2017 - Valentina's Tex-Mex BBQ

Texas Passions - Valentina's Tex-Mex BBQ.  Season 2, episode 5

A look at the barbecue served at Valentina's Tex-Mex BBQ in Austin, Texas.

Every few years, “Texas Monthly” magazine publishes its list of the Top 50 barbecue joints in the state.  They recently published their list for 2017, the magazine cover loudly proclaiming that this is the Golden Age of Texas Barbecue.  Seven different joints in Austin made the list (the most of any city in Texas).  At one time or another, I have eaten at six of the Austin seven.  Looks to me like I have a new BBQ joint to discover.

Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ serves “fusion food”, in this case barbecue fused with tacos.  In Austin, we’ll wrap almost any kind of food in a tortilla.  Breakfast tacos, brisket tacos, you name it.  Somebody will probably open an Italian restaurant and serve spaghetti and meatballs in a tortilla.  Hmmm….  There’s an idea. . .

Brisket taco. . . yum yum

Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ is located at 11500 Manchaca Road in far south Austin. (That is pronounced MAN-shack. If someone pronounces it man-CHAKA, people in Austin would immediately know you ain't from around here.)  I live on the northwest side of town, but good barbecue is always worth a road trip.  And I was not disappointed.

Their menu has two sides – the Tex side and the Mex side.  

I ordered some moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs from the Tex side and a brisket taco from the Mex side.  The brisket taco was served on a homemade flour tortilla with guacamole and homemade tomato-serrano salsa.  The flavors blended together beautifully, even though the taco was just a bit greasy.  The brisket I was served was juicy, tender, and full of smoky flavor.  Covered with a dark outer bark, it went down really good.  The ribs were a little lean with a sweet glaze on them.  The meat had to be bitten off the bone, but was very tasty. There was a bottle of their sauce on the table.  It was a bit thin, but a nice compliment to the meat.  The note on the bottle said it would self-destruct if removed from the property. Cute…

Valentina’s currently serves their barbecue from a food trailer, but will soon move to a brick-and-mortar home (possibly at the same location).  The menu items on the Tex side were a wee bit expensive, but BBQ prices have been rising all across the state.  Prices on the Mex side were lower ($5 for the brisket taco).  And they had a couple of dishes on the Mex side that I will want to sample later.

Valentina’s had the music turned up – a mixture of Mexican Conjunto and rock and roll – that was fun to hear.  They have a number of picnic tables and I chose to sit in the large shaded area.  There wasn’t much of a line when I got there, but it was long and the parking lot full by the time I finished eating.  I suspect Valentina’s lines will get even longer as a result of the “Texas Monthly Effect”. 

If you are in south Austin, you gotta give Valentina’s a try. 

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I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!