Charm Taphouse & BBQ, a new destination for a bold fusion of Central Texas-style barbecue and Thai cuisine, is now open in Conroe. The casual eatery is located at 525 Woodland Square in the Marcel Town Center space that was previously home to Tapped DraftHouse & Kitchen. It’s the brainchild of husband-and-wife restaurateurs Adam and Wanalee Gorelick and pitmaster Jonathan Rodgers, who worked previously at Michelin-recognized Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue in Tomball. 

The Gorelicks also own and operate Charm Thai Kitchen & Bar in The Woodlands and Charm Thai Bistro and Noe’s Café in Spring. Adam, who spent time in Thailand immersing himself in the local culinary traditions of his wife’s native country, draws from his experiences to craft the most authentic offerings possible. It’s been a successful journey thus far which has led to their latest opening. The team has been testing the waters for Charm Taphouse & BBQ over the past couple months with pop-up events, and the community response has been overwhelmingly positive. 

I recently won a drawing to preview the menu with a guest thanks to a contest hosted by Nick Rama of the Nick’s Local Eats Facebook group. He also kindly shared his own suggestions and insights during our visit, as did the members of the Charm staff. 

Charm Taphouse joins the growing list of local barbecue restaurants combining Asian flavors and cooking techniques that includes Blood Bros. BBQ, Brisket & Rice, Khói Barbecue, Loro Asian Smokehouse & Bar and more. On Charm’s menu, you’ll find Thai street food classics infused with Texas barbecue tradition like Chinese broccoli with crispy pork belly (pad kana moo krob), Thai fried rice, Pad Thai (I don’t care how ‘basic’ or ‘touristy’ it is, you can have my stir-fried rice noodles when you pry them from my cold, dead hands!) and pork belly bao buns. The bao buns are an early favorite, with guests at multiple tables around me declaring their love for the dish to everyone in earshot. I enthusiastically joined their ranks after my first bite into the pillowy, textural symphony of pickled papaya, fried shallots, cilantro, smoked pork belly and chili oil. There are also pan-Asian crowd-pleasers such as orange chicken — a Chinese-American staple famously created by a chef working for Panda Express in the ’80s.

The menu already features 20 different dishes, many of them customizable with your choice of protein, including low-and-slow smoked Texas-raised, USDA Prime Black Angus brisket, chicken, pulled pork, tofu, turkey breast and pork belly. Rodgers is soon introducing à la carte smoked meats by-the-pound which will see the addition of sausage links, burnt ends and more. Or you can keep it simple with a brisket or pulled pork sandwich on Flour House Bakers pain au lait with Thai barbecue sauce.

The food menu begins with nine different starters including Red Curry Mac and Cheese, Massaman Potato Salad, crispy Thai Chicken Wings and the must-try Thai Yum Ribs. The latter of which consists of three slow-smoked ribs tossed in nam jim jaew (a classic Thai dipping sauce made from made from fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind, sugar, chilies, toasted rice powder and fresh herbs) over a bed of thinly-sliced red onions tossed with Thai herbs. Other than occasionally pointing at the dish while mouthing expletives, we greedily devoured our ribs in content silence.

Thai papaya salad is also listed among the appetizers, but I like to keep an order of this Lao-Isaan salad on the table to accompany my mains and for dipping sticky rice in. It’s got a good balance of sweet, sour, salty, spicy and umami flavors with a pleasant crunch. I didn’t pick up on any dried baby shrimp in this one, so keep that in mind if you prefer that style of som tum.

For our first main course, we split an order of pad see ew with slices of smoked turkey. I’m pretty picky about getting turkey from a purveyor of barbecue I haven’t tried before, as many places tend to let it dry out, but this might rival Willow’s Texas Barbecue for my favorite smoked turkey. It’s tender and moist, with a beautiful crust that adds just the right kick. 

Next we moved onto a bowl of red curry, also known as gaeng phed, with smoked brisket on a bed of jasmine rice surrounded by coconut red curry simmered with bamboo, bell peppers and basil. It offered comforting sweet, savory and spicy notes with a rich, creamy texture and the addition of the brisket added another layer of smoky complexity. We were as happy as pigs in slop, but Rodgers still came out to check on us and make sure the brisket was still moist as it was one of the last portions of the evening. It’s understandable, not only because of the late hour but from my own experience, smoked brisket can easily lose its bark and quickly turn bland or pot roast-y in stews, soups and curries.

We assured him everything was wonderful, but he insisted on dropping off a couple links of smoked prime beef and basil sausage all the same. We didn’t argue with the man. The grind had that golden ratio of fat and beef, not too loose or dense, and the snap was a thing of beauty. It’s made in-house and is normally served sliced over rice, but this was a special circumstance. It was the icing on the cake (and the reason we didn’t have room for the fantastic-looking mango sticky rice for dessert!) 

While the menu is already expansive and well-executed, the staff kept reminding us that the restaurant is in its soft opening phase. This is evident in much of the layout and decor, left behind from a speedy turnkey transition. The bar still needs to be filled out, signage and window decals of the former gastropub remain posted and the patio is still being redone, but all of that is temporary and completely eclipsed by the quality of the food and drink. It’s a come-as-you-are type of place meant for friends and family to laugh and share stories over a delicious meal. It’s unapologetically down-to-earth and approachable with large, shareable entrées ranging between $17.99 and $22.99. 

We were pleasantly surprised by a strong showing of creative, signature cocktails showcasing exotic spirits and ingredients. Head bartender Travis Nobili, who also works at The Woodlands location of Charm Thai, was eager to guide us through the menu. The Lying Buddha is a great place to start. This summer-coded refresher sees fragrant makrut-infused vodka shaken with fresh lime juice and Kalani Coconut Rum Liqueur, and it instantly put me on vacation mode… at least for a few hours while we “Thai’ed one on” over dinner. 

All of the cocktails stood up to the tangy, salty, smoky and herbaceous flavors of the food offerings. (The only nitpick would be the fast-melting type of ice used.) Prices range from $13.99 to $18.99. 

Favorites from the evening include the Victory Monument, a short cocktail made from Mezcal Unión, Cynar, sweet vermouth and cocoa bitters, the Phi Mai with gin, maraschino liqueur, fresh lemon and strawberry juice shaken and poured over ice with fresh basil, and the Phuket Fashioned built with Mekhong Thai Whiskey and housemade Thai herb syrup garnished with candied ginger and orange peel. (It’s pronounced “Poo-ket” or “Poo-get,” by the way.)

Fifty different draught beer options are available by the pint for $6 each, including offerings from Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Galveston Island Brewing, Eureka Heights, Back Pew Brewing Company and more.

Mashups like this have become a common thread in the modern barbecue world, and hungry Texans are here for it. It’s not uncommon to see patrons form lines wrapped around a smokehouse well before it opens and bringing along photography gear, fold-out chairs and, in some cases, ice-cold beer. We’re lucky to live in a time where one can find just about any variation under the sun now, from Michelin Bib Gourmand recognized Egyptian and Middle Eastern amalgamations to Mexican and Tex-Mex themed barbecue joints all putting their own spin on Central Texas-style ‘cue. 

Charm Taphouse ups the ante with great cocktails, a bevy of beer choices and some seriously comforting Thai food. It’s a destination well worth the drive and is sure to charm barbecue snobs, discerning foodies and casual diners of all ages alike. 

Charm Taphouse & BBQ is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. 

Mario-Sebastian Berry

Mario-Sebastian Berry is a wine and spirits vendor who has been in the hospitality industry since 2002. Currently, he represents Blanco, Texas-based Andalusia Whiskey Co. He holds numerous wine, beer and spirits certifications including Certified Sommelier. Somehow, he also finds time to be Houston Food Finder’s associate editor and social media manager.