Birrieria Zaragoza [Birria Tatemada]

It’s hard to know where to even start with Birrieria Zaragoza. To me, it’s a near perfect restaurant—combining the warmth and charm and hospitality of a true family business with the exacting passion and expertise of a master chef intent on perfecting a single dish. I always wish there were more (some?) places specializing in a single dish, places where they focus on crafting regional specialties, where family secrets are passed down through the generations—if you also wish for these things, this is your place.

It all starts with organic goats from Indiana which get steamed, then slathered with a homemade mole, then roasted until they are a deep mahogany, carved to order, and kissed with a homemade tomato consommé. The plate is served with an array of thoughtful accents—chopped onion, cilantro, roasted chilé de arbol, and a funky hot sauce—not to mention and endless stream of just made homemade tortillas. It’s one of the finest plates of food in Chicago—restorative, balanced, soulful.

And then there’s the Family Zaragoza—Juan and Norma, along with their fantastic kids, make you feel instantly and genuinely welcome. The excitement or just sheer joy on their patron’s faces as they walk through the door really says it all.

Satisfied Customers:

ReneG Starts it off…other LTH super tasters agree and then some.

Mike Sula gets the full scoop for the Reader.

John T. Edge bleats for more.

In good company—on Mike Sula’s list of best things he ate in 2008—in the same breath as L20, Avec, and Mado

Birrieria Zaragoza
4852 S Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL
(773) 523-3700

(edited once to fix the spelling of tatemada--and another time to leave this note)

trixie-pea wrote:Its one of the finest plates of food in Chicagorestorative, balanced, soulful.

And then theres the Family ZaragozaJuan and Norma, along with their fantastic kids, make you feel instantly and genuinely welcome. The excitement or just sheer joy on their patrons faces as they walk through the door really says it all.

Trixie-Pea,

Wonderful nomination, Delicious multidimensional preparation of goat, hand made tortillas, house made salsa, with the bonus of a warm friendly family very much tuned into both their customers and the neighborhood.

Just thinking about Zaragoza has me wondering if they are open at 8am for a birrieria breakfast.

Enjoy,
Gary

Oh yeah, great call.

Edit: I thought I'd posted on Zaragoza after I visited earlier this year, but after a PM nudge realized I'd been remiss.

And it's easy for me to judge from afar, but in some sense, I think the board's been remiss too, because amidst the long, meandering, fawning threads on Smoque and Kuma's and flavor-of-the-day X, I find the relative paucity of posts on Birreria Zaragoza astounding. I hope (and think it's right) that the distance/inconvenience handicap is in play in Zaragoza's favor when voting time comes around.

I've only had the pleasure of eating here once, and believe me, I understand it's quite a hike from the northside. But wow, what a tremendous plate of food this place puts out. I don't have much to add to the descriptions of the food provided in the main thread, which pretty well describe the wonderfully delicious specialty of the house.

One observation, though, that I think comes through more clearly in Sula's Reader piece than perhaps the on-board discussion so far, is the modern sensibility with which this place seems to be run.

There's a certain romance to immigrant mom-and-pop restaurants, doing things the old way, the way things have always been done, almost oblivious to the modernizing or modernized world around them. Immigrants cooking grandma's food. There's a contrast between this aesthetic and the contemporary chef looking to recapture old (and disappearing traditions)...maybe the guys at Smoque or the folks at the Depot Diner or even the couple behind Mado, trying to tap into old traditions and revive them, make them relevant again. This latter approach (and I don't mean this as a negative) carries with it a hint of hipsterdom or gentrification or middle-upscale American foodie-ism.

I am thankful for both approaches, but I don't think I've ever come away with such an impression of their fusion as at Birreria Zaragoza. And I mean this as a very high compliment. At Zaragoza, it seemed more that a Chris Bianco was behind my meal than someone's abuela. While I really appreciate both separately, this restaurant is a great example of what can happen when they meet. While so many ethnic food restaurants still have to be cajoled and convinced into selling gringos more traditional food, Zaragoza embraces the challenge head-on. And I really got the sense this was a tradition they (don't remember for sure which of the family I talked to that left me with this impression) decided to learn and practice rather than just inherited.

Aesthetics aside, Birreria Zaragoza unquestionably serves the best goat I've ever had.

I don't know whether to hug you for such a perfect nomination, or to cry...for no longer living close enough to eat at Birrieria Zaragoza any time I want. Of the multitude of hidden culinary gems LTHers have introduced me to over the years, this is easily in my top 3.

Now, can someone FedEx me a steaming plate of Zaragoza's birria, please?

Aaron Deacon wrote:And it's easy for me to judge from afar, but in some sense, I think the board's been remiss too, because amidst the long, meandering, fawning threads on Smoque and Kuma's and flavor-of-the-day X, I find the relative paucity of posts on Birreria Zaragoza astounding. I hope (and think it's right) that the distance/inconvenience handicap is in play in Zaragoza's favor when voting time comes around.

Aaron—thanks for the thoughtful post. In addition to your many great points, I also think that a lot of folks, even hardcore foodies, think they don’t really like goat. And even those who do might think birria is something that can be good, but not…that good. (I know I did.) There are a lot of pretty mediocre bowls to be had around the city, bowls made in a style which has little in common with what is on offer at Zaragoza.

But meanwhile we are lucky enough to have this guy who goes to La Barca, Jalisco a couple times a year to refresh and hone his birria making skills at the foot of his mentor so that he can bring this style to back home to Chicago. He sources his goats from an organic goat farmer in Indiana in part because it allows him to get exactly the right sized goats, and have them butchered to his specs for optimal cooking. He's passing on the tradition to his kids who share their father's (and mother's) passion for the dish. In other words—this man loves his goat.

But alas, it’s the goat factor, I think, that proves to be a bigger handicap than distance as is evidenced by LTH attendance at far flung places like Old Fashioned Doughnuts, Katy’s, Tacos del Pacifico, Patty’s Diner, Xni-Pec, Calumet Fisheries, etc.

Goat! Goat! Goat!

You know, you're right about the goat, and I always forget that. It's really not any more different tasting than lamb, actually probably even less. I was on a bit of a goat binge down here with some posts on a bowl of birria and a couple Somalian places, and now there's a guy who thinks I just eat crazy weird stuff. I'm pretty open, but I'm not a crazy offal lover. Goat, though, can be damn good.

For me, it's definitely not the goat -- which I love -- it's the distance. That said, I hope I finally get to try this place soon. I've had a couple of misfires and I'm really looking forward to trying it, hopefully while this GNR nomination period is still going on. If so, I'll be sure to report back.

=R=

I've been here at least ten times in the last year and never had anything resembling a misfire. I've also brought a number of people here who had never had goat before that all really enjoyed their experience, as well as "catering" last years New Year's party from Zaragoza. This certainly fits my definition of a GNR.

deesher wrote:I've been here at least ten times in the last year and never had anything resembling a misfire. I've also brought a number of people here who had never had goat before that all really enjoyed their experience, as well as "catering" last years New Year's party from Zaragoza. This certainly fits my definition of a GNR.

Just to clarify (in case you were referencing my comment), I used the term 'misfire' to describe planned trips to Zaragoza that got scrubbed last minute, not experiences there. As I posted, I've never been but certainly to go soon.

=R=

Ronnie,

I failed reading comprehension at almost every grade level. I did indeed assume that your misfires were food related.

Gary, I believe Zaragoza is open at 8:00 AM on weekends. A bowl of birria has a reputation to help cure hangovers.

If this place isn't a GNR in every way, shape and form, then I don't know what is. It speaks to me, and when it does, it says sabroso.

This was top of my list of must-try's during GNR season. And now it's on the top of my soon-to-return list.

Juan was the most welcoming host/proprietor I've met in a long while. A true pleasure. We walked in to an empty restaurant at 1 on Sunday, just after the morning rush. He chatted with us for 10 minutes, about their goat, his experience with LTH'ers, and some amazing beans (the most amazing he had tasted) that some woman had swapped him for some goat earlier that day. He graciously offered us a cup of the beans which were earthy, porky with a bit of spice. Delicious.

But enough about the off-menu morsels. That goat sings. Any self-respecting roasted animal would want to be treated this well. Unctuous, meaty, moist with roasted bits - everything on the plate demanded eating. It was delicious enough in its own right, but when pared with chopped onion, cilantro, the roasted tomato sauce in the molcajete or some hot sauce - unbelievable. Our hecho a mano tortillas were replenished twice until we couldn't eat any more.

I mentioned that some LTH'ers had nominated him for a neighborhood restaurant award and you should have seen Juan's smile. Although the freebie beans or plate of cookies at meal's end that we received almost made me regret mentioning anything about the GNR, I can say with confidence that he would have gladly shared and spent time with anyone who showed as much interest and enthusiasm about his product as we did.

I get it. I loved it. I'll be back.

Great choice and gets my full support for the GNR.

gastro gnome wrote:and some amazing beans (the most amazing he had tasted) that some woman had swapped him for some goat earlier that day.

He traded his goat for some "amazing" beans? Wait till his mother finds out!

At least he was smart enough to eat them, instead of burying them at the foot of a suspicious-looking cloud!

Funny, Juan says that he remembered this woman who made the beans from his younger days. He said he hadn't seen her in 25 years or so, but she came in and said, "Look, it's your favorite beans!"

Heck, as far as I know, he planted them and climbed the thing and that's where he got his birria recipe. The goat is good enough that it could have been stolen from a fairy tale.

We too, were there last weekend (on Saturday) and based on that experience, I enthusiastically support this nomination.

=R=

One of the all time great "finds" on LTH -- taking a neighborhood's GNR and making it Chicago's GNR. This place has to satisfy the pickiest GNR stickler.

*In a real neighborhood

*Everything on the menu is great (not just the marquee item)

*Owners/staff are gems and happy to have you

*Neat as a pin and hasn't been shut down by the city, which seems beyond the realm of possibility

*No inconsistency problem

*Has not burned down.

This is absoulutely, hands down, a quintisential GNR. From the service to the atmosphere to the food. Handmade tortillas brought directly from the griddle to the table. Astoundingly good goat served with a hot sauce that's really key to the whole experience.

This place represents everything a GNR should be. A hearty...

Affirmed.

gastro gnome wrote:
Although the freebie beans or plate of cookies at meal's end that we received almost made me regret mentioning anything about the GNR, I can say with confidence that he would have gladly shared and spent time with anyone who showed as much interest and enthusiasm about his product as we did.

Just want to reassure you that the freebie cookies at the end of the meal weren't some sort of payola. Those come from the bakery about a block down on Pulaski called Pastel. I've spoken with the baker there a few times, and she said since Pastel is new, they're giving cookie samples to Birreria Zaragoza to help promote themselves.

I haven't tried Zaragoza's yet, but after reading this I think that's what's for dinner. Does Zaragoza's give refills of the broth like Birrieria Reyes de Ocotlan does? (I don't see refilling of the broth referenced in this link, but as I recall from a visit there about a year ago, they offered me more from a tea kettle when I had depleted my bowl.) I was too stuffed to have more broth, but I wished I could've handled it, it was so good.

After Zaragoza's, I'll probably also head over to Pastel for some tasty little macaroons. They're supreme when fresh, chock full of coconut, so moist, and still pleasant 3 and 4 days old when they develop a crunchier edge. All the cookies there are miniature, and there are a few other individual size cakes, tarts, flan, and maybe even cheesecake. There are no breads or donuts typical of a Mexican bakery. Just simple desserts with a bargain price tag. Other recommendations include:wedding cookies (like a pecan sandy with powdered sugar), vanilla flan, caramel flan, and the tart with caramel filling and chocolate topping. I usually also get some chocolate chip cookies even though they're not my favorite. Last time I went there I got a "coffee cookie" which had a dollop of chocolate in the center, but wasn't very good because it was a little bitter and the texture was sandy.

Maybe I'll weigh in on Zaragoza's after the meal - thanks for the tip.

Cabrito,

Thank you for the information about Pastel. I certainly did not think anything improper was going on when they offered us cookies - just full disclosure on my part. As I said, i got the feeling that they would have extended the same kindness to anyone who walked through the door, no matter what brought them there.

I didn't see anyone getting broth refills when I was there, but I'm almost certain they would oblige. Without asking, they refilled the tortillas multiple times, and dishing out broth is even less labor intensive

I certainly enjoyed the cookies I tried, but was very full with very good goat by that point so I'm left with a poverty of details. The next time I get down to BZ, I will definitely check out Pastel.

I hope you enjoy your meal.

I've been snacking on some chocolate chip and Mexican wedding cookies purchased from Pastel after lunch at Birrieria Zaragoza. They're excellent.

Zaragoza's was closed at 7:30 when I went there. I squinted at their hours as we drove by, I think it listed 7:00 close. I was dreaming of goaty goodness so I went to Paco's on Archer for 2 Barbacoa tacos. They were so tender, succulent, and muy rico. They were even better than the ones from Paco's on Pulaski, where the collagen stickiness is usually more pronounced in the meat. I'll have to try again for Zaragoza's.

jesteinf, glad you liked your cookies. I went to Weber's Bakery for the first time today, so I didn't stop in at Pastel. Maybe next week for both.

Went to Zaragoza's for breakfast today. If you sit at the counter, second seat from the left, you'll be directly in front of the cutting board where Juan slices and plates everyone's food! I didn't know that going in, but that will remain my seat of choice.

The goat was excellent. The most mild-tasting goat I've ever had. I was surprised it was served on a plate instead of in a bowl, being used to Reyes de Ocotlan, but the meal didn't suffer for it. My plate was a sampler platter of four different cuts of meat, spine, ribs, and "love handles." The love handles had a thin layer of skin, a thin layer of fat, and a thin, delicate layer of meat. It would make an exquisite taco, especially on their hand-made tortillas. The consommé was used sparingly, but created a nice pool with my cilantro and onion and bits of meat scattered on the plate to sop up with tortillas. It took the whole meal to decide, but my favorite was the meat from the spine; the depth of flavor a little beyond the other cuts. Coffee was strong and black punched up with some canela.

We talked to Juan while he prepared our plates and throughout our meal. We were the only gringos in there, practically drooling on the bar, but Juan couldn't have been nicer. He greeted each table as they walked in and had a little colloquial banter with most of them. We realized we were distracting him when he served grande plates to a table that ordered small plates. Among other things, Juan told us that he went back to his home town of La Barca in Jalisco two years ago to learn how to prepare the goat. There's a lot of love in Juan's goats and we'll definitely be back to Zaragoza's for more.

While I appreciate the focus of this restaurant, it would be a better value served with rice and beans. At an $8.50 price tag, the grande plate is a little expensive for the neighborhood, since the meal consists of just meat and tortillas (plus hot sauce, limes, cilantro and onions). The price isn't out of line, but to put this in perspective, dinner for two last night at Paco's was about $7, and breakfast here for two was $23; a bit of an adjustment. Adding rice, beans, and even a goat torta to the menu might be an inexpensive way to bring some variety into the offerings, and wouldn't be a divergence from the focus.

If I can offer my vote after one visit, I would support Zaragoza's for a GNR. This is the best goat I've had in the city, even if I'm not sure whether it's soup or plated meal. Zaragoza's is the place to take people wary of eating goat where one taste is all it will take to fall in love.

Great nomination! Although I've only been once, Zaragoza is exactly what I look for in a GNR: amazing food and helpful, enthusiastic service. I don't think that Norma could have possibly been friendlier or more engaging. I loved her story about how she thought she disliked Birrieria until she sampled it while visiting her husband's family and was able to taste their regional version of the dish - - which Zaragoza features.

And, the food was wonderful, too. Moist, flavorful goat with couldn't-be-fresher tortillas.

If I lived closer, there's no doubt that Zaragoza would be part of my regular rotation. As it is, Zaragoza is a destination worthy of the drive and I look forward to my next visit.

Enthusiastic support,
Ronna

REB wrote:Great nomination! Although I've only been once, Zaragoza is exactly what I look for in a GNR: amazing food and helpful, enthusiastic service. I don't think that Norma could have possibly been friendlier or more engaging. I loved her story about how she thought she disliked Birrieria until she sampled it while visiting her husband's family and was able to taste their regional version of the dish - - which Zaragoza features.

And, the food was wonderful, too. Moist, flavorful goat with couldn't-be-fresher tortillas.

If I lived closer, there's no doubt that Zaragoza would be part of my regular rotation. As it is, Zaragoza is a destination worthy of the drive and I look forward to my next visit.

Enthusiastic support,
Ronna

Yes. What she said. I loved my meal at Zaragoza and definitely support this nomination.
--Rich

I'm considering moving so I can live closer to this place. So... yeah.

This place is up for renewal of its GNR. Please post your comments here until 10/10/11.

For me, this restaurant is the slam dunk of this year's batch of GNR renewals. The food is consistently wonderful and unlike carne asada or al pastor, not something you can get in many corners of the city. If I were to plan a Chicago eating tour for an out-of-town guest, Zaragoza would make the short list.

As good as the food is, the Zaragoza family couldn't possibly be nicer. On our last visit, after complimenting Jonathan on his salsa, he went in the back and emerged with a complimentary make-at-home salsa kit, complete with separately packed peppers, seasoning, and already prepped roma tomatoes. If that kind of commitment to treating your customers right doesn't scream GNR, I don't know what does.

Strong support for renewal.

Ronna

My evidence for Zaragoza's GNR renewal.

Exhibit 1:

Salsa de Molcajete, BZ, on Flickr

Exhibit 2:

Zaragoza Birria, on Flickr

Exhibit 3: Just a poor photo, really, but it captures the diner's haste to get the delicious goat and handmade tortilla into his mouth ASAP!


Action shot, Birrieria Zaragoza , on Flickr

An open and shut case.

Places like Zaragoza are the epitome of what LTH is about. Finding that spot with not just a great story or a wonderful atmosphere or terrific food--but the fantastic combination of all three, in a place that most of us would never know to find.