Downtown Leesburg isn’t an easy place for budget diners. I love BKD Bagels in the morning. But when evening sets in, it’s far more difficult to get a high-quality value meal. Or at least it was. Enter Casa de Avila.
I’ve been a fan of the Guadalajaran Avila family’s birria tacos ever since they started serving them at Leesburg’s ChefScape, now The Dell. Last month, the Avilas debuted their brick-and-mortar location in the former Trungo’s space on Loudoun Street, right next to the downtown parking garage.
Earlier this week, the salmon-colored walls were full almost to bursting with guests eager for a taste of Leesburg’s latest. The restaurant was understaffed (there was a sign out front saying that they’re hiring), but the small crew got the job done with relative ease.
Not everything is on the small opening menu yet. For example, chips and salsa are missing from the printed bill of fare, but are available, as are guacamole and queso, I overheard. The chips are freshly fried and served warm, bubbly and lightly salted, an excellent foil to the cilantro-laden salsa roja.
The current menu lists mostly variations of tacos, but also quesadillas, taquitos, sopes, and gorditas. My server said that more is coming, including tortas. My advice? Order what brought the Avilas their greatest success.
The cheesy birria quesotacos are stuffed with shredded beef until roughly twice the girth of your average taco. It’s cemented in place with melted mozzarella cheese, then topped with onions and cilantro. But the consome on the side is liquid gold. The ruddy broth has just enough heat to prickle a diner’s lips with every juicy bite.
I also ordered a mix-and-match platter so I could try as many tacos as possible. Among my three choices, the Ensenada, battered fish beneath squiggles of zesty chipotle sauce, was my favorite. But the tender carnitas and flavorful carne asada were worthy additions, too. Platters come with enough rice and beans to stuff most diners, especially if they sip a thick, cinnamon-laden horchata with their meal.
In the end, our dinner for two, which included two heaving platters, chips and salsa, and two drinks, cost just over $40. These days, that’s a steal. And it’s possible to eat for even less if you don’t get a platter. You can also ramp things up by adding cocktails, including choices like the strawberry mezcal margarita and cucumber mint smash. Drinks or no, Casa de Avila is about to be part of my regular rotation.
2C Loudoun St. SW, Leesburg
Feature image courtesy Alice Levitt
