Somehow I have lived in Austin for over a year now, and not talked about Texas BBQ. It’s crazy seeing as BBQ is so big down here. But Valentina’s is a bit different. They are not just Texas BBQ, but Tex-Mex BBQ. And honestly it’s the best of both worlds.
Environment
Valentina’s is a food truck located in South Austin. I have to mention that is in south Austin because Austin is much bigger than you may think. Unfortunately this may not be the best option for you if you are here with no car. But if you are staying in South Austin or have a car it is worth it in my opinion. As I think about this it seems weird to think of being in Austin without a car. It is definitely not a walkable city and busses from what I know aren’t great. But just Austin things I’ve learned after living here for this long.
Although Valentina’s is a food truck they do have seating. They have some indoor and outdoor seating. Most of the time we take away, but we sat and ate the last time I visited. The indoor seating is super fun. They have picnic tables and a whole bunch of wall art and pictures of customers enjoying their food. They also have some tvs around and were playing sports when we were hanging out.
There is also seating in the front, closer to the road. It is also covered there is just less of it.
Due to the deliciousness of the products served here they do get busy. On the weekends and “normal” eating times the line can get pretty long. So be prepared for that. Near the line there is some cover, but this is definitely a place you want to go when it is nicer. You don’t want soggy barbecue, or at least I don’t.
Food
Valentina’s is different because they are a Tex-Mex BBQ joint. You might be wondering to yourself…what does it mean to be offer Tex-Mex BBQ? Well they serve all the best bbq’d meat as well as some awesome Mexican dishes like queso. And instead of bread, which most of my readers probably are not in search of, they serve tortillas. So it is different than any other BBQ place I’ve ever visited and it is a fun fusion of two prominent cultures in central Texas.
For the life of me I cannot remember which thing on the menu was not gluten-free other than the tortillas. I feel bad, but do know that most everything on the menu is gluten-free. I will ask next time I visited and update when I find that information.
Currently I live with some family in Austin. When we visit Valentina’s we get an assortment of their meats and share those amongst us. They are all amazing. Like I don’t love meat, I like it, could probably live without it if I wanted to. But this stuff is terrific. They do a great job preparing it. My favorite is probably the pork, but like I said they are all great options.
Last time we went, the time we sat and ate we also ordered chips and queso. I had not had there queso before this, and am now sad that I hadn’t. I used to eat so much queso with my friend back in college and had not found a comparable queso until this day. Of the quesos I have tried in Austin this is the best by far. And it is so cute they put a heart in it with some kind of sauce. I believe it is their house made bbq sauce, but don’t quote me on that one either. Whatever it is it compliments the cheeses well.
Overall
As I’m finishing this post up I am now craving some Valentina’s. This is a great option for BBQ. It is definitely not as famous as some of the other BBQ joints in Austin, but it is worth it. And you won’t have to get up before the sun to get some BBQ like some of the other places in Austin.
Almost all of the options except the tortillas are gluten-free making it less risky for cross-contact. I have never had an issue with eating their food. So go get some BBQ and queso, an odd combination but totally awesome at the same time!
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