Metro Eats: Belleville restaurant is famous for tacos. Here’s how to make them

It might seem unlikely to find one of the best tacos in the metro-east across the road from a cornfield and hidden in a plaza with an auction house and tractor supply store. But one Mexican restaurant in Belleville proves that unlikely things are sometimes the best.

The restaurant is Tony’s Tacos, once solely a food truck and now a brick-and-mortar street food destination near Eckert’s. Their quesabirria tacos are renowned among their customers, and for good reason.

Birria is a meat dish consisting of beef or lamb, marinated for hours in a combination of spices and vinegar, then finally cooked in a pot full of spicy chili broth. It’s a long and relatively complicated process, so it’s best to go to an authentic Mexican restaurant — a place like Tony’s — if you want it done right.

“I was fortunate enough to take trips to Mexico with my family as a kid and have some of the best tacos I’ve ever tasted,” recalls Tony Oseguera, the proprietor and namesake of the restaurant.

Tony’s quesabirria tacos are as authentic as it gets. With rich beef marinated over hours, tortillas freshly dipped in chili broth and all topped with cheese and deep fried, it’ll hit the spot for anyone trying to experience the cultural flavors of Mexican street food.

Tony’s Tacos is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Do you have a favorite food destination in the metro-east that deserves a shout-out? Submit your favorite restaurant through this online form (or fill it out below) for a chance to have them featured in Metro-Eats -- a new and ongoing series highlighting some of the best eateries this side of the Mississippi.