True Texas BBQ — Restaurant in San Antonio

As a Texas BBQ enthusiast, I was excited to try HEB’s BBQ, hoping it would live up to the high standards set by some of the state’s best, like Rudy’s. I wanted to love it and give it a glowing five-star review, but unfortunately, HEB’s BBQ falls short of expectations in both food quality and customer service, landing it closer to the level of Bill Miller’s than the top-tier BBQ joints. While it’s a step above Bill Miller’s in flavor, the premium prices—comparable to Rudy’s—don’t justify the merely decent experience. After two disappointing visits, I’m not sure I’ll be back. Food Quality: Decent, But Not Memorable The brisket at HEB is passable but lacks the wow factor that makes Texas BBQ legendary. On both visits, the brisket was tender enough, with a decent smoky flavor, but it didn’t have the rich, melt-in-your-mouth quality or perfectly rendered fat cap you’d expect from a place like Rudy’s. The sides, like the beans, were fine but unremarkable—nothing that would make you crave a second helping. For the price, which rivals higher-end BBQ spots, I expected a lot more. It’s better than Bill Miller’s, sure, but it’s not competing in the same league as Texas BBQ heavyweights. Customer Service: A Major Letdown What really soured my experience at HEB was the customer service—or lack thereof. Unlike Rudy’s or even Bill Miller’s, where staff exude genuine Texas hospitality and enthusiasm, the HEB BBQ counter feels like a place where disgruntled employees are sent to work out their frustrations. The staff I encountered seemed visibly unhappy, barely engaging with customers and lacking the warmth you expect from a Texas BBQ joint. This lack of friendliness is disappointing enough, but the incompetence I experienced on both visits was what truly frustrated me. Adding to the disconnect is HEB’s reliance on a touchscreen ordering system, which feels cold and impersonal compared to the human interaction you get at other BBQ joints. Texas BBQ is as much about the experience as the food—chatting with the staff, sharing your preferences, and feeling like your order matters. The touchscreen removes those connection nuances that make a big difference in understanding customer needs. It’s frustrating to navigate, with clunky menus and limited options for customization, making it harder to communicate specific requests. Case in point: my second visit, where I explicitly told the counter person I wanted five pounds of unsliced brisket in five separate one-pound packs. The touchscreen system likely contributed to the miscommunication, as there’s no real opportunity to confirm details with a human who listens and understands. Instead, I ended up with sliced brisket in three uneven packs, completely derailing my plan. On my first visit, I ordered a quart of beans as part of my meal. The employee, who seemed more interested in getting through the shift than providing quality service, failed to secure the lid properly. The result? A catastrophic mess, with 90% of the beans spilling into the bag and soaking everything else. By the time I got home, the beans had leaked onto my car’s carpet, turning a simple takeout order into a cleanup nightmare. It was a small but infuriating oversight that could have been easily avoided with basic attention to detail. My second visit was even more frustrating. Living and working in Bahrain, I wanted to bring a taste of Texas with me, so I ordered five pounds of brisket with very clear instructions: do not slice the meat and package it into five separate one-pound portions for freezing. My plan was to enjoy a monthly Texas BBQ feast over the next five months. Despite my explicit request, the employee sliced every bit of the brisket and divided it into three uneven packs instead of five. This forced me to spend extra time repackaging the meat myself, completely undermining the convenience I was paying for. It was another glaring example of carelessness, compounded by the lack of human interaction in the ordering process, that left me questioning the staff’s training and commitment to customer...

I first experienced this food at a yelp event back in summer of 2016 and was BLOWN away by every item I sampled - I thought it was better than many of the local BBQ joints - no joke!

However, on my first visit to the actual store, we were very disappointed. We showed up at 8pm on Saturday night (they close at 9pm) and were told they were out of brisket, ribs, sausage, pulled pork, and potato salad. Literally, all they had left was turkey, chopped brisket, smoked salmon and some of the sides. I did not come to a BBQ place for smoked salmon!

The food was nothing like I remembered from one year ago. The brisket beans were just meh, the chopped brisket on the sandwich and on the loaded baked potato we got was just so-so. It was actually pretty dry.

The ordering process was a bit confusing and when we got to the seating area (yes, I realize this is inside an HEB) most of the tables already had the chairs stacked on top of them so there weren't many options for our party of three. Again, they close at 9pm but we were there at 8pm.

We spent $23.82 for one loaded chopped brisket potato, a half pound chop brisket sandwich, the smallest cup of creamed corn, the smallest cup of brisket beans, one fountain drink and one domestic beer.

After fighting the usual HEB parking lot traffic, I really don't see myself going out of my way to go back. Might be cheaper than other joints in town but not as good, a hassle to get in and out of, and they were out of almost everything.

I think they set the bar too high at my...

my partner and I came in at 8pm to order some food. As we get there we’re at the screen in front of the place to order. And the work that was there was staring at us the whole time ordering, not telling us if they were out of something nor asking what we were ordering to see if they had any left for the night. We finished ordering and mind you were the only people there at this time and with the most ugliest face the man working there said “ we’re completely out of brisket I don’t even know why it let yall order the brisket. yall need to go to business were done for the day“ and just looked at us all pissed off as if we were the problem and we knew they were out. So we went to the service area and they were closed and found a wonderful manger and a lady that helped us at register 24 and refunded our money. And as we were walking back to our vehicle the man that was being very rude had two bins full with brisket. He basically lied to our faces, he just didn’t want to do his job and make our order. If that man wasn’t having a good he should’ve called off of work or go on break. But do not take your attitude out on customers, that you were clearly looking at ordering and waste our...