A high-profile barbecue restaurant in Allen has closed: Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q, which opened at Watters Creek Village in early 2025 with backing from the M Crowd Restaurant Group, has shut down, and the partnership has dissolved.
The restaurant announced the news in an October 28 Facebook post that says, "ALLEN, TX. , it’s been real…Doors closed today at 4. Stay tuned. We ain’t done yet."
M Crowd CEO Edgar Guevara confirmed the closure to CultureMap, saying in an emailed statement:
"After much consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q in Allen, effective October 28, 2026. We are sincerely grateful to the Allen and North Texas communities for welcoming Vaqueros. It has been a privilege to serve our guests throughout our time here. To our dedicated team members, loyal guests and everyone who has been part of the Vaqueros story, thank you for your support."
Vaqueros had been a critically acclaimed food truck in Grapevine before it made the leap to brick-and-mortar. The restaurant in Allen represented a partnership between Vaqueros founder Arnulfo "Trey" Sanchez and M Crowd Restaurant Group, founded by the late "Godfather of Dallas Tex-Mex" Mico Rodriguez and known for neighborhood restaurants such as Mi Cocina, which also has a location at Watters Creek.
The standalone restaurant was announced in 2023 and debuted in January 2025 to much fanfare from foodies and critics and much excitement from M Crowd: "Trey's take on Texas barbecue is unique, one-of-a-kind, and above all authentic," Guevara had said at the time. M Crowd co-owned the restaurant with Sanchez, who remained a partner and pitmaster.
Spanish for "cowboys," Vaqueros served barbecue-influenced takes on Mexican dishes such as cochinita pibil and birria tacos.
The menu was an extension of the Vaqueros BBQ food truck that Sanchez had founded in Grapevine in 2018. His work with the food truck had earned nods in national publications and TV shows including The New York Times, Taste of Texas, The Cooking Channel’s Man Fire Food, and Man’s Greatest Food.
His food truck menu featured classics like brisket and ribs, but also twists like tacos in rotating flavors, brisket nachos, and smoked cochinita pibil. His version of the trendy BBQ birria is what generated the biggest buzz: It was featured on Cooking Channel's Man Fire Food & Man's Greatest Food; Texas Monthly Top 20 Bites of 2020; and Cooking Channel's Man's Greatest Food's #14 Cheesy Dish in USA.
M Crowd took notice and partnered with him on a standalone restaurant. "I am thrilled to join forces with Edgar and believe that this partnership will allow me to take my establishment to the next level and focus on the part of the business that I love most," Sanchez had said at the announcement of the restaurant.
The Allen eatery earned raves when it opened in 2025, including a nomination for Best New Restaurant in the 2026 CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards. Its nomination read: "Tucked into the Watters Creek development in Allen, Vaqueros is one of those barbecue joints that’s worth the drive. You can stick with a more traditional plate of brisket and sides, or dip the beefy birria tacos into Vaqueros’ excellent consome. And, as good as the brisket, pork carnitas, and sausage are, the sides, which include apple-Gorgonzola slaw and three-cheese mac and cheese, are equally compelling."
Guevara declined to give any particular reasons for the closure, or to expand on future plans for Vaqueros. The partnership between Sanchez and the M Crowd has ended, he said.
"At this time, we don’t have any additional details to share regarding future plans for Vaqueros," he said. "With the closure of the Allen location, M Crowd’s involvement with the brand has also come to an end. Any future announcements regarding Vaqueros would come from the brand directly."
CultureMap has reached out to Sanchez directly and will update this article if there's more information to share.
---
Teresa Gubbins contributed to this story.
