13 May 2026
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The Bib Gourmand is a special distinction recognizing restaurants serving high-quality food at great value, helping diners discover outstanding meals for every occasion and every budget. There’s no set formula for a Bib Gourmand restaurant; each one has its own distinct character.
La Santa Barbacha, a family-owned barbacoa truck, was awarded a Bib Gourmand in 2024 and 2025.
The Family Behind La Santa Barbacha
The food truck culture in Austin, Texas, is formidable, but La Santa Barbacha stands out for its remarkably flavorful, tender barbacoa — a Mexican dish of slow-cooked beef. It has also made its mark because behind the operation is the tightly knit Hernandez family of five.Each member plays a role in the business. Rosa de Lima, the oldest of three siblings, handles operations, while her sister Daniela and their mother do most of the cooking, alongside their father. Her brother, Uriel, focuses on logistics.
Operating a barbacoa truck wasn’t the original plan when the family moved to Austin from central Mexico in 2020, but they soon realized their various work schedules were keeping them apart. “We were like, we never get to see each other,” says de Lima. “We said, let's do a business where we can be together and do what represents us as a family.”
Barbacoa was a natural choice. Back in Guanajuato, the family ran a tiny shop next to their house making menudo (a Mexican soup made with tripe) and barbacoa, which they sold by the kilo and in tacos. They also traveled to small towns nearby to sell barbacoa after church.
“A lot of people like to go to misa (mass) after 12 p.m. and after they get out of the church they like to eat, so that’s where we sold it,” says de Lima.
It wasn’t just a way to support the family. “Barbacoa in our family was always part of a celebration; [we had it] whenever somebody died or even for a hangover,” says de Lima. “It’s something really special, so we said, let's do what we love to do.”
From Mexico to Texas: Shifting Their Style to Fit the Locale
In Mexico, the barbacoa was marinated for hours, then cooked outdoors in a pit overnight, using mesquite wood and volcanic rocks. While they can’t fully replicate that process in Texas, they come close; the only major variation is cooking the beef in an oven.“It’s really important to us that even as a small truck, we try to keep all the techniques,” says de Lima.
They start by marinating shoulder and short ribs with ingredients sourced from Mexico, the most important being Mexican garlic. The meat is then wrapped in penca de maguey (agave leaves), which impart a smoky, earthy flavor to the beef, before being braised and seasoned. It’s kept whole until serving, then shredded to order.
There are several ways to eat the barbacoa at La Santa Barbacha, but some stand out.
“I love our barbacoa taco with a classic corn tortilla, topped with cilantro, onion, lime and green salsa, which is an essential classic,” says de Lima.
The Must-Eat Menu Item
A trip to La Santa Barbacha isn’t complete without the Benito taco — a mound of barbacoa, homemade refried beans, chicharrón (fried pork rinds), queso fresco, avocado, salsa rosa and herbs on a corn tortilla. With so much food in it, de Lima says, “it’s a celebration; it's a must!”The Benito taco harks back to childhood meals, when the siblings created their own tacos at home; their mother would bring in the barbacoa and set out all the ingredients family-style for breakfast.
Hand-Pressed Tortillas are a Signature
While the beef is a draw, the tortillas are another key element.“We love tortillas. We love masa,” says de Lima. “My mom’s family was in agriculture, and corn was always in our house. We grew up helping my grandma nixtamalize the corn to create fresh masa.”
The family sees the tortilla as essential as the protein and salsa. As such, La Santa never pre-makes them; instead, each one is hand-pressed to order. They also offer red and green tortillas, colored naturally with fresh beets and spinach.
“That's how in Mexico we do it, and we don't want to forget about it. Everybody says, you overwork, but if you are driving in Mexico and you see a lady selling tacos and guisos (stews) — they're making the tortillas at that moment.”
Today, the family operates two trucks and is patiently searching for the right brick-and-mortar space — one where they can build the kind of pit they grew up using. Still, the trucks remain close to their hearts.
“Running food trucks is hard but we want to continue to provide this affordable experience which is welcoming to everybody. Whenever you have the trucks, it's very intimate,” says de Lima. “People can go to the window and say, ‘is Rosa there? Is Daniela there? Is your mom there?’ And they come and say hi.”
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Header image: Delicious barbacoa tacos are served. © Taylor Hannan/La Santa Barbacha
