If you live south of the Colorado River in Austin and have been craving some of the town’s best barbecue, tacos, smoked meats, and burgers, you now have two options to find local pitmaster Bo Moreno’s wildly popular cuisine: At his new Moreno Barbecue location, 9900 I-35 S., Suite M700, or his freshly opened burger joint, located at the barbecue restaurant’s old spot at 5608 Menchaca.
After first opening his barbecue truck in 2019 before moving to a brick-and-mortar, Moreno has amassed fame throughout Central Texas for his Mexican-style barbecue. He’s also gotten just as much street cred for his Mexican-influenced smash burgers and brisket burgers. When he recently outgrew his longtime building in Southwest Austin, he took over the former Green Mesquite BBQ location at Southpark Meadows to create an expanded version of his original barbecue concept.
“My kids went to Akins High School and I went to Crockett, so I’m familiar with this whole area, and it’s great to share what I love doing,” Moreno says. He decided to convert his previous restaurant space into Moreno Burger Co. due to the growing popularity of the smash burgers he was making.
Credit: Haris Qureshi
“I didn’t want to leave, but the restaurant was getting tight and congested when it was busy, so it was hard for people to sit down and enjoy the food,” he explains. “We had a great following with our burgers, and it all comes from trim from our briskets, so we figured we could differentiate the menu from our new location and still serve the old neighborhood.”
Although the burger company currently only serves his smoked brisket burgers and smash burgers (along with fries) as it continues to evolve, most of Moreno’s barbecue menu has made it to his new location. It not only has a full bar, but is a little bit more accessible by being right off of the freeway. Of course, his barbecue is the star of the show, and the pitmaster still sells burgers and sandwiches at the new location, but his Tex-Mex-influenced dishes like barbacoa or pork belly tacos, nachos, and sides like the brisket chili frito pie, beans, and smoked Gouda mac and cheese stand out as some of the most impressive food in South Austin.
Moreno says some of his recommendations for first-timers would be the Texas Treaty (a party platter of brisket, spare ribs, and house-made sausage, accompanied by sides) or a three-meat plate. And don’t sleep on the turkey.
When I stopped by both Moreno Burger Co. as well as the new Moreno Barbecue, I was struck by the homey vibes of the burger joint versus the shiny and spacious new outpost just north of Old San Antonio Road. I’ve been a fan of Moreno’s Southern barbecue fusion for years now, and the food is as good as ever, even as he tries to figure out the optimal menus for both locations. It’s safe to say that Southside is still holdin’ as long as Moreno is cooking up a storm in the area and continuing to put his Tejano roots at the forefront of his growing restaurant group.
Credit: Haris Qureshi