In the homeland and I made my pilgrimage to Brownsville and Vera’s Backyard BBQ. This is the only place in the state you can get underground pit smoked barbacoa. Only on weekends. The heads are wrapped in foil, unseasoned, and slow cooked underground over mesquite and ebony.
This place is pure Brownsville. Inside, the walls are covered in Americana— I Love Lucy prints, photos of family members in the service, flags. But the food is pure South Texas Mexican and you need to order in Spanish.
You order by the half pound. Cheek, tongue, eyes, and “mixta” (all the leftovers scraped together. Brains are back on the menu after a long hiatus after mad cow if you are truly adventurous.
You assemble your own tacos— I got cheek/tongue and mixta— inside steaming fresh corn tortillas from the tortilla factory down the road and add salsas, pico de gallo, onions, and cilantro and a sprinkle of salt. Wash it all down with a coke or a hot coffee.
This may be the very best breakfast in the nation. It’s not “Texas barbecue” in the way most people think of it, but it’s simply perfect, the last place to eat like a vaquero.