Pinkerton’s Barbecue: Best BBQ Houston, TX 77009

Texas is famous for its BBQ, so the very first meal I sought out after arriving in Houston was at Pinkerton’s Barbecue. It had rave reviews and consistently topped every list I found while researching the best BBQ spots in the city.

I arrived around 8:00 PM to find a line outside the door. It wasn’t a crazy wait, but it took about 30 minutes before I was finally up to order. A few items were already sold out for the night, but luckily, the Prime Brisket was still available.

Once inside, the line continued toward the register. The restaurant has a great, chill vibe, featuring a bar for drinks and dining, plus a main dining area with long, communal tables on a first-come, first-served basis. Watching the staff carve the meats while waiting in line was pure torture—I was already starving, and seeing that brisket “sweating” as it was being sliced made it even harder to wait!

I ordered the Prime Brisket, smoked sausage, and a mix of dry-rub and glazed (candy paint) pork ribs, with sides of bacon mac & cheese and potato salad.

• The Brisket: This was excellent—perfectly smoky and incredibly juicy. Pairing each bite with a bit of the potato salad and mac & cheese made for the perfect BBQ mouthful.

• The Ribs: The glazed pork ribs had a nice kick and were truly “fall-off-the-bone” tender. While the dry-rub ribs were also solid, I definitely preferred the glazed version.
• The Sausages: The smoked sausage combined with the mac & cheese was a cheesy, delicious match made in heaven.

I left the restaurant completely full and satisfied. Houston BBQ definitely left its mark on both my heart and my stomach! Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to hit up any other BBQ spots during this trip—Houston’s food scene is so massive that I just couldn’t make room for a “round two”—but I’m already looking forward to my next visit.