The Brisket House — Restaurant in Houston

I was in town on business and this location came highly recommended to enjoy some good BBQ. When I walked into the restaurant, I noticed its industrial-style design, with a brick-layer counter and an open kitchen where you could watch the food being prepared. It’s a casual place where you order at the counter, pay, and then find a seat at one of the ten or so tables inside. Both the preparation and dining areas appeared clean.

To be honest, I expected to be hit with the delicious smell of BBQ smoke as soon as I walked in, but that wasn’t the case. Still, I went up to the counter to place my order. Unfortunately, the young woman at the counter didn’t seem too interested in helping me. There was no greeting, just a cold shrug when I said hello. Asking her questions about the menu felt like a chore, and I almost considered leaving. But since I had taken an Uber to get there, I decided to stay and ordered the three-meat plate combo with brisket, ribs, and sausage, along with baked beans and loaded mashed potatoes.

A polite gentleman brought the food to my table within minutes, as everything was already prepared. As I started eating, I realized I was missing cornbread—a must-have with BBQ in my opinion. I hadn’t seen it listed under the main menu, but after a closer look, I found it under desserts. Reluctantly, I approached the same grumpy server to ask about it and ended up ordering a slice. Thankfully, the other men behind the counter were much friendlier.

The portions were generous for the price, especially with the sides included. The meats were fantastic—well-smoked, seasoned, and tender. The baked beans had a nice smoky flavor, and the mashed potatoes were creamy with the skin still on, though they could have used a bit more topping. The cornbread was a highlight—light and fluffy with a golden brown, slightly crispy crust. It had a good balance of sweet and savory, and the honey drizzled on top made it even better.

They also have a variety of drinks, including beer, soda, Dr. Pepper fountain drinks, and iced tea. Although I didn’t try the desserts, they offered options like banana pudding, pecan pie, and chocolate chip brownies.

Now, I’m someone who values good customer service, and I believe it can make or break the dining experience. Unfortunately, my interaction with the staff left a bad taste in my mouth. While I was there, I noticed that the young lady at the counter treated other customers differently, based on their skin color, which made the whole experience uncomfortable.

Despite the good food, I won’t be returning. There have to be better, more welcoming places...

I'm going to give them an "average" rating. Here's why:

Food - I got the brisket (moist) and pork ribs. I thought the brisket had a good taste, but that it was slightly underdone. It didn't quite have the "bend" that you'd look for in a fully rendered brisket.

The ribs I thought were a little better. Still a good taste, slightly fall off the bone. Not bad, but not the best ribs I've ever had.

I think I ultimately used the sauce for both as well. Good sauce. It's in a little warming deal by the drinks.

I also had a small bone type thing in/on my brisket. Looked almost like a small fish bone. I bit into the brisket and felt something crunchy on my teeth. I submitted a picture of that separately.

Atmosphere - I thought it was a nice place. A little small, but enough seating for the lunch crowd (we were there around 11:30AM). It was a little different from other BBQ places because you paid, and then sat and waited for your food ( as opposed to it being cut and handed to you). Not a big deal, but I just kind of wondered why. Team was fairly friendly, although I did get interrupted by the person taking my order when he answered the phone instead of letting me finish.

The smoker is inside, basically where everyone is sitting, so you basically leave smelling like BBQ smoke. Going back to work, I have been smelling it the entire time.

Price - I actually thought the prices of the Brisket House was pretty good. I paid $15.10 for a two meat BBQ plate (my sides were creamed corn and mac n cheese - both decent to good). I also got a fountain drink. I think I noted that the brisket by the pound price was about $16. This sounds pretty good, compared to the $18-$20 elsewhere.

Overall, I thought it was good. I'll probably go back if invited. BBQ is tough to be consistent, so it might be the best ever brisket on another day.

EDIT: Gave it another try. Brisket was on point this day. Also the sides were better than I remember. Adding it back...

Called around 1:45 on Sunday to see if they had ribs. They told me they'd need another 20 minutes, which was the time it took for me to get there. I went in and tried to order a 3 meat plate with ribs, brisket, and chicken. I was told the ribs needed another 20 minutes (the ribs aren't considered part of the plate specials, you pay for them by the pound and the cashier told me each rib is about 1 1/2 pounds.) I decided to go with a 2 meat plate with just brisket and chicken and for the sides I chose coleslaw and mac n cheese. I got home only to notice that they'd given me mashed sweet potatoes instead of the coleslaw, no biggie.

Taste: 2/5 and that's for the chicken. The chicken was seasoned with just salt and pepper I believe and had a smoky flavor, nothing great. I greatly disiked the skin because it was just fatty and gross. The brisket: although it was superbly tender, it tasted of only smoke. It was in dire need of salt and any other seasoning. The mac n cheese was gloopy, old, and cold. The mashed sweet potatoes were good. They had a hint of caramelly flavor, but to me they felt more like dessert (probably because I don't have much of a sweet tooth.) The barbecue sauce was horrible. I've never tasted a sauce at a BBQ joint that was this bad. I ended up eating my meal with some barbecue sauce that I'd made at home. They also included a slice of toast, some slices of onion, and dill pickles. I really came here for the ribs, so maybe I'll give them another chance just to see if the ribs...