<figure class="c-media c-media–image c-align–center" data-entity-class="image" data-entity-id="86772" data-entity-method="embed" data-image-align="center" data-image-caption="
A bowl of goat birria and a michelada from Birrias Tamazula
” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:2280,”y2″:3420,”width”:2280,”height”:3420}”>
When I moved to Portland in 2020, only a handful of places served birria—the slow-cooked, meaty Mexican stew—and most of them were out in the suburbs. There are now over two dozen metro-area birrierias, by my count, and plenty of other restaurants include birria on their menus. But here’s the thing: most don’t offer goat birria (birria de chivo) in a bowl. Rather, they specialize in beef birria tacos, especially the quesabirria tacos popularized in Tijuana and Los Angeles that have gone viral over the past five years. There’s much to love about the tacos of rich stewed beef, melty white cheese, tortillas splashed with red-orange consomé, folded over and griddled to a crisp, with a bowl of extra consomé for dipping. And the tacos are versatile: they can be a hangover cure at brunch, or a treat-yourself meal at the end of the day.
But birria tacos are the flashy millennial cousin of classic birria de chivo. If you haven’t eaten a big bowl of brothy goat birria, you’re missing out on the timeless comfort food that is birria. Birrieria Los 7 Hermanos on Stark Street in Gresham was long the main player in the game, for its light, almost buttery broth filled with goat, chickpeas, and rice. Now, there’s another stop, sans chickpeas and with a little more chile: Birrias Tamazula, a cozy, no-frills spot with plenty of natural light just off the main drag of downtown Gresham, which opened in 2022.
At Birrias Tamazula, dreamy bowls of goat birria come filled with steaming brickred broth, ribs arching dramatically out of the stew. This is co-owner Anthony Herrera’s family recipe, which dates back generations from Tamazula in Durango, Mexico. The dish was born in Jalisco, where Spanish conquistadors snubbed the tough texture and gamy flavor of goat meat, but locals crafted it into a fragrant stew. (Birria means “something useless” in Spanish.) The goat at Birrias Tamazula is among the most delicate we’ve tried, its gaminess toned down to a soft, floral-like flavor. Meaty ribs and tender stewed chunks fall apart with the push of a spoon. The broth tastes like something a grandmother might make, that unfakeable flavor of long-simmered bones, with just a hint of smokiness and a little spice from the toasted chiles. Raquel, the co-owner and Anthony’s wife, will load up a basket of tortillas for you, hot off the machine. They’re full of toasty corn flavor, thin yet wonderfully puffy, with that little air pocket in the middle that signifies a great tortilla.
When Anthony asks if you want hot sauce, the answer is positively yes. Along with red and green salsas, you’ll also get chile oil, made according to a Lao family friend’s recipe. Thai chiles are the backbone of the sauce, with a little smoky chile de árbol for a Mexican touch.
It’s hard to go wrong with the classic goat birria in consomé here—the dish is so popular that the Herreras often prepare 600 pounds at a time for catering orders. But the birria dorado is also worth a try, where the goat gets oven-roasted until the edges turn crispy, with beans and consomé on the side.
<figure class="c-media c-media–image c-align–center" data-entity-class="image" data-entity-id="86773" data-entity-method="embed" data-image-align="center" data-image-caption="
Camarones zarandeados
” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:154,”x2″:2280,”y2″:3420,”width”:2280,”height”:3266}”>
If you’re looking for something to accompany your birria, your options from the short menu are limited. The Herreras decline to expand the menu beyond their specialties, like seafood, a nod to Anthony’s family history, which included a decades-long stop in Baja California before landing in the States. If we’re nitpicking, the camarones zarandeados—whole, shell-on shrimp in a thick, spicy, slightly smoky red sauce—are impressive-looking, but the sauce is a little heavy for such a delicate protein. Seafood tacos, however, are a solid bet: Baja-style fried fish tacos topped with slaw and pickled onions are some of the best in town, and the shrimp and cheese taco is also a worthy side order, its crispy, folded-over tortilla oozing with garlicky, gooey cheese and plump shrimp. Homemade aguas frescas are also on offer—the jamaica is refreshing, tart, and lightly sweet—as are micheladas and margaritas.
<figure class="c-media c-media–image c-align–center" data-entity-class="image" data-entity-id="86775" data-entity-method="embed" data-image-align="center" data-image-caption="
Quesabirria tacos and fish tacos
” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:3420,”y2″:2280,”width”:3420,”height”:2280}”>
By the way, this is the kind of birria that encourages lingering. After you’ve been noshing on your goat for twenty minutes or so, Anthony will come by with a pitcher of steaming goat broth to top off your bowl. Move over, bottomless mimosas. I can’t think of many better ways to start off a weekend morning.
Birrias Tamazula, 184 NE 2nd St, Gresham, @birriastamazula