Best BBQ Spots in Houston, TX
Keeping in line with our many fantasy leagues, this newest league has brought us saucy goodness – The 2019 BBQ Bowl and this league is NO JOKE. Honing in on BBQ made the stats pretty clear on who the top contenders are. But because there are so many great ones, this league decided to choose only those in the loop to make up the top 8.
I wouldn’t say the season was an easy one for this team, as there were some oldies but goodies to face off, but there were newbies who came in with extreme power. Holding true to that number 1 spot, this team came through with its highest point dropping season keeping them at number 1 and bringing home that 2019 BBQ Bowl Championship. The rest of the league giving them a run for their money and all definitely worth the hype. Needless to say, lots of BBQ is in your future.
1. Pinkerton’s
The Heights – 1504 Airline Drive
Star Player:
This operation is set up for Halal cooking and is the only one in Houston making all his meats the actual star of the game.
Stats:
Wood-burning pits with mouth-watering BBQ like your grandpa used to make.
There are too many perfect words to describe pitmaster Grant Pinkerton’s most sought after BBQ. The moist and tender meats are a must, obvi, always smoked low and slow with Texas pride, post oak spices, and sun dried mesquite. Heart and tradition go into their highly favored moist smoked prime brisket, sausage, juicy chicken, and candied-glazed pork ribs. It keeps getting better with the sides – cheesy jalapeno rice, duck jambalaya, beans, and home-made cole-slaw. Oh there’s still more, don’t forget about the chocolate sheet cake, blueberry cobbler, and from scratch banana cake. .
Besides serving up local craft brews, Pinkerton’s offers the real deal of a full bar experience.
2. Gatlin’s
Oak Forest – 3510 Ella Boulevard
Star Player:
The ultimate comfort food – House Smoked Bologna Sandwich. Takes you back to summers at home.
Stats:
Made with love is this family run business serving up the best ribs in town.
Bringing home the #2 spot after putting up quite the fight in the championship game is Gatlin’s. Pit boss Greg Gatlin is serving up his family favorites of classic southern barbeque making you feel like you just touched down back home for a family reunion. You can’t miss his St. Louis style ribs, classic smoked brisket (available lean, wet or combo), 3 types of spicy sausage links, along with the best smoked wangz. They also offer something called the “kitchen sink” sandwich – we’ll let that fully loaded goodness speak for itself. Their lovely sides include smoked corn candied, dirty rice, cucumber salad, yams, and collard greens. The famous sauce to top it all off makes you want to hug granny behind the counter. Seriously, everything here is delicious.
3. The Pit Room
Montrose – 1201 Richmond Avenue
Star Player:
Wrap any of your meats in The Pit Room’s infamous flour tortillas made to perfection with brisket fat
Stats:
This hip centrally located spot for central Texas-style BBQ.
The Pit Room’s heart and soul comes from two custom barrel-style offset smokers and is what put their classic galore of meats in the top 3 ranking. They offer a great atmosphere with flavor packed massive helpings of heritage-breed pork ribs, oak-smoked prime short ribs and brisket, 3 types of house made sausages – Czech style beef, jalapeno cheddar pork, and black pepper garlic venison. For all you taco lovin’ Texans, they’re also slinging up hot smoked chicken verde, griddled cheese and charred garlic, or chopped brisket goodness along with cheddar cheese, sour cream and salsa roja.
4. Truth
Washington – 110 S Heights Boulevard
Star Player:
The melt in your mouth smoked brisket and jalapeno cheese sausage is what got us our Houston location.
Stats:
Pitmaster Leo Botello IV has brought a taste of the Hill Country to Houston.
Brenham export and new to the Houston BBQ scene opening up early this year, the Truth hype is not lying. Here the early bird gets the worm or the 18-hour smoked brisket, beef ribs, pulled-to-order Duroc pork, and house-made sausages, among the other options that bring out the long lines of Truth. Their sides are true too with hits like tater tot casserole, corn pudding, mac n cheese. Leaving the remainder of the little room you have for a heavenly slice of banana-caramel cake. There’s usually a wait and is while supplies last – they go quick!
5. Jackson Street BBQ
Downtown – 209 Jackson Street
Star Player:
The burnt n biscuit – burnt ends on the JALAPENO CHEDDAR BISCUIT. Cue the mouth watering.
Stats:
Humble high school beginnings of long time buddies smoke up their love for BBQ in this Downtown hotspot.
Smoked with the same love from pitmaster Greg Gatlin along with Bryan Caswell and Bill Floyd is this grand slam masterpiece. Fan favorites include the masterfully tender, smoke-ringed brisket, ribs, and German-style sausage, a killer burger, and the Chicken is THE REAL DEAL. Your sideline looks a lot like trusty favorites but the real winners are the fried mac, smoked deviled eggs, and jalapeno biscuits. The Texas size hospitality and 14 beers are on tap will keep you coming back.
6. Feges BBQ
Greenway – 3 Greenway Plaza Drive
Star Player:
The innovative impressionable sides are a knock out – ranging from elote corn salad, Asian cucumber salad, Moroccan-spiced carrots, and braised collards are what steal the show during each game.
Stats:
Tucked away in a hidden food court is this wood-fired barbecue wonderland.
Fixtures of the Houston restaurant scene, husband and wife Patrick Feges and Erin Smith have made quite a name for themselves leaving locals to pay attention to every move, or restaurant opening, they make. This weekday only spot starts serving up early at 6:30am with another key player – breakfast tacos that do nothing short of hit the spot. Taking their bark very seriously and only serving locally raised, heritage hog – their traditional classics include ribs, brisket, house made sausage, and specialties like pig wings and beef belly burnt ends. The untraditional imaginative sides of Feges are truly a standout.
7. Ray’s Real Pit BBQ Shack
Third Ward / Riverside – 3929 Old Spanish Trail
Star Player:
It’s hard to pick one but the fried ribs with a side of fried corn on the cob got us finger lickin’.
Stats:
Smokin good food where taste matters.
Easy to overlook in its modest spot near a gas station but boy it’s too good to pass. This joint specializes in hickory-smoked meats and homemade BBQ, cajun and soul food dishes, and made fresh daily sides and desserts. Their old school BBQ brings you traditional tender brisket, tasty sausage links, ribs, chicken, and massive meat stuffed baked potatoes. Can’t forget about the to die for spicy rice, cucumber salad, fried corn on the cob, and smoked boudin.
8. Goode Company
Upper Kirby – 5109 Kirby Drive
Star Player:
Their newest menu item puts this team back on the board – The 1977, featuring sliced brisket, honey ham, mac and cheese, and caramelized onions.
Stats:
Rounding out the top 8 in the loop is a Houston legend. Although surpassed by other leaders, Goode Co BBQ is an excellent intro to Texas BBQ. Its original location, known for their classic time-tested mesquite barbeque and Goode sauce keeps it a Houston Institution of tradition and what keeps the crowds coming in after all these years. Known for its slice of heaven – pie. You’ll know why after a bite of the pecan or chocolate almond.
