It’s not boastful for El Primo to claim that his barbacoa is “Simplemente la Mejor” which means “Simply the Best”. He’s only stating the obvious. He’s just saying what everybody is thinking. If you’ve never had barbacoa before, you probably don’t understand how large of a claim this is. Barbacoa is a slow-cooked tender beef with a lot of flavor and a lot of fat. Essentially any barbacoa that you get at a restaurant is pre-made frozen or refrigerated but Barbacoa is like pizza; Even if it’s bad, it’s still pretty good. El primo makes their barbacoa in-house using a special recipe and it is especially tender and flavorful. Think of the best pizza you’ve ever had in your life and that is what El Primo’s barbacoa is compared to any other barbacoa. They serve their specialty meat on a few menu items such as tacos, tortas, and burritos. I ordered 4 tacos and a small Horchata. I was talking to some of their customers and they said this place has the best barbacoa they’ve ever had in the United States. They told me that El Primo operated out of a food truck for about 10 years and the recent increase in demand for authentic Mexican street-tacos made his business expand dramatically and allowed him and his team to move into a brick and mortar location. The place looks like an old drive-in but you order at the window. They have a long communal table down the middle of the lot that is at least 20 feet long.
They weren’t very busy during my visit on a Monday morning but I can only imagine how beautiful it is to see that table filled up on the weekends. They have a salsa bar that only has green and red salsa because that is all you need! “Anything else is just fluff” according to Ana, a customer I briefly questioned. It’s true. Their red salsa is so spicy and flavorful that you only need a small drizzle and it’ll have you downing water bottles. Their green salsa is slightly less spicy yet just as flavorful. I’m waiting for my food, sipping on my Horchata (which is amazing by the way) and only about 5 minutes after ordering, they call my name and hand me my order.
I load up all four tacos with cilantro, onions, and red salsa. The smell and the warmth of the tacos make my mouth water as I lean in for a bite. The barbacoa melts in my mouth with a rush of flavor. The fresh chopped onions provide a crunchy contrast. The salsa brings it all home and gives it the kick I enjoy. As I take a second bite, I feel a bit of barbacoa-juice drip out onto my hand. I grab a paper towel that I half use to wipe my hand and half use to wipe my runny nose from the heat of the salsa. Even though I consider myself an experienced chile-eater, El Primo’s salsa still gets to me. I love it. I finish off the tacos in less than a minute and sit there enjoying the nice weather. I always get in a great mood after an amazing meal and the sun shines brighter and the birds sing more beautifully. You can visit Barbacoa El Primo seven days a week between 7am and 3pm. Click here to visit their Facebook page and give them a like.