What Hurtado Barbecue does

Hurtado Barbecue is a privately-held, founder-operated restaurant group headquartered in Arlington, Texas, operating four brick-and-mortar locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex (Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth, Mansfield) plus two concession stands inside Globe Life Field as the Official BBQ of the Texas Rangers. Founded in 2018 by Brandon and Hannah Hurtado, the company began as pop-up events at north Texas breweries before graduating to a food truck in 2019 and opening its first permanent location in a 120-year-old former railroad station in Downtown Arlington in February 2020. The business is structured as Hurtado Restaurant Group, LLC, a Texas LLC, with no disclosed institutional investment and headcount in the 101-250 range.

The company's core product is Central Texas-style slow-smoked barbecue (brisket, spare ribs, pulled pork, turkey, sausage, burnt ends, beef ribs) combined with Tex-Mex specialty items such as Texas Twinkies (bacon-wrapped jalapeño stuffed with brisket and house pimiento cheese), birria tacos, brisket tostada, Mexican street corn, and tres leches banana pudding. Ordering and fulfillment run on ToastTab at each restaurant, with nationwide shipping handled through a Goldbelly partnership; catering uses three preset per-person tiers (Mijo $24, Papi $28, Jefe $32, 25-person minimum) plus Fort Worth-only breakfast taco catering from 7:00 AM daily.

Revenue is generated across five streams: dine-in restaurant sales at four locations, sports venue concessions at Globe Life Field, Goldbelly nationwide shipping, ToastTab-powered online ordering for pickup and delivery, and full-service/delivery catering across DFW. Pricing is uniformly pay-as-you-go with menu items ranging from $4.50 sides up to $220.99 family platters (El Capo, feeding 6-10). Customer segments span individual consumers and families (primary), corporate clients, wedding and special event hosts, Texas Rangers fans, and out-of-state customers reached via Goldbelly.

Name

Hurtado Barbecue

Legal name

Hurtado Restaurant Group, LLC

Website

https://hurtadobbq.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hurtado Barbecue is a privately-held Texas restaurant group operating four DFW locations plus Globe Life Field concessions, serving slow-smoked Central Texas-style barbecue with Tex-Mex fusion to local diners, sports fans, catering clients, and out-of-state customers via Goldbelly.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Barbecue Restaurants

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

akta.pro primary industry

BBQ & Smokehouse Fast Casual (THAFABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mexican & Tex-Mex Fast Casual (THAFABAC)

Keywords

• Tex-mex barbecue
• Smoked brisket
• Bbq catering services
• Restaurant dining
• Ballpark concessions

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Dine-In Restaurant Sales: Four brick-and-mortar restaurant locations in Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Mansfield serving walk-in customers for lunch and dinner service with varying hours
2. Sports Venue Concessions: Official BBQ of Texas Rangers with concession locations inside Globe Life Field at Arlington Eats in Section 101, expanded to two locations for 2024 season
3. Nationwide Shipping via Goldbelly: Partnership with Goldbelly enables shipping of Mexicue products anywhere in the United States
4. Catering Services: Full-service and delivery catering across DFW Metroplex with three package tiers (Mijo, Papi, Jefe) plus breakfast taco catering at Fort Worth location
5. Online Ordering and Pickup: Pre-order ahead functionality via ToastTab platform allowing customers to skip the wait and pick up at their convenience

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hurtado Barbecue operates Central Texas-style slow-smoked barbecue restaurants with a Tex-Mex fusion menu. The company sells smoked meats (brisket, ribs, pulled pork, sausage, turkey), signature Tex-Mex handhelds (birria tacos, Texas Twinkies), homemade sides, and desserts through four DFW brick-and-mortar locations, ballpark concessions at Globe Life Field, nationwide Goldbelly shipping, and full-service catering for events.

Product overview

Hurtado Barbecue is a Central Texas-style barbecue restaurant with a Tex-Mex twist, operating four brick-and-mortar locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area (Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Mansfield) plus concession stands at Globe Life Field. The company offers a unified restaurant product portfolio centered on slow-smoked meats (brisket, ribs, pulled pork, sausage, turkey, chicken, and quail) with signature Tex-Mex sides. The core product line includes individual plates and BBQ platters at various price points, complemented by catering services with pickup, delivery, and full-service options. Additional offerings include a nationwide shipping partnership via Goldbelly and ballpark concessions. The menu also features unique handhelds like Birria Tacos, Texas Twinkies, and Tres Leches Banana Pudding. The business is notable for its partnership as the Official BBQ of the Texas Rangers and rapid expansion from a 2018 pop-up operation to a multi-location brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BBQ Platters

Quantifiable outcome

• Fastest growing independently-owned barbecue brand in Texas
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• Texas RangersflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Hurtado Barbecue became the Official BBQ of the Texas Rangers in 2023, debuting at Globe Life Field. The inaugural season was historic as the Rangers won their first-ever World Series title. Expanded to two ballpark locations for 2024 season, serving signature slow-smoked brisket, sausage, and Tex-Mex BBQ to fans at Arlington Eats in Section 101 and additional locations.
• Derek Allen's Barbecue (former location)minorOthers · 1 September 2022Hurtado BBQ Fort Worth opened in September 2022, taking over the former Derek Allen's Barbecue location on 8th Avenue in Southside Fort Worth.
• Division BrewingminorOthers · 1 January 2019Hurtado BBQ's food truck operated at Division Brewing in Arlington starting in 2019, open only on Saturdays for lunch. This was the first fixed location for the brand before opening brick-and-mortar.
• GoldbellycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNationwide shipping partnership enabling customers anywhere in the United States to order Mexicue products shipped directly to their front door. Hurtado BBQ is listed on Goldbelly platform as an official partner restaurant.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pinkerton's Barbecue: Houston-based BBQ concept by pitmaster Grant Pinkerton with national recognition. Direct peer — same Texas craft BBQ positioning, comparable dine-in model with chef-driven identity, comparable catering and event business, similar Texas Monthly and national press profile.
• Terry Black's Barbecue: Family-owned Texas BBQ chain operating multiple brick-and-mortar locations in Austin and Dallas. Direct peer — comparable multi-unit Texas BBQ operations, comparable dine-in + catering model, similar founder-led brand identity with regional cult following.
• Goldee's BBQ: Fort Worth-based award-winning Texas BBQ competitor with national media recognition. Direct peer — same Texas BBQ category, same DFW-adjacent geography, comparable chef-driven positioning, comparable catering/event business.
• Franklin Barbecue: Austin-based BBQ institution widely considered the gold standard of Central Texas BBQ. Direct peer — same Central Texas-style slow-smoking approach, same category leadership, similar cult-brand dynamics and media profile. Hurtado explicitly positions against this heritage.
• 2M Smokehouse: San Antonio-based BBQ concept by chef Emil Oliva serving Texas-style smoked meats. Direct peer — same Texas BBQ category, comparable chef-driven craft positioning, comparable local + national media profile, similar catering offerings.
• Pecan Lodge: Iconic Dallas-based BBQ restaurant operating out of the Dallas Farmers Market/Deep Ellum area. Direct peer — same DFW metro, same Texas BBQ category, similar dine-in/lines/catering model, comparable premium positioning with national press recognition.
• Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ: Austin-based BBQ concept that pioneered Tex-Mex BBQ fusion with brisket tacos and signature items. The closest direct competitor by category — Hurtado's Tex-Mex positioning explicitly mirrors Valentina's hybrid approach, making it the most relevant same-niche peer.

Broad incumbents

• Mission BBQ: Multi-state BBQ chain with 100+ locations and a strong brand/marketing identity. Broad incumbent — comparable rapid multi-state expansion playbook, similar sports/veteran-focused community marketing angle, comparable dine-in + catering + catering-at-stadium distribution model.
• Dickey's Barbecue Pit: Largest BBQ franchise chain in the U.S., operating hundreds of locations nationwide. Broad incumbent — demonstrates the path from independent Texas BBQ to scaled multi-state chain, providing a comparable template for unit growth and franchise economics, though it serves a broader, more value-oriented customer base.
• Famous Dave's: Public, multi-state BBQ chain with dine-in, catering, and retail sauce/rub product lines. Broad incumbent — comparable full-service BBQ restaurant model, comparable catering business, comparable consumer packaged goods (CPG) extension via branded sauces and meats sold outside restaurants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hurtado-barbecue

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hurtado Barbecue