Cypress Trail Hideout, Home of Pappa Charlie Barbecue — Restaurant in Cypress

I just left this establishment, and this of course was my first time eating here. I was hesitant to try the BBQ only because I didn't smell any smoke from wood in the air, or the atmosphere once I stepped out of the vehicle, or entering the building. I was waited on by a young white guy, but I can't remember his name, but... he was very good at being helpful with what was in the menu, and he was attentive at helping with drinks, and asking how our experience was so far. To start off I purchased the 2 meat BBQ plate. I ordered the brisket, pork ribs, Mac and cheese, and greens. *Let me say... whoever is making the greens in the back needs a raise!!! Those greens are top notch! Best greens I have had in a loooong time. I rate them at 5 out of 5 Now let's talk about the brisket... It was cut very thin first off, and it didn't have any smokey taste. I am a lover of bark, so I can say what ever season that they are using was decent, but remember as you can see in the picture the cuts are really thin, so you only get that taste for a brief couple of seconds. The brisket wasn't moist, the actual meat was dry, but the fat was rendered down, so there was some decent taste, and mouth feel there if you are into fat on brisket. I am a lover of fat on brisket myself. I give the brisket a 1 out 5. I am a big lover of ribs. I score a BBQ restaurant on if your ribs are good or not, and if your ribs are not good then it's a no-go for me. I love just simple ribs with only rub on it, and no sauce on the top. I believe sauce should be a compliment placed on the side as a condiment, and not have to be put on ribs if you are producing a good product. With that being said... The ribs were not good at all. I couldn't taste too much seasoning on the rib, and I think it had a slight glaze on them. I only bit one piece. I give it a 1 out of 5 The Mac and cheese looked to have potential, because it looked creamy, so I was rooting for it, but once I took a bite... It was lacking any seasoning, bland. All I'm looking for is a little salt, garlic, or paprika🤷 something. I did order the okra, because I saw someone else's review, and she said the okra was good. I am a huge lover of okra and i can say it was crispy and seasoned really well. I give it A 5 out of 5. I also ordered the onion rings from the advice of the waiter, because he said it was his favorite appetizer, and I can say he was right it was pretty good. My brother-in-law ordered the Brisket Mac and cheese, and you already know what I said about the Mac and cheese above, so I don't have to say it again. He gave it a 1.2 out of 5, because he had some bark pieces mixed inside. Over all I gave this restaurant a score of 2 out of 5 because the greens were amazing, the atmosphere was busy, but nice looking, and the waiter was very nice, and helpful. The BBQ just didn't do it for me. I always give a restaurant two tries, because it could just have been a bad day. I will wait for a detailed response from the owner on how they may make changes or if they won't, and just give a generic response like (Sorry for your experience, and sorry we couldn't meet your expectations. I hope we can do better next time, and we look forward to accommodating you when you come back to visit us). I will be waiting!!

*Wait I almost forgot the soda(Dr pepper) I had was very good, and they give you plenty of soda in a huge red cup👍. Which I...

Tried for the first time with my wife and parents. It was their 40th anniversary. My wife and I arrived first and secured an outdoor table near the stage as there was live music. We were greeted promptly and asked for drink order and appetizers. Upon returning with our drinks we were asked if we were ready to order even knowing 2 more people were on their way. When my folks arrived, they were greeted promptly and asked for drink order and appetizers. Immediately upon returning with drinks we were asked if we were ready to order. We said no. They literally just say down. It was like we were being rushed even though 10-12 tables outside were empty. The waitress soon comes back and says "I need your menus, we are short on menus and others are waiting and ready to order". Our party of 4 had to share 1 menu because we weren't ordering fast enough? LOL. Have you ever considered ordering enough menus for every seat in the house with extras to account for lost/damaged and to go orders? Can't afford menus for everybody even though the house wasn't packed, but you sure do have an upcharge for EVERYTHING. Extra BBQ sauce, upcharge. Extra salsa with chips, upcharge. My 2 meat plate I ordered came with 2 sides. I wanted green beans and the "loaded potato". Upcharge. Loaded potato side costs extra, no problem. I get it. Menu says loaded potato comes with butter, bacon and cheese. I got butter only. In any case, shouldn't a loaded potato be butter, bacon, cheese, chives, sour cream, and maybe even jalapenos? My mom ordered the rib plate with tots and potato salad. She got cream corn. My wife wanted a soda refill during all this..... Upcharge. My dad's brisket loaded potato tasted like it was twice baked two days ago. Should have been turned into potato salad next day, not served as leftovers. During all this, my beer sat empty for at least 15-20 minutes. I had to ask for another. You know how a BBQ plate comes with bread, onions, jalapenos, and pickles? The menu literally said relish by request only, yet was freely given to all. I hate pickles. Can I substitute those for extra onion? Let me...

I'll start by saying that we almost didn't give it a try because of a handful of recent bad reviews but I'm so glad that we did because it was the exact opposite of what all of the bad reviews had said. The food was fresh, hot, and tasty. The service was good and the ambiance was pleasant.

One review said it was the worst BBQ they had ever had, I strongly disagree. It was probably the best BBQ I've ever had after 6pm. Definitely a notch above your usual all day BBQ joints like Rudy's, HCSH, and Papa's.

The brisket was moist and fatty, it wasn't what you'd get after waiting In line for three hours at 11am from Corkscrew or Truth but for a casual dining experience it was very good!

We chose fried okra and pulled pork mac&cheese balls as an appetizer and both were great. Top notch deep fried food. The balls were excellent and the texture was perfectly pleasant.

I opted for the chicken fried ribs which were fantastic, the batter was delicious, the gravy was thick, creamy and peppery, the ribs themselves were perfectly cooked and came right off the bone with a fork.

The only two things, keeping me from a 5 star rating are the overall price and the very last leg of the service.

We finished eating just as the place got busy and our poor server probably had too many tables so we waited about 10 minutes longer than I would have liked to pay our bill. I did feel like it was a little expensive coming in at just over $100 for two adults and a kid but we left with two huge to go containers of leftover food so next time we will just share and it'll be cheaper.

Don't let the negative reviews turn you away, if you're looking for a fun, family friendly place to enjoy an afternoon outside with some creative food and live music this is a really great spot to try. We will...