Gerardo's Drive In Houston

Gerardo's Drive-in Grocery is a small neighborhood corner market on Houston's Northside that serves an authentic Tex-Mex styled barbecue called barbacoa, and other classic delicacies like menudo, tamales, chicharrone, pan ducle and more. I learned about Gerardo's at the Houston BBQ Fest this year and at first bite of Gerardo's barbacoa and carnitas tacos and knew I had to go back! So on Saturday morning, I made it my mission to check things out.

As I walked into the six tabled, one room market, I immediately headed for the pan ducle cabinet by the cafeteria-styled glass food display. A few pieces of Mexican sweet bread remained and I selected a pink sugar cookie, two pineapple empandas, and a gingerbread shaped pig.

When it was my turn to order, a friendly woman answered my questions in Spanish and guided me through the selection process. I ordered a piece of fried chicharrone, a barbacoa taco and carnitas taco on corn tortillas topped with onion, cilantro and lime (lime is extra) and paired my meal with a Mexican hot chocolate. I found a free spot to eat inside the small dining area at a shared table.

The barbacoa taco was exactly as I remembered it from the Houston BBQ Fest, tender and rich in flavor. The carnitas looked good but I felt like something was missing. I asked my parents later that day how to eat carnitas and they mentioned carnitas require a sauce. I'll have to investigate that one later.

For now, I can honestly tell you that the barbacoa, chicharrone, pan ducle and Mexican hot chocolate is exactly like I remember from my childhood years visiting my grandparents in the Rio Grande Valley, Tex-Mex country.

Go taste and see for yourself!

Notes: great for take-away foods, family friendly, good service, plenty of parking, limited indoor seating, and barbacoa served Fridays-Sunday.

Great mixto barbacoa that has big meaty chunks of lengua and cachete. We had a freshly served portion of it and it was deliciously moist and not too fatty. Pork tamales also pretty damn good and moist when we went at 11AM. Tasty green and picosa orange salsas and decent tortillas. Maybe best barbacoa and tamales I've had in Houston actually. It's in the hood a bit but not too bad. Will return.