UPDATE: Valentina’s Tex Mex Barbecue, Buda, Texas

UPDATE: I received a report that Valentina’s, which had abandoned the rustic charm of its food truck location outside Austin for a brick and mortar location in Buda, has closed. Apparently the transition did not go well. The report included a photo of the Real Deal Holyfield served shortly before it closed. The brisket had shrunk from its former Brobdingnagian dimensions to a shadow of its former self, and had lost the former outstanding quality. I read that there are new owners, so let’s hope that they can restore Valentina’s to the greatness described below.

After our meal at Terry Black’s, I wasn’t about to miss Daniel Vaughn’s breakfast recommendation, Valentina’s Tex Mex Barbecue. The two places are very different in externals. Terry Black’s is a “city” barbecue place, right in the heart of Austin, the 11th largest city in the US and moving up. Valentina’s is barely in or just outside the city limits, in an area that’s rapidly changing from rural to suburban.

Valentina’s is actually a large food truck outside an old building.

I’d call the building a Fixer-Upper.

There’s seating outside in a covered area, and the inside seating is functionally outside.

Two walls are solid, if not insulated, but the others are screens that welcome the breeze. While the heaters help, it can get a bit chilly. And in the Know Before You Go, or perhaps Have To Go category, well, a picture’s worth 1,000 words.

That’s not much a of a buildup, and some of you may be thinking, “What did Tanner ever do to get Daniel Vaughn that angry at him?” You really should be asking, “What did Tanner, of all people, ever do to make Daniel Vaughn be so nice to him?” Beat me, but pay attention to this:

Valentina’s. Is. Fantastic.

There’s a limited breakfast menu. I chose, at Vaughn’s bidding, The Real Deal Holyfield taco–beans, potatoes, bacon, a fried egg, and Serrano salsa ($10), and brisket (+$3) (or pork or cerveza beef fajita). Nancy chose a potato, egg, and cheese with Serrano salsa ($2.50) with brisket (+$3). I countered with a potato, egg, and cheese with Serrano salsa (still $2.50) with chorizo (+$1). Each comes in a hand-rolled tortilla. You take a number on a stick and choose outside or sorta inside. We chose the latter, went inside, and grabbed seats as close to a heater as possible. We had a short wait to the strains of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Sr., and others.

The food arrived, with the server commenting, “That’s the widest slice I’ve ever seen!”

We gaped, and Nancy took a bite while I was taking closeups. “This is good brisket! Tender, moist, and juicy.” And smoky, I might add. And delicious, and a stream of superlatives. Miguel Vidal knows what he’s about. Here’s a promised closeup of the wide slice of brisket, undivided by the usual ribbon of fat:

The flavor of the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. The Real Deal Holyfield was a triumph, with the varying textures and flavors of the beans, potatoes, fried egg, bacon, and that good Serrano salsa merging beautifully. Each bite was a little different from the one before, and each was delicious. Is there anything that isn’t improved by a fried egg? And bacon, well, the very word says it all.

I see that was Nancy’s with the scrambled eggs, potatoes, and cheese under the brisket, but you get the picture. Let’s get to the egg, potato, and cheese taco with the chorizo.

Little taquitos dream of being this good when they grow up.  I do need to give another shout out for the salsa, and one to the very concept of scrambled eggs, potatoes, and cheese, especially on hand-rolled tortillas like these.  The chorizo, however, was the star.  Valentina’s serve great, great chorizo, brilliantly spiced, and spicy indeed.  Nancy thought it was too spicy, so timid palates beware, but it may have been the best I’d ever had.  

After breakfast, Valentina’s menu shifts to standard barbecue, with meats by the pound ($30 for brisket, for those keeping score) along with beef and chicken fajitas, as well as sandwiches and tacos. The menu is here, and various specials (chicken caldo!) are announced on Facebook frequently.

What a wonderful person Daniel Vaughn is to have pointed me to Valentina’s.  He’s right up there with Jimbo Tanner, who pointed me to Bum’s, and Brian Boudreaux, who led me to Hunt’s. And what a wonderful place is Valentina’s. Go there. The approach and first impressions may be a bit off-putting, but you’ll leave feeling like you’re walking through fields of asphodel.

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