The Best Birria Tacos Guy Fieri Has Ever Had — From a Family Food Truck on Venice Boulevard
“Without question, one of the best birria tacos I’ve ever had.” That’s not faint praise coming from Guy Fieri, who’s eaten his way through thousands of restaurants. But at Tacos Y Birria La Unica, a food truck on Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles, the Mendoza family earned every word of it.
The story behind La Unica is pure Triple D material. Monty Mendoza and his family loved their mom Everest’s cooking so much that they built her a food truck. When Guy asked if she ever imagined this would be her life, even she admitted, “It’s crazy.” But crazy works — there’s a line down Venice Boulevard, and locals rate the truck a solid 10 out of 10.
The Queso Tacos: Crunchy, Cheesy, Dunkable Perfection
The number one item on the menu? Crunchy tacos with cheese — specifically, the queso tacos. These start with a crunchy tortilla layered with Monterey Jack cheese, then topped with tender birria. But here’s the move that makes magic: you dip that taco into the consomé.
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The birria paste itself is a complex blend of Chile California (steamed in hot water), black peppercorns, allspice, clove, a touch of cinnamon, whole garlic, and onion — all blended and strained. Guy noted it was “really interesting to have that much allspice and clove in Mexican food,” and Chef Everest explained it’s specifically because of the goat. The meat simmers in this paste with water and salt for three to four hours until it’s fall-apart tender, while the cooking liquid becomes that precious consomé.
If you’re a fan of rich, aromatic goat dishes, you might also love the African Caribbean Goat Stew in Santa Fe — another Triple D gem that proves goat is seriously underrated.
Vampiros: The Crunchy Tostada Revelation
Guy brought along his buddy Steelo Brim from MTV’s Ridiculousness to try the vampiros — a crunchy tostada with melted cheese and shredded beef. Steelo drives all the way from Long Beach to L.A. just for these.
The technique is what sets them apart. Handmade tortillas cook slowly on the flat top for about 30 minutes, drying out rather than frying — which creates that signature crunch. The beef shoulder gets braised in the same birria paste as the goat, then piled onto the tostada with Monterey Jack, Mexican rice, beans, onion, and cilantro.
Steelo called the drying-out technique “a thousand percent” the game changer. Guy agreed: “The rice and beans are so honest. Having a tostada revelation.”
What Makes La Unica Different: The Sauces
When Guy asked what separates good Mexican food from bad, the answer was clear: the sauces. La Unica makes a Chile de Árbol salsa by toasting garlic on a screaming-hot flat top, adding oil, dried chiles, water, and salt. Guy stepped back from the heat and tasted it: “It’s got a great acid to it, almost like a vinegar acid. This is delicious.”
They also make a fresh salsa verde by boiling tomatillos and jalapeños, then blending with garlic and salt. Steelo’s reaction? “That’s crazy, bro. That’s so good.”
Like other standout spots where sauces and condiments make all the difference — think the tangy goodness at that “Next-Level” Cuban Sandwich in Louisiana — La Unica proves it’s often the accompaniments that elevate a dish from good to unforgettable.
Guy’s Final Word
“It’s not gamey, it’s not too spicy, it’s not too salty — it’s in balance,” Guy said of the birria. Then, eyeing the consomé, he joked: “If I could figure out how to get the consomé in a kiddie pool, I’m kind of weird, huh?”
Find Tacos Y Birria La Unica and other Guy-approved spots in our restaurant directory.