Jackson Woodruff

Made a detour on a whim and talked with the about a good decision. I got a half pound of brisket, quarter turkey, quarter ribs, some mac, banana pudding, a carnitas taco and Cochinita pibil. Brisket was cooked perfectly. The turkey was A1. Ribs had a bit too much bite to em, great flavor, but “pork choppy” if you will. An extra hour may do em good. Now the stars on the plate are them dang tacos. Im addicted. I live in Waco but would drive up without a second thought to eat here again.

Lorelei Serafim

The beef ribs on Saturdays cannot be denied, and are not to be missed! This is our go-to Texas BBQ spot, hands down. Wonderfully friendly staff with great knowledge of ingredients, very helpful for those with food allergies like myself - fantastic spot for a dairy free meal, unless you'd like to bathe in queso, in which case that can be arranged too. Everything here is clearly made with love and a lot of skill. Highly, highly recommend the smoked suadero tacos if it's not a beef rib day!

Coach Ruby

Absolute the best of the best. Vaqueros is a complete culinary and cultural immersion into every tjing that makes Texas and you'll emerge with Texas at her finest. Every attention to detail is placed in everything done here - and it pays off. Being the best in TEXAS BBQ is practically unattainable yet Vaqueros has achieved with perfect brisket (the ring, the cut, the bark, the pliable and elastic stretch, et al) with perfection on beef short rubs as well. Plus great pork ribs, turkey, and two types of homemade sausage (everything is made in-house from the pickled onions, jalapenos, pickles, carrots to all the fresh sides to the sauce to the tea to the tortillas). Beyond the staples, Vaqueros offers the ultimate unami experience with most unique (1) pork belly - no tacky sweet meat candy here but rather the pure bliss of unami with the crunch of chicharrones and the melting of the soft, tender underside that just renders itself inside your mouth (2) Suadero that rivals the tenderness and richness of the beforementioned pork belly and (3) the Yucatan specialty - cochinita pibil. Custom pits plus knowledge of the pitmasters and owners has Vaqueros owning the game. Again, this place hits on all cylinders with E.V.E.R.Y. T.H.I.N.G. They can't miss, even their iconology to their humor to the friendliest staff - this is Texas on a plate! I gleefully ate everything mentioned in this review, plus beans Texas toast and cowboys potatoes, during my 2 hour visit. Yet, I hate missing out on the banana pudding and elote. But I'll be back at my new (first in well over a decade) favorite bbq joint and restaurant overall - despite the 4 hour drive.

+46

Andrew Carlisle

Had an amazing first experience at Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q in Allen, Texas today. Trey and his staff treated me like family, and that really meant a lot. Upon getting out in the parking lot, you're immediately hit with the amazing aroma of the smoke hitting you in the wind. I always have to go big my first order, and I ordered more than my stomach could fit. Got a 2 meat platter with brisket and sausage. The brisket was fall apart even with a plastic fork. Great flavor, moist, and my dogs will absolutely fight me for the leftovers. The sausage had great flavor with the spice and the cheese. I also got the pork belly burnt ends, which were unlike any I've tried before. Soft on one side, crispy on the other, with great flavor. The sides I got were the Mac and cheese, which was interesting as they use shells which I've never seen eating out. It was nice and cheesy, with a nice crust on top. Also, I got the trail beans which were phenomenal; might be best beans I've ever had. I'm addicted to cucumbers so had to get some of those, and also got the apple slaw which had great flavors to balance everything. The tacos I got one of each which were the birhha which is phenomenal, especially with the sauce that comes with it. Birhha has to be the inspiration behind the term flavor bomb. Next was the smoked suadero which is more brisket with great flavors in the juices. Next is the carnitas and the cochinita pibil with both having great flavors with the different slaws. If I see Elote on a menu, I have to grab it. Great flavor from being smoked on the husk with the sauces on top is killer! I forgot to order dessert, and Trey graciously brought me some pudding, which may have been my favorite pudding to date. Overall, I had an amazing experience here this afternoon. Getting treated like family is alone enough for me to become a repeat customer, but the excellent food will absolutely bring me back. Probably won't order as much as my eyes have been bigger than my stomach, but I have dinner for later and treats for the pups. I would definitely recommend Vaqueros to anyone looking for some excellent Tex-Mex inspired BBQ!

+8

Sofia Brock

Absolutely amazing food! The mac & cheese was especially delicious!!! can’t wait to come back! The ribs were melt off the bone tender the barbecue sauce was smooth and sweet. The taste of the sides were all homemade quality. The brisket was amazing and tender with a great smokiness. I’d say the best quality barbecue I’ve had.

Kris Stricklin II

Run don’t walk! First visit to Vaqueros and it will definitely not be my last. The flavors coming out of their meats is just extraordinary! The Al Pastor Pork Belly, with a perfect crisp was the star of the show for me, and my family and I came shortly before closing. What other BBQ spot is serving up smoked Cochinita Pibil!? Excellent service, and even got to chat it up with the Pitmaster Trey. Can’t wait to come back!

Laura Escamilla

My hubby and I stumbled across their YouTube video and decided to come in to try the brisket and birria tacos. It did not disappoint! The brisket was tender and flavorful and the birria tacos melted in our mouths. While we were there we got to meet Trey, his dad, Arnold and Daryl. They were truly appreciative we came by. Definitely recommend to support a local business, come hungry and enjoy their bbq!

D. Slaughter

The ultimate Tex-Mex Barbecue experience. The delicious variety of tacos is such a unique combination and each stand out on their own. The brisket is some of the finest you’ll find in Texas. Much respect to the team at Vaqueros for the first class food, service and facility.

+1

Heather Haney

I went to Vaqueros BBQ and it was smoky, cheesy, and slightly confusing, kind of like my dating history. The brisket gets an 8 out of 10. Juicy, tender, and smoky enough that I briefly considered writing it a love letter. The chipotle cheese sausage also gets an 8 out of 10. Basically a tube of molten cheese disguised as meat. Not too spicy, which is disappointing if you enjoy pain, but comforting if you do not. The BBQ sauce tasted like someone spiked a fruit punch with just enough heat to make your grandma nervous. Sweet, a little spicy, and weirdly addictive. The bread was white, soft, and about as thrilling as an HR meeting, but it did the job. The birria tacos were good and flavorful. My friend insists that dipping tacos in broth feels like tortilla water aerobics, but I actually enjoyed them. They were not mind blowing, but I would not be mad if they showed up on my plate again. The sides had range. The apple Gorgonzola slaw was really good and refreshing, the kind of side that makes you briefly think you are making healthy choices. The spicy cucumber salad was the real star, refreshing and balanced with heat, even better with pickled onions. I would order it on purpose. The potato salad was mid. It existed. It was beige. It tasted like it was made by someone who got bored halfway through seasoning and decided to give up. Service was quick, the crowd was chill, and they had five dollar drink specials for the people who wanted to leave tipsier than they arrived. I stuck to food and left with my wallet forty eight dollars lighter, tip included. Final verdict: Go for the brisket, stay for the cucumber salad, and let your friend complain about taco soup while you enjoy it anyway.

Murph

My wife and I ordered the Taste of Tex Mex platter, which was $62 but A LOT of food. I wanted to try their traditional BBQ as well as their some of their signature Mexican influence, and this fit the bill. I think I preferred the birria taco to the brisket, but my wife was a big fan of the jalapeño sausage. The beans and potato salad were also good. One thing I wasn't a big fan of were the onions-they were in pretty much everything and I don't like onions, so that took it down a little for me. The dining area inside is very small so we went to an enclosed but not air conditioned area that had fans, but it was a little bit warm back there. I don't know if was as deserving as the ranking they were given by D magazine, but it was good and I would go back.

Ordered the cheese mac, potato salad, sliced brisket, ribs, sausage, and birria tacos. I'm not a big mac and cheese guy so I had a taste and it was ok. My wife really liked it and I would side on her opinion. The potato salad was just not for me. The taste was just off. The brisket was ok but a bit underwhelming. It tasted like there was not enough seasoning on it and no smoke ring. Plus, it was dry. I thought the ribs were very good. Juicy and tender. I have a hard time finding sausage that I like from bbq restaurants. I thought the sausage was great. I would go back for the sausage alone. The birria tacos was also great. Maybe because the meat wasn't dry, it had a very good taste. The staff was friendly. The restaurant was very clean and it's a big place. A few minor things I didn't like. They don't have the fixings out on the floor. You have to ask for them at the counter. Figured that out after walking all over the place. They should really ask while you're paying. I thought the wait was different. You order at the counter and then you wait for your food. Personally I want to see them cut that brisket in front of me, would have asked for juicer meat. Also, if you're like me, I look at the menu online. Well, they don't keep their website up to date. There were items we really wanted to try only to find out they didn't have it. Some items were "taped off" on the menu that shows on their website. I know taste is subjective but, preparation is not. I'll go back for the sausage but I'll need to see the brisket before I order.

Went for lunch and the place was pretty empty, which I love, but an empty BBQ spot during the lunch rush is usually a sign of whats to come. We got the tour of Texas which honestly I appreciated the ease of ordering something with a good amount of portions on it rather than the traditional 2 or 3 meat plates you find at other bbq spots. Service was pretty good, the guy we ordered from was nice and gave us a sample of their Friday special pastrami which was actually damn good. Had to wait a bit at the register to pay as the cashier was talking to another employee and didn't really acknowledge us. We got our food and noticed they have a small seating area by the order counter and then a much bigger seating area to sit, so we sat in their main dining room which again was totally empty. Now to the food: Presentation 11/10. The way they plated it together is definitely appealing, well done there. Taste 6/10. Definitely nothing to wow over. Very bland, everything needed to be dipped in their bbq sauce to add flavor which any good meat lover knows sauce is an addition not the main tasting. With that said, their bbq sauce is pretty good. Definitely got a sweet and spicy flavor to it. Quality 4/10 with the sausage being extra chewy, actually had to spit some out as the skin was like rubber. The ribs definitely weren't fall off the bone, which good ribs shouldn't completely fall off the bone anyways, there should still be a little grab, but these were all grab. The meat didn't want to separate off the bone at all, you shouldn't have to work to really eat ribs. The brisket was fine, quality wise it was how brisket should be. Overall, bbq in general is getting insanely expensive for no reason and this place is on par with over the top pricing. For me and my wife to eat lunch was over $80 with tip. With that said, this place in my opinion isn't worth the cost. Now ive only been here once, so it could have been an off day, but again if im paying over $40 a person for bbq I'm going somewhere that I know meets quality with price and this place just didn't deliver.

J C

We ordered tacos and the brisket sandwich with potatoes. I had high hopes after seeing all the awards, but the BBQ didn’t really stand out compared to other spots in DFW. The food was okay — decent enough that I’d eat here again if I’m in the area, but not a place I’d go out of my way for.

+1

Overall very underwhelming. It shouldn't be a thing that the best food we had was a tie between the mac and cheese and the French fries. Brisket was dry and a bit flavorless, mac and cheese was cold, carnitas was dry. Etc. Overall decent

Jessica Uretsky

We visited on Saturday evening around 5:30 PM. Vasqueros provided a warm greeting upon entry. The ordering process was initially confusing, though staff mentioned they were implementing a new system. I had planned on ordering the brisket, but after observing the cut (it appeared dry and dense), I opted for the half chicken instead, while my spouse ordered the rib plate. The wait for our food was very short. However, we were quite surprised by the portion size of the $20 rib plate, which contained only three ribs, alongside a scoop of beans and fries. While my spouse noted that the ribs had good flavor, and my 1/2 chicken was very juicy, but lacked flavor. T he overall experience felt overpriced for the quality and quantity received. Due to the high cost relative to the portion size, we likely will not return. (Of the rib plate specifically)

Clyde H (Habanero)

We were incredibly disappointed. Layout of the restaurant is really strange. Service was ok at best. Prices are on the high side. The big problem was the flavor of the meat and sides. The brisket was very lacklustre. Sausage was not tasty. Turkey was decent. The sides were not only not good, they were actually kinda bad. The cucumber salad was the only one we all liked. So disappointed. We have ate at a lot of BBQ places around the state/country. This is definitely in the bottom few. Sorry absolutely cannot recommend.