Who doesn’t love a good secret? Last year, the local internet seemed to be alight with talk of birria tacos — tacos traditionally made with lamb, goat or beef stewed in a pepper marinade, creating a paste. The meat sits in the marinade overnight, and is then served in a corn tortilla (although Secret Birria uses flour tortillas) and dipped in its own juices. Last year, the dish was made popular locally by chef Will Avelar at Mawi Tortillas in Metairie. Secret Birria — which comes complete with a secret owner, who is present at the restaurant but prefers the food to speak for itself — is serving up the tasty Mexican dish in an unassuming building at 323 Octavia St., near Jefferson Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street in the West Riverside neighborhood.
Manager Alex Caluda told me that the owner got the idea for a restaurant that serves birria tacos after traveling through Mexico; he thought that hearty dish would do well here.
