Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

La Birria del 99

Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

Currency Converter

I can't believe it took us so long.

We've been running around Latin America since 1993.

We've heard of birria, but we had a flavor prejudice that began when we lived in Nevis, British West Indies.

Let me explain.

Taste-wise, there's a difference between mutton and lamb. To my taste, mutton is tough, gamey, way too strong to the point of... well I don't enjoy it. Lamb, on the other hand, is tender, distinctive but not gamey and with Billy's Béarnaise or brown sauce, it's heavenly. 

For me, it's the same with goat.

When we were in Nevis, goat was for sale in the market.

It didn't seem attractive in any way, and when cooking, the smell of it was strong.

So.

I avoided it.

When we arrived in Chapala in 1993, talk of birria was everywhere. "Goat stew!" they said. "Delicious!" they said. "I'm gonna avoid it!" I said.

Until...

The sign for La Birria del 99

We were meeting friends for lunch at an Uruguayan grill called Rucula just around the corner. But they didn't open until 1pm and we were early.

So to kill some time, we walked and found this little eatery, sat down and ordered some bottled water.

Akaisha inside La Birria 99

As you can see, it's a small, unpretentious place. 

As we drank our waters, Billy is watching the cooks prepare... birria.

He said "We gotta come back here for lunch."

Billy has an eye for these things, and I trust his judgment.

I figure I eat about 1,000 meals a year and this was just going to be one of them. I was a little hesitant (Goat Stew?!) but I agreed anyway. What could I lose?

Then we left and went on to eat a fabulous meal at Rucula.

Humble but clean restaurant

So a few days later we came for lunch.

Chalk board menu at La Birria 99

This chalkboard listed the simple menu.

One could order birria, menudo (don't get me started on menudo!) and just the broth. Or you could order tacos, quesadillas and sandwiches. 

Then there were drinks and desserts.

Cooking the Birria

Fortunately for me, the birria came in beef or goat, and today it was beef!

Slicing and dicing the beef for the soup

So we put in our order and awaited for this dish to arrive to our table.

Condiments for the birria and tacos

Here you see a bowl of beef birria with a plate of condiments: two different salsas (spicy and spicier), lime, fresh diced onions, and cilantro.

It turns out that beef birria is like a pot roast soup.

Oh. My. God.

The best!

A taco and a quesadilla

Since it was our first time here at La Birria, I asked the waiter what we should try.

He recommended a birria quesadilla (beef birria and cheese) and a chamorro taco (Pork shank cooked like a pot roast also, falling off the bone.)

Birria quesadilla

Inside the quesadilla (cheese) is the shredded and chopped flavor-full beef.

By itself, this was plenty tasty, but one could add the lime, onions, salsa and cilantro if you chose.

Horchata

Horchata is a drink made with cooked rice, sugar and cinnamon. It is truly delicious.

I couldn't believe how good this birria was! Nor did I realize what I had been missing all these years.

Later on in the week, we brought our friends to this same restaurant, and when we returned to Chapala, Mexico, we started our hunt for the best birria we could find in our area.

This was our bill for two people

Our bill for two people, which included a large birria to share, 2 drinks, a taco and a quesadilla came to 169Pesos, or about $8.50USD before tip.

It was the first birria we had ever had, and it was astoundingly tasty.

Now don't YOU wait so long! If you see a place serving birria, try it out!

Would we return?

Absolutely!

__________

La Birria 99

Privada Damian Carmona 103

 Arboledas de Rio, 76027

Santiago de Queretaro

Email: labirriadel99@hotmail.com 

Tele: 442 383 2773

For more stories and photos of Queretaro, Click Here

For more stories and photos of Mexico, Click Here

VIDEOS, VIDEOS, VIDEOS! See Mexico for yourself! Beaches, Bars, Babes, Great Food, Live Music. 

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

HOME   Book Store

Retire Early Lifestyle Blog      About Billy & Akaisha Kaderli      Press     Contact     20 Questions     Preferred Links    

Retirement     Country Info     Retiree Interviews      Commentary     REL Videos