It’s always evident when restaurant operators are proud of the origins of the food they serve. They gladly will tell you the backstory of a recipe, and maybe even reveal a secret ingredient or two. They hang photos on walls — visual stories of the people and places that shaped the food on your plate.
If you go to Birrieria Landeros in Duluth, Jose Landeros will tell you about his family’s roots in Calvillo, a city in the state of Aguascalientes in central Mexico. It’s where his grandfather founded Birrieria Landeros, a restaurant that specialized in a lamb stew, or birria de borrego. The operation since has grown into three restaurants, run by Landeros’ four uncles.
More than 60 years after the original Birrieria Landeros opened its doors, Jose’s mother, Hortencia Landeros, finally is feeding her father’s divine lamb dish to metro Atlanta residents.
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Landeros will tell you this story as he takes your order and fills your glass with milky house-made horchata, hibiscus agua fresca or a mammoth michelada, made with your choice of beer and tomato juice doctored with hot sauce and spices.
Like other favorite small, family-run restaurants, Birrieria Landeros has a homey personality. The staff mainly consists of Landeros as host, server and bartender (except when he needs to wash dishes), his mother in the kitchen, and his sister, Denise Hernandez, lending a hand, including baking dense, not-too-sweet, Mexican-style cheesecake.
Credit: Andres Restrepo
Credit: Andres Restrepo
As you dip chips into mild salsa fresca with oregano, look around at the photos of the Calvillo countryside.
As is the case at the sister restaurants south of the border, birria de borrego is the house specialty here. It is less stew-like and more meaty in appearance, the super-tender lamb topped with a mild tomato sauce. Garnish as you wish with diced onion; radishes (oops, Landeros forgot those); fresh cilantro; lime; a smoky, spicy chile oil made from chiles de arbol; and a less potent salsa made with the same type of pepper.
How is their recipe different from others? “It’s all about the salsa,” Hortencia responded in Spanish. The silky smoothness of the tomato sauce is one of its defining elements, and, of course, the dish is “hecha con amor” (made with love), she said.
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
As much as the family loves this generations-old birria preparation, they aren’t opposed to updates. Birria became buzzy in the U.S. a few years ago, when restaurants started using the slow-cooked meat (often beef) with cheese as a filling to make quesabirria, a taco-quesadilla hybrid with birria consommé served on the side for dunking.
Quesabirria isn’t on the menu at Birrieria Landeros’ sister restaurants, but it is in Duluth. When the restaurant opened in February, and folks started asking for it, the family got on the quesabirria bandwagon. Their version, made with beef, is just as golden, crispy, gooey and oily as any you’ll find around town. One is not enough; get the $11 trio.
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Menudo is offered on weekends, with snips of chewy, but not gummy, beef tripe bobbing in a mildly spicy, crimson-colored, chile-based broth.
There are only four filling options for average street-style tacos ($3 apiece), and all are meat. Considering the few vegetarian options at the restaurant, it would be nice to see one added, like the rajas con queso (grilled peppers, onions, tomatoes and cheese) available as a gordita.
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
The menu also includes a small selection of burritos, as well as tortas made with fresh telera bread. You won’t find lomo listed as a torta filling, but ask Landeros whether the slices of pork loin are available. He’s the one who recommended that off-menu ingredient for the toasted sandwich, which also is thick with avocado slices, tomato, cheese, lettuce and swipes of mayo.
Although open since February, Birrieria Landeros still is finding its footing. Outside, a temporary sign whips in the breeze as it covers the signage of the previous occupant, Shinwari Afgani restaurant. The dining room is unchanged — same white chairs and dark wooden tables — except for a colorful banner of papel picado that hangs above the bar, and those family photos and other Mexico-themed bric-a-brac on the walls.
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
The Landeros family slowly is rolling out more menu items, including enchiladas with red or green sauce, flautas, posole and tamales. Those dishes will begin as specials, so listen up when Landeros tells you about the extra stuff his mom is got cooking.
Aguascalientes might be the “Rhode Island of Mexico,” as I overheard other guests being told about the smallest of Mexico’s 32 states, but it has some big-hearted ambassadors in the Landeros family.
BIRRIERIA LANDEROS
Food: Mexican, specializing in birria de borrego (lamb stew)
Service: personable, like a mom-and-pop restaurant
Best dishes: birria de borrego, quesabirria, menudo de res (weekends only), off-menu torta de lomo, gordita de rajas con queso
Vegetarian dishes: chips and salsa, guacamole and chips, cheese dip, quesadilla, gordita de rajas con queso, beans and rice, fries
Alcohol: beer
Price range: $-$$
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays
Parking: strip center parking lot
MARTA station: none
Reservations: no
Outdoor dining: uncovered patio
Takeout: yes
Address, phone: 2400 Satellite Blvd., Duluth. 678-373-3657
Website: birria.ga
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