializes in both birria de chivo (made with goat, popular in the Mexican state of Jalisco) and beef de res (made with beef, popular in Tijuana), among other varied fare. Surprisingly, the eclectic menu also contains San Diego-style Mexican specialties such as "Carne Asada French Fries" smothered in sour cream and cheese, as well as "Rolled Tacos" and "California Burritos" -- all of which seem out of place at a restaurant that allowed me a peak into their kitchen while their chef was stuffing a suckling pig for roasting.

Nonetheless, I won't fault the restaurant for doing what they feel is necessary to stay in business in North County, a ritzy region sandwiched between San Diego and Orange County that notoriously underappreciates legit Mexican fare, or edible food in general. I'm sure Birras El Padrino's burritos are pretty good, but I can't think of a reason in the world to order one when there are so many more interesting things to eat here.

I admire a place that does things the hard way, the right way -- and this is evident by the quality of the tortilla de hecho a mano (handmade) they serve their regular tacos with. I had both a "Goat Birria Taco" and "Beef Birria Taco" with this house-made tortilla and was impressed by the heft and flavor of the tortilla and the flavor and silkiness of the meats. According to the restaurant, they add birria consommé back into the birria once it is scooped onto the tortillas, a pro move to ensure the meats are at their juiciest when they're served to you. I much preferred their goat briria over their beef birria. It possesses more interesting and intense flavors, even as the seasoning and piquancy (of which there is much) is identical between both braises. The goat is mild-tasting, but still tastes distinctly like goat.

However, if you come here, you must order the "Quesataco de Chivo," my favorite goat birria taco in SoCal south of Los Angeles. They utilize two corn tortillas, the aforementioned house-made tortilla grilled AND a bagged tortilla dipped in consommé, with both tortillas griddled back-to-back except for the mild white cheese in the middle that melts, forming a crunchy and gooey taco shell that itself evokes a quesadilla de maiz. As the taco equivalent of a stuffed-crust pizza, this is perhaps the ultimate cheesy, spicy, greasy hang-over cure. Just writing about this taco makes me want to drink tonight until I'm cross-eyed so I have an excuse to drive an hour to Oceanside tomorrow morning to make myself right.

The "Consommé de Chivo" on its own was also pretty good with its heavy collagen content making it more of a sophisticated full-bodied, fully-realized rendered goat stock than what I've come to expect from birria consommé. This makes a great dip for the "Quesataco de Chivo," imparting even more flavor to a taco that has its flavor knob already turned up to 11.

This is a meticulously clean restaurant tended to by pleasant people who were proud of the food they are serving, in addition to being both curious and supportive of my current #SummerOfTastyTacos journey.

Delicious! Best tacos in Oceanside! They handmake their tortillas AND they have Birria tacos which are so hard to find! If you like TJ tacos in Escondido but it’s too far to go to which is my case, this place won’t disappoint you! Oh and ask for the Queso Birria taco! ????????????