Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q
Barbecue restaurant · Allen ·
Brisket, ribs, sausage, birria tacos, elote, and burnt ends
Brisket, ribs, sausage, birria tacos, elote, and burnt ends
"Arnulfo “Trey” Sánchez has created one of the coolest pit rooms in the state of Texas. His cookers are custom-painted, as is his smoker, and they’re all visible through a big window from outside. If you ask, he just might take you on a tour of the closed-in room. Diners won’t smell smoke wafting out of Vaqueros, however, because it lives at the bottom of a commercial office building in a shopping mall — a true rarity that means the smoke from the pit room has to be cleaned and recycled, and can’t escape. Don’t let that fool you: this place sells killer quesabirria tacos stuffed with salty brisket, pork belly with a crispy outside and soft interior served in a thick salsa, and corn on the cob with the husk still on that is some of the most incredible at any barbecue joint in the Metroplex. Sánchez is from a family legacy of barbecuers, and their story in barbecue and Mexican food can be seen on the giant mural in the Vaqueros dining room." - Courtney E. Smith
"Located in Allen and noted for having one of the most impressive pit rooms in the Metroplex, plus attention-grabbing items such as brisket birria tacos that reviewers describe as transformative." - Courtney E. Smith
"Up in Allen, something delicious is cooking in an unexpected space — an outdoor mall. Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q makes a mix of Mexican dishes and Texas-style barbecue with a lot of flavor from Mexican spices. Get the birria brisket tacos, which are a truly heavenly experience, and the pork belly, which features extremely crispy outsides and soft centers in Mexican salsa (that does not mean pico de gallo, it’s closer to what gringos would consider a mole). The corn on the cob, served elote-style, with salsa and cotija cheese, and the tortilla-flavored soft serve ice cream are can’t-miss items, so save room. Inside is rustic, with a pit room chock full of specially designed equipment, and the large dining room has a mural that depicts all the family and pitmasters this spot owes a debt of gratitude to." - Courtney E. Smith
"Vaquero’s recently graduated from a food truck at Hop & Sting Brewery to a shiny new storefront in Allen. You could go solely for the icy margaritas and hickory-smoked meats (the citrusy, garlicky cochinita pibil puts typical pulled pork to shame), but then you’d have to sheepishly explain how you missed the quesabirria tacos glistening with savory beef consomme. And how you skipped the Tlaquepaque tacos featuring smoked baracoa on corn tortillas bathed in dark, spicy salsa. And you don’t want that." - Kevin Gray
"Two craveable bites stood out: a barbecue birria taco loaded with cheese and brisket that delivers an almost transcendent punch of flavor, and al pastor pork belly burnt ends with pineapple salsa that offer a crisp exterior and a supple, juicy interior." - Courtney E. Smith