Eat Athens: Birria ramen is perfect for cold weather, but you need to be quick to get it

Andrew Shearer, Athens Banner-Herald
·2 min read
Beef birria ramen at Agua Linda restaurant in Athens, Ga. on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. The dish is a special item that is not part of Agua Linda's daily menu.
Beef birria ramen at Agua Linda restaurant in Athens, Ga. on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. The dish is a special item that is not part of Agua Linda's daily menu.

With the proliferation of food trucks and pop-ups in Athens, folks in the area are accustomed to the not necessarily being able to go and get their favorite dishes whenever they want them. That's why such foods are so often referred to as "specials," but it's an entirely different thing to never know when the city's best eats will be available again.

Such is the case with the birria ramen and quesabirria tacos at Agua Linda, which you've already missed if you weren't at the locally-owned Mexican restaurant's 1376 Prince Ave. location last Tuesday. When these items will be back again is anyone's guess, but there is a way to know a little bit ahead of time.

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Back in January 2021, the owners of Agua Linda used the COVID-19 shutdown of their restaurant to open up an instantly popular food truck called La Carreta, which they used to experiment with dishes that weren't available on Agua Linda's regular menu. The featured item were quesabirrias, cheesy corn tortillas filled with beef birria, cilantro and onions, and served with a side of consommé.

Though La Carreta continues to show up around town, quesabirrias aren't part of Agua Linda's daily offerings. But over the past year, they've shown up on occasion along with the equally exquisite birria ramen. The Banner-Herald was able to try both dishes on Dec. 19, and they proved to be the perfect cold weather food, rivaling the pozole (soup) at nearby Poquitos.

Quesabirria tacos with consommé at Agua Linda restaurant in Athens, Ga. on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. The dish is a special item that is not part of Agua Linda's daily menu.
Quesabirria tacos with consommé at Agua Linda restaurant in Athens, Ga. on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. The dish is a special item that is not part of Agua Linda's daily menu.

Since birria is all about beef broth, the ramen is literally soaked in it, and Agua Linda serves it with plenty of meat. With the quesabirrias, the flavor isn't quite as strong, so dipping the tacos in the provided bowl of consommé is essential to pushing the taste through to the front. Both are relatively mild experiences compared to typical Mexican fare, but the appeal lies in a simple connection to the beef.

To find out when Agua Linda will be serving these dishes again, like their Facebook page at facebook.com/agualindaathens or follow their Instagram account at instagram.com/agualindaathens.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Eat Athens: Agua Linda has a birria ramen dish, sometimes