Vera's Backyard Bar-B-Que
Barbecue restaurant · Brownsville ·
Pit-cooked barbacoa de cabeza, a vaquero tradition since 1955.
Pit-cooked barbacoa de cabeza, a vaquero tradition since 1955.
"As the only restaurant in Texas that’s still allowed to cook “en pozo” (i.e., in an underground pit), Vera’s is on a different playing field. Especially when it comes to barbacoa, its signature South Texas barbecue dish that involves slow cooking an entire cow’s head “en pozo,” then typically serving it with freshly made corn or flour tortillas and a fiery trio of salsas. The current owner, Armando Vera, has been perfecting his technique at this Brownsville restaurant since he was a teenager, helming the smoke alongside his parents, founders Alberto and Carmen Vera, before taking over. After the many state and national awards Vera’s has earned, many of the choicest parts of the head (i.e., cheeks, lips, tongue, and jaw meat) sell out soon after they open, which is often before sunrise as the restaurant only operates on weekends." - Kristy Alpert
"Included among recent America’s Classics honorees was Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que in Brownsville, Texas, recognized as one of six long-tenured, locally owned restaurants honored for timeless appeal and quality food that reflects the character of its community; this year’s America’s Classics list placed an especial focus on restaurants serving soul food, which comprised half the list." - Eater Staff
"A Brownsville barbecue institution celebrated for its barbacoa that was recognized with an America’s Classics award and was listed among the already-announced winners to be honored during the awards’ virtual ceremony, even as most other categories had winners withheld because of the pandemic." - Nadia Chaudhury
"A longtime Brownsville, Texas barbecue restaurant recognized by the James Beard Foundation as a classic honoree, highlighting its status as an enduring local institution." - Nadia Chaudhury
"A longtime Brownsville barbecue institution recognized as one of the James Beard Foundation’s “America’s Classics,” this family-run spot is best known for its slow-smoked barbacoa de cabeza. The operation is currently led by Armando “Mando” Vera and traces its roots back to a restaurant opened by his father in 1955, with a reputation built on traditional preparation and regional South Texas flavors." - Nadia Chaudhury