I remember being excited many moons ago when i first visited this restaurant. From their Tamales to their home made salsas, wow. And now, not so much. It appears to have lost its way. Especially with their prices. I ordered three potato and egg tacos on flour tortillas and it came to $9.97 plus tax, WOW! The tacos were greasy and not very flavorful. Oh and i forgot to mention that everyone behind the line was coughing a lot over the prepared food. That was enough for me to cement this vote. Such a shame too. read more

Gerardo's Drive-In - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I was definitely looking for more flavor in the barbacoa tacos, they were lacking. I ordered: Beef barbacoa Corn tortilla Cilantro and onion And grabbed both salsas for it. To me, it was just sustenance, not a flavorful experience. Ambiance was what you would expect, the photos are current and spot on. As for service, easy and fast - I don't speak Spanish and they sent another woman over to take my order. Overall, I personally wouldn't go back. read more

These two amazing barbacoa tacos set me back $6.50. Add the salsa, Topo Chico, and fresh chili pequin and for less than $11 you can savor one of the best taco breakfasts in Texas. Ask for: 2 tacos on corn Pure meat (cachete) With onions and cilantro Puts all other barbacoa to shame. Sadly, the interior lacks polish or charm. Make up for it with a walk in the park afterwards. read more

Gerardo's Drive-In - 2 tacos de barbacoa - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

What an absolute throwback to my days in Laredo where we always picked up some barbacoa and hung out with grandma. This place makes barbacoa exactly how it should be made and they stick to it. The owner Janie is so attentive to people as they walk in and she was kind enough to chat with this traveler for a while during the breakfast/lunch rush. Everyone I come back to visit this is where I stop. Plus, the barbacoa and menudo is delicious. read more

Gerardo's Drive-In - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

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If you claim to be a taco lover, which is hard not to be in Houston, and you don't like barbacoa, then you're a poser. Barbacoa tacos check off all the boxes when it comes to taco descriptions: tasty, juicy, & goes well with lime and guac hot creamy salsa with onions and cilantro on corn Tortilla. All other taco meats that don't taste good in that combo are sub par (except cochinita pibil cause it goes well with pickled red onions instead). The barbacoa here feels like it has history. Not just because of the establishments tenure in its location, but because the meat looks like it can tell you what it's been through. Its the abuelo of all barbacoas. When you pull up to order your meat, you can get it in 1/2 or full lbs, mix or all lengua or all cachete. Get both but don't mix until you get home cause eating lengua barbacoa is a different mouth experience compared to eating cachete barbacoa. You've probably had the democrat from torchys but let me tell you...if you like the Democrat because it doesn't require too much commitment out of your taste buds, then you are going to be surprised with Gerardo style barbacoa. Unlike the Democrat, this doesn't need salt. It's greasy in the best way because it wants you to add the acid from the lime and the spice level from their guac/green or red salsa. Be careful, they are pica!!! When you walk in, say hi to the ladies greeting you at the register then make an immediate right and follow your nose. The place smells of heavenly moist beefy air. The people are nice and all seem like they cheer for you as you walk away with a bag full of greasy, tender and luscious meats ready for a Tortilla boat straight to your mouth. Hands down the best barbacoa I've had in Houston. I will eat this in a breakfast taco or eat it with a bowl of rice and kimchi. It's so freaking good. Probably had one spot that was better in San Antonio but if you need to have a taco party, make it barbacoa themed next time and come here. read more

Gerardo's Drive-In - Lengua y cachete - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

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The barbacoa was packed with flavor and super juicy. And those flour tortillas.. oh my The carnitas were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Delicious!! They have a green and an orange salsa to go with your tacos. Both were good. Will definitely be back and next time buying a pound of flour tortillas to take home! read more

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Staff is very nice! There was a line when we arrived but it moved pretty quickly. Chicharrones had too much fat for my taste, and the barbacoa didn't have enough fat lol I personally do like fat in my barbacoa but if you don't then you'll love this one, it had none at all. We got the mix barbacoa cachete y lengua, lengua was definitely more delicious. Menudo was tasty but I've had better. Tamales, solo alcanzamos de pollo, los de puerco se acabaron. Eran como las 10AM en domingo, they were well proportioned, not too much of either meat or masa. Green salsa was good didn't get to try the red one. Tortillas, we got maiz and they were good nice and soft. read more

Gerardo's Drive-In - Menudo chícharrones tamales y barbacoa - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

This is a great place for anyone wanting to feed a large family for breakfast or lunch. So I arrived around 8 am and was greeted once inside the establishment. There was a line inside, but it went quickly and before I knew it I was at the ordering section. I ordered two pounds of barbecoa and some carnitas also on the way to pay they have ice chests full of fresh tortillas. Don't forget the salsa! Paid and it was not as bad as I'd initially thought on the way out there is a lady telling people to have a wonderful day which I think is a great way to gain more attention to your business. It was a great experience and good food I'll definitely go back to try something different. read more

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Great food. You walk in and get decent service owner is very friendly so if you're looking to go somewhere with nice people and authentic barbacoa that's the place! read more

OMG. The holy grail of Barbacoa can be found right here, folks. The proportionately fatty, meaty and juiciness of said carcass HEAVENLY couples with the brightly colored, dynamic salsas. I just couldn't wipe that silly grin off my face with each bite, shocked in disbelief of how life could be so good at that moment in time. It's only available on Friday, Saturday and Sundays so keep that in mind. I propose that a bottle of Mandarin Orange Jarritos Mexican soda accompany those hella sweet tacos. What are YOU waiting for? Come get some, it is the best I've ever had in Houston (the Capital of Barbacoa). read more

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Stop No. 2 on our #10Tacos24Hours tour of Houston. We grabbed two cachete tacos (beef cheek), one tub of salsa verde, and a Joya grapefruit soda to share and it came out to $4.33. Everyone here was super nice and about half the people working spoke English. There was even a nice old woman who noticed we were sharing and brought us an extra plate and offered to open the soda for us. Now, onto the real meat of the review (heh). This place is also a butcher shop, so you can order by the pound, which I would do for next time since it's easy to get everything for a family dinner. We ordered the tacos from the butcher side and paid at the counter by the door. The cachete was incredible!! It was so tender and flavorful and it didn't have any bay leaves, like they do accidentally at other places. This may be the best barbacoa I've ever had. I read that they go through something like 120 cow heads a weekend, so the barbacoa is definitely where it's at here. The salsa verde was really good as well, and not too spicy. I'll definitely be back soon to try the lengua. read more

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Northside classic right here. Northside throwback. Best barbacoa in town! I have been coming here for 20 years! Hidden gem in northside. The absolute best Barbacoa in Houston! Northside holding it down for the 99 and the 2000! A lot of local Mexican restaurants buy their barbacoa here at resale it. For instance today I saw the owners of chilosos off 19th buying pounds of barbacoa and I said I thought the barbacoa you all sell tasted to similar to Gerados. The food is so good prepared fresh. Don't let the outside scare you away. Northside has some of the best food and this is one of my faves. The lines move fast. The green and orange sauces are hot and great! Don't get lost in the sauce. read more

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Visiting from San Antonio and I can say the barbacoa was the best I've ever had. The owners greeted us and made us feel welcome. Definitely recommend! We will be back read more

The barbacoa is delicious. They need to add more fresh produce and bring back their tamales

This little mom and pop restaurant/market probably serves the best barbacoa in town. Their sign says it is their specialty and I believe it. I went by on Saturday for lunch. There is ample parking next to the bright yellow building. When you walk in head to the right where the serving counter is and order. Fortunately for me there were servers who spoke English that helped me. I ordered a 1/2 lb. of barbacoa, 3 flour tortillas, an order of beans and a small serving of carnitas just so that I could try them. They gave me my food and and I snagged a table. Then I got a drink from one of the coolers and started eating in this simple and basic restaurant. First, I tried the beans and they were very good (4). Creamy and flavorful I would order them again. Then the barbacoa on tortillas with a sprinkling of cilantro. Wow! That was some fine barbacoa. They aren't kidding when they say it's their specialty. It was moist, tasty and melt in your mouth good. The tortillas and cilantro were good too. A (5) for the barbacoa! The carnitas were good (3) but compared to the barbacoa made me understand that next time I will only order the barbacoa. With a Jalito drink my bill with tax came to a little over $14. However the carnitas were almost $3 of that and next time I will only order the barbacoa. With the beans it is plenty of food. If you are looking for excellent barbacoa in a very unassuming restaurant this is it. Great place for lunch. read more

This little grocery/deli has been around since 1977 (another great food spot here in H-Town that shares my birth year). Others include Niko Niko's, Houston's and Rainbow Lodge, to name a few. But Gerardo's is my #1 place to go for barbacoa in Houston and the US alike. I've been coming here for many years and haven't found a better barbacoa. Hard to find a place that makes it this way these days, the traditional way. The Houston Press (Rob Walsh) in 2007, the Chronicle in 2013, and Houstonia magazine (also Rob Walsh) in 2013 have all written articles about Gerardo's and how they make their barbacoa starting with a whole cow head which includes the eyes, tongue and brains. They cook up about 150 cow heads each weekend and say that's what gives it the 'real flavor' compared to other places around town. Go through the serving line, get your barbacoa by the pound with some tortillas, some of their spicy salsa and a mexican coke and pay at the register after you get done eating at one of their few indoor tables. They also serve tamales and other meats to place in corn tortillas such as their delicious carnitas, carne asada or lamb barbacoa. Gerardo's is a Houston institution and a must visit for any foodie. read more

Growing up my dad use to bring home a whole cow head wrapped in butcher paper, place it in the center of the table, and we would all just dig in. When you don't want the hassle, but you want the real deal then go to Gerardo's. Luckily my grandmother lived just less than a mile away, so I have been coming to Gerardo's for years. I love the meat and spice smell that hits you when you walk in the door. The lines can be long on the weekends and it's helpful if you know a little Spanish. In addition to barbacoa they sell tacos, menudo, tamales, pan dulce, salsas, tortillas, assorted groceries, and just about everything you need for an awesome meal. I usually order cachete (cheek meat) and lengua (tongue) by the pound, take it home, and eat it with two over easy eggs, tortillas, and lots of salsa. I also tend to get a pound of carnitas because who doesn't love fried chunks of pork. Yeah, it's kind of a dive, and yes the parking lot is totally in need of repairs, but their food is authentic. Thank you Gerardo's for serving up the best barbacoa in Houston. read more

Gerardo's Drive-In - Meaty goodness - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

I'm a huge fan of barbacoa, so I had to come here. It's kind of intimidating if you've never been here and don't speak Spanish. Apparently the line is on the left side of the counter. This one man, I assume one of the owners, was so sweet and pulled my friend and me aside and explained how they work. Yes, you can order meat by the pound, but you can also just get tacos. He also gave us samples of some of the sweetbread, or whatever they're called. I'd never tried them before, and they tasted okay for being organs, but it's not something I'd order. He also gave samples of the carnitas, which were big chunks instead of tender, shredded meat. I didn't try it, but my friend didn't care for it. We ended up ordering two beef barbacoa tacos and one goat barbacoa taco. Overall, both kinds of barbacoa were delicious, and their green salsa was so good, I bought a container to bring home. It's definitely fattier barbacoa than I'm used to, but it wasn't unpleasant like some meats that have too much fat. The service was so great. We were also given a free sample of menudo, which my friend tried and said was awful. Yeah, I decided not to try it after that kind of feedback. The barbacoa is definitely worth trying if you're in the area, but it's not somewhere I'd likely go out of my way to revisit. read more

Taste: 1.5 stars Great flavor but nothing out of the ordinary Atmosphere: 1/2 star Rough and remote location Value: 1 star Cheap, $9 for 3 barbacoa tacos, two sauces, coke Service: 1 star Very nice, Spanish speaking, Let us in even after they closed! Real barbacoa!!! Barbacoa taco:Not fatty, super fresh with onions and cilantro! Fresh and tender:) people are very nice and right next to Edison bar. Hot sauce is hot!!! Green sauce has lots of flavor and is a little spicy:) would def unit key try both! read more

Gerardo's Drive-In - Barbacoa tacos with hot and green sauxe - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

Very good tacos. You buy the meat by the pound at the counter, add flour or corn tortillas, grab salsa and then grab a drink out of the fridge--and then pay at the counter. We ordered the cachete barbacoa meat, and it was very good, though a bit fattier than I would have liked. For one pound of barbacoa ($16), a pack of flour tortillas and two water bottles, it was $23, which I thought was a bit too high, but it was partly our fault for ordering too much meat. A tip: we ordered one pound of meat for two people, which was WAY too much--we really could have been fine with half of a pound. While it was very good, I prefer Taqueria Laredo, which is only a few blocks down the street. read more

I've been back to gerardo's at least 3 or 4 times since my initial review. hands down best barbacoa in town and you have 2 types to choose from. their regular barbacoa is made from beef (heads, more specifically). they also have barbacoa de borrego made from lamb. both are tender, unctuous and flavorful. the owner gave my friends and i a tour of the back. we got to see the huge metal vats that they steam the heads in. we also got to see the steamed heads cooling down in the walk-in. so i've learned to pass on the carnitas. when they are fresh, they are still nicely crispy but when they are cold they can be quite tough. barbacoa is what shines here. read more

I consider myself somewhat of a barbacoa connoisseur and im absolutely floored with the value offered here. This is seriously some of the best ive ever had and will be coming back very soon to buy it by the pound. I got three decent sized tacos for 6$ which i consider to be a damn good deal. Next time ill be ordering a pound and some tortillas to stretch the rich meat further. The language barrier was not a problem like others have said. read more

Wow - amazing Barbacoa with some great salsa. Very authentic and juicy. The place is tucked away but worth the hunt. A+++ read more

Gerardo's Drive-In - Barbacoa tacos - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

I'm not sure why they call this place a drive-in when they don't serve you at your car. Maybe at one time. Maybe because parking is just a grass-overriden gravel lot. I no longer eat meat but this place does offer probably the best barbacoa in the city if you're willing to brave the neighbourhood and language barriers since the staff mainly speak Spanish. Muy rico. Muy suave. They only sell it on the weekend though, and it's by the pound. You can't buy tacos but they'll happily sell you the meat and the tortillas for you to make the tacos. I think that's the flaw. It's a shame to pair the best barbacoa in the city with store-bought tortillas. read more

Garbage barbacoa, you might as well just poor the grease bucket down your throat. Poor service to boot. Bad location as well. I will gladly avoid this place with 1000 better options in Houston. read more

Been here twice. Some of the best I've tasted, period! Cabeza is for SURE on point! Tamales are ok also.. Lengua was delicious. Staff was very helpful & ready to oblige . Will be back-mom & my wife love it! read more

This place is really a solid three star taqueria, but its history pushes my rating to a four. Like others have said, you walk in, go to the counter, grab a tray, and tell them (or point if your Spanish is weak) and get what you need for a taco feast, by grabbing tortilla's from the ice chest and salsa's from the iced tray sitting on the counter. As we all know their barbacoa is their specialty, but they also have fideo and other items when they feel like it. It's funny to see that this place, which was strictly in the barrio not too long ago, have an up-scale drinking establishment (Edison's) open up next door. read more

The last time I come here. I sent my husband to get some mojares and they were so dried and they gave him small burnt parts, they were so crunchy they hurt my teeth. The barbacoa was nasty and no flavor. My husband is white so again they act like they don't understand him. He told them mixed on the barbacoa of course they did not listen to him. We paid almost 48.00 for a pound of each and they was no guacamole and no avocados. I guess when they see a white man they think that they can just give them anything and it's okay. But the fact of the matter is he is married to a hispanic woman who knows the difference. This place has gone so down hill and it ashame. It use to be good but not no more. I will go somewhere else. Skip this place. Support the smaller business better. read more

this is the place to go when missing a home cooked meal. the environment is very home-style, quick and clean!

Their tamales are my favorites! I have tried pork and chicken. They are equally delicious. read more

I happened to learn of this place off the Serious Eats website, claiming their Barbacoa tacos were some of the best they've had in the country. I happened to be free and around the area and decided to check it out. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much, I've tried ALOT of Barbacoa in my life and for the most part, it has eluded me somewhat, it's never as good as people hype it up to be. I usually stick to the pork (al pastor, cochinita pibil, pierna), when it comes to Mexican food and the occasional Lengua (beef tongue). Here I was, deciding to give it another shot and I'm really glad I did. The Barbacoa tacos I ordered were extremely tender, fatty, juicy and delicious. They really filled up the tacos w/meat, and you only get that melt in your mouth texture braising beef cheeks, it's really amazing. The reason it's not 5 stars is the part of town Gerardo's is located in is left to be desired, the place looks kinda jenky and you have to really specify that you want cilantro and onions in your taco or they'll just give you straight meat, also, Spanish is def their 1st language. Then again, you can also look at this as extremely authentic, from the sign outside, it has been there since 1977. Regardless, if ever I'm craving Barbacoa, this is def the place I will go! read more

The food was good but the actual place was not. There were roaches on the floor and not the big tree kind, the small ones that are around dirt. Location isn't bad but after I saw 4 cockroaches, one on the table and three on the floor near the kitchen, I wasn't able to stay much longer. I've heard so many good reviews on this place, it sucks I didn't have as good of an experience. read more

The best barbacoa and menudo I've ever had anywhere and I've gone to about every place in houston that offers it. I literally will never go anywhere else now, other than gerards, for my barbacoa and/or menudo fix! I highly recommend it to everyone! You will NOT be disappointed!!! read more

Must go to place for excellent Barbacoa (cachete) and home made flour tortillas. They have several help to keep the line moving and the staff is wonderful at helping answer any questions, I found my go to spot for Barbacoa anytime I'm in Houston. read more

I don't like to do negative reviews, but Gerado's earned this exception. It is not that the tacos were so bad. OK, they weren't very good either. The grease fueled my heartburn the rest of the day. But that wasn't the worst of the experience. As we were leaving with our to-go breakfast tacos and coffee, a big new BMW swerved across the street. The driver rolled down the window and harangued us about the Beto t-shirts we were wearing: He told us how his father who owns Gerardo's was an illegal immigrant who raised him to be a republican. He called democrats liars and moochers. Then he roared off nearly causing an accident after we ended the conversation with "Y'all have a good day." Was it the grease in the tacos, or the bitter political diatribe that gave me the heartburn. Both, I think. But I guess this is the American dream, isn't it? Where the son of an illegal immigrant can grow up to be just as big an entitled jerk as the son of any native-born billionaire. Needless to say, I'll never return to Gerado's for greasy tacos or for the politics. read more

Barbacoa and lengua were delicious. They each run about $10/pound. The salsa and tortillas were fresh but not overly flavorful. The lemonade wAs very sweet and refreshing with a hint of mint. I'm not sure why people comment on the neighborhood. It looked ok to me and the place isn't too far from I45 read more

Never been to a place like this before (market style) so I was confused as I was amazed. You order meat by the pound and they give it to you in paper basket, with tortillas and onions/cilantro all separate that you have to specifically request. I got a half-pound of the barbacoa mix (beef and lamb supposedly) and 4 tortillas, both corn and flour. There's no pricing anywhere, but luckily it's extremely cheap. I paid $6.88 total, with the barbacoa costing $5.25 (around $10/pound). That comes out to like $1.70 per taco. I asked about water and was pointed to the refrigerator with bottled water in it, so apparently you can't get free water here..? There was lemonade in a pitcher though, but I thought you had to pay for that so I just didn't drink anything. To confuse me even more, a lady came to my table, gave me 2 slices of a whole lime, and took my top corn tortillas just as I was about to put meat on it. She just said something in Spanish and walked off. alright then... I just continued eating. Then 3 minutes later she comes back and gives me 2 fresh hot corn tortillas! Apparently she thought my tortilla was cold? I have no clue. But now I had 5 tacos for $6.88, waooooow the value! And if you're wondering how many tortillas you need for half a pound of meat, it comes out to exactly 5. now the food: Like other reviewers say, the barbacoa is very good. I'm not sure about best in town, as I thought Tierra Caliente had slightly tastier barbacoa, but I'm good with calling it a close second. It's certainly better than the nearby Taconazo. My opinion might be different though if I had come earlier, because at 2 pm, lunch was already over and their barbacoa was already out of the steam table. Some people have said the tortillas were store bought and docked a star for that, but I think they might just be premade because I saw bags of their own branded tortillas that you could buy in their store. I think they just take these and heat them up. The flour tortillas were like typical flour tortillas, and a bit larger than the corn. They were alright. The corn tortillas though... SO GOOD. Maybe the best corn tortillas I've ever had. Definitely competing with Taconazo for the best corn tortillas in town to me. I don't care if they're store bought, pre made, they were just incredible. Get the corn tortillas here. I'm definitely coming back. Though you're limited to only one meat pretty much, you get so much value. Lots of meat, cheap tortillas, large basket of cilantro/onions, and a whole lime. I don't even mind the lack of water, I'll just bring my own drink next time. read more

Delicious barbacoa. Very friendly staff. He can get all the fixings for a taco there and eat at home safely wrapped up. They do have a few seats to eat at if you would like to eat there. Spanish and English speaking staff. Pastries were tasty as well. read more

The quality of the food has really gone down and the prices are ridiculously high. I was not impressed. The barbacoa was dried and no flavor. The carnitas were burned and when we bought the avocado it wasn't even half full. Won't be going back for sure. And when my husband talks to them about what part he wants they act like they don't understand him. Wow. They need to listen to their customers or get someone who does. There are other places to get barbacoa just as good. Yet better then this place for sure. read more

Everyone talks about the barbacoa and rightfully so. It's the real deal, steamed from the cow's head and slow cooked to moist flavorful perfection. This unassuming little spot with counter service is usually bustling at lunch time and it helps if you speak Spanish, but not necessary. Friday & Saturdays feature their unparalleled barbacoa and as JW pointed out, the pork carnitas are okay, but occasionally they are a bit overcooked & tough. The real reason I am adding my voice to the considerable acclaim Gerardo's gets is the unheralded and absolutely fantastic salsa verde. Not for the meek, but a clean heat and smooth texture that always leads to me to get some to go. read more