5 Of Houston's Most Mouth-Watering Hole-In-The-Wall Texas BBQ Joints, According To Reviews

Skip Houston's most wildly overhyped tourist attractions and head straight to the closest hole-in-the-wall barbecue joint. This city is widely recognized as one of America's best for barbecue, and you'll find plenty of eateries at a variety of price points.

What defines Houston barbecue? Per Eater, it blends a variety of culinary traditions from Indigenous, African, Czech, and German cultures; cuts such as brisket, ribs, and sausage are typically "smoked over pecan, mesquite, or post oak wood." Today, these flavors and techniques continue evolving thanks to the influence of Mexican, Central American, South American, Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, and Nigerian communities in the Houston area.

When compiling this list of Houston's most mouth-watering Texas barbecue joints, we skipped the fancy restaurants with chandeliers and ceramic plates. Instead, we looked for hole-in-the-wall joints serving smoked meats in styrofoam containers or on metal trays. From there, online reviews from customers helped us identify the best of the best in Houston.

If you're craving East Texas-style barbecue in Houston, Southern Q is one of the best, according to a ranking from the Houston Chronicle. Just 15 minutes from the George Bush International Airport (which has nonstop flights from Houston to the Caribbean), the spot was founded in 2010 by pit master Steve Garner, a former truck driver who got his start barbecuing for his church on Sundays, and his wife, Sherice.

Menu highlights include turkey sandwiches, smoked boudin, and garlicky, peppery smoked sausage. Don't miss the sides, including Cajun rice, fried okra, and mac and cheese. Inside, picnic tables are covered with red and white plastic tablecloths, and meals are served on plastic trays or in styrofoam containers. If you have a bigger event, the restaurant also offers catering. 

At the time of this writing, Southern Q has over 2,100 Google reviews and a 4.5-star average, plus over 1,700 Yelp reviews and a 4.4-star average. One reviewer writes, "The food was hands down the BEST we ever had. You can tell it was made with love and care. Every bite was so satisfying and delicious. 1000% satisfied our craving for some good BBQ food."

Pinkerton's Barbecue has become a staple in Houston. Since Houston native Grant Pinkerton opened the first joint just 10 minutes from Downtown Houston in 2016, he's added two more locations (one in the Upper Kirby neighborhood and one in San Antonio). The eatery has been recognized by the same Houston Chronicle ranking, along with acclaims from Texas Monthly, Houstonia, and Eater. Not to mention, it has earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand award for "good quality, good value cooking." 

Despite its acclaim, the original Pinkerton's location in the charming, tight-knit Heights neighborhood still feels like a hole-in-the-wall joint. There are deer heads on the walls, the food is served on metal trays, and the day's menu is handwritten on butcher paper. Pinkerton's barbecue is smoked Central Texas-style, and its highlights include brisket, ribs, jambalaya, and chicken thighs. 

Currently, Pinkerton's has over a 4.6-star rating on Google and over 1,100 five-star reviews on Yelp. One Google reviewer shares, "The food was absolutely incredible and truly made my day ... Meat so tender, so perfectly seasoned, and so superb that it speaks for itself."

For old-school barbecue, head to Triple J's Smokehouse, recognized as one of the best in the city by the Houston Chronicle and The Infatuation. Rhonda and Jarrett Scales opened the barbecue joint in 1994, and not much has changed since then. Per The Infatuation, Triple J's is more of an East Texas-style barbecue compared to the Central Texas style that's most common in Houston. Expect saucy ribs and spicy boudin, plus tasty sides like potato salad and stewed green beans. Triple J's is also known for its loaded baked potatoes, stuffed with butter, cheese, sour cream, and chives, and topped with a meat of your choice.

Triple J's has over 4,000 Google reviews, with a 4.6 average rating, and a 4.4 stars on Yelp. One Google reviewer calls it the "Hands down best barbecue I have ever had! The brisket was tender and juicy; the ribs were perfectly glazed, slightly sweet, and well seasoned! ALL the sides were amazing." Nestled in the Trinity-Houston Gardens neighborhood, you can also place an order for catering. 

Kevin Mason has had a fascinating career: he went from University of Houston football star to police officer to pit master and owner of Lonestar Sausage and BBQ. After selling smoked sausage from the trunk of his patrol car, Mason opened Lonestar Sausage and BBQ in a warehouse in 2016, before moving to a location with a commercial kitchen in 2019. 

Today, Lonestar is best known for its Central Texas-style smoked sausage, which comes in several varieties, including Old Fashion hot links, Creole beef links, and Lonestar's signature pork and beef sausage. Brisket, ribs, and smoked turkey are also on the menu. Plus, the restaurant was named as one of the best in Houston by the Houston Chronicle.

On Google, Lonestar has a 4.7-star average, with just under 1,000 reviews. It also has a 4.2 average rating on Yelp, with just over 100 reviews. One reviewer praises, "The sausage is absolutely amazing, brisket is tender, they also have Boudin egg rolls!! If you are looking for good homemade barbecue, THIS IS THE PLACE!" Lonestar is just a 10-minute drive from Southern Q, so you can check out both in one trip (if you have a big appetite).

Brisket and Rice opened in a gas station in 2022, but three years and one Michelin recommendation later, it relocated to a standalone location in Hearthstone Corners, northeast of Downtown Houston. One thing that hasn't changed: the food. 

Brothers Hong and Phong Tran grew up in Brenham, Texas, with Vietnamese parents, and the menu features both smoked brisket and fusion dishes like barbecue fried rice and Poor Man's Macaroni, a twist on nui xào bò. Don't miss the one and only dessert dish: homemade banana pudding. In 2025, Texas Monthly named Brisket and Rice as one of the best barbecue spots in Houston, and it's also been recognized by Eater and The Infatuation.

Reviewers adore it, too. The joint has a 4.6-star average on Yelp and a 4.7 rating on Tripadvisor. "If I could give it 10 stars I would," writes one Google reviewer. "Each bite of brisket and the rice hit the spot. I was so full that I even got leftovers and reordered more brisket fried rice to go."

To create this roundup, we began by reviewing lists of the best barbecue in Houston from both local and national publications, including Houstonia, the Houston Chronicle, Texas Monthly, Eater, and The Infatuation. After compiling a long list of contenders, we looked into each barbecue joint to ensure that it fits the "hole-in-the-wall" description: locally owned restaurants with no-fuss dining spaces, focused on delicious, home-smoked food. 

We also ensured each included spot was currently in operation and located within Houston, rather than in a nearby suburb. Then, we scoured Google, Yelp, and Tripadvisor to see what customers said about the local eateries and their delicious food. Can't get enough of that smoky flavor? Check out the world's first Tex-Ethiopian barbecue joint in Arlington (one of America's most diverse and vibrant cities).