Hola Cabrito

Goopy quesabirria may rule TikTok and Instagram, but if you follow the true fans in South Phoenix, they’ll lead you to Hola Cabrito. Since 2011, Maria Lopez has been slinging the birria de chivo she learned from her mother in León, Guanajuato. Rather than the drip and the ooze, this classic style of birria is all about the goat. Seasoned and slow-roasted in banana leaves, the succulent adobo-spiked meat boasts a rich flavor and gentle gaminess that plays beautifully across multiple formats. You can get it swimming in crystal-clear consommé, ready to be perked up with crisp vegetables and herbs and a splash of smoky salsa. You can load the meat onto thick fresh-pressed tortillas to make some mean tacos. But our favorite order is the birria tatemada — scattered and pressed on the griddle along with a bit of fat ladled off the top of the consommé, lending a robust, sizzling crisp to the tender goat meat.