Los Barbaros Birria to open a third restaurant, this time in Ocean County NJ

Los Barbaros Birria, a restaurant that helped put Mexico's slow-cooked birria tacos on the map at the Shore, is expanding.

Edwin Vazquez, who has restaurants in Belmar and Asbury Park, is opening a third — this time in Ocean County. Located at 511 Route 72 East in the Manahawkin section of Stafford, the space is in Driftwood Plaza on the highway's eastbound side, heading toward Long Beach Island.

The restaurant will open Sunday, May 12.

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"Every year, we are going to try to open new locations," Vazquez told the Asbury Park Press in a prior interview. “Our business brings people from far away … (and) we get excited when they come to try our tacos. We want to have closer locations to all our customers (because) all our customers, we are family."

Vazquez opened the first Los Barbaros Birria on Main Street in Belmar in 2020 after selling his tacos at Asbury Park's Mayan Restaurant. At the time, birria tacos — which are made from stewed meat (traditionally goat, but more commonly beef) tucked inside tortillas that are dipped in the cooking liquid and crisped on a griddle — were becoming trendy.

Last year, Vazquez opened a second restaurant on Main Street in Asbury Park.

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In addition to tacos that come with a cup of the rich cooking liquid (called consomé) for dipping, Los Barbaros Birria serves mulitas, which are similar to quesadillas but not folded; sandwiches called tortugas; quesabirrias (like the tacos, but with cheese); and cups of birria ramen.

The quesabirrias are most popular, he said.

Like Belmar and Asbury Park, the new location also will offer Cali Snacks, sweet and savory bites, as is tradition in California, where he is from. On the West Coast, he said, "every birrieria has something next to it (selling) either sweets or waters."

Go: Coming to 511 Route 72 East in the Manahawkin section of Stafford. Also at 704 Main. St. in Asbury Park and 1110 Main St. in Belmar; losbarbarosbirriabelmar.com.

Gabriela L. Laracca contributed to this story.

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com, follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Los Barbaros Birria coming to Ocean County, Manahawkin