BRING THE HEAT

Veracruz founders fire up Mexican-spiced hot chicken truck in Austin

Diablo Hot Chicken sandwiches and tenders are served with sides including coleslaw, macaroni salad, broccoli salad, and hand-cut fries.

Photo courtesy of Diablo Hot Chicken

Austin diners ready to test their spice tolerance may soon have a new challenge. Diablo Hot Chicken, a new food truck from the founders of Veracruz All Natural, opens March 12 at 2505 Webberville Rd. in East Austin with the motto “Born in Hell. Built to Burn.”

Diners will choose their preferred spice level — heatless, mild, hot, or Diablo — before digging into fried chicken sandwiches or tenders. The progression ranges from chicken with little to no chile oil to a full-strength version designed for serious heat seekers.

The Diablo concept is a collaboration between Reyna and Maritza Vazquez and culinary creator Alejandro Rojas. Diablo uses the hot chicken format popularized in Nashville, but builds its flavor around a blend of Mexican chiles rarely used in local hot chicken.

Rather than relying primarily on cayenne, the seasoning incorporates piquín, árbol, morita, and guajillo chiles, peppers more commonly used in Mexican salsas and marinades than in traditional hot chicken. The combination creates a layered heat profile that moves from smoky to sharp and builds gradually instead of delivering a single blast of spice.

The menu centers on fried chicken breast or thigh sandwiches served on toasted buns with coleslaw and pickles, along with chicken tenders and grilled chicken options. Sides include macaroni salad, broccoli salad, and hand-cut fries served with salsa macha ketchup. The buns will be baked by the Veracruz team.

Hot Chicken Pieces Fried chicken at Diablo Hot Chicken is coated in a chile blend featuring piquín, árbol, morita, and guajillo peppers.Photo courtesy of Diablo Hot Chicken

Reyna and Maritza Vazquez launched their first taco truck in Austin in 2008 and have steadily expanded their restaurant group since then. In addition to multiple Veracruz locations, the sisters have opened the cocktail bar La Mezca in Mueller and the garden restaurant Leona Botanical Café & Bar in Sunset Valley.

“Even with 140 parking spaces, it’s not enough,” Reyna Vazquez says of Leona’s popularity.

The Webberville food park, where Diablo is parked, continues to grow as a small food truck hub owned by the sisters. The site sits just east of the intersection of Webberville and Pleasant Valley roads in East Austin. Diablo joins The Marylander, Kerlaches, Brown Sugar Bake Shop, and Desnudo Coffee at the food park.

openings food trucks hot chicken spicy food mexican cuisine sandwiches

ADD TO CART

H-E-B seeks Texas' best products of 2026 to stock shelves

Oca Foods accepting grand prize for winning the Quest for Texas Best

Photo courtesy of H-E-B

Oca Foods won the grand prize for itspeanut butter bites.

It’s not America’s Got Talent or The Voice, but for 12 years, H-E-B has been steadily churning out stars. Through its annual Quest for Texas Best competition, small companies have become literal household names, filling pantries across the state. Now, a new crop of products has the chance to audition.

H-E-B’s Quest for Texas Best will take applications for its 13th annual contest from now through April 22. Small business owners and entrepreneurs across the state can submit their unique and innovative products to win a combined $100,000 in cash prizes and the opportunity to feature their products on H-E-B shelves across Texas.

Since the competition started, H-E-B has discovered more than 1,000 unique products across the Lone Star State. These have included various food and non-food items, including cookies, coffees, beauty items, toys, home goods, and even roasted crickets. The contest has awarded nearly $3 million in prize money and provided valuable marketing, mentoring, and supplemental support to its winners.

Over the years, the Austin area has been well-represented among the champions. In 2025, Oca Foods and Tozi Super Foods won the top two prizes; in 2024, Birria Queen won the grand prize and Certified Country Lemonade won second place. Shoppers can browse available products by all past winners online.

To be considered for the contest, interested suppliers and manufacturers can submit videos online. After the Call for Entries period is complete, H-E-B's Business Development Managers will select the top applicants who will head to San Antonio in October to present their wares in person before a panel of judges.

The jury will determine the top four winning products and award $50,000 to the Grand Prize winner, the title of "Texas Best," and placement on H-E-B store shelves. The first-place winner will receive $25,000, the second-place winner will receive $15,000, and the third-place winner will receive $10,000.

“We look forward to connecting with Texas-based innovators each year and providing exciting opportunities through this competition,” said James Harris, H-E-B’s Sr. Director of Diversity & Inclusion and Supplier Diversity for H-E-B, in a release. “I can’t wait to see what products are brought to the table this year. After 12 years of the H-E-B Quest for Texas Best, the creativity and ingenuity of Texans still inspire me.”

contests grocery stores entrepreneurship h-e-b