The Best Houston Barbecue of 2016

Houston Barbecue

While 2016 will go down for some as a year they would rather forget, it has been another banner year for Houston barbecue joints. New proprietors have entered the game, popular places are still drawing crowds, and increased exposure is boosting traffic at many old favorites. The booming barbecue business in the Greater Houston area shows no signs of letting up anytime soon.

The barbecue scene in the Houston area is still not getting the attention that Central Texas does, but it certainly does have plenty of room for many different places and styles to succeed. There’s a full spectrum of barbecue options. Houston has the heavy influence of Central Texas-style, black-peppered, “barky” brisket, Asian- and Middle Eastern-spiced variants, and traditional Southeast Texas-style, family-owned standbys that serve smoked boudin and juicy, garlicky sausages as well as meats with sweeter rubs and sauces.

The work to determine the best of the Houston-area barbecue joints covered the more than 2,000 square miles of the Greater Houston area. There’s about 60 road miles between two of the spots on this year’s list, and a lot of places considered in between. Here are our picks for the restaurants that served the most outstanding barbecue this year.

7. Gatlin’s BBQ – 3510 Ella, Houston, Texas

Greg Gatlin and family have been providing Houstonians with smoked meat goodness for almost seven years. This year’s transition from the cramped quarters of the former 19th Street location to spacious new digs on Ella Boulevard has them busier than ever. Greg’s mother Mary is still there to greet folks with a familiar smile and big hug. “Once you’re here, you’re family,” she says. Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner service, Gatlin’s provides the best option for quality dinner hour barbecue in the area. With the recent hiring of chef Michelle Wallace (formerly of Houston’s) to help manage kitchen operations, the flow between ordering and food availability seems smoother, and the atmosphere more relaxed.

Brisket, pork spareribs, smoked kernel corn, dirty rice. Photo by Scott Sandlin.

Smoky, peppery brisket is as good as it’s ever been, and the St.Louis-cut pork spareribs are perfectly cooked. The meat pulls off the bone cleanly without being completely “fall-off-the-bone.” The larger location means the menu has expanded, too. Big beef ribs now make regular appearances, and the available side dishes have substantially increased. Favorites include pinto beans seasoned with smoked sausage, and corn kernels, deeply infused with wood smoke, mixed with diced red onion, red pepper, and jalapeño. Best of all is the dirty rice, with a livery punch and spicy finish. It’s a classic Mary Gatlin recipe that shouldn’t be overlooked. When Smoked Wangz are on the specials board, be sure to pick up a half-dozen to share with the table. Meaty chicken wing segments are spiced, smoked and doused in Gatlin’s barbecue sauce, then returned to the pit for the sauce to set. The results are gloriously sticky and smoky. Have napkins ready!

Gatlin’s Smoked Wangz, 6 for $5.99. Photo by Scott Sandlin.

6. Pappa Charlies Barbeque – 2012 Rusk, Houston, Texas

The sweet and spicy competition-style ribs alone earn Pappa Charlies a top spot; you’ll not find any quite like these anywhere else in the area. Though the meats here are usually lighter in smoke flavor than other joints, owner Wes Jurena’s “hot-and-fast” cooking method and thick salt and pepper rub result in great briskets. Other items to keep in mind include boneless beef short rib burnt ends (a Tuesday special), and the juicy peppered turkey (when available). Don’t pass on the creamy macaroni-and-cheese either; the rich blend of five cheeses and big elbow macaroni pairs well with everything. Order it “loaded” as a hearty main dish option, topped with your choice of chopped meats. (We recommend the brisket.) Savory collard greens flavored with bacon and pork, and touched with sweetness and spice, round out the best side options.

Boneless beef short rib burnt ends, smoked turkey, brisket, pork ribs, macaroni and cheese, and collard greens. Photo by Scott Sandlin.

Watch Pappa Charlie’s social media feeds for specials. A recent Friday night menu offering included a hefty slice of smoked prime rib, smashed taters, roasted Brussels sprouts, and a draft beer of your choice, all for just $18. Willing to embrace the “goofycue” moniker bestowed upon them by a regular customer, they’re not afraid of a little barbecue experimentation. Look for “The League” on the specials board: a smoked brisket burrito stuffed with macaroni and cheese, pintos, and house-made guacamole. Another off-menu favorite on Wednesdays is the 1836 Sandwich, piled high with sliced brisket, pulled pork, sliced smoked sausage, spicy slaw, and a sweet sauce. A similar sweet sauce is the glaze on the very popular Friday special: the bacon-wrapped smoked meatloaf plate. It’s served with two sides for only $11.95.

Smoked prime rib, smashed taters, and roasted Brussel sprouts, a Friday night special at Pappa Charlies. Photo by Scott Sandlin.

5. Roegels Barbecue Co. – 2223 South Voss, Houston, Texas

Owner Russell Roegels spent years managing the sole Houston outpost of the Dallas-based chain, Baker’s Ribs. In late 2014, he and his wife Misty realized it was time to change up the offerings, so they bought the place and established Roegels Barbecue Co. Since then, their Central Texas-style barbecue has just gotten better and better. Stay on top of the daily specials, which include smoked pork chops, lamb chops and—our favorite—the smoked pork belly special on Wednesdays. Well-seasoned and with fully rendered fat layers, this pork belly is one of the best in the state. Order it with collard greens and creamy macaroni and cheese plus some brisket and ribs on a three-meat plate special for $16.95. The bourbon banana pudding for dessert is a must. Even if you’re full, take one to go for later!

Three-meat plate with brisket, pork spareribs, and smoked pork belly. Photo by Scott Sandlin.

Roegels was one of the first Houston-area barbecue joints to make smoked brisket pastrami a regular menu item. Thursday is pastrami day, available by the pound or as one of the meats on a plate for a modest upcharge. Be sure to try it on their extremely popular Reuben Sandwich, stacked on griddled rye, with sauerkraut, homemade Russian dressing, and Swiss cheese for $11.95. Six or seven pastrami briskets are smoked weekly to meet the demand for the forty or so Reubens served every Thursday.

Roegels’ smoked brisket pastrami Reuben. Photo by Scott Sandlin.

4. The Pit Room – 1201 Richmond, Houston, Texas

A newcomer on the Houston barbecue scene, The Pit Room is the best new Houston barbecue restaurant of 2016. As reported earlier this year, co-owner Michael Sambrooks and chef Bramwell Tripp have brought out a full complement of handcrafted barbecue, sides, and desserts sure to please the most discriminating of barbecue connoisseurs. Brisket, pork spareribs, and smoked chicken are solid contenders for some of the best in the city. Three types of sausages are made fresh daily at the Pit Room, a rarity in the Houston barbecue market. All are excellent, and it’s advisable to include at least one when you’re considering your ordering options.

Brisket, pork spareribs, Czech-style beef sausage, jalapeño cheese sausage, charro beans, and potato salad at The Pit Room. Photo by Scott Sandlin.

The Pit Room makes good use of meat trimmings in other items, such as their Tex-Mex-style tacos. Brisket fat is rendered and smoked in the pits, then substituted for lard in house-made tortillas. Smoked, chopped brisket is also added to their hearty Texas Red Chili and features prominently in the Loaded Frito Pie, which comes topped with pulled pork or chopped beef, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and onions.

The Pit Room’s Loaded Frito Pie, topped with pulled pork. Photo by Scott Sandlin.

3. Killen’s Barbecue – 3613 E. Broadway, Pearland, Texas

When Ronnie Killen first launched his take on barbecue in Pearland almost three years ago, people knew it was something special. Killen applied the skills he learned at Le Cordon Bleu London to Texas barbecue and sides. News spread rapidly, and lines of customers have persisted ever since. All the buzz means it’s not unusual to run into local celebrities here. Members of the Houston Texans football team are frequent customers. This may have factored into the decision earlier this year to include two new Killen’s Barbecue stands in NRG Stadium, where over 100 briskets are prepared on game day just to meet the demand.

“The best barbecue, period,” is Killen’s motto, and it shows in every perfectly-rendered slice of thick, prime brisket simply seasoned with coarse black pepper and salt, at the remarkably low price of $16 per pound. Big beef plate ribs are $20 per pound, but an excellent value option is the smaller beef chuck rib plate with two sides for only $15.95. House-made sausage is $3 per link, made from brisket and pork belly trimmings, as well as applewood smoked bacon.

Brisket, sausage, and pork ribs, with homemade creamed corn and baked beans. Photo by Scott Sandlin.

The menu has expanded considerably since opening. Regular daily specials include chicken fried steak on Tuesdays, smoked pork chops on Wednesdays, smoked prime rib on Fridays, and fried chicken on Sundays. Bowing to the pressure of customer requests, huge stuffed baked potatoes are now available for $10.95. Other daily specials might include brisket or pulled pork tamales ($20 per dozen), brisket or pulled pork tacos ($8 for three), and Wagyu brisket ($25 per pound). Desserts are fantastic. Killen’s bread pudding gets rave reviews from just about everyone, but don’t dismiss the carrot cake, buttermilk pie, banana pudding, or seasonal cobblers.

Fried chicken special every Sunday at Killen’s. Photo by Scott Sandlin.

2. Tejas Chocolate Craftory – 200 North Elm, Tomball, Texas

Chocolate? Isn’t this a barbecue review? Tejas Chocolate was founded in 2011 by Scott Moore, Jr., and his partner, Michelle Holland, as a “bean-to-bar” confectionary business in Tomball. Moore realized at some point all the residual space and time (!!) in the cacao bean roasting process could be used to cook other things, and in 2015 the barbecue side of the business was born. Scott’s brother Greg Moore is a trained chef, and his creativity shines in exemplary special dishes and sides. “Unique” is an understatement in describing some of their creations. The sweet carrot souffle (Michelle’s contribution) is one of the best side dishes ever served with barbecue and helps balance the salt and spice of the smoked meats. Cornbread pudding is more savory than sweet, with noticeable additions of white cheddar, green onion, and parsley. Winter special dishes offered periodically include included smoked pork chowder, potato soup, and Hobbit Stew, thick with chunks of rustic potatoes, roasted poblano pepper, smoked pork, and bacon. It’s named after its creator, Hobs, the kitchen supervisor, whom Scott declares to be a “furry, large-footed meat cutter.”

Brisket, burnt end bites, pork sparerib, smoked pork belly, and a beef plate rib “shorty”. Photo by Scott Sandlin.

The brisket here is tender with a sturdy bark, which is also evident in the burnt end nuggets. Big beef plate ribs are cross-cut into shorter sections, resulting in two- or three-inch pieces just perfect for a 1/3-pound single serving. Wednesday is House Prime day, a sandwich special loaded with a half-pound of moist brisket, braised mushrooms, sautéed onion, horseradish cheddar, and green onion mayo on a toasted kaiser roll. Regular daily special sandwiches on the menu include the Brisket & Blues, with sliced (or chopped) brisket, blue cheese, red onions, and halved grape tomatoes, and the Bird & Bacon, with smoked turkey, bacon, fresh avocado slices, and topped with a fried egg. This gem, located down a quiet side street in Old Town Tomball, is a destination-worthy barbecue place worth driving many miles for.

The Bird & Bacon from Tejas Chocolate Craftory—smoked turkey with bacon and sliced avocado, topped with a fried egg. Photo by Scott Sandlin.

1. CorkScrew BBQ – 26608 Keith, Spring, Texas

Quality and consistency are what makes CorkScrew BBQ so remarkable—and that is what earned them the top spot in our 2016 Houston barbecue rankings. Day-in and day-out since 2010, owners Will and Nichole Buckman have delivered the best brisket, smoked turkey, and pulled pork in the Houston area. The prime briskets from Creekstone Farms are smoked at least 12 to 14 hours on huge, red oak-fueled Oyler rotisserie pits. The result is succulent, melt-in-your-mouth brisket—in our opinion, some of the best in Texas. Big beef plate ribs and smoked chicken on Saturdays are excellent as well, and sell out quickly. At CorkScrew, the popular beef ribs are priced at $20 each, which makes them much more affordable than at other places that typically charge $22 per pound. (Since beef plate ribs often weigh a pound-and-a-half or more each, the grand total elsewhere often ends up being between $30 and $40 dollars.) The housemade sides typically include potato salad, coleslaw, beans, macaroni and cheese, and a cobbler of the day. The menu may not be as extensive as other places, but it’s just the right size to ensure the Buckman’s extremely high quality standards are maintained.

Beef plate rib, brisket, smoked turkey and pulled pork. Photo by Scott Sandlin.

CorkScrew BBQ regularly sells out by 3:00 pm daily. It’s best to visit around 1:30 pm on a weekday, just after the lunch rush has diminished. Don’t be dissuaded though if there’s a line out the door; it moves quickly. The Buckmans are almost always on-site, often manning the cutting board at their bustling location in Old Town Spring. Each item ordered is sliced with precision and carefully arranged. The Buckmans are well aware that photos will be taken and shared on social media and make each tray look its best. Not surprisingly, on a recently-aired episode of the Travel Channel’s show Food Paradise, CorkScrew BBQ earned the top spot in their nationwide search for “the 8 greatest places for BBQ bliss.”

Pork spareribs and moist brisket, macaroni salad. Photo by Scott Sandlin.

That’s our list for this year. We look forward to seeing how Houston-area barbecue joints (especially some that we have high hopes for, like Pinkerton’s) rank next year!

About The Author: Smoked meat enthusiast and occasional barbecue competition judge in the Houston area, Scott Sandlin authors the Texas Pit Quest blog, maintains the Guide to Houston-Area BBQ map, and is the barbecue columnist for Houston Food Finder.

Comments (10)

Share Your Thoughts on This Article

  • February 8, 2017 at 12:54 pmJames Burkett

    Maybe this guy gets special treatment at some of these places. I for sure have not had much of anything that I would call great at tejas. It’s a good place but I don’t think it is second best. pit room is good but I think sort of overated and pappa charlie’s no thanks. That place is overpriced and the staff is rude.

    Reply
    • February 9, 2017 at 9:57 pmScott Sandlin

      I assure you, no special treatment. Just lots of miles and lots of visits, over 140 stops last year alone. I made multiple visits to each of top-ranked places in order to confirm quality and consistency.

      Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and ultimately one’s barbecue experience should be their own. Everyone has their own individual metrics on what makes barbecue good or bad for them.

      Respectfully, Pappa Charlies price point is in the same range as the others on the list, certainly not higher.

      Thank you for taking the time to read the article.

      Reply
  • January 5, 2017 at 8:24 pmDennis H.

    Pappa Charlie’s was a big disappointment for me. The ribs were decent. I’ve had much better. The beans and potato salad….tasteless. I’m having a difficult time trusting restaurant reviews.

    Reply
    • February 9, 2017 at 10:39 pmScott Sandlin

      Pappa Charlies’ ribs are unique; not like smoky ribs from other barbecue joints. I admittedly love them for that reason, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I like others less.

      My primary criteria in establishing ranking was consistency and quality in meats over the course of the year. Sides were not a significant factor, though if there are standout side dishes, I attempt to bring them to the reader’s attention.

      Lots of barbecue in our area, and plenty of quality places for you to visit and decide what you like on your own. Barbecue is a personal experience, and what pleases some may not be pleasing to others.

      Thank you for taking the time to read the article and provide a response.

      Reply
  • December 27, 2016 at 7:10 pmEric

    Haven’t had corkscrew but literally just got back from Tejas for about the 3rd time and it’s hands down the best BBQ I’ve ever had.

    Reply
    • February 9, 2017 at 10:32 pmScott Sandlin

      Glad you enjoyed Tejas! Make sure you let the owners know the next time you’re in. Positive feedback is a great morale booster for them and their team.

      Thanks for taking the time to read the article and provide a comment!

      Reply
  • December 24, 2016 at 10:50 pmNancy Wells

    Surprised by corkscrew #1. I found their meat to be very greasy and the sides average.

    Reply
    • February 9, 2017 at 9:24 pmScott Sandlin

      Quality and consistency (with brisket, in particular) over a number of years earned CorkScrew the top spot. Try some of their lean brisket, freshly sliced, and let me know what you think.

      Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment!

      Reply
  • December 24, 2016 at 4:36 pmBranden Eagle

    Seriously? Have you never heard of Brooks Place? Ranked by TMBBQ as #12 in the state…. can’t argue with the rest of the list besides Gatlin’s. The quality has gone wayscough down since going big.

    Reply
    • February 9, 2017 at 4:16 amScott Sandlin

      Thank you for your interest and for your comment, Branden. I appreciate you taking the time to read the article and provide feedback.

      Yes, I’m familiar with Brooks’ Place. Unfortunately it did not make the cut of the top 7 I had in Houston in 2016. I will certainly visit them again in 2017, and they will be considered with all the others.

      Please note that TMBBQ only gave rankings to the top 4 in the state in their last Top 50 list in 2013. The rest in their posting are just listed alphabetically by city (location) name, not by their ranking. I do not disagree that Brooks’ Place was worthy of a Top 50 ranking in 2013.

      Gatlin’s ranking was based on five visits in 2016, and I thought it was excellent every time. I hope you’ll give them another try.

      There are many new BBQ joints out there that weren’t around the last time TMBBQ did their list. Six of my top seven in Houston didn’t exist or weren’t considered in 2013. Lots of new players in the game, and lots of great BBQ out there, all over the state. Anxious to see who’s included when it’s published again this fall.

      Reply