Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q has closed its restaurant in Allen, wrapping up a partnership with M Crowd Restaurant Group that lasted less than two years at Watters Creek Village.
The closure came as a surprise. In a Facebook post on Oct. 28, the restaurant told followers: "ALLEN, TX., it's been real..Doors closed today at 4. Stay tuned. We ain't done yet." The message suggested the Vaqueros name could resurface in some form, but no future plans have been announced.
Vaqueros arrived in Allen in early 2025, transforming a concept born as a Grapevine food truck into a permanent brick-and-mortar restaurant. The business was founded by pitmaster Arnulfo "Trey" Sánchez III.
Before settling in at Watters Creek, the brand cultivated a loyal following through its food truck, which debuted in 2018 at Hop & Sting Brewing Co. in Grapevine.
Barbecue runs in the family for Sánchez. His father, Arnold Sánchez, opened Arnold's Texas Bar-B-Q in Dallas in the 1980s, giving the younger pitmaster ties to Texas barbecue that stretch back well before Vaqueros joined the local dining scene.
Sánchez steadily built his own reputation over the years. The Cooking Channel featured him on an episode of Man Fire Food in February 2020, and his recognition as a 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist lifted the Vaqueros profile even higher.
The Allen location moved the food truck concept into a full-service setting through a partnership between Sánchez and M Crowd Restaurant Group, a Dallas-based hospitality company that operates several restaurant brands.
M Crowd CEO Edgar Guevara confirmed the closure in a statement to Local Profile, making clear the company's role with Vaqueros has ended. "Allen and North Texas communities for welcoming Vaqueros. It has been a privilege to serve our guests throughout our time here," said Guevara. "To our dedicated team members, loyal guests and everyone who has been part of the Vaqueros story, thank you for your support."
M Crowd said it had nothing more to share about what lies ahead for Vaqueros, and the Allen shutdown closes the book on the company's involvement with the brand. "Any future announcements regarding Vaqueros would come from the brand directly," said Guevara.
For now, the doors at Watters Creek are shut. But if Vaqueros' parting words are any indication, its story may still have another chapter.
