Birria is Big at No Manches Way in Ogden
It’s all about birria at No Manches Way, an Ogden restaurant at 1516 South Washington Blvd. A few weeks ago I interviewed the owners, Maria and Israel Chavez, for a Standard-Examiner story.
I also got to see the Camaro their family bought with some of their first earnings from the business.
In Mexico, birria is a traditional soup or stew, usually made from slow-simmered goat meat and herbs and spices. But in the United States, birria has been turned into a foodie trend, mainly in the form of shredded beef tacos or quesadillas.
The beef is braised in broth until it’s tender before being layered in a tortilla. The rich braising liquid is used as a dipping broth for the tacos or quesadillas, similar to the way French dip sandwiches are dipped in au jus.
Maria Chavez’s birria recipe was passed down from her great-grandmother, who once owned a restaurant in Sinaloa, Mexico. When Maria lost her job after the Covid pandemic hit, she started a home business selling birria to friends and neighbors.
As the business grew, it needed more space. She and her husband, Israel, found an empty office building at 1516 Washington Blvd. and transformed it into a restaurant, with the help of the building’s owner, Mike Bachman of Bachman Plumbing.
What about the name? Maria Chavez said that in Spanish, “No Manches Way” roughly translates to “No way, dude!” But it can be used as a slang term with different meanings, depending on the mood.
The format is fast-casual; ordering and payment is done at the same time at the front counter.
The simple menu’s focus is on birria.
“It’s really just shredded beef, but Mexican style,” said Israel Chavez. “But Maria is the only one who knows how to give it the flavor.”
In fact, he said, a restaurant competitor tried to get an employee to get infiltrate the kitchen and bring back the recipe. But the Birria-Gate attempt apparently didn’t work.
Quesabirrias are the top seller. These are tortillas filled with the braised shredded beef and mozzarella cheese, cooked on a flat-top grill until the tortilla is glistening and crisp, and the cheese is melty. They come with a cup of birria dipping broth, and add-ins like chopped cilantro, chopped onions, green salsa, and red hot sauce and lime. (A tip: Go easy on the red hot sauce unless you love mouth-searing heat.)
Three large quesabirrias are $13.50, and many customers post on Yelp! and other review sites that they’re only able to finish two, due to the size. I was only able to finish one, as they’re quite hearty. Unless you have a huge appetite, you could easily split an order with a friend.
The tortillas are handmade — “We have a lady that hand-makes our tortillas all day long,” said Israel.
No Manches Way also offers birria burritos and birria street tacos, also birria-topped French fries.
There’s also birria served in a broth-filled bowl, like soup, which is how it’s served in Mexico, said Maria.
Then there are some interesting cross-culture mashups — PizzaBiria and RamenBirria. Israel said several customers talked about trying similar dishes in California, “So we took the idea and made it our own.”
With the 14-inch PizzaBirria, cheese and birria-style shredded beef is sandwiched between two layers of tortillas. You cut it into wedges and dip it into birria broth.
RamenBirria is a bowl of ramen noodles cooked in birria broth with some shredded beef.
Rounding out the menu is Menudo, the Mexican specialty of beef tripe.
The restaurant has a Spicy Quesabirria challenge. The quesabirrias and broth are doctored with scorching-spicy sauce. (Remember I mentioned the spicy red hot sauce? Well, Maria told me the sauce used for the challenge is even hotter.)
The customer/challenger has five minutes to finish the plate of three quesabirrias, plus half of the broth. If you can do it, your photos are posted on the restaurant wall — you could call it the Hall of Flame.
Challengers are shown trying to finish the contest on the No Manches Way Facebook page. One guy’s hands were shaking due to the intense heat.
During the interview, I noticed the Chavez kids were there helping out, greeting people and so on. During the first two months of the restaurant’s opening, the couple relied on extended family members to help out in the kitchen. Now, they have nine employees, said Maria Chavez.
There’s not a ton of parking out front, just along Washington Boulevard. But there are several stalls in the back; you just have to be watchful to make a quick turn into the narrow alley on the side side of the restaurant.
Early on, they developed a fan base. Israel said, “We will see the same people coming in here three or four times a week.”
About No Manches Way:
Open: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Contact: https://nomanchesway.net; 801-600-1949
Prices: $1.75 per street taco to $25 per 14-inch PizzaBirria