Inside its bright pink walls, a family-run restaurant in Concord serves traditional Mexican cuisine with a modern twist, accompanied by margaritas galore. Birritaco offers a wide range of birria-inspired entrees and vegan and vegetarian options, along with an open kitchen, inviting you in. Among the building’s other design features are its paintings, inspired by La Catrina’s Day of the Dead, and its walls displaying drawings and signatures from previous customers.
Marco Ruiz co-owns Birritaco with his mother, Marie Curiel. Ruiz, originally from the Mexico City area, moved to China Grove when he was just 10. After eight years in North Carolina, Ruiz moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked at Barroco, owned by the Vergara family, and picked up a knack for the restaurant business and management. After working in Cleveland, he decided to bring something like Barraco’s vibe to Concord. “That’s kind of where my love for the restaurant business grew.
Or, actually, I discovered it. So I already knew I wanted a business. And then working for this restaurant – that’s where I knew I wanted a restaurant, which is actually what this idea kind of came from,” Ruiz said. 1 of 11 Photos: Check out the food — and the bright pink vibes — at Birritaco in Concord The Chicken Birria Taco at Birritaco includes a crispy seared corn tortilla, chicken tinga, chihuahua cheese, cilantro and onions with a side of consommé. ALEX CASONCharlotteFive Previously, Ruiz’s family had occupied Birritaco’s space with his uncle’s supermarket and his mother’s restaurant, both called Lupita’s.
After the supermarket moved and the restaurant closed, Ruiz started to build Birritaco with the help of the Vergaras. “Basically, we kind of renewed it in a way, but we did change the style quite a bit. It was more traditional-style food. And now this — even though it is traditional recipes, it is more of a modern style of food,” Ruiz said. Food — Here are a few of Birritaco’s menu staples: Birria Taco – The No. 1 item on Birritaco’s Door Dash orders is made of slow-roasted beef and Chihuahua cheese in one of Birritaco’s handmade corn tortillas. Birria Pizza – In what Ruiz describes as a quesadilla in the style of a pizza, the double-decker Birria Pizza includes a variety of toppings such as onions and cilantro. Al Pastor Pizza – This item was reviewed by Mr.
ChimeTime on TikTok, who awarded Birritaco a 9.5 out of 10. It’s double-layered with flour tortillas and Chihuahua cheese and topped with things like chile marinated pork and charred pineapple. Mexican Ramen – At Birritaco, you can expect a bowl of ramen to include birria broth, birria beef cooked with Maruchan noodles, corn onions and an egg cooked however you choose. The Mexican Ramen at Birritaco includes Maruchan noodles cooked in birria broth, birria beef, onions, shredded radish, cilantro, roasted corn, green onions and an over-medium egg. Alex Cason CharlotteFive “So these are still Mexican, recipes are very traditional.
The seasonings, the way we cook it, all that kind of stuff. All the prepping is still done the same way. A lot of recipes are from my mom that she gave to me to implement them in the business. But the way we present, the way we plate it, the way we mix things, that’s where the more modern style comes in,” Ruiz said. The taco spot, which prides itself on fresh items, also goes the extra mile to have someone come in just to make their tortillas by hand.
“I think that’s one of the things that makes us very successful, and people can tell that we can make our tortillas and it does make a difference,” Ruiz said. Drinks — Birritaco’s bar, separate from its main dining area, is home to 21 margarita flavors and 150 tequilas. Ruiz says Birritaco’s two most popular margarita flavors are blood orange and spicy mango. Get unlimited digital access Try 1 month for $1 CLAIM OFFER The restaurant also has margarita flights with four flavors in short glasses if you’re indecisive like me or just want to try out something new. Flights are $16 with the house tequila, or if you come in on a Monday, you can grab them for $10. Here are some flavors you can choose from: Guava Horchata Hibiscus Habanero Coconut Watermelon Strawberry Blood orange Cucumber Spicy mango Four of the 21 flavors of mini margarita flights at Birritaco. Alex Cason CharlotteFive Vibe — think Barbie pink.
The bright pink paint, while both timely and eye-catching, was an idea from the Vergara family, who advised Ruiz to paint the building in a bright color. “Because where have you seen a pink building before or pink Mexican building before?” “I was like, yeah, I haven’t. I was like, it’s gonna draw attention. It’s gonna catch people’s eye. It’s a pretty color,” Ruiz said. On the inside, you’ll get “two kinds of vibes.” There’s the family-oriented yet laid back ambience in the dining area, and on the other side, there’s the bar area, which is where you’d go to hang out, bring a date or chat with friends. The bar area at Birritaco with a graffiti wall.
Alex Cason CharlotteFive With the walls inundated with pink and paintings sprawled across its interior, Birritaco previously invited customers to leave their marks on the walls. But the restaurant has since stopped due to a few less than tasteful drawings from visitors. “I wanted people to leave a mark as part of the business, I wanted to include them, I wanted to be part of it,” Ruiz said. Nonetheless, you’ll feel the undeniable family run nature of it all, as the business began with the strong support of family back in August 2021 and has continued with help from both friends and kin ever since. Birritaco in Concord. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
Source : Charlotte Observer
