Guy Fieri Said This Mexican-American Food Truck Has 'Without Question One Of The Best Birria Tacos' He's Ever Had

Take him or leave him, there are some chefs who can't stand Guy Fieri and some that love him. However, in his nearly two decades on camera with "Diner's, Drive-Ins & Dives," he's become a part of Americana. Let's be honest, Fieri has singlehandedly (well, with the help of his production crew and the Food Network) showcased dozens upon dozens of wonderfully low-key delicious restaurants. Sure, some might call Fieri corny, but he undoubtedly knows downhome, family-made, real grassroots restaurants. And in this case, the restaurant is run out of a truck.

On an episode of "Diner's, Drive-Ins, & Dives," which can be viewed on Food Network's YouTube channel, Fieri goes deep into Tacos y Birria La Unica, a food truck located in Los Angeles, California. Tacos y Birria La Unica is one of the absolute best street tacos in the U.S., as well as the best birria restaurant in California. And if you don't know birria, it's a master course from chef and owner, Yasmany Mendoza. Yasmany runs the truck with his brother and mom with recipes based off of his mom's home cooking. When Fieri takes a bite of the taco, he says, "Without question, one of the best birria tacos I've ever had."

Birria is usually goat meat that's braised with spices and generally served on a corn tortilla with consommé (stock) on the side. Birria can be made with stewed and spiced lamb or beef, but the traditional route is goat. Once it's cooked in stock, the stock (consomé in Spanish) is served alongside the taco, often in a small cup for dipping. 

At Tacos Y Birria La Unica, the goat meat is prepped with a birria paste of chile California, black peppercorns, allspice, clove, cinnamon, and unpeeled garlic and onion. Fieri was skeptical of the heavy baking spices — all spice and clove especially — but Monty Mendoza explained they're offsetting the heavy goat flavor. The handmade tortillas are dredged in liquid fat and heated on a flattop grill to get crispy, then topped with Monterey Jack cheese, shredded meat, onions, and cilantro, which is all served with lime and hot sauce. As one customer put it, "You dip that taco in the consommé, and you make magic."

And when Fieri dipped the taco in the consommé, he declared, "It's not gamey. It's not too spicy. It's not too salty. It's in balance. And then you get a great mixture of the onion and the cilantro ... You've got to come down here and do that dunk." Fieri ended the segment by saying he'd like to sit in a kiddie pool of that consommé, "I'm kind of weird, huh?"