If it helps boost my credibility, I spent a year living in Merida, Mexico and am currently building a boutique hotel with a small cafe and wine bar there. But that’s another story, for another day.
Broke Boy Taco has been on the scene for a wee while now. In April this year a Mexican friend of mine living in Auckland had heard of a guy selling birria out of Ponsonby Social Club as a pop-up restaurant, and was more than excited to go check it out. He didn’t have to ask me twice - I wasn’t about to turn down an excuse for birria and beer - so off we went.
I suspect birria isn’t a commonly known dish in New Zealand, so if you’re wondering what it is, it’s a meat soup or stew that’s popular in Mexico, particularly in the northern states, and is usually served with goat, beef, or lamb.
Chef Sean Yarborough - a.k.a. Broke Boy Taco - has quickly made a name for himself with his birria ramen, along with beef tacos with birria soup as the perfect dunking accompaniment.
We arrived at the Broke Boy Taco pop-up just as they opened, and there was already a massive line forming - word had clearly reached the masses as the crowd continued to grow.
It’s not a surprise they’ve amassed a following of more than 25,000 on Instagram and over 300,000 likes on TikTok in such a short time. Yarborough has done an excellent job at developing a unique brand that catches your attention.
The first time I ever tried birria tacos was at a friend’s restaurant back in Merida, and Broke Boy Taco took me straight back there. I ordered the Deluxe Birria Plate, and one thing I enjoyed about Broke Boy Taco’s dish is the flavour profiles that came from New Zealand beef and cheese which made it unique, in a really good way.
I haven’t had the chance to eat a lot of birria in Mexico. It wasn’t that common in Merida, so I’d have to seek it out when visiting Mexico City. Most of the time I had it served with goat meat and like at Broke Boy Taco, I would usually order it as a soup to dunk my taco in, but it’s pretty common for people to order it as a stew.
I’m pleased to see Yarborough has taken Broke Boy Taco to the next stage opening a store on New North Rd - and I really love the fact I can enjoy the real deal any time I like, right here in Auckland.
Where to find Broke Boy Taco
964 New North Rd, Mt Albert, Auckland 102
https://www.instagram.com/brokeboytaco/
Jason Nockels is NZME’s GM of Digital Revenue Products & Lifestyle. Jason juggles life in New Zealand and Mexico, indulging his entrepreneurial side by developing property near the Yucatan Peninsula, while also drawing on his tourism marketing and tech start-up experience to take on NZME’s publishing lifestyle brands and digital products. Due to his inability to cook, he’s an avid restaurant-goer, a poor snowboarder, and an international citizen whenever the opportunity to travel arises.
