Vera's Backyard Bar-B-Que

Vera's has some of the best barbacoa in the RGV. It's surprising that not many people know of this place. The barbacoa is made in el poso (hole)which helps the flavor concentrate. They offer menudo, carnitas, brisket and of course barbacoa. Best place to take the family to in the weekend!

Nice place! Staff only speaks Spanish, so be prepared. We were unable to get barbecue sauce and were only able to get salsa. The meat was delicious, nothing to complain about.

This place truly has the best barbacoa I've ever had thus far. Another great brunch idea Fri Sat sun only. Close at 2. Try the pound of cachete. The flour tortillas, and either a coke or big red should go perfectly with it. Also, the owners gave us a free sample of carnitas! The way he made them, with lime, tastes amazing!!! Definitely returning.

We stopped by for some barbacoa tacos and they were delish even when taken to go.

If you're looking for the best traditional barbacoa, look no further than Vera’s Backyard Barbecue. This place is absolutely worth the drive! The flavors are unmatched—tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned with that authentic, slow-cooked goodness that only true barbacoa can deliver.

Tried the cachete and it was the best barbacoa I’ve ever had. Green salsa has great flavor. Habanero salsa has great taste but is super spicy so be warned. Friendly service. Will come back again

We came on Friday at 11 and they were out of Brisket already for this week. (They open on Thursday). So we decided we would come back next week. BUT this customer came out and said you can brisket anywhere but this is the #1 spot for barbacoa- recieved the James Beard award. He recommended we get the cachete and if we did not like he would pay for it. IT WAS OUTSTANDING. You order by lb. And we got 1/2 lb. This is the only legal underground pit in the US. We had it with the mild salsa - just perfect. Very small place - sign hard to see but all so good

Absolutely the worst most flavorless Barbacoa i have EVER tasted, $18 for a pound, with nothing included is ridiculous work, everything, cilantro, onion, tortillas, sauce is extra, and i wouldn't mind that if the meat wasn't COMPLETELY flavorless, i put half a salt shakers worth of salt on the thing and it still tasted like meat soaked in hot water, i am so glad I'm not from Brownsville cause i would be ashamed at how much they glaze this place up, CANNOT believe this place was on a magazine and youtube channels. the only way i would probably enjoy this is if you handed it to me after a week of no food locked in a dungeon, and i would still be nauseous after.

All my years living in the RGV I had never heard of Vera's until a few years ago where it was features by Texas Monthly. This is how my family made barbacoa, and I was amazed someone took that tradition and made it into a restaurant continuing a great culture tradition Hawaiians roasting their pigs in the ground for luau's, or tandoori underground cooking in India. I got to Vera's about 90 minutes before it was set to close, yet there were people inside and in the drive thru. I ordered a pound of cheek meat and mixta (mixture), a 1/4 pound of lengua (tongue), along with a side of charro beans, corn tortillas, salsa, onions and cilantro, and a bottle of Mexican Coke. I was setting up myself for a feast! Service was normal and friendly, and everything is sold a la carte. There are no combo meals. The dining area seats around 30 patrons and luckily I found an empty table to set up my feast. I grabbed a corn tortilla, filled it with cheek meat, sprinkled some onion and cilantro with a small pour of hot salsa. Wow! It was tasty, and had that "underground" smoke flavor, but the meat was a bit dry but not to the point that made it tough to eat. The lengua was equally tasty and flavorful. As much as I wanted to finish it off, I was too ambitious when ordering to take on all that great food. Vera's is open on weekends only (Fri - Sun) from 5am to 2pm. Sure, I was already going to be in the RGV, but Vera's is definitely one of those spots that not only highlights a Mexican cultural tradition, but fits in perfectly with our Texas lifestyle that a drive (or flight) is totally worth it.

Holy smokes.... Literally. If you get a chance check out the only spot left in the US smoking their meat underground. This James Beard top 50 Texas BBQ joint does not disappoint! During our top 50 Texas BBQ trip we found ourselves here on a Friday morning. We got to meet the pit master himself and he was awesome. Everyone there was very nice and helpful. We ordered carnitas and beef cheeks with amazing tortillas and hot sauce. Both were melt in your mouth delicious. I just wish we could have ordered more, but this was one of three BBQ stops for the day! Love that you can see the smoking pit outside and if you wait long enough you might get to peak inside!

The texture of that barbacoa was unreal! So juicy, tender, and not too fatty. I didn't get to see the underground smoke pit when I went but it's really cool how they use this traditional method to make delicious food. The service was friendly and they guided us on what the popular options were and were really accommodating. The decor inside was fun to look through and the ambience was very casual and chill. We got the cachete, birria, charro beans and they even came by to give us some samples of carnitas! FYI the salsas and onions were a separate charge. The barbacoa they give you in its purest form I believe so for more taste you gotta add in some salt/salsa. The other meats were well seasoned and I especially loved the birria!

Enjoyed my first visit to Vera's. Family and I have tried their to-go quite some time ago, but it was our first time dining in on a Sunday ~11am. Plenty of parking, friendly staff, and a cozy environment that felt a lot like the signage out front. Lots of character dating back 50+ years, and you can tell they've perfected the art of barbacoa, salsa, and various other meats. I appreciate that they drain their meats prior to serving and it's clear they're just trying to make customers happy by offering suggestions (not likely pushy sales folks at other shops). By the time we got there, they were unfortunately out of green salsa and brisket, but my hats off to anyone that was able to enjoy it. Hopefully we'll be back earlier in the day/weekend to try it next time. Everything else that we had (lengua, cachete, carnitas) was delicious, and my personal favorite was the carnitas. I'd definitely order it again, and don't forget the homemade flour tortillas!

Absolutely amazing! We ordered the ojo, paladar, and cachete (the lengua sold out before we arrived) and loved it all! I expected the ojo to have a bizarre taste or texture but was so wrong! It had a really nice flavor and was so tender that it almost melted in my mouth. Everything we ordered was delicious! Looking forward to the next time!

Great food!!!! Definitely will be back any time in Brownsville for sure. Staff was friendly and very helpful.!

Well, what can I say. This establishment is known by the locals. The ambiance is great. The service was fantastic, friendly helpful staff. The food was absoulutely delicious, menudo, charro beans, were so flavorful and authentic. The barbacoa, was fantastic, I had the mixta, and carne asada, tortillas were so warm. i really love the presentation of the food, deli concept. I cant wait to go back.

I came here and was surprised about how few people were there. It opens at 6 and I was there a bit before 9. Perhaps everyone had gotten their breakfast tacos already! The place is clean and small. You almost immediately place your order on the right when you come in. A couple folks ahead of me waiting on food so it didn't take long at all. I was an idiot in high school: I took four years of French. So when in the RGV I'm always at a bit of a disadvantage. Fortunately the owner/manager was fluent and intermediates between the staff and us. They were all super friendly and helpful. This guy definitely had pride in his place as he should. I decided to order only two tacos. Definitely order more if you have any hunger. I really just wanted to sample and they were the perfect size. If I were hungry it may have been about 1/2 what I wanted. First up I had a carnitas taco with cilantro and onions in a crazy good corn tortilla. Wow that was good! I think it was just an awesome piece of smoked meat and was in love. Unfortunately the barbacoa was on the other side of the spectrum. It was absolutely something I did not like and I've had a lot of barbacoa. Either something was way wrong with this or I'm just not in tune with Valley barbacoa. I suspect the former but hope the later. Don't let my miss keep you away, just try something else.

Doing the Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ spots in Texas and of course Vera's Backyard Bar-B Que in Brownsville in on the list. This place has the BEST Barbacoa de cabeza!! The flour tortillas, you get 9 for $3.00, are delicious and the size of a medium pizza, wow! The corn tortillas are the size of street taco corn tortillas but you get 18 corn tortillas for $1.50 Everything here is delicious so bring your appetite and come early. My party of 3 and me arrived around 7:15am on a Saturday. This place is only open on Friday 6am-2pm, Saturday and Sunday 5am-2:30pm. So the process is that you walk in the menus are posted on the mall but if you need help the nice people working will help you and answer any questions, yes they speak English and Spanish. We ordered 9 corn tortillas, full order of flour tortillas, some Barbacoa de cabeza some lengua(tongue) and some brisket with a few of the different salsas on the side. They allowed us to bring in our coffee and our own bottle water. We got lucky as the owner/Pitmaster Armando was sitting in the dining room so we were able to talk to him about the history of the place and about his life. Part of the best thing about eating here is the charm of talking with Armando. It brings joy to my heart when we travel and talk to the small business owners and I realize that part of the beautiful thing about traveling and eating great BBQ is also helping these small places keep their doors open. The prices here at Vera's Backyard are nice and fair and all their food is delicious. The place is nice and clean inside and the people here are wonderful I highly recommend this place.

Excellent pit Barbacoa fresh tortillas and outstanding habanero hot sauce! Hot coffee good and strong too!Barbacoa Es Con Madre

I've spent a lot of time looking for a place that made traditional barbacoa, also known as barbacoa de pozo and is baked in a hole underground. This is the way my grandfather use to make it in the ranch when us kids were growing up. Not many places on this side of the border makes it like this anymore. Cooking it like this gives the barbacoa a distinctive smoky earthy flavor. If you're new to trying barbacoa try the cheek and tongue, those are the less fatty of the parts although once in a while I enjoy the fattier "mixed" version. I also like their mollejas aka sweetbreads and brains. I can eat pretty much anything but ojos...Ojos(eyes) are considered a delicacy and they are available here as well, I haven't felt that adventurous lately but when I do, I'll give them a try. Vera's serves all this up on Sundays as well as carnitas, brisket, carnitas, lamb birria, and menudo. I like the fact that you can sit and enjoy your barbacoa in the restaurant, usually barbacoa places just serve it up to go. Here they even have warm tortillas that you can buy to make yourself some tacos. They also have condiments you can purchase to go along with your barbacoa, fresh chopped cilantro, onions, and 2 different salsas, a green salsa on the mild side and a habañero for those that like it hot. They also have hot coffee and sodas by the liter for you to wash your grub down. Lines get long and out the door about 8-10 so plan accordingly. By 11ish you're risking not getting any of the real good stuff;cheek meat. We usually get there about 9ish and have been lucky enough to beat the lines and have a place to sit and enjoy our hot barbacoa! Barbacoa on Sundays is just the thing to do with the family. You have to come see Mr. Vera. He is always happy to hear how much you enjoy his food.

One of the best barbacoa I've had. Very tender and excellent flavor. Though barbacoa is likely their most popular, I believe their best offering is the carnitas. Small mom and pop with wonderful owners. The location has a neighborhood vibe like you are family. Many options for barbacoa that many may not have tried. Old school fans will like the cachete.

The barbacoa is really good possibly the best in the valley but really expensive plus they'll charge you a fee (percentage) if you use a credit/debit card. Carnitas are good also especially with their variety of salad (mild to spicy) don't disappoint. The menudo not so good so stay away for it lol. Service is fast and drive thru lines are sometimes long but moves pretty quick.

Vera's is not open that late and a lot of their food sells out, so come early! I ended up coming later in the day but still thoroughly enjoyed everything I got to try. The meat was succulent and the fresh tortillas and sauces great as well. I only wish I had come earlier to try more off of their menu! The interior has some seats for dining in but a lot of people also ordered to-go. Service was no-nonsense; order at the counter and pay. A lot of meats are sold by the pound. Would love to come again if I am in the Brownsville area!

We finally got to try Vera's and it was perfection! We got a pound each of carnitas and cachete (cheek-meat barbacoa), a pack of corn tortillas, mild, red salsa, and chopped onions/cilantro. The barbacoa was pretty lean and had a pleasant, smoky taste, more like brisket than other barbacoa that I've tried. It was quite tasty, but I think the carnitas were even better. Moist, succulent, pork with just the right seasoning. The bits of fat were delicious and just added to the experience! Ordering at the drive-thru was quick and easy and our food was carefully packed to stay warm and mess-free. We look forward to a return visit!

Not open during hours publicized as normal business hours. Someone came out to relay the message that they "weren't open today," but failed to provide detail and left us wondering.

We tried it for the first time couple of months ago. The food was good not too greasy. The barbacoua was good and not much fat. I will be going back for sure.

Super down-home place. The pork was the best ever. Prepared traditionally. Excellent salsas. Service was great and help with menu was great as we don't speak Spanish. If you want the real deal, this is the place to go.

Vera's Backyard Bar-B-Que in Southmost Area; Brownsville, Texas keeping beautiful traditions alive since 1955. Vera's has brought the Southmost Area in Brownsville, Texas their finest Smoke Mesquite Barbacoa de Poso "Underground Pit". Crafting delicious moist cows head beef. Smoked Cheek (Cachete), Tongue (Lengua), Jawline (Jeta), Palate (Paladar), Sweet Breads (Molleja), and Mix Cheek & Tongue (Mixta Cachete y Lengua). Last but not least! The main contender! The Eye ( El Ojo). Stated to be "The Caviar" on the cows head. Which truly it is. Their Ojo (eye) meat is Cream of the crop. Its delicacy of uniqueness which is flattered over in its mouth watering taste. Your taste buds will be asking for more. Vera's Backyard Bar-B-Que is operated by the legendary Armando Vera (Owner & Pitmaster) and family. Born and raised in a majestic Mexican food paradise Brownsville, Texas. Don Armando was taught to attend the fire pit at the age of twelve. Fully inspired by his mother and father. The Vera's started their cooks has a need to provide to their family. Which has now become Nationally known as a master in its craft. Their legendary underground pit fire is truly a landmark for the city, the state and the country. It's a representation from where we come from. Overall, cherishing tradition that our grandparents have passed over through generations. If you're in need of recapturing tradition. Feeling and tasty traditions. Vera's Backyard Bar-B-Que will give you that and more. Cherishing familia and customer service. Your going to be right at home. Special thanks to Vera's Backyard Bar-B-Que and their awesome hospitality. Saludos y abrazos to the beautiful people of Southmost Area in Brownsville, Texas. Gracias for the love. YouTube Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT7E-UF5fc4&t=57s This review was not sponsored nor a paid advertisement. This is a pure honest customer experience. It's all for the love of the food and bringing you closer to food that feeds the soul. Vera's Backyard Bar-B-Que Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/VerasBackyar... JMJ Gratification Social Media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jmjgratific... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmj.gratific... Yelp: JMJ Gratification YouTube: JMJ Gratification Twitter: @JGratification

The place is very unassuming on the outside. The barbecoa is worth all the hype. It is very good and amazingly tender. The thing that stood out to me the most was how tender it was. Flavor was perfect wrapped up in a tortilla with some cilantro, onion, and salsa on top. I loved it.

Highly do we usted to live on southmost and I remember when we was small my mom would go and get us BBQ I would look forward to every Sunday to get it

Barbacoa... Let's see, that's a very popular dish in southeast Texas. It's a popular dish, especially on Sunday mornings and you see it available everywhere, you know, at places like convieience stores, gas stations and... But, what is real barbacoa like? Look to Vera's if you are hungry for real barbacoa. Vera's is, indeed, a family operation, as the business is operated by Adelita, Mando, Mando Jr., Meli and Mandy. This is a rather unique operation in that they cook the barbacoa in a mesquite-fired pit, in the ground. There are only one or two other operations in the state of Texas that cook barbacoa this way. Since mesquite implants such a delicious taste into the meat, you may wonder why more barbacoa isn't prepared this way? The reasons: It is labor intensive (Mando Jr. says they start on Thursday) and the health police don't think it's sanitary to cook food in the ground. Mando Jr. is able to operate under a grandfather clause. Most barbacoa in Texas is cooked in the oven or a crock pot, not in a brick-lined pit like Vera's is. The preparation of the food begins with the fire. The smokehouse-annex is located In back of the main restaurant. It is a rather unpretentious building, constructed of corrugated metal. The annex portion of the complex is dedicated to the purpose of cleaning the meat, and wrapping the meat in aluminum foil before placement into the brick-lined barbecue pit. If you like good, uncomplicated food that is "local" in taste and origin and you enjoy patronizing a local, hard-working business, and like to get mucho "bang" for your buck, Vera's is for you! Did I not mention that you'll get the best barbacoa that you've ever had? When we visit this part of the country again, we will be back for more.

What a great way to start the day barbacoa tacos for breakfast. Menudo for my hangover was delicious.

A True Texas Treasure. Stop by and eat in or takeout whenever you can. Some of the best cooked carne you can find.

While I'm a native of Brownsville, somehow I had never had Vera's bbq/barbacoa. I didn't know what I was missing! Delicious barbacoa. We got a pound of 1/2 mixta and 1/2 cachete, accompanied by their homemade salsa mild and tortillas. We also chatted with Mr. Vera himself, who was a great storyteller. Overall, great experience!

Awesome BBQ place with plenty of options to choose from, perfect for making some BBQ tacos! Service was fast and friendly!

Best barbacoa that I've ever had, for real. Quality of the meat and the skill of making it (in a pozo, I hear) was outstanding. So much of that gooey sticky beautiful collagen, not too much fat. I also got some lengua. I'm not an expert on it, but it was also delicious. Similar to barbacoa, but not as "fatty", more firm. Owner gave us a sample of lamb -- also wonderful. Moist, flavorful, but not too gamey at all. Tortillas and salsa (red) were also quality. This place definitely belongs on the radar. I'm looking forward to trying the carnitas (I'm too full now), and to coming back to this place.

This place only open Friday to Sunday but they have some varieties such as tongue and cheeks BBQ. I would recommend to buy by the pound then take home the leftovers to get the best price.

This is the OMG moment when you KNOW that you have just had the best! They have juicy, tender brisket but do not leave this place without the carnitas. Perfection and you could just munch away on them straight up. They have every salsa you could desire and fresh tortillas. Don't miss the creamy red habanero salsa, if you crave the heat. I am so sad that I cannot take these back to Dallas because we will be on the road for several more days. This is indeed the best thing you ever are list. I'm not even a typical carnita eater but read the reviews so that's what we got along w some brisket. Vera, please come to Dallas!!! Every little piece of the carnitas are caramelized and soaked w flavor. Mmm wrap them up in a flour tortilla and paint on some salsa and thank the good Lord you have just tasted a bit of heaven. When in South Texas, get this!

Delicious barbacoa !! We had barbacoa on flour tortilla's . Onion and cilantro . Salsa with avocado is to die for . We saw an article in Texas Monthly about Vera's . Did not disappoint . A must go place in n Brownsville .

Great stuff! I was looking for barbacoa tacos but I found this place that served cachete tacos and mixta which is basically what barbacoa supposed to be. A little too greasy to me but gooooood. I need to try the mixta next.

they are only place in the U.S.A (grandfathered) that makes their Beef Barbacoa (head/cheek meat) the orignal way - in a "in the ground pit". Truly a Texas treasure and a Brownsville's best kept secret. Once you have had Vera's beef Barbacoa you will understand the difference. If you never been a fan of Barbacoa (cause there is so many half-ass versions out there) then do yourself a favor and experience the way it's supposed to be made. I suggest having it with some fresh made corn tortillas and a spicy homemade salsa. - BOOM!

Best Barbacoa in the USA. This is the only place that makes it the old way- in the pozo (hole). Ordered the cachete (cheek meet)and it was excellent. A must try when your in Brownsville. Get here early cause they do sell out fast

What a place! We've wanted to go for quite some time and we finally made it today. We bought some cachete along with tortillas, onion/cilantro, and salsa verde. It was so amazing. Really rich but not so much that it wears you down. Absolutely luxurious. They've really got the process down.

Texas monthly comes here for a reason. That reason is simply due to the blood, sweat, and tears, these guys invest in their quality and craftsmanship skills involved with cooking with mesquite. I myself have dabbled in bbq and manipulating a fire to make Smokey delicious foods is hard work that requires methodical dedication for hours. These guys do it so well, they do it for a living, my hat goes off for a well prepared and consistent experience. The majority of people don't realize the exhausting work it takes to cook with mesquite wood, but the payoff is one of a kind. Thank you to the Vera family for being a local staple to our community and opening the eyes of Texas to your magnificent restaurant.

Just ate the most amazing Mexican bbq. Get the combo with brisket, Carnitas and Barbacoa. Such good food.

Ok Barbacoa really greasy but it's better than the brisket . For being around for so long they need to get back to the basics. Backyard bbq I think he needs to do a couple of Ibca competitions

The ONLY place to get barbacoa. The carnitas and brisket are by far the best in the area.

Great stop on the Texas Monthly top 50. The pitmaster (Mondo Vera) and wife were super friendly and enjoyed telling us about the history of the restaurant and did a good job explaining the different "parts" of the meat. The carnitas were excellent. Barbacoa cheek meat was very good as well. Even had jeto which is the jaw muscle.

Not only is this a little gem, completely unique in the entire country, it's run by a couple that just absolutely loves what they are doing. Yes, the barbacoa is absolutely the reason to go as it's unparalleled by any place I've ever been, this country or others, but the homeyness of the place will have you returning as often as you can.

My husband loved this place! If you like barbacoa (cow cheek meat) and lengua ( cow tongue), you will love Veras. We tried the brisket taco too. Everything was very juicy & tender. Has a small Abuela's home kitchen feel. They've been keeping things simple & delicious for over 50 years!

A little gem of a barbacoa! Meat was delightfully tender and had a nice beef taste that was not overwhelmed by smoke/spices. Cold leftovers had a gamy taste, though. Very friendly staff and owner/pitmaster went out of his way to welcome us, offering us a sample of their carnitas, which I think was the best thing on the menu.

The Carnitas are off the chart. The brisket is delicious. Even the salsa is killer. Oh, and they have Joya sodas. Can't recommend this place enough for a quick bite or an awesome breakfast (the barbacoa es con madre).

The best barbacoa. Period. Get there early if you want to try everything. Family owned, family operated, and it shows. Try the carnitas and ojos. Absolutely delicious. You'll wanna have this every weekend!

"...In fact, there are very few people left who are still willing to go to the trouble of baking a whole calf head in a pit overnight... There is only one remaining commercial establishment in Texas that's still allowed to make barbacoa the old way, Vera's Backyard Bar-B-Que, and it happens to be in Brownsville, a block down the street from my old church, Christ the King." http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/growing-up-eating-real-barbacoa-cooked-in-a-pit-in-the-ground?fullpage=1