Gluttony with a Side of Michelin: Going All in at Birrieria and Taqueria Cortez

"Birrieria" is a hard one to roll off the tongue. It's like a taqueria, but the specialty here is birria, which is slow-cooked meat that renders a flavorful broth (or consomme). It's tasty indeed, but the name is a bit tricky.

Birrieria and Taqueria Cortez is in a primarily residential neighborhood in southeast Fort Worth. The restaurant has a stone facade with fire-engine accents and picnic tables outside. When you walk in, the first thing that hits you is the easy, fun vibe. Colorful sarape-inspired tables dot the big dining room, and Mexico-inspired murals cover the walls. Music bounces overhead, and many margarita machines swirl in the back.

This family-run restaurant started as a food truck just down the road (and is still there). The Cortez family moved into this cozy corner spot in 2021. Rogelio Cortez Jr. is the face and energy of the space; his parents, Rogelio Sr. and Patricia Cortez, originally from Jalisco — the birthplace of birria — help in the kitchen, while their other four kids help in both the front and back of the house.
The place is buzzing between lunch and dinner on a mild summer day. The dining room is immaculate, and the service is quick and friendly.

Before starting this little birria kingdom, Rogelio Junior worked at McDonald's for three years, where he says he learned about "kitchen processes, working fast and that everything has a place," emphasizing the last part. Cutting his teeth at the fast-food empire paid off; everything runs efficiently, something not often seen at new restaurants with new restaurateurs.

Beef birria is the only protein served here, and it's in everything. Batches are cooked throughout the day. First, the meat is trimmed, then it roasts for eight hours, which renders the rich consomme, which is filtered and then cooked again. Rogelio says they go through two batches each weekday and five on the weekend.

Making Michelin

When it was announced that the Michelin guide was coming to Texas, we all wondered how a book founded on French dining would adapt to the cornerstones of the Texas culinary scene, which include fare from our neighbors from the south. It was a surprise when Birrieria and Taqueria Cortez was announced at the inaugural Michelin ceremony in Houston last fall. Even the Cortezes were surprised. They didn't go to the event because they missed the invitation. Rogelio only found out when his state Rep. Ramon Romero called to congratulate him.

While they didn't receive an elusive star in the guide (only one North Texas spot, Tatsu, earned that distinction), other restaurants filled in the Bib Gourmand selections, recognizing high-quality food at a reasonable price. Then there are also "recommended" restaurants, which the anonymous inspectors determine to be impressive, but not star or Bib Gourmand worthy, where Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez landed a spot. They're keeping company with some of North Texas' most lauded restaurants, including Tei-An, Georgie and Mister Charles.

Going All In

Everything on the menu at Cortez is a variation of birria, and nothing but birria. Nine Top Sellers are listed on the menu, including a Top Sampler, which is where you should start. It comes with an 8-inch pizza (layers of tortillas, cheese and birria), flautas, two quesatacos and consomme. Fully committed, we added changas, a torta and a tostada, which were all less than $75. Diced onions and cilantro appear frequently, and salsa is ready on every table. Table space is at a premium, as are rolls of paper towels.

It's hard to remember exactly what happened as we plowed through every dish, including a stellar pile of borracho beans (the underappreciated true mark of a good chef). The changas were lightly fried and stuffed with the flavorful birria. A torta fell apart as we did our best to hold it together; the bread couldn't keep up with the juices of the meat, which we have no complaints about. A bowl of consomme was served alongside our platter. Everything gets a dunk.

The pizza earns honors for being the cheesiest application of birria, in the most literal sense. The cheese pulls are Instagram-worthy. A little goes a long way; most of this made it home in a to-go box, and it still took a couple of days to polish off.

Good news for Dallasites is that Rogelio is looking for a space in Dallas. He's not narrowed down the neighborhood or anything.

"I'm big on intuition," he says. "I'm not big on how many cars pass by a location; it's just if it speaks to me."

Here's hoping that something in Dallas proper speaks to him soon. Until then, it's worth a trip west.

Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez, 2108 E. Rosedale St. Wednesday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Closed Monday and Tuesday.