7 Of The Best Places For BBQ In Houston

The Lone Star state is filled with great smokin’ good rib shacks to choose from. And the BBQ in Houston is of the same incredible quality as the rest of the state. Whether you’re a Texas native or just visiting, take your pick from either of these finger-lickin’ good barbecue joints.

Best bit? All of the places below offer up their tantalising dishes for takeout and/or delivery, so you can get your barbecue fix at home.

7 Of The Best Places For BBQ In Houston, How do these rankings work?

1. Ray’s BBQ Shack

This Houston favourite is home to all things barbecue. Decide between sliced brisket, Chicago style ribs, sausage and baby-back ribs all served with hushpuppies. Ray’s BBQ Shack’s meats are hickory smoked to the high heavens, and the barbecue sauce is homemade. In addition to delicious varieties of barbecue, Ray’s BBQ Shack is family owned and operated, which means you’ll always feel right at home.

2. Killen’s BBQ  (Pearland)

At Killen’s, you will find some of the most drool-worthy ribs in the state. Perfectly tender, moist, and spiced, the meat falls right off the bone at Killen’s. In true barbecue shack fashion, they sell out quickly and have lines out the door. However, the ribs are well worth the wait, and every customer is offered a Lone Star in the meantime.

3. Tejas Chocolate+Barbecue (Tomball)

This place is a food lover’s heaven: Tejas offers up bean-to-bar chocolates from their small chocolate craftery alongside savoury Texas BBQ fare such as smoked brisket, pork shoulder, pork spare ribs, turkey, and sausage. Regular specials have a loyal fanbase – their pastrami on Thursdays is a must-eat.

While the meat doesn’t need much sauce, be sure to taste their version of a classic mole that naturally has their chocolate included into the recipe!

4. Pinkerton’s Barbecue

For a slice of Texas Hill Country barbecue in Houston, Pinkerton’s is the place to go. Pinkerton’s barbecue is always smoked low and slow with a special blend of aged post oak and sun dried mesquite. There’s incredibly tender glazed or dry rub ribs, prime brisket, sausage and homely sides with a twist such as smoked duck and sausage jambalaya.

5. Blood Bros. BBQ (Bellaire)

Blood Bros is the lovechild of Asian and Southern-style barbecue. Here you’ll find smoked turkey banh mi right alongside juicy ribs and smoked brisket. It’s unique, it’s flavourful and one of the best in the state. When it comes to tasty bbq in Houston, this place always hits the spot.

6. Gatlin’s BBQ

Gatlin‘s BBQ is a family owned and operated barbecue joint that serves up classic Southern barbecue and very quickly went from hidden gem to a hot spot. This is the proper, down home barbecue that epitomises the flavours of the south, from smokey brisket, ribs (pork and beef!), piled high sandwiches and juicy chicken to sides of collard greens, candied yams and creamy potato salad.

7. Lulin City Market

Family-owned and operated, smoking seven days a week, nationally acclaimed sauce and located in Texas’ heart of barbecue? We’ll take it. Here you’ll find a wide variety of meats all made with tried and true recipes. For example, their famous sausage is the same 100% beef sausage recipe they’ve used for three decades.

At Lulin City, you’ll drool over any of their menu items but don’t leave without tasting their famous Luling City Market Bar-B-Que Sauce.