2018 Chicago Rising Star Chef Jonathan Zaragoza of Birrieria Zaragoza.
“The Zaragozas’ travel and toil resulted in a thriving backyard catering business and later the popular—for those in the know— brick and mortar outpost in the Polish-Mexican neighborhood of Archer Heights. Birrieria Zaragoza serves only birria, a spicy goat stew—served on its own or in tacos or quesadillas.”
-Star Chefs
Birrieria Zaragoza chef opening new Mexican pop-up in The Promontory space in Hyde Park
“One thing that’s pretty cool is that he leans into the masa so much,” Finkelman said of Zaragoza. “It’s really exciting to see the menu he’s created; the creativity is amazing.”
-Chicago Tribune
This Restaurant Did More than Introduce Chicago to Roasted Goat
The story behind Birrieria Zaragoza and its magical dish
“As we peered through the window, a head poked out from the kitchen behind a five-seat counter, and before we knew it, we were ushered inside by a young cook named Jonathan. He’d run out of goat for the day, but he let us try the roasted tomato and arbol salsa he’d just pounded and scraped out of a molcajete. He told us his dad had opened the place a few months earlier, after years of perfecting his birria tatemada recipe in a cement oven he’d built in their family’s backyard.”
-Medium
“Jonathan’s origin story is one a superhero would love. He’s used his culinary powers to share incredible flavor and age-old tradition.”
If Jonathan Zaragoza knows how to do one thing, it’s cook. The Chicago-based executive chef of his family’s Birrieria Zargoza has been on a meteoric rise since he could hold a spatula or roast his own goat—which weren’t that far apart. At 22, he was listed on Zagat’s “30 Under 30,” at 23 he was executive chef at prestigious Logan Square restaurant Masa Azul. Then he rejoined the family business before being named one of StarChefs 2018 Rising Stars. He’s a tour de force who’s made a name for himself perfecting an almost-lost art form.”
-Modern Adventure