Henderson & Kane — Restaurant in Houston

My boyfriend and I were out driving this Sunday afternoon and decided to grab a little lunch. After some Yelping in the area we found ourselves at Henderson & Kane for the first time. The shop was very cute! It was a small dining area with a BBQ counter toward the back, and the walls were filled with grab and go food and a curation of local goods. We chose a gourmet chili oil salsa and some moringa powder, then headed back to order.

We ordered a 4 meat plate with 2 portions of fatty (point) brisket, 1 portion of lean brisket, and 1 portion of pulled pork. We loved all three, ESPECIALLY the point brisket. I’m not trying to be dramatic by using a sweeping statement like it was the best ever, but I really can’t remember having better brisket in my life. The pork was unlike any I’ve had. It was tender with a punchy, peppery, and tangy finish that I can’t wait to experience again. We kept it pretty light with our side choices: grilled vegetables and a medley of sweet potato, acorn squash, and kale. Both were simple but enjoyable vegetable sides which were suitable for our way of eating. It was nice to have choices besides mac and cheese and potato salad, but if I was going to order those things, I’d probably do it at H&K!

Somehow Jacob’s service at the counter outshone even the point brisket. We dine out often, and have encountered a lot of great servers. Our interaction with Jacob was perhaps our best ever. He was warm, friendly, and helpful, taking the time to explain everything for our first visit. As he did a table touch while we ate, he gave us a little bit of history about the store and some details about some of the bbq preparations. You could tell how much he believed in the store and the product, and that he was treated well at and loved his place of work. This level of care and pride was reflected in the food, which made for a beautiful dining experience. We talked about Jacob’s energy and the impact it had on us the rest of the day.

My boyfriend and I are new residents to Houston. Houston has some of the best food we’ve ever had. Among an overload of great choices, Henderson & Kane has become an instant staple. Both the food and the service are worth visiting for...

Michelle had been craving barbecue all week and her parent's mentioned that they'd been to this restaurant. Her dad said that it was really good, so we decided to give it a try.

This is a quaint place with a corner store vibe. The counter in the back is dedicated to the serving up various raw meat and cooked barbecue. It looked as if it may have been a butcher counter back in the day. Ordering is per menus that can be found on the counter and there is a chalk board for special items. Drinks are retrieved from the store cooler. There are five tables in the area near the barbecue counter.

Michelle ordered the Chopped Brisket Sandwich, which at $16.95 is freaking nuts. I ordered the two meat place (which was only a dollar more than the sandwich and comes with two sides), opting for lean Oak Smoked Prime Black Angus Beef and Beef Garlic Sausage, with Ranchero Beans: Pinto beans, red & greeen chiles, herbs and spices, and Mac N Cheese: Large elbow pasta in a creamy housemade bechamel (a white sauce made from white roux and milk). The homemade barbecue sauce was in a backet on each of the tables, along with napkins. As we waited for our order we browsed the store branded items on the shelves near the tables. They have some very pricey items. The Shark Tank would be proud!

Our food was brought on on metal trays covered with butcher paper, which is always an authentic touch. The pickles, onions, and jalapenos have to be retrieved from the counter and are contained in a contraption I've only seen at bars where they keep the lemons and limes for drinks.

Michelle liked her sandwich and the brisket had virtually no fat. My sliced beef was full of fat and not very fun to eat, as I was having to pull the fat off. We believe that they may have gotten the order mixed up and gave her my lean cut beef. Also, my sausage was not hot or warm. It seemed to be under room temperature, so that was not enjoyable. The beans were in a very thick mixture that I'm not used to experiencing with ranchero beans. The Mac N Cheese was good, but ordinary, even with the fancy sauce.

It was a long drive for average food. Maybe we should give it another try? I...

Unfortunately, I'm very disappointed with the place. I was looking foward to this visit after reading all the good reviews but sadly this place doesn't deserve anything above 3 stars. My boyfriend and I usually each order the 2 meat plate when visiting BBQ restaurants. We usually order this way to sample different meats and sides. Meats: Brisket, pulled pork, pork ribs and sausage with jalapeno and cheddar. Sides: Coleslaw, mac n cheese, ranchero beans, and potato salad. IMO the sides were made just right. Not too bland or too overpowering. Sides were served in the right temperature and seasoned just right. I cannot say the same thing for the meats. The meats were served slightly cold. Couldn't really taste any seasoning on any of the meats, no smoky flavor to them and just a bit hard to cut through. The sausage with jalapeno and cheddar was terrible. Too much cheddar in the sausage that took away the flavor. The meat was just not good at all. The BBQ sauce is also getting a bad rating. There is a Spicy BBQ sauce and an Original BBQ sauce. Both had too much pepper and couldn't tell the difference of which is spicy and not. We had decided not to continue with our meals and walked out. I dont plan on coming back here for BBQ. I would like to add that the staff were all so nice and very helpful. The staff deserves recognition for their good service. The rest of the store had very cute items for sale and the layout was quaint. Which is why I am giving them 3...