Mikeska's Bar-B-Q — Restaurant in Contiguous United States

I always pass by the sign while heading up to Houston on IH-10 and I finally stopped by to enjoy this barbecue. I stopped by at 1:30 in the afternoon on a rainy Wednesday evening and they're only about three patrons in the restaurant and a couple people in the drive-thru. I enjoyed the quick service and the very reasonable prices. I had a two meat plate with brisket and sausage (which I thought were pretty generous portions) and three sides which consisted of mac and cheese, coleslaw, and green beans. I thought the mac and cheese needed a bit of pepper but otherwise it was pretty commensurate with other barbecue joint mac and cheese's. I thoroughly enjoyed the green beans and the coleslaw and I thought both were very tasty and flavorful. I got a free piece of bread but it was just run of the mill white loaf, nothing special. Now onto the meat! I found the brisket to be a little salty in certain areas where I got pieces of bark, but otherwise I found it to be very tender and succulent. I enjoyed seeing the visible smoke ring on every piece of meat and it tasted nicely when dipped into the homemade barbecue sauce. With my one piece of bread, I made a little brisket sandwich by adding some pickles and onions to the mix. I really enjoyed the sausage which I thought was quite excellent and have no complaints about it whatsoever and will order again when I come back. I also ordered a pecan pie, and as the kids say these days "it was mid".

According to prior Google review photos, It seemed that there used to be a multitude of taxidermied animal friends on the walls of this restaurant but they must have remodeled as the number of animal heads on the inside has reduced dramatically and is far more tasteful looking (check out some of the prior photos and you'll agree that it was a lot of eyes staring at you when you take a bite out of that pork rib). Other than the heads on the wall, The interior was a bit barebones in terms of decor and you are served on polystyrene plates and plastic utensils so don't expect Ritz-Carlton level service. Overall, I enjoyed my experience and I rank it in the high average compared to other Texas barbecue joints. I would definitely...

Never been here before and BBQ sounded good, so I stopped in. I'm not even 3 feet inside the door trying to get my bearings (there is not a hostess stand or any organization to the entrance). From the register a young man who is serving one of only 3 people in the restaurant tells at me "sir you have to have a mask on!" With my mask in hand, again I was simply trying to get my bearings. I simply asked a question, "is it opening seating or???" He replied back even more boisterous than before " Sir you have to have a mask on." Needless to day I came to eat lunch, not to be yelled at. I gladly said i would take my business elsewhere as he replied "Good have a great day." Once again i had my mask in hand, and had barely stepped foot inside the building. I went just a couple miles away to a competitor restaurant where I did the same thing. I was greeted warmly by a host (even though i hadn't put my mask on). As I approached the host I asked a couple questions which he answered politely. I placed my mask on and he welcomed me to my table.

Just a little kindness to guests...

The barbecue at Mikeska's was less-than-stellar, to say the least. First of all, after you park and get out of your car to approach the building, you can't even smell the barbecue. That should have been the first red flag. We went inside and we ordered brisket, sausage, and chicken. The brisket was not cooked properly, it was dry and not really the right color. It seemed like it was cooked in the oven, and definitely on a day before today. The chicken, which the carver said was her favorite, was dry. Luckily, my husband shared his sausage with me, that way we both got enough to eat. It was very good. As far as the sides, I did enjoy the potatoes and banana pudding. My husband was not impressed with the beans. In a state where BBQ is King, we both agree that Mr. Mikeska should be ashamed of himself. Judging by all the taxidermy in the place, it seems like he spent waaaaay more time hunting than grilling. We will...