Best Tacos in Chicago | Birria Edition | Birrieria Zaragoza

Birrieria Zaragoza serves what may be the best customer service I've ever experienced in Chicago, paired with goat birria so tender you can leave your teeth at home. Located at 4800 North Broadway in Uptown, this Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient and Netflix "Taco Chronicles" featured restaurant specializes in one thing: birria tatemada made from a 165-year-old family recipe.

Incredible. That's really all you need to know, but let me tell you more.

Quick Facts

📍 Location: 4800 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640 (Uptown) | Original location: 4852 S Pulaski Rd (temporarily closed due to fire)

⏰ Hours: Monday - Thursday 11AM - 7PM | Friday - Saturday 11AM - 10PM | Sunday 11AM - 9PM (hours subject to change for local theatre events)

💵 Price Range: $15-25 per person

🚗 Parking: Street parking available

📱 Website: https://www.birrieriazaragoza.com

☎️ Phone: (773) 334-5650

🌟 Best For: Authentic birria, handmade tortillas, exceptional service, Michelin Bib Gourmand dining

First Impressions & Process

Order up front at the counter and take a seat. They'll deliver when ready. The process is straightforward, though if it's your first time, the staff will immediately recognize it and explain everything in great detail.

Your tray gets delivered complete with everything you need. You're able to put as much or as little onion and cilantro as you like. The sauce is wonderfully flavored and not spicy, so don't worry about piling it on.

When you're done, the staff picks up the dishes after you leave. No need to bus your own table.

The Food: The Birria Experience

The birria is served on perfectly warmed, handmade tortillas. These aren't just good tortillas. According to multiple reviews, these humble corn tortillas are astonishingly great, fresh-made daily and unexpected at this level.

The meat itself is absolutely incredible. I don't know how many hours these goats get to hang out in the bath, but the texture and flavor of the birria meat was insane. Actually, I do know: the goats are local and grass-fed, steam-cooked for five hours, marinated in a rich ancho-based mole, then oven-roasted to perfection.

So tender and so moist with the perfect level of seasoning. It absolutely melts in your mouth. Leave your teeth at home. It's wild, to be honest.

The menu is intentionally simple. You choose bone-in (surtido) for maximum flavor or bone-out (carnaza). You can get it on a plate with tortillas for build-your-own tacos, in a bowl drowning in hearty tomato-based consommé, or as quesabirria tacos grilled until crispy.

They brought out a tray with onion, cilantro, red peppers, and sauce while I waited. This way you're able to add as much or as little as you'd like to customize each bite.

Their recommendation would have given me the true experience: a bowl or plate of birria with the fixings and the tortilla on the side. You even get your choice of bone-in or bone-out, which is awesome and a first for me seeing that as an option in a taqueria.

I would highly recommend if going with another person that you go after the full experience. The customers behind me were doing just that and it looked like so much fun.

Seating & Atmosphere

Bar stool seating wraps around the windows at this Uptown location. Probably about 15 total stools. The space is intimate, designed for the former Broadway Grill diner layout but reimagined for counter service.

I got really lucky that I arrived when I did, easily able to get a seat. But within 15 minutes, right around 6:15 PM, it started to fill up.

You're sitting on stools bellied up to tiled counters. Only room for maybe a dozen or so people at one time. But never once did that matter. It never felt weird.

The gentleness of those handmade tortillas being laid out on the grill. The ring of spatulas slapping the griddles. The rhythm of the knife against the board as it chops your goat meat into neat little piles. The friendly voices of every one of the employees greeting, educating, and thanking every customer that strolled through that door.

All of these things, combined with the murmuring of delighted customers, work together to create a very friendly and inviting atmosphere.

Service Experience

This may actually be some of the best service I've ever experienced in Chicago.

Greeted immediately upon entry. By everyone working. In unison. Wow!

They immediately recognized it was my first time in and explained the menu in great detail and made recommendations. The education they provided helped me understand not just what to order, but why the choices mattered.

When I was done and got ready to leave, everyone said thank you and wished me a good evening. I felt like a king, but then I realized they did that to everyone who came and went while I was there.

When I said this might be the best customer service I've seen in Chicago, I was serious. Incredible.

What Makes Birrieria Zaragoza Special

Established in 2007 by John Zaragoza from Jalisco, Mexico, Birrieria Zaragoza has earned virtually every accolade possible. Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024. Featured in Netflix's "Taco Chronicles" Season 3. Named one of Food Network's 13 best tacos in the country. Listed in Chicago Magazine's 50 Best Restaurants.

The 165-year-old family recipe sets the foundation, but the execution elevates it. Local, grass-fed young goats receive a five-hour steam, an ancho-mole marinade, and oven-roasting that creates that melt-in-your-mouth texture. The tomato-based consommé is made without goat drippings, keeping it lighter while maintaining rich flavor.

The handmade corn tortillas, pressed fresh daily, receive consistent praise as being unexpectedly exceptional. The award-winning fire-roasted salsa de molcajete adds depth without overwhelming the birria.

The Uptown location opened in May 2023, taking over the former Broadway Grill & Chicken space next to the Green Mill. It's the second location for the family-owned restaurant, bringing acclaimed Southwest Side birria to the North Side. The original Archer Heights location is temporarily closed due to fire but plans to reopen.

Jonathan Zaragoza, John's son and executive chef, has built his own reputation in Chicago's culinary scene, recently opening Čálli inside Soho House Chicago.

The Verdict: Is Birrieria Zaragoza Worth It?

Yes, highly recommended. This is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant for good reason. The goat birria is so tender it defies description, the handmade tortillas are exceptional, and the service sets a standard that other Chicago restaurants should study.

The combination of 165 years of family recipe refinement, local grass-fed goats, and a five-hour cooking process creates something genuinely special. Add in service where everyone greets you in unison and educates first-timers with genuine enthusiasm, and you understand why this place has earned its accolades.

Practical Tips for Your Visit

🅿️ Parking & Access: Street parking available on Broadway. The Uptown location is near the Green Mill and other neighborhood staples like Fiesta Mexicana and Carmela's Taqueria.

⏱️ Best time to visit: Arrives before 6:15 PM for easier seating. Hours subject to change depending on local theatre events, so call ahead if uncertain. The intimate space fills quickly during peak times.

💡 Insider tips: For first-timers, get the full experience: bowl or plate with bone-in goat, tortillas on the side, and all the fixings. The bone-in option packs more flavor. The sauce is flavorful but not spicy, so pile it on. Don't skip the handmade tortillas, they're exceptional. If going with another person, share different formats to experience the full range. The quesabirria combo gets high praise. They don't serve alcohol as of 2023, but offer Mexican soft drinks, horchata, jamaica, and famous horchata iced coffee.

♿ Accessibility: Contact restaurant for specific accessibility information. Counter seating on stools.

👥 Good for groups?: The limited counter seating (about 15 stools) makes this better for small groups of 2-4. Solo diners fit well at the counter.

📶 Dining style: Counter-service with order-at-register, find-your-seat format. Food is delivered to you. Full bus service (they clear your dishes).

Final Thoughts

Birrieria Zaragoza delivers on every level. The goat birria is so tender and perfectly seasoned that it genuinely melts in your mouth. The handmade corn tortillas pressed fresh daily are unexpectedly exceptional. The consommé is rich and flavorful without being heavy.

But what truly sets Birrieria Zaragoza apart is the service. Being greeted in unison by everyone working, having first-timer status immediately recognized and responded to with detailed education, watching them treat every single customer like royalty. This is customer service as it should be: genuine, warm, informative, and consistent.

The sounds create their own symphony: handmade tortillas laid gently on the grill, spatulas ringing against griddles, knives rhythmically chopping goat meat, friendly voices greeting and thanking customers, delighted diners murmuring their appreciation. All of this combines into a very friendly and inviting atmosphere that makes you want to return immediately.

The Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition, Netflix feature, and countless other accolades are well-deserved. This is a 165-year-old family recipe executed with local ingredients, five-hour cooking processes, and service that sets the standard for Chicago dining.

Looking for more Chicago restaurant reviews? Check out my complete dining guide to the best restaurants in Chicago.

I paid for this meal myself. All opinions are my own.

Last updated: November 2025

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