Pitmaster Miguel Vidal is a fallen angel. His landmark trailer, Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ, landed on Texas Monthly’s best BBQ and taco lists (the Real Deal Holyfield remains one of the best tacos I’ve ever mauled). He moved his pits from South Austin to Deep South Austin to Deepest-Darkest South Austin (aka Buda), where delays, blown budgets, and mounting debt led to unpaid wages, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation, and ultimately bankruptcy. But pitmasters, particularly the better ones, have more lives than an alley cat. And like any pitmaster worth his salt and smoke, Vidal has been resurrected, this time with Simon Madera (Taco Flats) as a partner and with pits north of the river at Anderson Lane and Woodrow.
Churchrow Tejas BBQ, named after Woodrow Avenue’s propensity for hosting houses of worship, took over the ill-fated Black Gold location in record time (a mere six weeks!). The pits remain, but the room is stripped down, the menu looser, and the service classic order-at-the-front (with a full-service bar to keep things civilized).
With Vidal at the pulpit, the food is truly biblical. The brisket is tooth-tender, smoky-savory, and righteously deployed in many dishes. La Valentina Taco (homemade flour tortilla, sliced or chopped brisket [I went sliced], guacamole, and fire-roasted salsa; $10.5) is a confessional of flavor and a damn fine taco. The Brisket Smash Burger (two brisket patties, American cheese, grilled onion, mo money sauce, and challah bun; $15; add fries for $2) carries the spirit of Black Gold’s phenomenal version forward. If you’re lucky, the Holy Roller will be available as the special: one rib, quarter pound brisket, half sausage link, and a quarter pound pulled pork, all for only $25 (and easily two meals).
Since The Bride won’t eat pigs and cows (but will eat dinosaurs), we tried the Chile Verde Enchiladas (roasted chicken, tomatillo avocado crema, Mexican rice, and borracho beans; $18). Wrapped in thick, corn tortillas and full of roasted chicken, these are amazing and unlike any other enchiladas we’ve had in town (does Vidal keep his abuela back there rolling tortillas?). I prayed that Vidal would bring back the Real Deal Holyfield (refried beans, potato, bacon, slice of brisket, fried egg, and gangster salsa; $14), a classic from Valentina’s, and there it is, but only for brunch on the weekends. It deserves a spot on the next Texas Monthly Top 50 Taco List. The Bride raved about the Raspberry Corn Cake (fresh mashed corn batter, smoked raspberry sauce, and cream cheese whipped cream; $11) for its emphasis on masa rather than sweetness.
Mixologist Caleb Chial (of Taco Flats and La Holly) leads the bar program, and it is phenomenal, perhaps the best I’ve had (and worthy of its own multiple visits). The basic House Margarita (Agavales Blanco, Marfa Rio Grande Orange, agave, and lime; $10) was solid and a promising omen for good things to come. Being a fan of fruit with dead wasps in it, The Bride found the Todos Santos (Rosaluna Mezcal, Bruto Americano, and fig-infused Amaro Nonino; $15) stunning while I adored the Cult Classic (Rosaluna Mezcal, Smith & Cross Rum, cinnamon habanero syrup, pineapple, lime, Licor 43, and Pimento Dram; $14). How to do you say ‘Arrrrgghhh!!!” in Spanish?
I read that before Vidal started his famous trailer, he sought to create a competitor to Lambert’s, the fancy-schmancy BBQ joint downtown. Perhaps he should have skipped the trailer and started with that dream because Churchrow takes you straight to the pearly gates and serves up some of the best manna in Austin. Redemption tastes so smoky sweet!
www.churchrowbbq.com, 1521 West Anderson Lane, (512) 284-8247
I wrote this for the Allandale Neighbor
austin wanderlist 