Birria LES

Birria LES is a tiny taco shop on Rivington Street, between Essex and Norfolk, that became a Lower East Side hotspot almost as soon as it opened in the spring of 2021. It is a partnership between childhood friends Iqbal "Iggy" Ahmed and Emon Ullah and chef Raymundo Garcia, a native of Tlaxcala in central Mexico, and it built a devoted following among young Muslim New Yorkers after a viral clip praised it as a game-changer for halal eats. The storefront holds only a handful of seats inside plus a couple of small tables on the sidewalk, and the line at the counter is part of the scene. It is a small place with a big, very New York story.

The menu is short and focused, about the size of a food truck's, and it is nearly all birria: shredded, stewed and slightly spicy beef. Order tacos, with or without melted cheese in the quesabirria style, and get a cup of consommé, the rich cooking broth, for dipping. Mulitas, sandwiched between two tortillas with cheese, and tostadas are the other ways in, and esquites, creamy corn off the cob, are the one real side. The Infatuation named it among the city's best birria tacos. Birria LES was featured by the YouTuber New York Turk in 2025 on a halal food tour. Plan to eat on the go and take your tacos toward Seward Park.