Barbecue Inn — Restaurant in Houston

Alright, let me tell y’all about Barbecue Inn in Houston. Now, don’t let the name fool you—yeah, they do barbecue, and they’ve been slingin’ it since 1946, but somewhere along the way, they decided to bless the world with some fried chicken. And buddy, Houston has been better for it ever since.

This ain’t one of those fancy, bougie barbecue joints with craft cocktails and some dude in a leather apron tellin’ you about “elevated smoke profiles.” No, sir. The menu here hasn’t changed since your granddaddy’s heyday, and the décor looks like it was installed when Truman was still making decisions. Vinyl booths, simple service, and the kind of no-nonsense, old-school charm that says, “We’ve been doin’ this longer than you’ve been alive, so just sit down and trust us.”

Now, let’s talk about the real reason we’re here: the chicken. Lord have mercy. This ain’t just fried chicken—it’s almost a religious experience. We’re talkin’ perfectly crispy, golden-brown skin, juicy, tender meat, and a flavor that’ll make you rethink every other piece of fried chicken you’ve ever put in your mouth.

I called ahead for takeout because I was already sweating with anticipation. The staff? Sweet as can be. My order was ready right on time, but let me tell ya—when I got that bag in my car and that smell hit me, I almost had to pull over in a gas station parking lot just to take a bite. It smelled that good.

Now, they fry this chicken fresh to order, which means no sad, soggy bird sittin’ under a heat lamp. I got three pieces of dark meat—a drumstick and two thighs, which, as any true fried chicken connoisseur knows, is the best way to go. That’s a generous portion too, so respect to them for that. And before they rang me up, they even double-checked that I got the dark meat I asked for. That’s how you know a place actually cares.

Came with a side salad and a piece of old-school, no-frills bread, because they’re keepin’ it classic. Hell, they even threw in a little parsley for that retro, mid-century touch.

And just in case you think I’m just talkin’ outta my butt here, both Southern Living and Travel + Leisure have named this some of the best fried chicken in America. So yeah, this ain’t just me ramblin’. It’s the real deal.

Oh, and don’t even think about rolling up there on a Sunday or Monday—they’re closed. Probably because frying chicken this good takes some serious recovery time.

Bottom line? If you love fried chicken, you owe it to yourself to make a pilgrimage. Just be warned: once you’ve had it, all other fried chicken might start tasting like a...

I can honestly say that Barbecue Inn is a very unique family friendly restaurant in a part of Houston that you just wouldn’t expect to find it. It has that southern feel and hospitality that you might expect out in the country.

All of the staff were super nice and very welcoming. We didn’t have to wait long for a table and were greeted by our wonderful waitress Laurie as soon as we were seated. In my opinion, every restaurant could stand to have a few Lauries.

We ordered the ribs to start, the fried chicken, fried catfish, and chicken fried steak. The kiddos had a burger and a stuffed baked potato.

The ribs came with sauce m, but they didn’t need them. They were so good. I don’t even know if the sauce was any good. I didn’t need or care to try it.

The fried chicken was was slightly greasier than I prefer, but it was super juicy and crispy and tasted great. I have to say the same for the fried catfish. However, I come to expect catfish to be a little greasy. The tartar sauce was really great. Also, I ordered the catfish fillet plate and added on a chicken thigh because I just had to try both.

My wife had the chicken fried steak and I liked it. I didn’t pay too much attention to it because I was digging my catfish and the gravy wasn’t my favorite. I tried it on a few fries and it was a little bland. Needed both salt and pepper. That said, the fries were great as well.

My kiddos liked their burger and baked potato, but they both liked the fries more than anything. But they’re kids, they’re always going to finish the fries first if you’re not paying attention.

Unfortunately we were able to try any of their homemade pies because they take a week off during July 4th so they didn’t have them made. The food is worthy of a second visit, but my goal next time is to devour their pecan and coconut cream pies.

Thanks again Laurie for your hospitality and professionalism. Your bubbly personality was amazing and we can’t wait to come...

Quick Summary - overall nice place to eat. Friendly staff.

Full Review - I have broken it down into categories to help explain the stars better.

Staff - Friendly and courteous they tend to not check to often on you which doesn't count as an issue to me. Many others in the restaurant were called by name by staff so theu have a strong repeat clientele.

Food - This was a mixed bag. I ordered a chicken fried steak with fries. I had a shrimp cocktail appetizer and a piece of carrot cake. So first up the chicken fried steak was done really well. Unfortunately the white country gravy most prominent flavor was flour. Gravy was not seasoned at all. After adding salt and pepper myself it got a lot better. Fries were fries nothing made them stand out. They were cooked well. The shrimp cocktail was a disaster. Way over cooked shrimp were dropped on s bed of lettuce and had cocktail sauce poured on them. 4th is was not worth it at all. Also dinner came with a salad that was just iceberg lettuce and some tomato chunks. I added some cheese to it to help. It was not good. Lastly the carrot cake. Better than average and really tasty.

Decor and atmosphere - The place is like walking in a 1950's family restaurant. Not as a gimic but it literally wasn't remodeled. While not bad it is drab and not inspiring. Most of the restaurant is booths and packed tightly so sound and noise can be a lot when place is full.

Cleanliness - they won big time here. Super clean.

Overall thoughts - I will give them a try to see how the bbq is again bit the rest of the menu seems standard to sub par. It not inspired dishes at all. But the clean friendly atmosphere is nice. Overall a decent but not great...