Nina's Tacos cooks up unique birria dishes in Des Moines

State of plate: Nina's offers more than two dozen menu items, ranging from a Mexican-style pizza to ramen with birria.

• Birria — a meat stew that's cooked with chiles and other seasonings for hours — is the star ingredient of many of Tejeda's dishes.
• I tried three quesa tacos, which included birria in a toasted, double shell taco with cheese. ($3.64 each) Yum.

Of note: Nina's has sold out of its staple item a few times in the last month due to the restaurant's growing popularity and the lengthy time birria takes to make.

• If that happens, just be patient and consider an alternative menu item to tide you over until the next batch is ready.

⏰ Open: Tuesday-Saturday from noon to 8pm; Sunday, 11am-6pm.

• 1301 E. Watrous Ave., Des Moines.