Churchrow Tejas BBQ — Restaurant in Austin

Fantastic food and great service once you’re seated, just needs a few operational tweaks.

We absolutely loved the food and the team once we were in the door. The bartenders were especially friendly and efficient, big shoutout to them. We ordered the empanadas, brisket, mac and cheese, and the Porky Pig sandwich: every single item was excellent. The flavors were rich, portions generous, and everything came out hot and fresh. The bbq here is truly something special. When you walk up, you can smell and see the smokers which is a huge plus. This place clearly takes pride in what comes out of the kitchen, and it shows.

That said, a few small operational improvements could make the guest experience smoother:

Post menus outside. A small basket or stand with menus near the entrance would make a big difference. When we arrived, there were seven people in line, and one guest understandably had several questions. If people can browse before reaching the counter, it would keep things moving.

Streamline check-in and ordering. Instead of having guests wait in the high-traffic area near the desk, where you also have your consolidator getting food from the line out to customers, consider assigning numbers with a QR code so people can order and pay from their table. Guests could come to the bar for questions instead of blocking staff movement.

Clarify drink service. It wasn’t fully clear how to get drinks or whether patio service was separate. We also weren't quite sure how to order more drinks or food. A simple sign or quick explanation at check-in would clear that up.

Label BBQ sauces and better stock where guests claim things like napkins and utensils. The sauces on the counter weren’t marked (they were delicious though so huge plus), so we weren’t sure what we were trying. Simple labels would enhance the tasting experience.

Provide more napkins and better flatware. For a $75 meal for two, getting three total plates to explore, (and - the food price is more than fair for the amazing quality you receive), it’d be great to have silverware instead of plastic, or at least compostable options. It elevates the whole meal.

Clarify what sides or accoutrements come with entrées. Let diners know on the menu that items like tortillas or bread are included with certain dishes so they can plan sides accordingly. We got the brisket and I was pleasantly surprised I could get bread or tortillas. Also - DO NOT SLEEP on their tortillas they were amazing.

Overall, we’ll definitely be back: the food and people were fantastic. Played great music too at just the right level. This place is really something special. With just a few small adjustments to the front-end experience, this place would be a flawless...

To say we really want this place to succeed is an understatement. We are desperate for it to be successful. It’s a 25 minute walk from our house. And like Black Gold, it is forcing a fusion that doesn’t work. I totally understand the inspiration to unite smoked, traditional Texas bbq with Mexican favorites, and in theory, it should work. But for us, the smoked meat translated into fajitas and sirloin tacos that were, to put it bluntly, gross. I took one bite of my Chilango taco and abandoned my quest, same for my girlfriend. And again, WE REALLY WANT TO LIKE THIS PLACE. But we don’t plan on returning, it was the same thing that happened at Black Gold. The food is overwrought and unsatisfying. Just let fajitas be fajitas and sirloin be sirloin. Embrace simplicity. The smokiness kills its vitality. To be fair, the tortillas are delicious and the brisket taco was good because it was a brisket taco, something that translates well into a bbq fusion. The other misfire was the order and service process. You order at the very front of the restaurant even though there is a door that you can enter from the main part of the parking lot. But you order at this tiny space while right outside the door is a roped off line for spillover. So you order and get a number. You can order drinks there but you have to pick them up at the bar. It’s just weird and felt disjointed. A server brings your food after that. Our server was nice and did a good job for the record. Again, I want this place to succeed, really I do! The queso was okay, just like Taco Flats, but nothing really noteworthy. The outside area is our favorite part. It’s welcoming and well maintained. At the end of the day, the meat on three of the four tacos was bland, smoky and smelled strange. Please rethink the bbq fusion idea and cook from the heart. I write this out of love. I want you to thrive and become a neighborhood legend, but as of now, and like Black Gold, this is a one and done dining experience for us. Also, Churchrow? What does that mean? We liked the branding of Black Gold. Just food for thought and I sincerely hope this brutality honest...

Churchrow BBQ

TexMex Smoked BBQ is back in Central Texas baby! Churchrow just opened about a week ago and I have been dying to get my tastebuds on Miguel Vidals food since Valentina’s closed up in Buda. Fittingly it’s in a church heavy (hence the name) area cuz this was a religious experience for me. This trip was just the wife and I so we didn’t get to try everything. But what we did have was awesome.

First, the brisket is fantastic. Good flavor throughout the meat and it doesn’t just rely on the bark. The bark itself is nice but not overbearing.

Second, the Real Deal Holyfield. If you know, you know. It’s back. Not on the printed menu but a special for Sunday. Classic, on point, and just like it used to be. All on a homemade tortilla.

But the star of the show for me were the Mollejas. I’m a South Texas boy and grew up eating mollejas at all the carne asadas my family or friends had. Boiled first, seasoned, then grilled. Chopped up and put into a tortillas with some salsa. Always so good. I was so shocked to find them on this menu in Central Texas. The amount of places serving smoked mollejas in Texas can be counted on one hand. And most are located in the RGV. I can’t even find the raw meat at my local HEB. They’re listed under appetizers but man it’s anything but. As soon as they hit my mouth, I threw my hands up in the air and said hallelujah. Unbelievably good. Tender and seasoned perfectly. The salsa they’re served in goes well with the brisket as well but even just as a standalone sauce. Heavenly. I got a chance to speak to Miguel and commend him on the best damn mollejas I’ve ever had (apologies to my dad).

The tortillas are homemade and very good. Mac and cheese were also very good. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating area. Layout is a little funky but for now it works. Parking lot is fairly small considering the amount of seating inside.

There was no wait when I went today and I figure it’s only a matter of time before it gets crazy. And at some point they’re gonna end up on some top bbq list and they’re gonna go crazy. The food is too good. So check it...