July 28, 2025
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Posted in: beef, birria, instant pot, mexican, slow cooker, tacos
Birria tacos are so good and so easy you’ll be making them every week. They're juicy, cheesy, and incredibly flavorful. The closest thing you can get to making taqueria level tacos at home.
Because Steph still has RSI, I’ve been making all our dinners while we chat and watch youtube each night, and in our house that always means taco nights. While my go-to tacos are al pastor, carnitas, carne adovada, barbacoa, and carne asada, Steph asked to mix things up a bit with something a little more modern, and suggested birria tacos. It was so good I think this just jumped to the top of my list for all of our future taco nights.
What are Birria Tacos?
Birria is traditionally a spicy and super savory Mexican beef or goat stew that’s slow cooked until the meat is tender and fall-apart juicy and delicious. Someone had the amazing idea to stuff this meaty goodness into a taco shell, and then dip the whole thing into the stew and fry it up. These birria tacos blew up after that, and the rest is history.
Beef birria tacos
While birria is traditionally made with goat, for most of us it's easier to get beef so that's what I've gone with here. Beef is also the safer choice for crowds, but if you're an adventurous eater and want to go with goat, you should totally go(at) for it. The recipe remains the same, just switch out the beef shank and sirloin for goat.
The best birria tacos are dipped in the stew and then fried to crispy goodness
It’s dipping the tortilla into the stew and frying it to a crisp that the magic happens, so don’t skip this step. Tacos are good but few people who don’t live in the southwest know that tacos only become truly amazing when you cook the tortilla in fat. Traditionally they do this in butter or lard, but here we use the fat from the top of the stew to give it that extra kick. Once you bite into a crisp fried taco shell, you’ll never go back.
Birria Ingredients
Birria tacos don't need many ingredients and the harder to find ones (which aren't that hard) are detailed below:
- Beef. For the ultimate birria tacos, use a good beef shank. This is non-negotiable. You can, and should, mix up another cut as well for texture and variety. I prefer meat that’s a little on the lean side for tacos, so I mixed it up with a cheap roast like sirloin, but if Steph had her way, she would use short ribs. But, since she’s not cooking, we ended up with a sirloin.
- Dried Guajillo Peppers. These sun dried peppers add an authentic touch of mexican flavor to any stew and you can usually find them in the Mexican aisle of your local grocery store (if you live in the USA). They are like a mild-medium pepper and don’t add any heat, so you don’t have to worry at all. If you can’t find them, sub any dried mexican/southwestern peppers you can find, such as ancho, new mexico, california, or pasilla. If you really can’t find them, you can skip them, but they’re worth looking for!
- Chipotle peppers in adobo. These come in a little can and they are salty-sweet-spicy delicious. They form the base of many mexican stews and marinades and you can find them pretty much everywhere in the world, they’re that good. We usually keep 3-4 cans around just for tacos al pastor.
- Mexican oregano. This version of oregano is always cheaper and almost always fresher and better than the spice aisle stuff, so if you’re already in the Mexican aisle, be sure to pick up a bag, usually only 99 cents or so.
How to make Birria Stew
Making Birria stew is easy and quick:
- Soak the peppers. Bring a pot of water to a boil and then take it off the heat, soak the dried peppers while you do the next steps.
- Season the meat. While you wait for the peppers to soak, cube up the roast and season the meat with salt and pepper
- Make the marinade. Throw together everything left except the cloves, bay leaves, and cinnamon into a blender. Remove the peppers from the now warm water and let them get cool enough to handle. Hold them by the tip over the sink and cut the tops off with scissors. The seeds will just fall right out. Then drop them into the blender too. Blend it all up into a smooth paste.
- Marinate the beef overnight. Two hours is good enough too, but longer is always better when it comes to stews.
- Make the stew. Saute the onions. Onions are the base of all flavor, so make sure they are extra delicious - transparent and golden. Take your time. Then add the meats, cover with chicken stock, and add the last few spices. That’s all there is to it!
How to make Birria Tacos
Once you have the stew, making the tacos is super easy:
- Shred your meats. Fry them up too, if you like. I skipped this step and it was ok, but if you like your meat extra crispy and hot, here’s where you would do that.
- Warm up your tortillas. This makes them pliable and soft. We use a tortilla warmer, but you can just wrap them up in damp paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds.
- Dip and fill. Dip your tortillas in the soup, the fat is near the surface so you don’t need to dip too far, but make sure they get coverage. Then top half of the tortilla with beef, onions, cilantro (optional), and cheese (optional).
- Fold and fry. Fry your tacos in a non stick skillet over medium heat until they crisp up, 2-3 minutes per side. Serve with a side of the stew to use as a dip.
Instant pot birria
You can make this stew any way you like, but I prefer it in the instant pot because it’s so much faster, and keeps more of the flavor locked inside the dish. Those yummy smells that fill up your house when you slow cook for hours? Those are flavor particles, and that means that’s flavor that’s not in your soup. But, regardless of how you make this, it’ll come out absolutely delicious, so pick whatever method is best for you.
Dutch Oven
To cook this in a dutch oven, you'll need a fairly large dutch oven. Follow the instructions all the way until you close the lid of the Instant Pot. Instead, cover the dutch oven and set it on as low heat as possible on your stove, or alternatively, pop it in a 200ºF oven for 4-6 hours.
Slow Cooker
The only hard part of making this in a slow cooker is sauteing the onions. My solution was to just skip that step entirely. It didn't seem to make much of a difference. What I did was pop all the ingredients into the slow cooker and set it to low for 8 hours. This recipe as given didn't fit in our smaller slow cooker, so I halved it, but I think it will fit a standard sized slow cooker just fine. Let me know in the comments if you end up trying this out.
The tortillas
These tacos use street sized corn tortillas, but you can use anything you want. I like to use locally made uncooked corn tortillas or flour tortillas and cook them myself. Whole foods often carries really good local tortillas, even uncooked ones in the fridge section.
If you are in a place without access to good locally made tortillas, some of the best mass-produced tortillas around are
La Tortilla Factory and Santa Fe Tortilla Company. If you go one level up to the national brands,
Mission Foods is my fave.
With store bought tortillas, you need to warm them to make them pliable and delicious. If your tortillas are breaking when you fold them, warming them will fix that. The best way to warm tortillas is to wrap 6-12 at a time in a damp paper towel and microwave for 10-30 seconds, then let them rest for another 10-30 seconds.
Quesabirria Tacos
Everyone loves cheese, and quesabirria tacos might just be more popular than standard birria tacos. To make quesabirria tacos, shred some
Oaxaca cheese into the tacos before you fold and fry them. If you can't find Oaxaca, feel free to use mozzarella or cheddar. For me though, I like to crumble some aged Cotija cheese into the tacos instead for extra cheese pull and delicious meltiness. The contrast of the melty cheese, soft birria, and crispy tortilla is one of my perfect bites in this world.
What to serve with Birria Tacos
These birria tacos are good enough to eat dozens on their own. If you wanted to do a side though, you can serve them up with
homemade tortilla chips,
mexican rice, and you even have all the ingredients necessary to
make a birria tortilla soup. Or my current personal favorite:
Birria ramen (pictured above).
Birria Tacos Recipe
Step up your next taco night with our ultimate guide to the best homemade tacos ever.
- instant pot or slow cooker
- 1.5 lb beef shank
- 1 lb sirloin (or other roast/steak)
Marinade
- 3 dried guajillo peppers (see notes)
- 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
Stew
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 whole cloves
- chicken stock to cover (sodium free, about 1 quart)
Tacos
- 4" corn or flour tortillas (as needed, 12-16)
- 1 medium onion (chopped, optional)
- 1 bunch cilantro (chopped, optional)
- 1 cup mexican cheese blend (grated, optional)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then remove from heat. Soak your dried guajillo peppers for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cube your cab sirloin, then season both the steak and the shank with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Add marinade ingredients to the blender. When the peppers are done soaking, hold them by the tip over the sink and use scissors to cut the stem off and allow the seeds to fall out, then add to blender. Blend the marinade into a smooth paste. Marinate the meats for a minimum of two hours or up to overnight.
Set your Instant Pot on saute high or use a skillet over medium heat. Add 1-2 tbsp oil, then saute the onions until golden and translucent (6-8 minutes).
Add the meats, marinade, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and cloves to the pot. Cover with chicken broth, then set to high pressure for 45 minutes. If using a slow cooker or stovetop, set to low heat for 4-6 hours.
When the instant pot is finished, allow a natural release, then remove the meat. Shred, set aside, and discard the bones.
Warm up some tortillas, then dip the tortillas in the stew. Build your tacos, top with any optional toppings, then fry over medium heat on a nonstick skillet. Enjoy immediately, preferably with a margarita or cold Mexican beer.
If you can’t find dried guajillo peppers, sub any dried mexican/southwestern peppers you can find, such as ancho, new mexico, california, or pasilla.
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July 26, 2025
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Posted in:
Montreal is one of our favorite food cities on the planet.
Montreal has one of the highest concentrations of restaurants per capita in the Western hemisphere and definitely one of the highest concentrations of excellent restaurants around. They really take design, vibe, and ambiance to another level in Montreal.
We've been coming here for years. We first came for just a few days way back in 2017 and just never stopped. These days we spend a few months here each year just eating our hearts out.
These are some of our best restaurants in Montreal
More than just French food
Of course you can get really amazing French-Canadian food here, but you can also try out some of the best pizza and pastas in Canada, along with an inexplicably great dumpling scene.
There are no bagels, poutine, or smoked meats in this list. You probably already know where to get those. We go to St Viateur Bagels,
save the poutine for Quebec City, and go to Reuben for smoked meat.
Restaurant hours
Most Montreal restaurants are closed at least two days a week, usually Sun/Mon and sometimes Mon/Tues. Sometimes it's just random. In Montreal, checking the hours before we go is the first thing on our list.
Do you need to speak French?
Montreal is a famously anglophone city in a francophone province. Everyone is bilingual here, but customarily start conversations in french. You don’t need French (at all) to survive in Montreal, but like Paris, a simple bonjour goes a long way.
24 hours in Montreal
Mike and I often play a game where we ask ourselves: "Where would you eat if you were teleported to
[insert city here] for 24 hrs?" For me in Montreal, it would be: Breakfast at Patisserie au Kouing Amann, Lunch at Mckiernan, Dinner at Gia, and Late Night at Barbara.
Our Favorites
McKiernan
I love McKiernan with my whole heart. It’s located on the “other side” of Montreal, across the Lachine Canal, in Côte-Saint-Paul. If you’ve know any of the heavy-weight hitters in the Montreal food scene (Joe Beef, Liverpool House, Vin Papillon) then you’ll know you’re in good hands at McKiernan as they're part of the same group. Technically McKiernan's supposed to be a luncheonette and rotisserie (very Montreal!) but they're so much more. We love their pastas, their salads, and their freshly baked Parker House rolls.
McKiernan is where we go when we ask ourselves, “what should we eat?” and the answer is something delicious that you don’t have to think too much about. The fact that they’re open 7 days a week is a bonus. The room is gorgeously sunlit in the daytime and dappled with warm daisy lights at night, making it the perfect place for brunch or late night.
McKiernan Luncheonette
5524 Rue Saint-Patrick #200, Montréal
Open everyday, 11 am - 10:30 pm
BarBara
BarBara has to be one of our favorite wine bars that serves Italian-inspired dishes.
Located in Saint-Henri, BarBara is a cute little space that has a delightful patio, squishy focaccia, plates of pasta, crisp salads, and a very quaffable wine list. It also suffers from extreme popularity and long lines, so keep that in mind. The best time to go is late night, when it’s not as busy (and way more fun).
The pasta and focaccia are made fresh in house and if you’re looking for something relaxed but still buzzy, this is it. Don’t sleep on their seasonal specials. They’re open all day with pastries during breakfast, sandwiches at lunch, apertivo in the afternoon, and their full menu at dinner. They had one of the first Pistachio Latte I ever tried (way back in 2021) before the pistachio Dubai chocolate craze.
BarBara
4450 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal
Open everyday, 8 am - 1 am
Gia
Gia, like its sister restaurant Nora Gray, is one of our best loved restaurants in Montreal because of its perfect execution. The service, ambiance, and food are all spot on. Truly Montreal is a haven for classic modern Italian cooking. Gia features Abruzzese arrosticini aka meats skewered and cooked over a charcoal grill. They also have excellent seafood, especially crudo. And of course, let’s not forget, like most places in Montreal, their bread is so, so on point.
Tucked into a reclaimed renovated garage complete with windowed doors, the space is airy while staying intimate. Gia is the kind of place where, if you stay late enough, or show up enough times, the staff will start greeting you by name and pouring you and them a lil drink when they see you so you can all cheers to the good life. Because of this, we love sitting at the bar best of all.
Gia
1025 Rue Lenoir, Montréal
Tues-Fri 11:30 am - 3 pm, 5 - 11 pm
Sat 5 - 11 pm
Closed Sun-Mon
Nora Gray
Nora Gray is that neighborhood joint everyone wants to live near. It has a casual vibe, a menu that changes pretty often, and perfect pasta that always hits the spot. Their sister restaurants, Elena and Gia, are both on our lists as well, because they're super consistent in their execution.
Nora Gray in a nutshell is: gorgeous cocktails, locally sourced seasonal vegetables and proteins presented creatively, and perfect handmade pasta. As with their sister restaurants, their bread is unsurprisingly amazing. The room is dark and cozy and on the classic side, with lots of dark wood and booths. Go here for date night or when you want an excellent cocktail and traditional Italian food.
Nora Gray
1391 Rue Saint-Jacques, Montréal
Tues-Thur 5 - 10 pm
Fri - Sat 5 -10:30 pm
Sun-Mon Closed
Fleurs et Cadeaux
Forget high end Japanese with perfectly lacquered boxes and hinoki countertops, Fleurs et Cadeaux is much closer to a place you’ll find in actual non-tourist Japan with loud music, excellent sake (far better than the usual stuff you find in most sushi restaurants), and impeccably made dishes. Fleurs et Cadeaux is kind of like a bumping club that serves food. The music is loud, the playlist is curated, and it’s always a fun time.
Located in Chinatown in a historic pink house, F&C is full of dim lighting, red lamps, and the kitchen right in the center of it all so you can see all your food being made. They do terrific sashimi and small izakaya dishes that burst with flavor.
Fleurs et Cadeaux
1002 Rue Saint-Urbain, Montréal
Everyday 5 - 10:30 pm
Larry’s
Larry’s is a casual all day cafe/wine bar that’s situated perfectly in between downtown and little Italy, in Mile End. The mackerel spaghetti is an inspired take on pasta al tonno, the tartare is excellent (Montreal is a tartare city) and wine list is fantastic. It’s the kind of place you stop into when you’re wandering around and need a little break.
I love the pikelet pancakes and their all day breakfast items in general. If you or someone you know loves natural wine, definitely stop in for a glass along with their egg yolk topped beef tartare and a side of crispy fries.
Larry’s
5201 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal
Tues - Sun 9 am - 10 pm
"The best restaurants in Montreal"
Everyone who goes to Montreal hears about these same few restaurants, but these ones actually live up to their hype:
Joe Beef
If you look up restaurants in Montreal, you’ll inevitably come across Joe Beef. It’s the kind of place you make a reservation for, the kind of restaurant that people plan trips around. It’s very French, with its abundance of dark wood, chalkboard menus, chaotic seating, and eccentric antique bric-a-brac. Joe Beef has been open for over 20 years now, and if you’re looking for new and modern, this is not it.
Joe Beef is classic French opulence of the Lyonnaise variety. That is, hearty with huge in-your-face flavors. If you like French food, Joe Beef is for you! You’ll see almost every table with their famous lobster spaghetti, the foie torchon, or the bone marrow. We’ve been twice and enjoyed it both times but it’s definitely one of those "once you go and satisfy your curiosity you won’t be dying to go back" places. It’s a solid, good restaurant but not something that’s a particular stand out in a city that has so many excellent places to dine.
Joe Beef
2491 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal
Tues - Sat 5 - 10:30 pm
Pichai
Montreal loves Thai food and one of the places that consistently gets mentioned is Pichai. Pichai is what places like Thai Express dream about becoming if they ever grow up. Pichai is all about Northern Thai food. If all you know about Thai food is pad thai and you love it, expand your horizons and check out Pichai.
Local ingredients and the signature Thai fresh and vibrant combination of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy will blow your mind. If you’re lost, but adventurous, go with the specials.
Pichai
5985 Rue St-Hubert, Montréal
Wed - Mon 5 - 10:30 pm
Closed Tuesdays
L’express
With its black and white checkered floors, mirrored walls, and paper-topped tables, L’express will make you feel like you’re in France, minus the jet lag and flight. It’s classic, simple French food done right and it does not disappoint. Plus, it’s open late so it’s perfect for hungry night owls.
Currently closed for renovations, but open again in September 2025
Le Vin Papillon
Nestled next to Joe Beef and Liverpool House, Le Vin Pap is the 3rd on the block that’s run by the same team. It’s a chaotic, buzzy, rustic wine bar with an excellent wine list and creative small plates. The sage green facade and corner spot makes it a bit more light filled and gentle, both in vibes and food compared to JB and LH.
The menu is ever-changing, written on chalkboards that you’ll strain to read. Just go with what’s on special: order a bunch to share, but make sure to get the Vin Papillon Jamon, a dish that’s always on the menu and has spawned a million Montreal copycats. The seasonal market vegetables are always a good idea as well.
Le Vin Papillon
2519 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal
Tues - Sat 5 - 10:30pm
Mon Lapin
House made pastas, fresh fish, natural wines, and perfectly prepared proteins are just some of the highs you’ll experience at Mon Lapin. It’s been Canada’s #1 restaurant for two years in a row, according to Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants and continues to remain in the top 5, consistently. It’s French, it’s Italian, it’s a love letter to food.
It was started by the Joe Beef restaurant group, but has now been taken over by a husband-wife team (who have moved on from JB to start their own little restaurant group). If you love food and all the vibes that a good meal bring, go to Mon Lapin. It’s a little bit poncy, a little bit casual, and a lot delicious.
Mon Lapin
150 Rue Saint-Zotique Est, Montréal
Tues - Sat 5 -10:30 pm
Best Italian restaurants in Montreal
Montreal has deep Italian roots and is home to some of the best Italian restaurants around. Don’t miss our favorites.
Mano Cornuto
There are some places that are good cafes and some places that are good restaurants. Mano happens to be both. During the day, it’s a laid back casual vibe with the fluffiest focaccia sandwiches, cold cocktails, and strong espressos. At night, it’s filled with in house made pasta, towering salads, and flavorful fresh crudo.
To say we love Mano is to understate it. It’s not that it’s exceptionally mind-blowing or innovative, it’s that it’s consistent, easy-to-love food. The staff are friendly and easy going, the room is beautiful, and it’s fun, the way going out should be.
Mano Cornuto
988 Ottawa St, Montreal
Everyday 11 am - 11 pm
Il Miglio
No frills, no fuss, good pasta is what you’ll find at Il Miglio. They have several locations, but don’t come here for the ambiance, come here for the food. They serve plates of pasta that will have you dreaming about Italy. It’s mostly a lunch place and accordingly packed with daytime patrons. Check it out if you love pasta but don’t want to leave in a food coma.
Il Miglio Mile End (the original location)
5235 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal
Tues - Sat 11:30 am - 6 pm
Il Miglio Time Out Market
705 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal
Mon - Thur 12 - 8 pm
Fri - Sat 12 - 9 pm
Sun 12 - 6 pm
Il Miglio Old Montreal
111 Boulevard Robert-Bourassa
Mon - Fri 11:30 am - 6 pm
Vesta
The pizza landscape in Montreal is vast and Vesta is a standout. Think New York-style pizzas with a decidedly sourdough, slightly thicker, Montreal-style crust. Vesta is focused on local, Canadian ingredients, fresh pasta, and comfort food. The room is modern and gorgeous, with a green ceiling, white paneled walls, and burgundy banquettes.
We go back to Vesta repeatedly even though it’s kind of far from where we live. Vesta is in Villeray, a neighborhood that’s about 30 minutes by car outside of the Montreal core. The trip is worth it, every single time.
Vesta
206 Rue Jarry E, Montréal
Everyday 5 - 10:30 pm
Elena
Speaking of Pizza, Elena is also one of our favorites. The crusts are charred and chewy, the centers are not floppy, and the toppings are local and fresh. We love the bar (not so much the main dining room) and the backyard terrace. Just like Nora Grey (they’re owned by the same people), the pasta is perfect and the salads are exceptional.
Open 7 days a week, Elena is the kind of place that we wish was right next to home but are a little glad it isn’t because we’d overdose on good pizza, pasta, and wine.
Elena
5090 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal
Sun - Thur 5 - 10 pm
Fri - Sat 5 - 11 pm
Moccione
Why go to Italy, we have Italy in Montreal!
Moccione is one of those neighborhood Italian restaurants that you would die to have in your neighborhood. Humble, unpretentious, delicious food. It can feel a little bit fancy depending on who is in the dining room with you; you’ll get the gamut, from frat boys in ball caps to first dates dressed to the nines. All the dishes are amazing, but especially the pasta, which is made on site, like any good Italian place. Their bread is no cap the bread I dream about on the regular. They also have a pizza place that we haven’t visited yet, but is on our list!
Moccione
7495 Saint Denis St, Montreal
Tues - Sat 5 - 10 pm
Best Asian restaurants in Montreal
[caption id="attachment_45024" align="alignnone" width="1450"] Junior Bee at Junior[/caption]
Junior
Filipino food is pure comfort and if you’ve never had it, you’re in for a treat. Junior does it right, with great food and amazing ambiance. There’s Filipino pride everywhere, from Manny Pacquiao’s boxing gloves to Pinoy themed t-shirts for sale (and worn by the staff). The Junior Bee, which comes with spaghetti and fried chicken is not to be missed, as well as the lechon. Finish with the squishy, not too sweet cassava cake!
Update: Junior is closing but they are relocating to an as of yet undisclosed location.
Sammi & Soupe
Some say their soup dumplings rival Din Tai Fung. I say: it depends on which DTF. Unlike Din Tai Fung, which is a little dressed up, the Sammi & Soupe locations (of which there are many) are a little more low key. Nevertheless, these are good soup dumplings, and easily one of our go to restaurants in Montreal.
Grab the window seat in the chinatown location and watch the world go by as you eat delicious dumplings for the price of a glass of wine elsewhere. If you’re looking for a no-frills, really good dumpling place, this is it.
Sammi & Soupe
1909 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal
Sun - Thur 11 am - 10 pm
Fri - Sat 11 am - 12 am
Qing Hua Dumplings
Classic, juicy homestyle Chinese dumplings are the name of the game. Xiao long bao always get all the hype, but there’s something about a good dumpling that can’t be beat. You can get them steamed or fried, but if you’re in the know, you get both. They have enough filling choices to give you choice paralysis and it's always a good time. Fun fact: Qing Hua and Sammi & Soupe are both owned by Sammi Liu.
Qing Hua Dumplings
1019 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal
Sun - Thur 11 am - 9:30 pm
Fri - Sat 11 am - 10 pm
Satay Bros
Satay Brothers is consistently busy whenever we wander by and for good reason. A cozy, colorful room, a good playlist, and easy to appreciate food. Satay Brothers’ food isn’t insanely good, per se, unless you’ve never had laksa or kolo mee before. If you don’t want to wait, check out their outpost at Marche Atwater - the vibe is excellent and eating Singaporean Street food in the middle of a bustling market just feels authentic in a weird way, even though you’re in Montreal.
Satay Bros St Henri
3721 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal
Everyday 5 pm - 11 pm
Satay Bros Atwater Market
3026 Sainte Émilie St, Montreal
Everyday 10:30 am - 5 pm
Best bakeries in Montreal
Patisserie au Kouing Amann
This is the place!
The one place I would visit in Montreal if I could only have one bite. Their focus is kouign amann (they misspell it on purpose) in the traditional Breton manner: whole, gloriously giant cakes of yeasted dough, butter, and sugar. You can find individual kouign amann anywhere, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a classic Breton edition outside of France. One bite of this delicious (and deadly) butter and sugar creation and you will be in heart-attack heaven. Grab a slice (hopefully still warm from the oven) and pair it with black coffee for the contrast.
Patisserie au Kouing Amann
316 Avenue du Mont-Royal E, Montreal
Wed - Fri 7 am - 3 pm
Sat 7 am - 4:30 pm
Rhubarbe
Come for the amazing cakes, stay for the incredible croissants. Rhubarbe is an excellent bakery in a city full of excellent bakeries. With a focus on viennoiseries, you’ll find a curated selection of flaky layered pastries studded with local, seasonal fruit. Rhubarbe is tucked away, aka nowhere near the center of Montreal, but it’s a cute destination to aim for when going on a meandering walk. There’s a park near by where you can take your box of sweets. Go early if you don’t want to be disappointed!
Rhubarbe
1479 Laurier Ave E, Montreal
Thur - Fri 10 am - 6 pm
Sat - Sun 9 am - 5 pm
That's it for now, hopefully you enjoy and don't gain too much weight during your stay in Montreal!
xoxo
steph
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July 22, 2025
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Posted in: america, cheeseburger, green chile, green chile cheeseburger, hatch, hatch green chile, new mexico, the best cheeseburger, travel, usa, where to eat
Mike and I went on a little road trip this summer and while seeing the National Parks was inspiring and all, the real reason we hit the road was: the green chile cheeseburger.
Have you heard of them?! Maybe not because they’re a New Mexico thing, through and through. Think: regular cheeseburgers but with smoky, slightly spicy, roasted green chile on top. Green chile is the ultimate burger topping that you never knew you were missing out on.
They’re a Southwest invention and in New Mexico, they’re a source of state pride. Green chile cheeseburgers are practically a state symbol and now, when I see the New Mexico flag, a red sun symbol in a field of yellow, I imagine the yellow as cheese and picture the red sun as a green chile. I’m officially obsessed.
What is a Green Chile Cheeseburger
Green chile cheeseburgers are such a big deal that the New Mexico tourism board created a green chile cheeseburger trail. That’s right, you can road trip up and down the state and eat your fill of green chile cheeseburgers. Mike was the one who came up with the idea of traveling the green chile cheeseburger trail and I have to admit, at first, I was like, okay but not especially enthused. Mike has been talking about green chile cheeseburgers for years now but they never really hooked me. Until this trip, that is.
Now, we’ve eaten 15 plus GCCs (what I’m calling green chile cheeseburgers from now on) and we can’t stop, won’t stop. Actually, we have stopped to eat chile rellenos,
carne adovada, breakfast burritos, and sopapillas, but my heart keeps returning to GCCs.
In the world of GCCs, it seems like there are two camps: the green chili cheeseburger with veggies or without veggies. Generally they also do veggies on the side, so you can add them or not, but the main difference I feel is a smothered style, a la an enchilada or burrito and a regular cheeseburger style. Really though, Mike and I agree, the smothered style GCC isn’t really a GCC at all. After all, of you can’t pick it up with your hands, is it really a cheeseburger?
The Best Green Chile Cheeseburger in New Mexico
Note: the vintage 2019 drawings on this post won't work in dark mode, sorry! To see the charts, you may need change your device to light mode and refresh the page.
Now that we’ve eaten our way through New Mexico, I think we can both definitively say that we’re somewhat versed in what makes a great GCC. We rated all the burgers we ate on a five point scale: green chile, patty, cheese, bun, and vegetables. And because I will forever love food graphs and things a little bit nerdy, Mike and I came up with these spider charts of the results. Read on to find out which green chile cheeseburger reigns supreme. Let us know if we missed anything essential. We’re definitely heading back to NM, I’m so addicted to green chile, it’s not even funny.
Side note: green chile cheeseburgers are not the prettiest burgers on the block. To be honest, we had trouble photographing them, that’s why we don’t have clear photos of each burger >__<
This was the order we ate the burgers in:
The Burger Stand at Taos Ale House
This was the first GCC we tried and it did not disappoint. The fire roasted green chile was spicy and good, although I thought there wasn’t enough of it. The patty was a proper medium rare with a good crust and the cheese was a melty pepper jack cheese. I didn’t care too much for the bun but Mike thought it was one of the best buns we had: a buttered toasted brioche. The veggies were also really fresh – a thick slice of white onion, a juicy generous tomato and spicy arugula. All in all a very good burger.
Orlando’s New Mexican Cafe, Taos
This was recommended to us by a local and true to what he said, there was a line out the door even when we arrived right when they opened at 5pm. It’s a classic New Mexican place. While there was a standard green chile cheeseburger on the menu, I went with the Sloppy Bro: an open faced burger with red and green chile. It’s not really fair to compare this to the other green chile cheeseburgers we had on the trail but it was really good! There was an excellent patty to cheese to chili ratio. The patty cooked a juicy medium rare and the chile was plentiful. The cheese was a regular shredded Mexican mix. There were no vegetables and the bun was obviously soggy, but the chile and cheese and burger patty were excellent.
El Parasol, Española
This was by far one of the best green chile cheeseburgers on the trail. The original location is a tiny little takeaway shack in Española, but they’ve expanded to multiple locations, including Los Alamos and Santa Fe. The burgers come wrapped in foil and white wax paper held together with a wooden toothpick. Unwrapping the burger is a little bit like unwrapping a delicious present.
Their hand formed patties are big and juicy, cooked smash and scrape style and the green chile was verdant and piquant. Sometimes I felt the like green chile in other burgers weren’t spicy enough, but the green chile in El Parasol’s burger was just right. The bun was buttered and crispy and the American cheese was just the right amount of melty. The vegetables were nothing to write home about, but all together this was a burger that made you want to eat more than one. We actually did eat more than one, basically stopping at every El Parasol in the State. They’re good at all the locations guys.
And bonus: their crispy chicken and guacamole tacos are AMAZING, don’t skip out on them if you go.
Atrisco Cafe & Bar, Santa Fe
This was a big burger cooked medium rare, with a little bit of browning, but not super charred. The green chile was good but somehow got muddled in the burger. On it’s own the green chile was amazing but maybe the ratio of bun to vegetables masked it. The bun was a standard toasted and buttered sesame seed guy and the vegetables were pretty standard too with red onions instead of the white we’d been seeing a lot of. The cheese was a melty cheddar which I think works on some burgers, but kind of got slightly congealed here. All in all a solid GCC but not one of our favorites. That being said, I’d eat this in a heartbeat if it was right here in front of me right now.
The Pantry, Santa Fe
The Panty is a beloved Santa Fe classic with a retro neon sign and a cute diner counter serving up New Mexican comfort food. We went with the Pantry Burger, smothered in chile, cheese, and grilled onions served open face. In retrospect we probably should have gone the make your own burger route and added green chile on top, but hindsight is always 20/20. We got this guy Christmas style (red and green chile) and it was absolutely smothered in chile. The chile was amazing but the burger itself was just standard and the bun was nothing to write home about. The curly fries were awesome though. But, El Parasol is across the street, so...
Rustic on the Green, Albuquerque
2025 update: Rustic on the Green is closed.
There’s a cute little container park type thing in Albuquerque that has a bunch of restaurants, stores, and places to get drinks called Green Jeans. We grabbed a burger at Rustic on the Green, the brick and mortar shop of a very popular ABQ food truck, Rustic 505. Rustic makes a beloved city favorite and this was one of Mike’s favorite GCCs. The veggies were super fresh and crisp and there was plenty of green chile which added a nice layer of heat. The bun was not my favorite and I felt like there was a touch too much mustard but the patty was cooked well and the cheese was nice and melty.
Blake’s Lotaburger, Multiple Locations
Blake’s has been around since the 50s and is beloved in New Mexico, kind of like their version of In-N-Out. Mike and I both were excited to try Blake’s and it didn’t disappoint. We got a double and it was just loaded with certified green and red fire roasted hatch chiles that actually had a bit of spice. The patties were thin and charred, the cheese was American and melty and the whole thing tasted like what you would think a really well thought out delicious GCC would taste like. The inside was pure 50s all red chairs and white formica tabletops and it was nostalgic and retro and cute. Lotaburger was one of our only repeats, possibly because they’re readily available all across the state.
Duran’s, Albuquerque
Duran’s is an old fashioned drug store with a cute little New Mexican restaurant in the back. They’re known for their adobada and not their green chile cheeseburgers, but we soldiered on - we were on a GCC crawl after all. The good thing about Duran’s: unbelievably fluffy and flaky house made tortillas. The not so good thing about Duran’s: the green chile cheeseburger. It wasn’t anything special – the bun was kind of stale and the patty was slightly over cooked. There was a moderate amount of green and red chile but other than that, it should have been skipped. The tortillas were totally to die for though, so go and get the adobada plate and extra tortillas, you won’t regret it.
Garcia’s Cafe, Albuquerque
If it seems like there are a bunch of Albuquerque staples for New Mexican food, it’s because there are, and with good reason. Garcia’s (featured on Breaking Bad) is one of the places most mentioned with people are looking for classic New Mexican food. Mike got a combination plate but I got a GCC of course. The bun was nicely buttered and toasty, the patty was extra charred which highlighted the smokiness of the chile, which was plentiful. The cheese could have been a bit more melted but it was a solid burger.
MÁS Tapas y Vino, Albuquerque
2025 update: MÁS is closed.
There’s a green chile cheeseburger smackdown in Santa Fe every year. Last year, the Greene Chile Honey Bun from MÁS won. The bun was a house made milk bun and there was a thick slab of honey bacon on top too. The green chile was smoky and on the spicy side. This one one of the rare burgers that didn’t have any vegetables. The patty was thick and super flavorful with a lot of char, but despite asking us how we wanted it cooked (medium-rare, always), it came out on the well done side and was kind of a bit dry, to be honest. The cheese, which was a local cheddar, wasn’t quite as melty as I would have liked.
La Plazuela at La Fonda, Santa Fe
This was another really well regarded New Mexican restaurant. The green chile was good, but kind of on the skimpy side. The patty was excellent though, thick, juicy and a nice rosy medium rare capped off with a melty cheese. Nothing makes me sadder than a cheeseburger with unmelted cheese and so this one definitely passed the test.
Frontier, Albuquerque
Frontier is an all day line up and order at the counter diner that spans a whole city block. It’s right next to UNM. There are a ton of students, families, and tourists that head there to eat at all times of the day. Even if the lines are long, they move quickly; there’s a board that flashes with your order number when your food is ready. The burger was standard college fare, that is, cheap and somewhat tasty. But with so many other excellent GCCs in town, I'm not sure this is something that I’d recommend. The only redeeming quality was the amount of green (and red) chile.
The Owl Bar and Cafe
The Owl is a listing on the official New Mexico Tourism board approved Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail. To be honest, we weren’t planning on eating there. Our intention was to hit up the Buckhorn, a super well known GCC. The Buckhorn was closed (it’s supposed to reopen with new owners) so we headed right across the street to The Owl. It’s a super old bar that’s been slinging burgers since the 50s. We got a double meat double chili as a consolation burger for The Buckhorn being closed. We were so blown away that we ordered a second burger after demolishing the first. The patties were thin in the classic smash and scrape style, the bun was toasty, the veggies fresh, the American cheese melty, and the chile was just the right amount of smoke and spice.
Rockin' BZ Burgers, Alamogordo
2025 update: Apparently Rockin' BZ Burgers is closed and/or relocating to the BBQ place across the street. If you know the scoop please let us know in the comments!
We stopped in White Sands National Park for a night of camping. Before we set up our tent, we headed to Alamogordo for a GCC at Rockin' BZ Burgers, winner of the Green Chile Cheeseburger Champion at the New ME. We tried the winning burger. “The Champ” has a half pound patty, grilled onions, American cheese, green chile, lettuce and tomato. The patty was cooked to a juicy medium rare, the chile was plentiful, and the white American cheese was beautifully melted.
The Burger Nook, Las Cruces
The Burger Nook was another entry on the official GGC highway so of course we had to stop in. It was empty when we got there but it filled up quickly with locals having not one, but two burgers each. They have two sizes, so if you’re feeling particularly hungry, the large will more than satisfy. This was one of the last GCCs that we had and already, Mike and I were waxing nostalgic about how the green chile and cheese went so perfectly with the smash and scrape patty. The bun left something to be desired, but really, it’s all about the chile.
Whew, that was A LOT of green chile cheeseburgers. And the thing is, we definitely missed some that we wanted to eat too. Do you guys have a favorite green chile cheeseburger? Have you every had one? Also, can you answer the eternal question: green chile on top of the cheese or under the cheese?
I can’t wait until we go back to New Mexico. Truly the land of enchantment and chile :)
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