Stevie Lew's BBQ Kitchen — Restaurant in Rockport

Arrived at about 1:45 pm on 6-26-2020. This eatery was recommended by a friend of my Brother’s. They were in strict compliance with COVID 19 Texas state requirements and our seating was outdoors. We ordered two BBQ Sandwiches with two side orders. The BBQ Sauce was good and the potato salad was made with Red Potatoes, celery, onion and had a hint of pickle. It was very good but came with NO salt or pepper. Our BBQ Sandwich, made with chopped brisket and sausage was adequate for the price and once you put BBQ Sauce on it, the flavor was enhanced. Not much smoke was detected but I noticed that the sausage had been previously cut into slices and had severely dried up edges around the slices. This made the sausage tough and once I cleared the sandwich of the offending addition, the sandwich was clearly more flavorful. We ordered Bread Pudding to go and I would rate that, by itself as a three star dessert. My wife (an experienced baker with a degree in Home Economics) and I both sampled the fare and found it tasted too sugary and the sugar was not clearly “melded” into the bread. The sauce on top was with no taste! Further, the pudding was very wet as if too much liquid was used to make it with. Darn! Having said all that Instill highly recommend this eatery! My qualifications as an Expert and Experienced Food and Service Critic; I have a BS in Management and have been trained in two Culinary Schools, to include on the job training at other venues. I’ve managed full service as well as fast food restaurants and have had my own successful Catering business. As a Culinary Trainer, I have trained personnel on how to provide superb cuisine and expert customer service. At the age of 73, I am now retired and enjoy being on the other side...

You know it's going to be good when cars are pouring out of the parking lot.

I had the opportunity to try Stevie Lee's BBQ kitchen today while visiting a client in Rockport.

The first thing I noticed was the insane number of cars parked along the side of the street because the parking lot was already full.

I literally busted a u-turn and quickly found myself standing in a fast moving line behind 20 other hungry and excited patrons.

The menu was colorful, easy to read, and filled with plenty of great options and different barbecue combinations. Every employee seemed to be having a great day, and by projecting that emotion throughout the restaurant, it seemed like everyone there was having a great time as well. Overall, the food was good, The environment was great, and the staff was excellent.

I enjoyed a half pound of brisket, a half pound of pork ribs, coleslaw, and cowboy beans. The ribs were smoky, well seasoned, and literally fell right off the bone. They were treated with a dry rub which I prefer. I noticed that they provided me several different cuts of brisket, from moist to lean (which I also prefer). The brisket was juicy and moist and had great smoke rings, but was a little too subtle of a flavor for my liking. The coleslaw was cold and fresh, but lacked a little seasoning. And the beans were unique, flavorful, and had a little heat perhaps from some habanero or similar pepper. I was especially a big fan of their barbecue sauce, which was slightly spicy and sweet without being too much of either. Nice work!

All and all, this was a great choice to try for...

Pretty good place, super nice people, friendly staff, unique feel.

I had the brisket. It was drier than I expected, but had a good smoked taste. The cole slaw tasted suspiciously of blue plate mayonnaise, but only at first, so maybe I was imagining that. I did like how finely shredded the cabbage was. The Creole jambalaya had a good kick. Being from south Louisiana, it wasn't quite what I think of as a traditional jambalaya, but I have more expertise in Cajun as opposed you Creole cooking. It was enjoyable, though.

The food came out super fast! Maybe why the brisket was a little dry...

I sat outside, and a very persistent cat really wanted my food! He was nice, but persistent! The pool is for the campers, I think, but it was nice to sit outside next to.

I kinda wanted to give the place three stars, but the people were much too nice and accommodating to give them fewer than four stars considering the food wasn't bad at all.

The style was really cool, too. I liked the surf board with...