New SLO County Mexican restaurant specializes in birria and has a secret menu bowl

A Mexican restaurant in Paso Robles is garnering attention — for its birria family recipe and familiar tacos.

Claudia Villalobos was a huge fan of Venaido Barrios’ tacos that he would make around Paso Robles. When the chef stopped working for another restaurant in 2024, Villalobos and her husband, who both work as business owners, told him he should open up his own place.

“He said, ‘Yeah, but I don’t have the funds,’” Villalobos told The Tribune. “Then the idea just started from there. I said, ‘Absolutely not, we’re too busy.’ Then here I am owning a restaurant.”

Al Chile! opened on Nov. 21, 2025, with Villalobos at the helm and Barrios working as a chef in the kitchen.

The Mexican restaurant at 834 11th St. in Paso Robles had its grand opening a few weeks later, and Villalobos called it a “total success.”

“It all comes together, because the birria recipe is my mom’s and she’ll go in, she’ll make sure it tastes correct,” she said. “It’s like the cliché everybody says, ‘I want to open a restaurant because my mom cooks so well,’ but it’s been our biggest selling ticket item, so that proves that my mom’s birria is very good.”

Beyond the popular birria and nine options for tacos, Al Chile! serves enchiladas, quesadillas, tortas, ceviche and even has a secret menu item recommended by Villalobos.

“I would ask for a vegetarian burrito bowl with asada, because the veggies are amazing, and then you add the asada to it, it’s just an amazing plate,” she said. “We have options for people that maybe don’t eat tortillas, we wanted to make it friendly for anyone that wanted to have Mexican food.”

The restaurant’s name is an expression that translates to “quickly” or “get to the point.” “Al Chile!” is slang, and Villalobos said, “When people say it, ‘Vamos Al Chile!’ that’s why we named it.”

Villalobos describes Al Chile! as a modern twist on the taqueria, with more seating options and vibrant colors found all throughout the Mexican restaurant.

“One main thing that we wanted to bring to Al Chile! Was that all these Mexican recipes come from different parts of Mexico, but still with that cultural hominess to it,” she said.

For more information

Al Chile! at 834 11th St. in Paso Robles is open from Tuesday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information about the restaurant, visit its Instagram or website at alchilepasorobles.com.