While I mentioned Vaquero Cocina as a great place in Austin to pick up BBQ on KGSR a couple weeks ago, I wanted to share a little more with you and finally settled on giving this lovely trailer it’s own post.

Vaquero Cocina is among the trailers on the South Congress strip — in the middle of a block that boasts Mighty Cone on one end and Hey Cupcake on the other.

I’d been hearing really good things about Mambo Berry, the natural frozen yogurt trailer directly north of Vaquero Cocina, and decided to give both trailers a try for lunch.

How cute is the sign on their silver airstream? I didn’t get the full story about the people who run this place because it was just too hot to chat long but I did learn that it’s owned by a couple and their grown daughter. The couple reportedly used to be cattle ranchers and the daughter spent time in Central America.

The menu now makes a LOT of sense. Basically, BBQ meat with a spicy kick that is more than just Tex-Mex. They serve traditional foods like smoked brisket and sausage and fried pies alongside of Latin dishes like fried plantains, sweet potato fries, and Cuban-style corn on the cob.

I ordered a smoked brisket taco with cole slaw, cotija cheese, salsa, roasted garlic, and a lime to spritz alongside as well as smoked corn slathered with butter, cotija cheese, and paprika (or it is a similar spice). It brought me back to the fantastic corn at Cafe Habana in New York City.

What would I get next time? Plaintain chips, a roasted pepper, and definitely one of Mary Jane’s Apricot Fried Pies a la mode (Mary Jane is one of the owners).

This is the real deal with a smoker out back churning out the sausage, corn, and brisket and the family in the kitchen of the trailer making dishes to order. While not inexpensive — a brisket plate with two sides is $9.25, the flavors and love that went into my first taste make me want to go back for more!