2019 - Houston

Continuing on our road trip, my wife and I had fun at Hermann Park, then ate dinner at Pinkerton's Texas Pit Barbecue in The Heights.  Here's my video of this adventure:

After a great lunch in Pearland, my wife and I had some time to kill, so we headed to Hermann Park.  We spent some time at the Houston Museum of NaturalScience (they have a really neat butterfly enclosure) and explored the Rose Gardens where we got married lo those many years ago.  Then it was time for dinner and that meant more barbecue.

The Barbecue

We headed to The Heights.  Pinkerton’s Texas Pit Barbecue is located in a big white building at 1504 Airline Drive.  The restaurant is in the first floor, while owner and head pit master Grant Pinkerton lives on the second floor.  Parking was a bit tight, but I wedged the minivan into a spot.  As you walk in the front door, there is a bar to the left and the dining room to the right.  We got in line, got our food, and found a table. 

The brisket I ordered was really good.  Just a single, thick slice, but it was super tender and had a rich smoky flavor.  They serve two kinds of pork ribs: glazed and unglazed.  I couldn’t decide, so I got some of both.  Big and meaty, tender and smoky, both styles of ribs tasted great.  Pinkerton’s also served blueberry cobbler.  I love a good cobbler and made from fresh blueberries?  Oh yeah. . .  My wife got their two meat plate with lean brisket and pulled pork with a side of beans.  The bites I snuck from her order tasted great and she raved about the beans.  There was no sauce on the table and we didn’t see any when we were in line.  Pinkerton’s might have some, but the meats sure never needed it and we didn’t miss it.

After I ate, I walked around to the smoking shed.  There I met Curtis, one of their pit masters.  A friendly young man, he showed me their pits and explained their cooking method.  Briskets start out being cooked over mesquite wood.  After about twelve hours, they are wrapped in butcher paper and cooked over oak at a higher temperature.  A slightly different smoking technique than most barbecue joints, but you can’t argue with the results.

Pinkerton’s Barbecue made the Texas Monthly Top 50 list in 2017.  It’s easy to see why: mouth watering barbecue, super friendly people.  That’s a winning combination that will keep Pinkerton’s on that list for years to come.

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

2019 - Pearland

My wife and I took a barbecue road trip to the Houston area.  Our first stop was Killen's Barbecue in Pearland.  Here is the video I made of this adventure.

The Barbecue

Killen’s Barbecue is located at 3613 E. Broadway Street in Pearland, south of Houston.  It’s a big white building with a large covered dining area to the side.  

We arrived just after noon and got in the short line.  It was a beautiful day and very comfortable in the shade as we waited.  The line moved quickly and we placed our orders.  My wife ordered their two meat plate with lean brisket and pulled pork, with a side of beans and green beans.  I ordered my usual moist brisket and pork ribs.  They were also serving beef ribs, so I had them drop one of those bad boys on my tray.  Our meals came with homemade pickles and pickled onions.  We grabbed some drinks, found a table indoors, and dug in.

The brisket was very tender and had a nice smoky flavor.  It was sliced a little thinner than I like, but you could not see through it like the brisket I got in Kansas City a couple of years ago.  My wife said her last slice of brisket was a little drier than the first slice, probably due to the thinness of the cut.  The pork ribs were big and meaty with a great chew.  I snuck a couple of bites of the pulled pork and really enjoyed it.  The beans were nicely spiced and my wife loved the green beans.  

But the star of the show was the beef rib or should I say brontosaurus rib.  Great smoky flavor, super tender.  Almost like eating a meat popsicle.  Oh my. . .  There were three types of sauce on the table: original, tangy, and coffee.  The first two were “light” sauces with different degrees of sweetness and spice.  The third was richer and had a bit more depth.  All three went well with the barbecue.

In 2017, Texas Monthly named Killen’s Barbecue as one of the fifty best barbecue joints in the state.  From what my wife and I sampled, I suspect Killen’s will keep making that list well into the future.

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!