Houston · Northside Village

Gerardo’s Drive-In Menu & Prices

Houston’s cult barbacoa institution since 1977 — steamed cabeza by the pound, lamb barbacoa, copper-pot carnitas, and a weekend line out the door. A meat market on weekdays, a full-blown barbacoa party on weekends.

Barbacoa by the pound Since 1977 Weekend frenzy — come early Cash & cards
See the Menu & Prices Build Your Taco
Two Gerardo’s in one

Which Gerardo’s are you getting?

The same address is two different places depending on the day. Tap to see each one.

Monday–Friday

The neighborhood meat market

During the week Gerardo’s is a working carnicería and grocery with a short, honest breakfast lineup. Quieter, quicker, and the easiest time to grab meat to take home.

  • Fresh breakfast tacos — egg, potato, chorizo, bean & cheese
  • Houston’s cult lamb barbacoa taco
  • Meat by the pound to cook at home
  • House-made corn & flour tortillas and salsas
20+
A tiny grocery stocking around twenty things — and some of the best breakfast tacos on the Northside. Call ahead for weekday hours.
Saturday & Sunday

The barbacoa frenzy

On weekend mornings the sidewalk turns into a street party. The steamers are full, the whole cabeza is broken down to order, and the line moves fast — until it sells out.

  • Cabeza by the pound — cachete, lengua, mixto, mollejas
  • Barbacoa de borrego (lamb & mutton)
  • Copper-pot carnitas, menudo, and fat tamales
  • A whole cow’s head to go — around $100
5am
Go early. The choice cuts sell out and weekend mornings draw a crowd — call (713) 699-0820 to reserve a pound before you drive over.
Interactive · order like a regular

Build your Gerardo’s taco

Not sure what to say at the counter? Pick a meat and a salsa and we’ll write your order — then get that same meat by the pound to take home.

Pick your meat
Pick your salsa
Add fixings
Your taco
A cachete (beef cheek) taco on a fresh corn tortilla with salsa verde, onion & cilantro, and lime.
Heat
Tender, satin-slick cheek — the classic. Love it? Get cachete by the pound (about $16/lb) with a stack of tortillas to take home.
Sold by the pound & by the taco

Gerardo’s Menu & Prices

Barbacoa and the other meats are sold by the pound; add tortillas and a salsa and build your own tacos. Tap a category to filter.

Prices verified: July 2026 · snapshot · by the pound
Barbacoa & Cabezasteamed · by the pound
  • Cachete / beef cheek
    Tender and satin-slick — the one to start with
    ~$16/lb
  • Lengua / tongue
    Rich and buttery
    By the pound · ask today
  • Mixto
    Big chunks of cheek and tongue mixed together
    By the pound · ask today
  • Mollejas / sweetbreads
    Fried, for the curious
    By the pound · ask today
  • Barbacoa de Borrego / lamb & mutton
    Smoky lamb — shoulder, cheeks and more; a Gerardo’s specialty
    By the pound · ask today
  • Whole Cabeza / cow’s head, to go
    The full head, wrapped to take home — order ahead
    ~$100
Other Meatsby the pound
  • Carnitas / copper-pot pork
    Crispy-edged fried pork chunks
    By the pound · ask today
  • Carne Asada
    Grilled and chopped for tacos
    By the pound · ask today
  • Tamales / pork
    Fat and moist — by the dozen
    Ask today
  • Menudo
    Weekend mornings — by the bowl
    Ask today
Tacos & Breakfaston house-made tortillas
  • Barbacoa or Cabeza Taco
    Cachete or lengua on a fresh corn tortilla — the move
    Market price
  • Carnitas, Borrego or Asada Taco
    Your choice of meat, built to order
    Market price
  • Breakfast Tacos / weekdays
    Egg, potato, chorizo, bean & cheese
    Market price
Tortillas, Salsa & Drinksbuild your own
  • Corn or Flour Tortillas
    House-made — by the pack
    Ask today
  • Salsa Cup / verde or picosa
    Green tomatillo-serrano or the spicy orange
    ~$1
  • Sliced Avocado, Onion & Cilantro, Lime
    The fixings, sold on the side
    Ask today
  • Mexican Coke & Bottled Sodas
    Ice cold
    ~$4.25

Gerardo’s sells meat by the pound and prices move with the market — barbacoa has run around $16/lb recently and a whole head about $100, but confirm at the counter. Cuts marked “ask today” are served but priced day-of. Call (713) 699-0820 to check and to reserve before it sells out. Cards and Apple Pay accepted.

First-timer tips

How to do Gerardo’s right

Go through the line and order by the pound
Step up to the meat counter, point at what looks good, and order by the half or full pound. Grab a pack of tortillas, a salsa cup, and a Mexican Coke, then pay at the register — you build the tacos yourself at the table or at home.
New here? Start with cachete
Beef cheek (cachete) is the tender, crowd-pleasing cut. From there, branch into lengua, the mixto, or the famous lamb barbacoa de borrego. If they have cabeza tacos, order one — regulars call it the crown jewel.
Weekends are the main event — and they sell out
The full barbacoa spread is a Saturday–Sunday morning thing, and the best cuts go early. Call ahead to reserve a pound, and get there before the late-morning rush.
Find Gerardo’s

Hours, location & directions

Weekends (Sat & Sun)The full barbacoa
WeekdaysMarket & breakfast tacos
Best time to goEarly morning

Gerardo’s opens early and sells out, and hours shift — the barbacoa is a weekend-morning event. Call (713) 699-0820 to confirm today’s hours before you drive over.

Gerardo’s Drive-In
609 Patton St, Houston, TX 77009
Northside Village · just north of downtown

Phone: (713) 699-0820 · Order at the counter · call ahead to reserve.

Get Directions
Good to know

Gerardo’s Drive-In — FAQ

What is Gerardo’s known for?
Barbacoa. Open since 1977 in Houston’s Northside, Gerardo’s steams whole cow heads and sells the meat by the pound — cachete, lengua, mixto — plus lamb barbacoa de borrego, copper-pot carnitas, menudo, and tamales. Many Houstonians call it the best barbacoa in the city.
How much is barbacoa at Gerardo’s?
It’s sold by the pound. Barbacoa has run about $16 a pound recently, and a whole cow’s head to go is around $100. Salsa cups are about $1 and bottled sodas around $4.25. Prices move with the market, so confirm at the counter.
What are Gerardo’s hours?
The full barbacoa spread is a weekend-morning event (Saturday and Sunday); on weekdays it runs as a meat market with breakfast tacos. It opens early and sells out, and hours vary — call (713) 699-0820 to confirm the day you’re going.
What should I order the first time?
Get a half or full pound of cachete (beef cheek), a pack of tortillas, a salsa cup, and a Mexican Coke, then build your own tacos. Branch out to lengua, mixto, or the lamb barbacoa on your next visit — and grab a cabeza taco if it’s available.
Does Gerardo’s take cards, and can I order ahead?
Yes — Gerardo’s accepts credit cards and Apple Pay as well as cash, and you can call (713) 699-0820 to reserve a pound before it sells out. More Texas barbacoa is in our restaurant menus guide.
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