Tacos y Cerveza: The Story of a Brewery and a Brewery
Someone once suggested putting something on every street corner in America. I’m not sure what it was, but it’s actually supposed to be a brewery next to a beer hall.
On a recent fine Friday afternoon, bright sunshine added a touch of warmth to the frigid air; it was the time of Goldilocks. Perfect. And on this day, Tacos y Cerveza Drive Thru in Grand Prairie shone.
The building is part drive-thru beer barn and part restaurant, Birrieria Aguinaga, which provides nourishment to the drive-thru beer barn customers. And if the word birria seems misspelled, it’s not. A brewery is a place that serves birria. Like a taqueria to a taco. Party tip: They don’t just sell crates of beer and birria here. They also serve large tasty mango margaritas to go. It’s the one-stop shop for a perfect Friday afternoon. Aguinaga Brewery specializes in birria, as noted, and also serves dishes influenced by the cuisine of Jalisco, Mexico. The first house specialty on the menu is plato de birria, made with beef or lamb. Other menu items include tacos, enchiladas, soups, tortas and quesadillas. But as the name suggests, you really should try the birria. After we timidly pulled inside the barn and parked, we spotted a sign under the till asking customers, “Looking for dip tacos?” Safe. The quesa birria platter comes with two tender beef tacos with stringy cheese, served with a side of consommé. We waited maybe 10 minutes for our order, then pulled into the parking lot to eat and watch the cars go by.
I mashed as many grilled onions and peppers as I could into the first taco, then dipped it into the consommé for an incredibly messy but totally mouthwatering bite. The beef was tender and a squeeze of lime and a dollop of sauce made for a bright and tangy bite.
There are also great frozen fruit drinks here, with and without shots, like a mango margarita or just a mangonada (no alcohol). There is also a Smirnoff preparada and micheladas with shrimp and cucumber. It was lunch, so we had to pass on the fun stuff, much to our disappointment.
We settled for a mangonada instead, which I told myself I would only have a few sips of due to its sweetness. It was great in theory, but within about 20 minutes this cold tropical nectar with chunks of mango and swirls of chamois was gone.
The michelada options look equally amazing and intimidating. A deluxe option is stacked with shrimp and cucumber on the lid and a Tajin straw. There’s also the charola preparada, six beers on ice surrounded by prawns and cucumbers, celery and Tajin; snacks and beer in a party tray.
If you’re more in the mood for a sit-down meal, Birrieria Aguinaga is a full-service restaurant.
Tacos y Cerveza, 507 E. Main St., no. 200 Grand Prairie. Every day, from 10:00 to 22:00
