MUCHACHOS
Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★⭑
District: Lincoln
New Mexican BBQ Fusion
Perfect For: Lunch; Casual Dining; Takeout; Breakfast/Brunch
Standout Dishes: Brisket Breakfast Burrito; Hatch Mac & Cheese Burrito; Hatch Mac & Cheese; Brisket Taco; Breakfast Tacos
If all Muchachos did was sell meat, it would be a great restaurant.
The restaurant prides itself on creating New Mexican/BBQ fusion, and it does an excellent job of that. But even if it didn’t use a single tortilla or salsa, it would still be well worth visiting. In fact, this place produces better smoked meats than most of Nebraska’s purely BBQ establishments.
And that’s why, in just a few years, it’s grown from a food truck to a brick and mortar in Lincoln that packs the house daily. People can’t get enough of these tacos and burritos.
There’s real heart behind the restaurant, which is closely tethered to two of Nick’s greatest loves: smoking meat and his grandparents.
Let’s start with the former. Barbecue was owner Nick Maestas’ original foray into the world of food. He became a backyard BBQ warrior, but his talent far outpaced what most amateur enthusiasts achieve. Nick has reached the point where he doesn’t need to cook by temperature; he cooks fully by the feel of the meat.
Muchachos’ brisket has a smoky flavor and a brilliant bark that lends excellent texture and a peppery punch to accent the intensely beefy flavor. The pork is tender and has just the right amount of fat, while the chicken is juicy and carries a subtle sweetness.
These meats can be ordered on plates (served with tortillas and sides), allowing you to taste their brilliance on their own. But stopping at the meat doesn’t tell the whole Muchachos story, and it’s Nick’s other love that incorporates the New Mexican flair into his menu.
Nick’s grandparents played a massive role in his upbringing; some of his strongest memories include watching his grandmother make tortillas and helping sell enchiladas at his grandparents’ garage sales. During a dark point in his life, Nick turned to those memories, making their dishes himself. “I got into a rhythm where I started making more of the stuff that they grew up serving to us, and I felt better,” he said on the Restaurant Hoppen podcast. “My heart was eased, and I started breaking out of that funk because of that.”
That influence allows you to order those delicious proteins inside tacos, quesadillas, burritos or on top of nachos. You can also pile them atop Muchacho’s signature Hatch Mac & Cheese, a funky item that plays a vital role in the menu.
The rich, creamy mac & cheese receives a smoky, earthy touch from hatch chiles, the staple pepper of New Mexico. It makes its way into the Hatch Mac Quesadilla, which turns the cheese dial up to an 11, but it’s at its best in the Hatch Mac Burrito, one of the best burritos you’ll find in Nebraska. The gooey, cheesy mac provides a rich counterpart to the savory meat, and green and red salsas, avocado cream, and slaw add heat, creaminess, and acid, respectively. It’s as large as a human head, but it’s so delicious you’ll keep eating far after your hunger subsides.
If you really want to test your eating abilities, try to tackle the epic Pipeline Burrito, which contains brisket, chicken, and pork along with crushed chips, beans, rice, and queso. As large as a football, it checks in at over 4 pounds, but it’s not stunt food. The flavors and textures work together wonderfully, and devouring this monstrosity brings about a sense of pride larger than the food baby protruding from your midsection.
Muchachos also gives you the rare ability to pair barbecue and breakfast, as you can combine any of its meats with buttery scrambled eggs, tortillas, and salsas for a unique take on AM fare (and it’s available all day!). The Breakfast Tacos fill flour tortillas with your favorite protein, shredded Mexican cheese, and cooling crema.
But the best way to combine breakfast and smoked meat is Muchachos’ Breakfast Burrito. The fluffy scrambled eggs provide a creamy balance to whatever protein you choose, and the griddled tortilla locks in the flavor. It’s seriously a miracle that, as stuffed and massive as these burritos are, the tortilla doesn’t crack or break in the least. It maintains its integrity to encase the massive amount of filling Muchachos puts inside.
As if barbecue, tacos, and breakfast weren’t enough, Mucachos also offers coffee (including its own unique blend of Central and South American beans), Lotus energy drinks, and beers, most of which are locally brewed.
The vibe inside the restaurant is unique and balanced. The bricks walls and hardwood floors suggest a retro feel, while the graffiti, boom boxes, and zany yet appealing artwork add a modern twist. The Omaha location has a cozy loft which not only contains several dartboards, but also allows you to look down into the kitchen and at the spectators below. A steady stream of upbeat, hip-hop and pop music infuses the space with life and energy.
Muchachos’ walls feature homages to and depictions of Nick’s grandfather giving his trademark peace sign. One of Nick’s favorite memories of his grandpa was the way he’d answer the phone with a hearty “Yo, Muchacho!”… hence the name of the restaurant.
And ultimately, that’s what makes Muchachos such a success and explains why it has expanded so quickly. This isn’t just a business to Nick; the elements that influence his restaurants are connected to his heart, and he strives to well represent both his grandparents and the long hours he’s put into perfecting his BBQ craft.
So whether you enjoy awesome smoked meat, tacos, or just a good time, Muchachos has exactly what you’re looking for. Most likely, any visit will result in an epic combination of all three.
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