Hurtado BBQ serves low-and-slow Texas-style smoked meat alongside Tex-Mex favorites

Brandon Hurtado is the chef and pitmaster behind Hurtado BBQ, where he blends Texas barbecue with Mexican American barbecue traditions. The result is low-and-slow meats cooked with flavors from both sides of his family’s history.

Hurtado’s role as both chef and pitmaster means he controls the kitchen and the grill. That hands-on approach lets him push the cooking in directions that suit his vision for the restaurant.

The Blend Behind the Menu

The core idea is simple. Take the slow-cooked meats that define Texas barbecue and season them with flavors from Mexican American cooking. The result is a menu that moves between smoked meats and grilled dishes, with sauces and spices that nod to both traditions.

The food at Hurtado BBQ is meant to sit between two worlds. It is barbecue in the way Texans know it, but with a twist that comes from Hurtado’s own background.

What Hurtado Brings to the Pit

Hurtado’s dual role as chef and pitmaster means he controls both the kitchen and the grill. That hands-on approach lets him push the cooking in directions that suit his vision for the restaurant.

The blend of Texas and Mexican American influences shows up across the menu. Diners who grew up on Tex-Mex flavors will find familiar ground here, while barbecue purists get the slow-smoked meats they expect.

How the Food Is Made

The low-and-slow method defines the cooking at Hurtado BBQ. Meat is put on the grill and left to cook slowly, letting the smoke build flavor over time.

This method takes patience. The meat does not cook fast.

The Identity of the Restaurant

Hurtado BBQ takes two great cooking traditions and makes them work together. The blend of Texas barbecue and Mexican American flavors is a natural fit for Hurtado’s background, and the cooking methods support it.

The restaurant’s identity rests on Hurtado’s dual role as chef and pitmaster. That combination allows him to control every stage of the cooking process.

“Chef and pitmaster Brandon Hurtado blends Texas tastes with Mexican American barbecue traditions at Hurtado BBQ.”

The blend works because it is honest about its roots. It does not try to disguise Mexican American flavors as something else. Instead, it treats them as an equal part of the dish, sitting alongside the smoked meats that give the restaurant its identity.

That honesty is what makes the food stand out. It is not a gimmick; it is a natural extension of Hurtado’s own experience as a cook who grew up between two cultures.

See the video the story is built around at CBS News.

barbecue · BBQ · pitmaster · restaurant · Tex-Mex · Texas