CorkScrew BBQ — Restaurant in Spring

I believe the food must be good, since people were willing to wait in-line for so long. However, the service (while polite) was incompetent. This is probably mostly due to the way they run the operation, but the end result was the worst customer experience I've had in recent memory.

We arrived about 2 pm and got into line to make our order. Line was out the door and around the porch. I did a quick timing on the turnaround for a couple of people to order and figured it would be 30-45 minutes to get to the front of the line. Fair enough. I knew what I was in for. About 1/2 hour later, things began to slow down. It was now taking 5 or more minutes to simply take an order. After that, the order taker turns around and spends another minute or so explaining the order to the kitchen, prior to taking the next one in the queue. There were 2 or more busers (no waiters for sure) that were walking up and down the line and selling beer, so it sure seemed this was not a manpower issue. They had been there from the beginning to give us photocopied menus, so we had plenty of time to decide what we wanted.

After we got in the door, I sent my companion to sit down. There are many interesting things to read, after you've memorized the menu, as there are lots of vintage signs and especially license plates hung on the walls. I read everything... Twice.

I was finally getting close now! It had been over an hour but there were only 2 groups in-line ahead of me. There was a long blackboard along the wall on the final section of line up to the counter. When I got into the number 3 spot, I saw the order taker come to the blackboard just ahead of me and mark a line through "Cole Slaw". This was a little disappointing, since my partner wanted that side. More surprising was when I read a little further down (in the #1 spot) and saw that Brisket and Pulled Pork was also marked through. This required me to check, but was still OK, since we were both willing to go with ribs.

Now almost 1:15 in the line and I'm next! At that moment, the order taker walked right past me and marked out ribs. Argh! I stormed away totally exasperated. The man behind the counter had clearly seen reactions this before. Without missing a beat, he said "Next customer in line!" It was all by design! They made no attempt to let you know that they were out of menu items, until you got to the very front of the line. The line itself blocked access to the information. Later, I heard this was posted somewhere outside, but that's of no value to people holding a spot in line. This was all designed to put you in a position to "accept whatever was left" or walk away after waiting for so long. I chose the latter and will never walk back into their door again.

This is my first ever Google review and first ever negative review. Clearly, Corkscrew does not need or care about my business. I'm happy to oblige and to share these facts with anyone...

I had some family in town and they had never been to a Texas BBQ joint so, on the advice from a friend, we decided to try out Corkscrew. We drove 45 minutes to get to Spring and arrived at almost 12:30. I knew we should have arrived earlier, but that just wasn't in the cards. Unfortunately we had to park a block away and walk. By this time the line was super long so we settled in. Fortunately the weather was nice and the line was on the covered porch. There was wait staff walking around and filling drink orders, which was nice. They serve craft sodas so we tried a couple of different ones, since we were in line for a little over an hour. Paper menus were passed throughout the line, but unfortunately most people didn't pay attention, which kept the line moving slowly. When we finally reached the inside line we saw a nice, but fairly typical, Texas BBQ joint. It was decorated with license plates and had a nice rustic atmosphere. As we neared the front of the line an announcement was made that the pulled pork had sold out, and a groan rang out from some people in front of us. Fortunately for us everything else was still available when we got to order. We ordered one pound of moist brisket and a pound of lean. We also ordered a mixed pound of sausage (both garlic and jalapeno cheese). For sides we ordered Mac and cheese, potato salad, coleslaw, smoked beans, and roasted Hatch chiles plus the full assortment of extras (pickles/onions/jalapenos/bread). We totaled out at about $120 for four people, so it isn't cheap. As we sat down the people still in line watched us with envious eyes as we started our meal. The brisket was one of the best I have had. Even the lean was very moist and tender--if all lean brisket was like this I would never need to order moist again! It was basically perfect. The sausage was very good, but not spectacular. Of the sides, which were all well above average, I liked the Mac and cheese the best. My wife thought the beans were the best BBQ beans she has ever had. All of the sides were unique enough that all four of us found a different favorite, but not everyone loved all of them. Even though none of us had eaten breakfast, and it was almost 2:00, we struggled to finish our feast. We all walked away somewhere between extremely satisfied and stuffed. The staff were all extremely helpful, the atmosphere very nice, and I will definitely be going back. Make sure you arrive early, hungry, and with a fat wallet (the food is...

Solid BBQ with Incredible Service and Great Value, But Not My Go-To

I’ve been to many of the top BBQ spots across Texas—Franklin, Truth, Interstellar, etc.—so when I visited Corkscrew BBQ in the Houston suburbs, I came in with high expectations, especially with the Michelin Star recognition. Overall, it was a good experience with excellent service and great value, but food-wise, it didn’t quite make my personal must-return list.

What We Ordered: • Beefy Cheesy (chopped, no sauce): The queso really stood out and added richness, but I wish the bread had been toasted. Everything was soft—brisket, queso, and bread—so the sandwich lacked texture. • 3/4 lb Brisket (mixed, asked for burnt ends): Very juicy and tender, especially the point. Smoke flavor was present, but overall it lacked the depth and complexity I’ve had at other places. It was good, just not standout. • 1/4 lb Turkey: Unfortunately, this was a miss. Dry and underseasoned. The turkey at Franklin and Interstellar is in a different league. • Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage: I didn’t try it personally, but others in my group said it was good. • Mac & Cheese: Creamy and fine, but unremarkable. Not on the level of Truth or Interstellar. • Stuffed Potato Salad (topped with brisket): This was the highlight. Loaded with queso, brisket, and all the fixings, it was unique, flavorful, and worth the hype.

Fixings & Setup: Standard sides: white bread, pickles, onions, sliced jalapeños, and BBQ sauce in small containers. Not a help-yourself setup, but we got more than we needed. There was a white sauce with something (likely the sausage or potato salad) that was excellent.

I did miss the traditional Texas BBQ experience of seeing the meat sliced and plated in front of you. That visual element adds something special to the meal.

Service & Environment: This is where Corkscrew shines. Easily the best service I’ve had at any BBQ joint. From staff offering drinks before opening to the friendly crew at the register and pickup window, they nailed the hospitality. The place was also spotless—front and back.

Value: Fantastic. All the food above plus two sodas came out to just $102. That’s some of the best value I’ve seen at a premium BBQ spot.

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Final Verdict: Corkscrew BBQ is very good—especially in service and value—but not quite great in my opinion. The brisket and turkey didn’t wow me, and I’d personally choose Truth if I’m in Houston again. That said, nothing was “bad,” and they’re clearly doing a lot...