BBQ tacos are 2019’s hottest barbecue item (and they’re really that good)
During the past few years, more barbecue joints than ever have been adding barbecue tacos to their menus. What sets them apart from standard tacos is that they are made with high-quality smoked meats fresh from the smoker and often paired with house-made tortillas and sauces, taking them to another level.
J.C. Reid, one of my favorite barbecue writers, made a persuasive case in the Houston Chronicle earlier this year that barbecue tacos are old hat but seeing new relevance. He writes that tacos “have long been a tradition in Tejano barbecue,” but that many craft-barbecue joints have recently added tacos to the menu following success at joints in Austin.
If you’re in the mood for trying some good barbecue taco joints, here are three from Austin, Brooklyn, or Kansas City with outstanding tacos that include inventive ingredients.
Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ - Austin, Texas
It’s most appropriate to start this list with Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ, which serves the best barbecue tacos I’ve ever eaten. And honestly, I’m not sure I’ll ever have better. In saturated and highly competitive Austin, Valentina’s has become a draw for both its high-end barbecue and its mouth-watering barbecue tacos thanks to pitmaster Miguel Vidal and his team.
The taco selection has something for everyone, as you can get both breakfast tacos and regular tacos with a decent amount of variation. For breakfast, there are three base tacos with eggs that you can customize with bacon, chorizo, brisket, and/or pulled pork. For lunch or dinner, there are tacos made with brisket, beef fajitas, smoked pork carnitas, and pulled pork. No matter what you order, it’s going to be good.
Hometown Bar-B-Que - Brooklyn, New York
I’ve been writing about barbecue in New York City for more than four years, and in that time, I’ve been asked frequently where to eat the best barbecue. Hometown Bar-B-Que is always on my list of top recommendations because everything on the menu is better than good and owner Billy Durney takes pride in his diverse menu. Even so, the tacos are still an underrated and surprisingly fantastic menu item.
Hometown serves three kinds of barbecue tacos: 1) brisket tacos topped with queso, white onion, and pickles 2) pulled pork tacos with coleslaw, fried onions, and spicy ranch, and 3) Oaxacan chicken tacos with caramelized onions, pickled onions, jalapeno, and chipotle cream. You should try all of them.
Scott’s Kitchen - Kansas City, Missouri
What makes Kansas City’s special is the wide array of meats you can find. The city has a bit of everything, but not many joints have barbecue tacos. Scott’s Kitchen, a treasure of a joint that is located down the street from the airport and recently topped a Yelp list of KC’s best places to eat, has to-die-for tacos.
During lunch, diverse taco selection includes fillings like pulled pork, turkey, chicken, spicy sausage, chorizo, brisket, and last but not least, burnt ends. And during breakfast, you can get any of those fillings with eggs, potatoes, cheese, and salsa. Owner Scott Umscheid made sure to include Texas-inspired tacos when he opened in July 2017 to make his menu stand out and it certainly did the trick.
A few other places with top-notch tacos I’ve tried recently that deserve a shout out include in Kansas City, which has phenomenal brisket tacos, and Izzy’s Taqueria in Brooklyn, likely the only kosher barbecue taco joint on the planet. I’m sure my list missed quite a few of your favorite barbecue taco joints, so please shoot us a note and let us know what we need to try in the future. (And if you can't make it to any of these joints or don't have one you like, our recipe of the week (scroll down!) is for delicious grilled flank steak tacos with cilantro chimichurri sauce.)
ONE LAST THING: Ryan and I will be at the this week. If you’re around, please get in touch and let’s eat some barbecue together.
Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ)
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet
Here are the top recent barbecue news stories from around the country:
Houston’s Blood Bros. BBQ has taken the barbecue scene by storm with a unique mix of flavors. (Photo by the Houston Chronicle’s Melissa Phillip)
Blood Bros BBQ in Houston’s Bellaire neighborhood have recently taken the barbecue scene by storm with their unique mix of Texas, Asian, and Cajun flavors. Last week, the restaurant was featured in a variety of publications, including a Texas Monthly article by Daniel Vaughn, a Houston Chronicle review by Alison Cook, and a Houston Press feature by Carlos Brandon.
The competition team Aporkalypse Now reigned supreme at the big Hogs for the Cause event in New Orleans this past weekend. The event raised money for families dealing with pediatric brain cancer, and more than 90 teams stepped up to raise money. Special kudos to the top fundraising team, Fleur De Que, for bringing in $442,442!
Acclaimed whole hog pitmaster Sam Jones reflects on food, family, and tradition in Garden & Gun magazine.
Bitter Southerner gives an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the Memphis in May World World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest in this article.
After the recent closure of his iconic Greensboro, North Carolina barbecue joint, 88-year old Wilber’s Barbecue owner Wilber Shirley vows to reopen soon. The North Carolina Department of Revenue had recently shuttered the restaurant for non-payment of taxes.
San Antonio was recently named a Creative City of Gastronomy by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In response, Culinaria has designated a trio of food trails celebrating the city’s best barbecue, tacos, and margaritas.
Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois has brought together the smoked cornish game hen of Memphis’ Cozy Corner with the spicy hot chicken of Nashville’s Prince’s at Blue Smoke in New York City, in a dish recently spotlighted in the New York Times.
Chef Brian Bruns has opened Flat & Point in Chicago’s Logan Square, offering a fine dining approach to barbecue with a menu that includes Wagyu brisket.
Business is booming at Charlie’s BBQ & Bakery, which opened in a former service station in Chattanooga, Tennessee last October.
Southern Q BBQ owners Steve and Sherice Garner recently held the grand opening in the new location of their East Texas-style barbecue restaurant on West Richey in Houston.
Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn was unexpectedly surprised by the brisket, ribs, chicken at the BBQ Barn, located in a former tire shop in Beasley, Texas.
Texas pitmaster Mark Gabrick has opened Gabrick Barbecue in southwest Austin, returning home after being in Florida for the past several years. The menu will feature bacon burnt ends, chicken wings, and smoked pecans.
This week, St. Louis-based barbecue empire Sugarfire Smokehouse will open a new location in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Here are BBQ shows, podcasts, or books you should check out this week:
Watch: Jones Bar-B-Q - Queer Eye
In Season 3 of the Netflix hit series Queer Eye, the “Fab Five” crew visits Jones Bar-B-Q in Kansas City to give sisters Mary and Deborah Jones — and their business — a makeover. The hard-working pair have been in the barbecue business for more than 35 years (see them ) but find little time to take care of themselves. The crew helps the ladies remodel their building, bottle their barbecue sauce for retail, and update their wardrobe in a feel-good episode. Watch it here.
Listen: Erasing Black Barbecue - Racist Sandwich Podcast
Producer Stephanie Kuo journeys across her home state of Texas to explore the story of barbecue, a story that has pretty huge holes. Over the past several years, joints like Franklin Barbecue in Austin have commandeered the barbecue narrative, and the mainstream food media has given Aaron Franklin and Central Texas pitmasters like him their spotlight. This largely ignores the regional diversity of barbecue in Texas (and across the South) and ultimately erases the black and brown innovators that created it and built its legacy. For this podcast episode, Kuo talks to Soul Food Scholar Adrian Miller, Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn; Brent and Juan Reaves, co-owners of Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que in Dallas; and Johnny Walker, owner and pitmaster at Momma Jean’s BBQ in Lampasas, Texas. Listen to it here.
Read: Smokin’ In The Boys Room - Melissa Cookston
Five years ago, pitmaster and restaurateur Melissa Cookston, the winningest woman in barbecue, published Smokin’ In The Boys Room. Melissa shares the inspiring story of how she got into barbecue and worked her way to the top with grit and determination, even becoming known for smoking a whole hog like no one else. She also shares tips and tricks for turning out great meals from the grill, from Slow-Smoked Competition Brisket, to Fire-Grilled Pork T-Bones with Hoe Cakes and Mississippi Caviar, and even Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Order it here.
April 3-6: National Barbecue & Grilling Association Annual Conference - Kansas City, Missouri
The National Barbecue & Grilling Association (NBBQA) Annual Conference will be held at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Whether you are a product owner, run a restaurant, sell, buy or simply enjoy BBQ, there are boundless opportunities to network, learn, and grow at the conference. Events include bus tours, education sessions, and the BBQ bash, with presentations, demonstrations, and cookoffs. More info here.
April 10: Brisket King NYC - Brooklyn, New York
Brisket King, one of NYC’s top barbecue events, will be returning to Brooklyn on April 10. Hosted at Biba of Williamsburg, the all-inclusive event will feature 20 chefs and pitmasters serving brisket creations and much more. It will also feature a wide selection of beer, cider, wine, and spirits to enjoy. More info here.
April 14: Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit - Brooklyn, New York
Pig Beach in Brooklyn will be hosting this fundraiser to raise money for Jeff Michner’s family following his sudden and unexpected death last year. The event will have an all-star lineup of pitmasters and chefs from all over the country, including Billy Durney of Hometown Bar-B-Que, Carey Bringle of Peg Leg Porker, Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibson BBQ, Craig Verhage and Leslie Roark Scott of Ubons BBQ, John Wheeler of Memphis Barbecue Co, and Mike and Amy Mills of 17th Street Barbecue. More info here.
April 14: Houston BBQ Festival - Humble, Texas
The 7th Annual Houston BBQ Festival will take place on Sunday, April 14th from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Humble Civic Center Arena Complex. The festival will feature Houston’s best barbecue joints all in one place, including Corkscrew BBQ, Feges BBQ, Killen's Barbecue, Pinkerton's Barbecue, Roegels Barbecue Co., Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue, Victorian's Barbecue, and more. Read Scott Sandlin's full preview here. Tickets include entry into the event and unlimited samples from each participating barbecue joint. More info here.
April 20: 11th Annual North Carolina 'Cuegrass Festival - Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh's original bluegrass festival returns to the warehouse district of downtown Raleigh on April 20, with a jam-packed day full of great 'cue, local brews, and toe-tappin' bluegrass music. Proceeds will go to SAFEchild, Junior League of Raleigh's BackPack Buddies, and Raleigh Cub Scout Troop 325. More info here.
April 20-21: Reveille Barbecue Co. VIP Charity Whole Hog & Gator Experience - Houston, Texas
Join an all-star cast of pitmasters for a one-of-a-kind experience learning techniques of whole animal cooking and open coal fire management. Highlights include a special menu prepared and served by pitmasters, bonfire, stargazing/camping on site, plus whole hog and gator cooks. Proceeds will help benefit Hogs for the Cause, which helps families battling pediatric brain cancer, as well as B’s Cracklin’ in Atlanta, which recently suffered from a devastating fire. More info here.
April 26-27: Smoke On The Water Barbecue and Music Festival - Fort Myers, Florida
Enjoy tasty barbecue, rocking tunes, and fun for the whole family at the Smoke on the Water Barbecue Competition and Music Festival. Don’t miss this Florida Barbecue Association sanctioned event, featuring teams from all over the South competing for a chance to win. More info here.
April 26-28: Austin Food and Wine Festival - Austin, Texas
The Austin Food + Wine Festival returns in April to spoil your palate with a handful of global and nationally renowned talent. This 3-day weekend in the culinary capital is the epitome of high spirits, with a packed schedule of hands-on grilling demos, up-close tastings with top chefs and sommeliers, and more interactive demos and panels. More info here.
May 4: Red Dirt BBQ Festival - Tyler, Texas
For five years, the Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival has been one of the most unique food and music experiences in Texas. The sixth annual event returns to the brick streets of downtown Tyler, Texas. Tickets are sold out at present. More info here.
May 15-18: Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest - Memphis, Tennessee
This huge, four-day competition is held in Tom Lee Park on the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Memphis. Nearly 250 teams travel from around the world to compete for the title of World Champion and a share of the more than $115,000 in prize money. The Contest draws more than 75,000 attendees. More info here.
Grilled Flank Steak Tacos with a Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce
This week’s Recipe of the Week is for Grilled Flank Steak Tacos from Chris Lynch at Mother’s BBQ. First, Chris marinates the steak with citrus, herbs, and spices for three hours. Then he makes a cilantro chimichurri sauce to accompany the tacos before grilling the steak for about three minutes per side. View the recipe here.
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