La Birria Opens Its First Brick-and-Mortar Downtown Today

Photo: Melisssa Chang

You all remember the rise of the birria trend, right? If not, you must have been locked at home during some kind of pandemic.

Birria is a Mexican dish of meat stewed in a broth, or consommé. The broth is used to flavor the tortillas for birria tacos, then served alongside the tacos for dipping. Variations made their way through Mexico to Tijuana, where the tacos were served with cheese, and then over the border in 2010. By late 2020, birria tacos had become a craze across the U.S.

Arturo Silva, who is from Mexico City and was the opening chef at Buho Cocina y Cantina, created his own recipe and started a birria truck with Justin Mizufuka. They weren’t just the first in Hawai‘i to jump on the trend, they were making it with a high level of authenticity.

Co-owners Justin Mizufuka, Arturo Silva; at right, manager Ty Yamada. Photo: Melisssa Chang

Four years later, they’re one of the few birria spots still standing, with a line at their Pearlridge truck on any given day. And today, they’re opening their first brick-and-mortar on Fort Street Mall.

They’re staying true to form and serving just a few birria-centric items: birria tacos (3 for $13, with consommé, of course); Hellfire tacos (2 for $14, same tacos, but with a crazy heat level due to a ghost pepper blend); and birria ramen ($14), a local twist whose broth is made with the consommé. Another fun twist is called “Mexican roulette,” which is a box of 11 queso tacos and one hidden hellfire taco.

Photo: Melisssa Chang

You can also order a side of ramen noodles to use up the consommé from the tacos or just the consommé. Silva recently created his version of chile pepper water using jalapeños, and I drizzled it on everything, especially the ramen.

Silva’s birria has a rich, complex flavor. I have brought boxes of tacos to events (a dozen for $58), and people have loved them (with or without consommé).

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You can’t have tacos without horchata, and La Birria has three: regular, cold brew, and strawberry—which is deliciously malty and perfect with the Hellfire tacos. The agua fresca is much lighter. Both drinks are $5.

La Birria’s new Downtown restaurant is near Scarlet Honolulu on Fort Street Mall.

Open Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays 8:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., 1148 Fort St. Mall, (808) 888-0900, @la_birria_hi