Truth BBQ — Restaurant in Houston

This was my second visit to Truth BBQ, and once again, it did not disappoint.

Right off the bat, they make the wait more bearable with a cooler full of water outside—a thoughtful touch for the Houston heat—and a full bar if that’s your thing. I got in line around 10:30 AM on a Sunday and was second. Not sure if that’s typical, but take it for what it’s worth.

Just before opening, they hit us with an unexpected audible: fried chicken was on the menu. Naturally, I adjusted my order.

Here’s what we got: • 3/4 lb brisket (mixed, with burnt ends) • Fried half chicken • Brisket Philly sandwich • Large mac & cheese • Corn pudding (corn casserole) • Tater tot casserole

Brisket: Classic Truth brisket—juicy and flavorful. While I think my first visit had a slight edge, it’s still the best brisket I’ve had in Houston. Doesn’t quite reach Interstellar or Franklin level, but it’s close. And that’s elite company.

Fried Chicken: A total surprise hit. For $13, you get a half chicken that’s incredibly juicy with a light pickle brine flavor and a sweet dipping sauce on the side. Easily one of the best fried chickens I’ve had at a BBQ joint.

Brisket Philly: I don’t even have the vocabulary to describe how perfect this was. The bread was toasted just right, the brisket-to-cheese ratio was spot-on, and the peppers added the texture and acidity it needed. It’s rich, indulgent, and absolutely a must-order. As much as I love brisket, this is what I’ll be coming back for.

Sides: Truth does not miss on sides. Period. • Mac & Cheese: Creamy béchamel, al dente pasta, topped with breadcrumbs for texture. Perfectly seasoned. • Corn Pudding: Sweet, soft, and satisfying. Think corn casserole done exceptionally well. • Tater Tot Casserole: Rich, cheesy, and comforting. Think hashbrown casserole with a bit of magic.

Fixings: Elevated and appreciated. House-made pickles, pickled red onions, and a medley of pickled peppers—these small details truly enhance the experience. Served with classic white bread.

Drinks: Big fountain drink cups with free refills. Minor gripe: no Coke Zero. I’d deduct a ¼ star for that if I could.

Dessert: It was my birthday, so I went for the chocolate cake. Not the best I’ve ever had, but still solid—dense, rich, with great icing. My friends had the banana pudding and said it was the fluffiest they’ve ever had. The texture was perfect, and the flavor matched.

Value: All of this food—minus dessert—came out to just over $101. For the quality, variety, and portions, that’s an excellent value, especially when compared to Austin BBQ prices.

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Final Thoughts: Truth BBQ lives up to its name. The brisket is solid, but the real stars this time were the fried chicken, that unreal brisket Philly, and the unbeatable sides. It’s one of the top BBQ experiences in...

Spring Break 2024 for my family and we opted for a stay-cation where we would try various places we have not eaten before and after watching many an episode of Eat Like A Local with Chris Shepherd, we decided to try this, one of his recommendations.

Listen, I was born and raised here in the Houston area and BBQ is in my blood. If there are 2 cuisines I know inside and out (from a consumer's point of view), it's BBQ and Mexican food. So with that said, it's hard to impress me on both fronts unless the FOOD.IS.GOOD.

I have traveled all over Texas, trying well-known landmarks of BBQ and Truth is now one of my faves.

I have 5 in my party, and I'm the only girl, and each of my 3 sons comes equipped with what seems like are 3 stomachs each, so we ordered big to have enough of everything to go around.

Ordered 1 Texas Trinity and one Sha-bang. By the time we made it to the counter (an hour long wait) they were out of their famed turkey as well as the cheddar/Jalepeño sausage. ¡Muy Triste! The line guy didn't seem to sympathize with my sadness over this loss...so we moved on, and asked for extra sausage and a sampling of those available, which they gave, including boudin.

Was excited about the sausage as it's all made in-house, but none really impressed to the point of obsession-- they were good/decent.

The ribs and the brisket were the show stoppers along with the INCREDIBLE SIDES. The tator-tot casserole, Mac n cheese, and Brussel sprouts were OUTSTANDING. My husband ordered a small corn pudding and one of my boys also ordered a cheese burger. He reported the cheeseburger was very good. We all could have eaten our weight in the ribs. We got fatty and lean brisket and both were OUTSTANDING.

We also ordered a slice of carrot cake, which was the size of a small WHOLE cake. The BBQ sauces were delicious, my fave was the red -- had a beautiful amount of alcohol in it -- flavor was spot on.

This place is A GEM and wish I could give it 10 stars. Will absolutely be coming back and the wait was worth every minute. Next time our group of 5 will order the Trinity with double ribs and 1 order of brisket, Tator Tot Cass & Mac n cheese.

The staff in the dining room were super, one guy was very friendly and visited with us several times about where we were from (just down the road in NW Harris County) and if it was our 1st time there. Wish we knew if the tip we gave at the counter (credit card swipe) also benefitted the dining room staff -- feel like a sign should be at the credit card machine if they do not get a portion of tha so you know to leave additional on the table.

Had lots of sides left over and a lot of sausage, small amount of brisket to take home.

Looking fwd to a return...

Came here with my bf visiting from out of town. It's a cozy BBQ joint that doesn't try too hard to be that die-hard TX vibe. The BBQ was AMAZING. Every time there were burnt ends available they would set aside a baking sheet on the counter for those queued up to taste. The staff are so friendly and so lovely to talk to.

For the food we got a standard 3 meat platter to feed two ($34). We're both kind of small so we ended up with some leftovers. Please give the meat an honest chance if you decide to come here, I'll let it speak for itself. The order came with two sides and we got an extra($6). These were:

Potato Salad: its the kind of potato salad that's more potato-chunk than it is mashed potato. Great palette cleanser Mac n Cheese: if you like a cheesy Mac with breadcrumbs then this will do it for you

And this one caught me off guard, they had brussel sprouts as a side. We got a small side and I kind of wish we asked them for the whole tub. They're smoky and some ends of the sprouts were charred. They're cooked with peppers and garlic. They pour a sauce over them when you're served your portion so they retain their lightly crunchy texture. I think they ruined brussel sprouts for me, there's no coming back from that. If you aren't a fan of brussel sprouts because they were prepared for you in the past to be mushy and kinda stinky, then please give them a chance if you visit Truth BBQ. What they did to those sprouts is nuts and I thought about them the whole way home, lol.

As for the other stuff... The parking situation tho. like, idk man. I think they have the perfect amount of parking to keep their flow of customers in their dining room, but it's ROUGH. Pray that you're lucky when you get there, otherwise you're kinda just going around a cramped lot and a patch of gravel and staring at the door waiting for someone to leave.

The line at the entrance is shaded as long as it's not THAT packed. They have a water cooler and cups at the line which was a nice touch. There's fans where people queue up as well. You're gonna sweat anyways because it's Houston, but its like enough to ride over a local who's used to sticking to everything in this swamp.

Overall this was a lovely experience. At the time of writing this, they have merch!! My partner bought a cute Truth BBQ branded hat ($30) to bring home to the west coast. If you're visiting Houston from out of town with time to kill then please give this place a try. It's honest food, honest workers and a lovely little spot to...