Going to Festival #2: 4th Annual Houston BBQ Festival (Houston, TX)

 

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My friend Loni and I went to the 4th Annual Houston BBQ festival this past Sunday. There were a lot of top notch BBQ joints there. We ended up sampling about 22 of the 26 places there before the meat coma kicked in. Could we have done all 26? Maybe, but I did have to drive back to Austin that evening and we’d already had enough road adventures…

 

Lots of good music. I also got to meet the most excellent BBQ Bryan! There was also an excellent shirt that I need to get for my wife (I swear I was looking at the shirt, not the girl).

 

Still trying to figure out a good format for these. Do I talk about each place individually? Break them into categories? Some combination of the two?

 

I’m, sticking with the combination for the moment. As always, I acknowledge that these places are not at their normal location. This is how they did at the festival, NOT how they might normally do… And as usual I’m not rating jalapeno items. I also didn’t try all items from all places.

 

I’m breaking this into three categories:

 

Awesome: Not only would this item be worth a trip, but it was exception even then. Definitely a 9.5 or 10.

 

Exceptional: This item was definitely worth a trip (and remember, a trip is 60 miles one way just for the BBQ).

 

Very Good: This item is definitely good, and the place seems worth visiting, but I’m not quite willing to drive 60 miles one way just for it…

 

Nothing scored below very good. All items are listed in the order tried. (Linkified for reference) 

 

Louie Mueller's

Pinkerton's

 

Awesome Items: 

Tin Roof:  Smoked Sirloin

Brook’s Place: Ox Tail and Onion Bomb

Blake’s: Pork Sausage

Pizzolita’s: Pork Rib

Corkscrew: Turkey

Louie Mueller’s: Beef Rib

Tejas Chocolate: Carrot Soufle and Chocolate Panna Cotta

Pinkerton’s: Hot Boudin

Blood Brothers: Beef Belly and Short Rib

Pappa Charlies: Prime Rib, Brisket, Pulled Pork

Louie Mueller: Beef Rib

 

Pinkerton's



Pinkerton's

 

Excellent Items:  

Tin Roof: Pork rib and brisket taco

Lenox: Pork Rib

Pizzitolas: Pulled Pork

SouthSide: Original Sausage

Corkscrew: Brisket

Brisket House: Pork Rib

El Burro and the Bull: Smoked Pork Tamlito

Tejas Chocolate: Brisket

Pinkerton’s: Smoked Alligator, Brisket

Jackson Street BBQ: Venison Sausage

BBQ Godfather: Brisket

 

 

Very Good Items :  

Lenox: Brisket

Blakes: Brisket

Pizzitolas: Chopped Beef

Southside: Brisket

Brisket House: Brisket

Gerardos: Brisket Tacos and Pork Tacos

Fainmous: Brisket

Wooden Spoke: Brisket Slider

Harlem Road TexasBBQ: Beef Rib

BBQ Godfather: Turkey

Pappa Charlies: Sausage

 

Let’s be clear, these are all subjective. With few exceptions, the difference between categories is usually a question of taste preference. I definitely want to try any of these places that I haven’t tried before.

 

Some items that stood out:

The smoked alligator at Pinkerton’s was definitely unusual and very tasty (as was their Boudin). Blood Brother’s had an awesome beef belly that was delicious!

Tin Roof’s smoked sirloin was as tender as brisket but still had that sirloin flavor (with appropriate smokiness).

The Ox Tail from Brook's was tender and delicious.

And Loni liked the sausage from Blake’s so much that I think she got thirds.…

 

Thanks again to @HouBBQ for throwing a great festival, and to all the great places who participated. Definitely looking forward to going again next year!

 

Tom