Pinehurst Country Store — Local services in Tomball

The little town of Pinehurst, Texas (population ~4,600) sits just north and west of Tomball. Where SH149 breaks off north and 1774 begins, there is an Exxon gas station on the south side with a sign out front claiming they have been smoking meat there since 1926.

I go by frequently. So I've been intrigued, and recently made a quick trip up there to experience their 'cue. The place is called "Pinehurst Country Store & Bar-B-Que. It truly is "gas station barbecue", not unlike how Rudy's started back in the day. If their claim of smoking meat since 1926 is true, that means they've been around longer than Black's (1932) or Smitty's in Lockhart (1948), Louie Mueller in Taylor (1949). Cooper's Old Time in Llano (1963), and many other well-respected Texas BBQ joints. Truth is -- I wish it were anywhere near as good as any of those places.

I went with my usual first-time order - brisket and spicy sausage. I got a good sized portion of very fatty brisket. I really didn't get any lean. And sadly the fat was not well-rendered. The bark, thankfully, was reasonable with some good flavor. It did have some smoky flavor, but not overly so. Fortunately the sausage was better. It had a reasonable grind and had good spice - I could actually still feel the heat during the drive back to the office. Net-net, their barbecue wasn't too bad. But is also was not worth the drive. If you are already up in the Pinehurst/Magnolia area during the week, a much better choice would be to go across the gas station parking lot and eat at The Meating Place BBQ. They have some great barbecue there. And if it is the weekend - don't pass go, don't collect $200. Go straight to Reveille Barbecue. They are one of the best in Houston, in this guy's opinion.

At the end of the day, "gas station barbecue" and "been around a long time" do not necessarily guarantee great barbecue. But that won't dissuade me from continuing to look for great barbecue in...

Just walked out of the store. The cashier of

Indian decent is laughing because I questioned why he let's people in with no mask. He does not have a mask on, he is not behind a plexiglas glass shield, and all these customers are just walking in and walking around the store with disregard for this terrible virus. To the new owner you need to show respect to your customers and that they have a safe environment to shop n buy food for lunch. I hope you terminate your...

I just moved to Pinehurst and went to the store terrified this morning. Michelle, the cashier when I went there, is an absolute angel on Earth. I was crying and embarrassed and she treated me like I was the most important customer of her day. Because of her, this is the only store I will shop at as long as I live here. Thank you so much Michelle for blessing me and making me feel like I matter. I will never forget...