Whirlybird

Usually, I don’t like eating to be messy. But the rule doesn’t apply to tacos–particularly if they’re excellent. Breakfast at Whirlybird was a five-napkin affair, and I couldn’t have been happier.

The menu can be summed up in four words: breakfast tacos and espresso. On the breakfast taco side, there are but two options. I had #1—a fried corn tortilla topped with scrambled eggs, melted Oaxaca cheese, homemade salsa, jalapeño potato chips, and cilantro. The crispy tortilla was a nice touch, and the salsa was pleasantly kicky, with huge hunks of jalapeño peppers. The potato chips were a little lost under all the salsa, but for a mere three bucks, it the perfect size for a filling breakfast bite.

For an extra $1 you can get chorizo on your taco. I know at least one family member who would slap their forehead over my foolhardiness, but I passed up chorizo because I like to keep my breakfasts light. If you’re looking for something heartier, the deluxe version includes fried eggs, extra chorizo and extra cheese ($6). I did get a kickass cortado with Oslo espresso ($3.50), so you can totally take care of your caffeine fix here. One thing I’d advise, in addition to using a little less salsa, is that they get a couple extra stools. The tiny space has only has three tables and two chairs, but the pace is pretty much devour-and-go.

This was my first taco since returning from my first trip to Los Angeles. I’d often heard about the superiority of West Coast tacos so there was some satisfaction in finally tasting some of what I’m missing. I didn’t any breakfast tacos out there, so I’m curious of what Californians, or Texans for that matter think of the tacos at Whirlybird. Do they stack up? My thoughts are: it doesn’t really matter. I’m going back either way.

Whirlybird
254 South 2nd St. between Havemeyer St. and Roebling St.
Mon-Fro 7am-4pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm