This New York Food Truck Is So Good, People Follow It All Over The City
I first stumbled upon Birria-Landia on a chilly November evening in Queens, and from that moment, my life—and my idea of tacos—completely changed.
This unassuming food truck, run by two brothers from Puebla, Mexico, has ignited a full-fledged birria craze across New York City. What began as a humble operation in Jackson Heights quickly turned into a culinary phenomenon, with fans lining up in the cold for a taste of their rich, spicy, slow-cooked beef.
The lines stretch around the block wherever it parks, and for good reason—Birria-Landia isn’t just serving tacos; it’s serving a cultural experience.
One Menu Item Done to Absolute Perfection
Most food trucks try to please everyone by offering fifty different things, but Birria-Landia took the opposite approach and it paid off big time.
José and Jesús Moreno decided to master one thing: Tijuana-style birria de res, which is slow-cooked beef in adobo that practically melts on your tongue.
Their menu is beautifully simple—tacos, mulitas, tostadas, and that glorious consommé for dipping. When you focus all your energy on perfecting one dish instead of spreading yourself thin, magic happens. People respect that dedication, and honestly, when something tastes this incredible, who needs variety?
Brothers Bringing Puebla to the Streets of NYC
Family businesses hit different, especially when the family actually knows what they’re doing. The Moreno brothers launched Birria-Landia in autumn 2019, bringing recipes and techniques straight from their hometown of Coatzingo in Puebla, Mexico.
There’s something about watching siblings work together that adds flavor you can’t fake—the shorthand, the shared vision, the pride in every taco.
Their story represents the immigrant dream done right: taking something authentic from home and sharing it with a new city that’s hungry for real flavors. That authenticity radiates through every bite, and New Yorkers can taste the difference between genuine passion and just another business venture.
That Consommé Though
Let me tell you about the real MVP of the Birria-Landia experience: the consommé. This isn’t just some throwaway dipping sauce—it’s a rich, deeply flavored broth that comes alongside your tacos and transforms the entire meal into something transcendent.
Dipping that crispy-edged taco into the warm, savory liquid creates a flavor explosion that makes you close your eyes and forget you’re standing on a Queens sidewalk.
Some people even drink it straight from the cup like soup, and honestly, I don’t blame them one bit. This broth is what separates good birria from legendary birria, and it’s why first-timers instantly become devoted followers.
Ranked Number Two Taco Spot in All of America
When Yelp ranked Birria-Landia as the number two taco spot in America in 2025, it wasn’t just hype—it was validation of what locals already knew. National recognition like that doesn’t happen by accident; it happens when your food consistently blows minds.
Time Out Worldwide featured glowing reviews with quotes like “the flavors were vibrant and the meat was unbelievably tender.”
Getting noticed among thousands of taco joints across the entire country means you’re doing something extraordinarily right. That kind of acclaim brings tourists from everywhere, but it also makes New Yorkers proud to claim Birria-Landia as their own hidden gem that finally got discovered.
Multiple Trucks Mean Multiple Chances to Score Tacos
Chasing one truck around the city would be exhausting, but Birria-Landia solved that problem by multiplying. They now operate several trucks across Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and their original Jackson Heights location, plus they’ve added a brick-and-mortar hub.
This expansion means more accessibility without sacrificing quality, which is incredibly rare in the food world.
Whether you’re in Midtown during lunch or wandering Brooklyn on a Saturday night, there’s probably a Birria-Landia truck within reach. Checking their social media to find the nearest location has become a daily ritual for devoted fans who refuse to settle for anything less than the real deal.
Late Night Cravings Meet Their Match
Nothing hits quite like discovering your favorite food truck stays open until 1 or 2 in the morning. Birria-Landia’s late-night hours (Monday through Thursday until 1 AM, Fridays until 2 AM) make it the perfect destination after concerts, late shifts, or when regular restaurants have long since closed.
New York is a city that never sleeps, and having quality food available past midnight feels like a lifeline.
The Roosevelt Avenue location becomes a beacon for night owls craving something substantial and delicious, not just greasy desperation food. Those late-night tacos taste even better when you’re exhausted, hungry, and grateful someone’s still serving excellence at midnight.
Worth Every Minute of the Wait
Lines don’t lie, and the crowds at Birria-Landia tell the whole story. People willingly wait 30, 40, sometimes 50 minutes for these tacos, and somehow nobody complains because everyone knows what’s coming.
The anticipation builds as you inch closer, watching the Moreno brothers work their magic, smelling that intoxicating adobo in the air. When you finally get your order and take that first bite, the wait becomes a distant memory—totally worth it.
Locals describe it as a “food-truck chase experience,” where tracking down Birria-Landia and waiting in line becomes part of the adventure, not an obstacle. That’s when you know you’ve found something truly special.