Countless trends came out of the worldwide COVID lockdown: Dalgona coffee, a newfound love for homemade sourdough, and, most importantly, birria tacos. Though birria dates back to the 16th century, it took off in the United States in the early 2020s, taking creative forms like birria pizza and ramen.

Still, this Western Mexico delicacy has won over American palates and remained a steadfast favorite across the States. In Columbus, there’s no shortage of birria. One of the best spots for birria is AJ’s Tacos, born out of this birria renaissance. 

We stopped into the brick-and-mortar in Hilltop to chat with owners Rachael and Agustin Aguirre.

“We actually started selling [tacos] to family and friends back in 2020 during COVID. I got hurt at work, and he lost his job, so we just decided that on the weekend we would sell to people we knew. From there, we just blew up and started renting a food truck,” says Rachael Aguirre.

What originally began as a passion project and interest to pass the time became a quick success. At the time, they were offering beef and chicken birria, then added steak and shrimp a year after launching.

“From day one, there was a line. We were one of three that were selling birria in Columbus,” says Aguirre. “We borrowed some money from family and made it go from there. We opened our ghost kitchen in 2023 and we stayed there for about two years.”

The AJ’s Tacos brick-and-mortar opened in November of 2025 on 3307 Sullivant Avenue, bringing this homegrown dream into a true place of its own. From there, the ghost kitchen closed and the food truck parked in Grandview.

The Hilltop shop reflects what AJ’s Tacos really is: a family-owned and operated business. With colorful decor and a kids' play area with children’s books in both Spanish and English, AJ’s is a spot for everyone. It’s got that authentic family vibe to it, like you’re stopping into your aunt’s house for a bite.

Things have been steady for the Aguirres since they opened this new spot.

“Back in March, we released soft-serve margaritas, and that really blew us up. We went virals and we had lines to the door.”

These margaritas caused a stir, featuring light flavors with tequila pre-mixed in each serving. The first of its kind in Columbus and highly addictive. You can’t taste the tequila, but you’ll sure be feeling it after a few spoonfuls. Plus, it’s a creamy, boozy treat to pair with any of the best-selling menu items.

Aguirre tells us that some of the most popular items are the barrio ramen, the street tacos, and, of course, the AJ’s Combo. Our personal favorite? The AJ’s Combo is what you’d typically expect when ordering barrio: 3 quesabirria tacos (beef or chicken) served with a savory consome for dipping.

We order it with the beef birria and extra limes, but there’s no wrong choice at AJ’s. What sets these tacos apart from anything we’ve ever tasted is how they hold up their crunch, whether you eat them in-house or take them home from the food truck. 

Editor’s Eats

We came hungry to AJ’s Tacos and you should too.

We started with the trio of dips, naturally. The guacamole was particularly zesty, the perfect pair to the rich queso and smoky salsa. Aguirre tells us they char every salsa ingredient before making it, giving the trio a smoky, deep flavor.

Then, more chips for an order of loaded nachos, topped with queso, birria meat, refried beans, cream, queso cotija, onion, cilantro, pico de gallo, and jalapeños. There’s no shortage of toppings with this, so no bite is bare.

We took a soft-serve margarita and a Modelo break before taking in our second round of food, consisting of street tacos: birria, steak, chicken, and shrimp.

And no trip to AJ’s is complete without the AJ’s Combo. The quesabirria tacos are like nothing we’ve ever had, with deliciously tender beef that soaks up all of that consommé. It’s only slightly messy and extremely flavorful.

To round out our meal, we ordered the Camarones A La Diablo, shrimp covered in spicy salsa, served with rice, salad, and tortillas. And while we wanted to tap out on these, we had to curb the spectacular spice with an elote. The elote was juicy and bursting with every bite.

“Pretty much everybody in the kitchen has been with us since opening here, so they are like our family.”

You can taste the love and skill that the kitchen puts into their dishes. Everything was spectacular.

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“We’re one of the places that is very consistent with our recipe, like 100%. We don’t change anything, and if we do, it’s minor things to make it better, obviously.”

With a plentiful menu, AJ’s Tacos doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel. They do what they do, and they do it well. But, like any good restaurant, they like to spice things up for the seasons, and this season they’re offering something we would’ve never expected: a soft-serve spiced pumpkin and horchata rum. 

How could the soft-serve alcohol get any better? This will be offered the entire month of October, so get it while you can!

Visit AJ's Tacos

3307 Sullivant Ave, Columbus

Food Truck:

985 W 6th Ave, Columbus

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