The mouth-watering aroma of savory Mexican flavors being grilled and stewed to perfection immediately comforts the senses upon arrival at QuesaBirria Jalisco Tacos.

QuesaBirria Jalisco Tacos restaurant exterior on 18th Street in Pilsen, Chicago. Photo by  Lydia Schultz

It was lunchtime on a Sunday afternoon — which meant the small, vibrant interior of the restaurant was bustling with hungry customers.

A family dining inside QuesaBirria Jalisco Tacos and enjoying their food. Photo by Lydia Schultz.

The jungle green walls offer comedic affirmations in picture frames. It directly aligns with the presence that Ventura Orozco creates, with his welcoming energy and joking personality toward customers.

QuesaBirria Jalisco Tacos has been owned and operated by Orozco for three years in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. The restaurant’s seemingly overnight success in becoming one of the top-rated Mexican restaurants in the city actually took a lifetime of learning, relocating and meeting just the right people. Orozco calls this “a perfect storm” of serendipities.

The Chicago born-and-raised entrepreneur does not have any degrees, formal culinary training, or aspiration to be a millionaire — his dream is to bring smiles to people’s faces and hungry stomachs in the heart of Pilsen.

Orozco claims to have started the quesabirria taco craze in Chicago. A deep-fried corn tortilla shell, stuffed with stewed steak and cheese and served with a side of comforting consommé soup, for dipping. It is a specialty originating from his family’s home state in Mexico: Jalisco. 

The quesabirria served at QuesaBirria Jalisco Tacos. Photo by Lydia Schultz.

Before finishing high school in his hometown, Pilsen, Orozco went to live in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to work alongside his uncle in the tourism industry. Orozco credits much of his customer service abilities to this initial job, which led to opportunities that set the stage for his current success.

The first opportunity was studying at the University of Guadalajara. Because of his role as a government tour promoter, he was able to learn with other students, though he was not officially enrolled. Orozco’s intrinsic fascination with marketing allowed him to soak up the knowledge to build websites, learn SEO and produce online entertainment.

He feels that understanding how to use the power of the internet was the best thing that ever happened to him.

His experience with technology led to a second major opportunity, working as a food safety critic for the Mexican government. This opened his eyes to the influential magnet that food had upon a destination’s tourism potential, and inspired him to promote restaurants in Mexico through online marketing.

Tucked away in Zapopan, Guadalajara, was a small restaurant named “La QuesaBirria.” Orozco’s aunt opened the place in 2019, where she served fresh quesabirria tacos of her own creation.

Orozco remembers precisely the first time he tried her quesabirrias. “I was like, ‘What the hell is this? It’s so delicious!”

His aunt happily allowed Orozco to record her cooking process and market her tacos online, which he did successfully until 2020 — when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the tourism economy.

With no restaurants needing promotion, there was no work. Orozco reluctantly returned to Chicago to live with his uncle in Little Village.

“Marketing was going down the toilet,” Orozco said, recalling his state of depression. “I said, ‘What am I going to do?’”

Opportunities were slim. And with barely $600 to his name, he had nothing to lose in doing something spontaneous.

Using his knowledge of SEO, he built a web page for a quesabirria restaurant — one he had not yet established. Orozco published it to Google and eventually forgot about it.

One day, Orozco received a call that he would never forget.

It was a woman asking for an order of quesabirria tacos.

Orozco had no idea how someone had found his website, but he knew this was the start of a real business.

With the help of some of his friends, Orozco began making quesabirria tacos using his aunt’s exact recipe, delivering them to customers in a nearby parking lot.

“Once I started doing that,” Orozco said, “The phone did not stop ringing. That’s how QuesaBirria was born.”

QuesaBirra Jalisco Tacos has moved from location to location selling the addictive crispy stuffed shells since that initial order: from a Middle Eastern restaurant, a food truck, a space in McKinley Park, and finally, to its current location on 18th Street.

Presently, the restaurant has over 1,180 reviews on Google with an average of 4.9/5 stars and almost 132,000 followers across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

“Every day it grows more and more,” Orozco said.

While many customers find the restaurant through social media, it is not Orozco’s knack for marketing that has established his tacos as one of the best in Pilsen.

“I love how kind and energetic he is,” Chris, a first-time customer, said.

Customers gathered inside the restaurant on a Sunday afternoon. Photo by  Lydia Schultz.

The owner has good vibes, Greta and Paul, also first-time customers, said.

“It’s one of the best places we’ve been to.”

“It makes you want to come back,” Shanett, a loyal customer, said.

Orozco strongly emphasizes creating an atmosphere of family, inspired by the love and community he felt in Mexico.

Customers seated inside and smiling with their tacos. Photo by Lydia Schultz.

“You will never hear me call out a number,” the owner said about his customers. “I’m calling your name.” 

QuesaBirria Jalisco Tacos is a success in all aspects. But Orozco intends to keep accelerating. Waking up at 5 a.m. every day and being constantly on the clock is not for everyone, but Orozco’s effortless energy and persevering spirit all comes down to doing what he is passionate about. 

“Nothing is easy,” he said. “But I went from selling out of a rat-infested apartment building to having my own restaurant. How can I not smile and love everybody that walks through the door?” 

Ventura Orozco posing with two orders of quesabirria tacos. Photo by Lydia Schultz.

Header by Julia Hester