(760) 472-6939
Birria’s El Padrino is a standout Mexican restaurant nestled in the heart of Oceanside, CA, offering an authentic and flavorful taste of traditional Mexican street food with a refined twist. Known primarily for their expertly crafted birria dishes, this vibrant eatery captures the essence of rich, slow-cooked meats paired with bold seasonings that awaken the palate and satisfy even the most discerning taco lovers.
Step inside, and you’ll instantly feel the lively, welcoming atmosphere that complements their mouthwatering menu. The star of the show, of course, is their iconic Birria Tacos, served alongside the famous consomé—a deeply savory, aromatic broth that customers have hailed as nothing short of divine, with one visitor playfully suggesting it’s “made most likely with the blood of Christ.” This consomé invites you to dip each taco into the warm, flavorful juices, elevating every bite to pure bliss.
Beyond the signature Birria tacos, the menu is a treasure trove of Mexican classics and inventive specialties. The Mulita, a crisp, thick tortilla loaded with melted cheese and your choice of meat, offers a delightful textural contrast and indulgent richness for just $9.55. Fans of hearty burritos will appreciate the variety—from the Surf & Turf Burrito, combining shrimp and carne asada with chipotle, cheese, and crispy French fries, to the comforting Veggie Burrito loaded with fresh lettuce, rice, beans, guacamole, and sour cream. Each bite bursts with vibrancy and a perfect balance of flavors.
If you’re in the mood for something unique, don’t miss their Goat Barbacoa Quesotaco or the Quesachivo Taco—both showcasing tender, flavorful goat meat that pays homage to authentic Jalisco-style cooking. For a comforting soup option, the Pozole Soup offers warm, hearty depth that resonates with home-cooked goodness.
Many local patrons also rave about the diversity of the menu. Unique offerings like Trío Fries loaded with shrimp, asada, and chicken, or the innovative Torta De Birria De Res sandwich, combine traditional Mexican ingredients with California-inspired flair, making it a must-visit spot for those craving bold and satisfying flavors.
Customer experiences underscore the quality and passion that go into every dish. One impressed guest described the birria as “to die for,” and delighted in sampling the Birria ramen—an inventive fusion that preserves the soul-warming qualities of Mexican cuisine. Others praise the friendly atmosphere and dedicated staff, making each visit as enjoyable as the food itself.
Whether you’re a devoted birria fan or a newcomer eager to explore authentic Mexican street fare, Birria’s El Padrino offers an unforgettable culinary journey. Each dish is crafted with care and packed with layers of rich, savory goodness that transport you straight to the vibrant streets of Mexico. Don’t miss the chance to savor their mini quesotacos with warm consomé for dipping—a little cup of magic that has become a beloved favorite.
For anyone visiting Oceanside or looking to indulge in exceptional Mexican cuisine, Birria’s El Padrino stands as a delicious portal to tradition, flavor, and authentic culinary craftsmanship. It’s more than just a meal—it’s an experience that lingers long after the last bite.
The Birria juice here is made most likely with the blood of Christ!!! (Consome) Not a joke but it’s better than holy water and the whole shebang. You can create a cult out of this birria. On my way to Mexico but this place feels like a portal to the Aztecs or some other weird place because the birria juice (consome) is off the charts. God bless Mexico 100% ????????
Birrias El Padrino is a birrieria that specializes in both birria de chivo (made with goat, popular in the Mexican state of Jalisco) and beef de res (made with beef, popular in Tijuana), among other varied fare. Surprisingly, the eclectic menu also contains San Diego-style Mexican specialties such as "Carne Asada French Fries" smothered in sour cream and cheese, as well as "Rolled Tacos" and "California Burritos" -- all of which seem out of place at a restaurant that allowed me a peak into their kitchen while their chef was stuffing a suckling pig for roasting. Nonetheless, I won't fault the restaurant for doing what they feel is necessary to stay in business in North County, a ritzy region sandwiched between San Diego and Orange County that notoriously underappreciates legit Mexican fare, or edible food in general. I'm sure Birras El Padrino's burritos are pretty good, but I can't think of a reason in the world to order one when there are so many more interesting things to eat here. I admire a place that does things the hard way, the right way -- and this is evident by the quality of the tortilla de hecho a mano (handmade) they serve their regular tacos with. I had both a "Goat Birria Taco" and "Beef Birria Taco" with this house-made tortilla and was impressed by the heft and flavor of the tortilla and the flavor and silkiness of the meats. According to the restaurant, they add birria consommé back into the birria once it is scooped onto the tortillas, a pro move to ensure the meats are at their juiciest when they're served to you. I much preferred their goat briria over their beef birria. It possesses more interesting and intense flavors, even as the seasoning and piquancy (of which there is much) is identical between both braises. The goat is mild-tasting, but still tastes distinctly like goat. However, if you come here, you must order the "Quesataco de Chivo," my favorite goat birria taco in SoCal south of Los Angeles. They utilize two corn tortillas, the aforementioned house-made tortilla grilled AND a bagged tortilla dipped in consommé, with both tortillas griddled back-to-back except for the mild white cheese in the middle that melts, forming a crunchy and gooey taco shell that itself evokes a quesadilla de maiz. As the taco equivalent of a stuffed-crust pizza, this is perhaps the ultimate cheesy, spicy, greasy hang-over cure. Just writing about this taco makes me want to drink tonight until I'm cross-eyed so I have an excuse to drive an hour to Oceanside tomorrow morning to make myself right. The "Consommé de Chivo" on its own was also pretty good with its heavy collagen content making it more of a sophisticated full-bodied, fully-realized rendered goat stock than what I've come to expect from birria consommé. This makes a great dip for the "Quesataco de Chivo," imparting even more flavor to a taco that has its flavor knob already turned up to 11. This is a meticulously clean restaurant tended to by pleasant people who were proud of the food they are serving, in addition to being both curious and supportive of my current #SummerOfTastyTacos journey.
Every time I have come to this location, I’m nothing less than impressed. The Birria tacos are to die for, and most recently I tried the Birria ramen. ZERO COMPLAINTS!! The flavor, the portion size…everything is perfection. Keep up the fantastic work!!
We always enjoy trying something new and found this little gem recently. The fish burrito is really good and tasty. (Gonna try the fish tacos today). The bean and cheese burritos are excellent. Also, try the mini queso tacos because they are tender, juicy and come with a juice / broth cup for dipping or you can pour it on your mini tacos. Over all, I give it a grade of Super-Yum.
Not the best pictures but pictures don’t do justice to how the burria tastes! The consame has Birria in it Birria tostadas! In Oceanside I don’t think the birria gets any better from a fast food restaurant. They should be by the beach and having higher prices because their food is home made and the cashier and the cool work really hard and she always is very polite! But I know she’s tired because she runs an entire really busy restaurant! I appreciate this restaurant so much for really putting effort into their food!
The GOAT! I came in on Taco Tuesday, asked about the barbacoa because sometimes it's not just beef, and confirmed you can pick either beef or goat! So I got a goat barbacoa quesotaco. And then I got a birria broth to dip it in... (Their quesotacos have cheese melted into the inside of the two tortillas.) That's it. Only tried tacos. Carne asada is on point too and the carnitas is awesome. Their house habanero sauce overwhelmed me but tastes so good...
Best carne asada fries in oceanside/ vista. I moved here in april from Chula vista, after looking for a replacement for weeks and weeks and experiencing many really bad places... Ill never go back after trying these. Truly unbeatable.