Barbacoa at Pico’s Bakery

I have become absolutely fascinated with barbacoa this year and the shocking amount of variety one can find in the various meats, methods, and spices. A seemingly simple substance comes diversely alive when slow cooked with assorted chilies and flavors, each version different from the last.

The barbacoa at Pico’s Bakery is quite simple, yet could go head to head with any middleweight meat in town. The meat simmers in a reddish-orange achiote marinade until it is achingly tender and rich with spice, shreds of sunset-colored goodness ready to sink into your taste buds at will. Wrap it in a warm tortilla just off the grill, top with onion and fresh cilantro, and you’ve got the ideal lunch: one that leaves you questioning the square footage of your tummy. Yum!


Pico’s Bakery (the new offering from chef Arnaldo Richards of Pico’s Mex-Mex Cocina) is open breakfast, lunch, and dinner, seven days a week. The breakfast tacos are outstanding, as are the tortas at lunch. The meats -- barbacoa and chilorio, et al -- are the real deal, as clean and fresh as sunshine, itself. And don’t miss the fair trade Katz coffee created especially for Pico’s.

Pico’s Bakery - 5710 Bellaire Blvd (near Chimney Rock)