Greg Harris
A popular Mexican food chain is set to expand with 200 new locations set to open across the US.
Mike’s Red Tacos has gone viral thanks to its tacos and bold, Mexican-inspired food. Part of the reason is a surge of interest in birria, a slow-cooked form of stew made with beef, chilli, herbs and spices. The brand uses beef in their birria, while other chefs may use goat or lamb too.
Founded in 2021 by entrepreneur Mike Touma, the brand began as a food truck in San Diego where customers lined up to try its signature slow-simmered birria.
It quickly gained a strong local following for its birria offerings and in 2022, the business expanded to its first brick-and-mortar location.
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Based in San Diego, California, Mike’s Red Tacos now has development deals with big-name franchisees and has been backed by experienced investors to help it expand.
New locations are set to open across California, Michigan, Minnesota, New England, Nevada, Texas, Virginia, Arizona, Indiana and Illinois. With construction on the new sites set to begin in the coming months, the first new spots are expected to open by the end of the year.
Mike’s Red Tacos is often celebrated on social media for its visual presentation and bold flavours, and dedication to the authentic Mexican birria tradition. Over on Reddit, one foodie said: “Like this place. They hit the spot only minus is that it gets packed quick.”
Another fan of the brand gushed: “It really is delicious. Someone of the best birria tacos I’ve had.”
While a third person wrote: “Those look unreal, birria with that crispy shell is always a win and those limes on the side tell me this was handled properly.”
Other commenters responded with curiosity and some interest in trying it, while lots of people commented on how drool-worthy the pictures of the tacos look on social media.
In a r/SanDiegan thread about the best birria tacos in town, one commenter said they 'had Mike’s Red Tacos yesterday. It may be recency bias, but they were damn good'.
And someone responded: “They were excellent! The only and I do mean ONLY complaint, is the place is really small, I had to eat in my car.”
Soon customers won’t have to worry about the small location because of the brand’s expansion.
The spot is also popular among Instagram foodies and influencers. In a vlog reviewing the San Diego location, the comments were filled with locals sharing their praise for the tacos. One Australian influencer called the food ‘the best Birria tacos in San Diego’, adding that they would fly back just to eat them again. “The beef was so tender and juicy, the tortillas were crispy and perfectly fried, soaked in that consommé,” they wrote.
Ahead of Mike’s Red Tacos next move, Company President Vincent Montanelli shared what makes the brand so attractive to franchisees.
He said: “The strength of Mike’s Red Tacos is a combination of its authentic and craveable Birria, a strong business model, incredible partners and positioning to capitalize on a market demand that Birria is experiencing.
“With a team that has a proven track record in multi-unit franchising and restaurant leadership, we are set up to scale Mike’s Red Tacos and share The Birria Experience with communities throughout the country.”