Good B-B-Q In Houston?

[zantedeschia]

Get your BBQ at Queen's in Galveston. Delicious!

Went there on recommendation from this board. Oy. I wonder if I caught it on a bad day.

 

We were there early, first customers of the day. That shouldn't have made any diff tho. Aside from the lackluster service we got, they didn't have sliced jalapenos with the pickles & onions. When I asked, I was quoted 45 cents for a whole jalapeno. O-kay, I didn't want peppers that badly.

 

Now I have a couple hard opinions about Texas BBQ. The first is there really isn't any bad BBQ in Texas, the worst I've run across has been average. The second is I don't benchmark on the brisket cause everyone and their grandmother can BBQ a passable brisket.

 

Not so here. The brisket tasted like roast beef, seriously. Didn't have the right texture either. Had the pink smoke ring so I got the impression it was done in an oven and finished off in the smoker. This was supported by my BF's comment about his roast beef sandwich, he said it was the first time he'd gotten one at a BBQ place where it actually tasted like roast beef and not BBQ beef.

 

The second substandard item were the ribs. They had raw spots in them. Not pinkness from the smoke ring but actual uncooked bits. They were browned so I suspect they were rushed over too high heat. And because they weren't slow-cooked, they were very fatty. I don't care that we got there at 11:30 in the morning, there is absolutely no excuse for undercooked BBQ.

 

The sauce was good, the links were good (most people's links are okay unless the place makes their own, then they jump to stellar), the sides tasted like they came out of containers so they were acceptable as well.

 

My suggestion would be to look for a BBQ joint in the Houston area. Picking a place at random should work, pretty much everyone does competent BBQ.

 

Humourously, the worst Texas BBQ I've ever had was in New Mexico! We were skeptical that someone not in Texas could make Texas style BBQ, and we were right! It was actually kind of funny. They had the presentation perfect, the brisket, ribs, links, sauce on the side, pickles & onions and the sliced white bread. But otherwise it was all wrong, it was terrible! We laughed about it and learned our lesson.

[zantedeschia]

Ok, we just got back from Houston. We stopped at Pappa's off of I-45, just north of Houston. Sorry, but their BBQ sauce was just nasty.

I have to agree with this. Pappa's can't do BBQ. I was annoyed when they bought Luther's cause I really liked Luther's BBQ.

 

OMG, now I have to go down to the corner BBQ place (Sally Jo's) and get a couple chopped beef sandwiches.

 

A weird thing that happens to me when I'm about to leave the state is I start craving BBQ and I have been known to stop off at a place to grab a sandwich on the way out!

[txskier]

OK....unless I skimmed through all the posts.....I recommend Gabbys BBQ near Gulfgate Mall (I-45 south at Loop 610 for the out of towners) 610 at Woodridge.

 

Yes, they have sliced pickles, onion AND jalepenos at no charge.

They also have very good banan puddin'

 

I will agree with OtherPs about Pappas BBQ adventure after purchasing Luthers.

 

I also recommend Grand Prize BBQ.....but for the OP....Gabbys is on your way back to the airport.

[In the Pink]

Sorry, Gabby's is just another chain of nothing special. Pappa's ain't great, but I think it beat the heck out of Luther's. DH likes Grand Prize best (I like it except their sauce is a little too spicy for me). I still contend that Joe's in Alvin is the best BBQ around.

[zantedeschia]

special. Pappa's ain't great, but I think it beat the heck out of Luther's.

I may have to give Pappa's another chance. My only encounter with them netted me some extremely fatty and tough beef ribs, to the point of inedibility; scared me away. Or at least eschew the beef ribs.

[In the Pink]

I may have to give Pappa's another chance. My only encounter with them netted me some extremely fatty and tough beef ribs, to the point of inedibility; scared me away. Or at least eschew the beef ribs.

 

I always get pork ribs. But I do have to say the BBQ and their french fries are the only thing I get there. DH and I both think their side orders are bad. The only reason we go at all is because it's the only place to get BBQ without driving all the way to either TX City or Alvin.

 

I still contend Joe's in Alvin is the best, but for those returning from a cruise, I don't think Grand Prize in Texas City is too far out of the way, and it's definitely DH's favorite.

[zantedeschia]

I still contend Joe's in Alvin is the best, but for those returning from a cruise, I don't think Grand Prize in Texas City is too far out of the way, and it's definitely DH's favorite.

This is kind of crazy but I ate at a BBQ place on Hwy 3 when we were driving down to Texas City. The sauce was bland/slightly sweet but the meats were good. I don't remember the name but we passed it when I did the NASA Road 1 detour so it's in that area.

 

Though living in Houston, my definition of "too far to drive to" possibly differs a bit from yours.

[In the Pink]

This is kind of crazy but I ate at a BBQ place on Hwy 3 when we were driving down to Texas City. The sauce was bland/slightly sweet but the meats were good. I don't remember the name but we passed it when I did the NASA Road 1 detour so it's in that area.

 

Though living in Houston, my definition of "too far to drive to" possibly differs a bit from yours.

 

 

I know which one you're talking about... I believe it's called Randy's....just off NASA, behind the Hop. It's been about 4 or 5 different BBQ places and that's the first one that seems to have made it. We tried it when it first opened and weren't impressed, but keep saying we ought to try it again to see if it's gotten any better.

 

As far the drive, I completely understand. If somebody told me about a great BBQ place in Katy, I'd have to say good for them, maybe I'll check it out on the way to San Antone so day.