In the interest of being thorough in our coverage of the Houston bbq scene
Anybody got any to add (or subtract)?
I’m a purist when it comes to baked potatoes - butter, S & P and I’m happy (and no potatoes the size of a football, thanks) so I don’t have much experience with these.
I’ve had a BP from Roegel’s and my mom used to rave about Demeris’, (I think her office used to get catering from them), but I’m not a big BP fan.
That said, I’ve made baked potatoes for dinner twice in the last couple of weeks due to getting some really nice big bakers from Aldi. (Made fries twice too!)
The first time I did a traditional butter, bacon, cheese, chives, sour cream combo and the second time I smothered it in homemade chili, cheese, onions, chopped Serrano peppers and sour cream.
Chopped brisket or pulled pork are good toppers.
(To bake, I wash 'em well, poke 'em full of holes with a fork and nuke ‘em for about 5 minutes, turning them every so often. Then I wrap them in foil and finish them in the oven at 350’ - about thirty to forty-five minutes more.)
I agree, my favorite is a smallish spud, some salt, lots of pepper and butter and eating the skin.
I’ve had good luck with taters from Aldi, too.
Now chili… that sounds good in my book.
The Houston Barbecue Festival is this Sunday in Humble.
I went to this event (at a different venue) a few years ago and it’s just not for me. It’s a good opportunity to try a lot of different pitmasters’ wares, but you just get a bite or two of each every trip through the sometimes substantial lines.
Just thought I’d let you know.
Tickets are $60 in advance only - no same day tickets sales.
I’m just not very festive I guess. I went to the inaugural Food Truck Festival a few years ago, when the food truck craze was all the rage. After standing in long lines and getting little food, we left after about 4 hours. On the way home, I stopped at a Cajun themed food truck about a mile from home and got a po’boy, because I was starving.
But… just so we’re clear on what we missed:
Houston Food Finder’s report, by Phaedra Cook plus Scott Sandlin:
And the Smoking Ho blog (as in Jimmy Ho, not Hungry Onion).:
Like Austin needs another BBQ joint!
Don’t know anything more about it than what you see here.
(Except that I’m pretty sure the “Free Beer and Wine” is all gone.)
NJ will trade 20 of our best italian restaurants for 20 of your crappiest BBQ places 
Nah you wouldn’t but point taken. Texas has seen an incredible Rennaissance in BBQ in the last 5-7 years. Austin took the point but Houston has done a great job of “ketchup”. (No pun intended as no sauce is necessary!)
It’s pretty darned good these days but there are still plenty of bad placed hanging on.
Is the salt lick good or a tourist spot?
Make that hot dog joints and its a deal.
Can we talk Italian delis for taco trucks, taquerias and taco stands?
Bruce, we do have some good hotdogs over here. We have the hotdogs stands like NYC but we have actual hotdog restaurants too…maybe that’s not uncommon but I don’t see too many in my travels around the US.
Can you guys get windmill hotdogs down there? Those are my favorite!
As for tacos, we don’t have stands really. We have a lot of smaller “bodega” type Mexican places…limited seating, good food, no English spoken. The Mexican population here is strong in central nj. I eat a lot of really good Mexican food.
As for Italian delis, I’ll be honest. There are a few good ones around. However, most joints are pizza places that chuck together a sub and call it a day. It is passable but the real places get it done! Let me see if I can find a pic or two.
OK here you go Bruce. This is a sub with fresh Brooklyn semolina bread, prosciutto di parma, provolone, Mastro salami and hot cappicola…hot peppers, balsamic and olive oil. I’ll send you one and you send me a TX beef rib lol : )
One quarter of that will fill you up. The other quarter might make you take a nap.
I can’t find anyone shipping beef ribs, but I have heard great comments from people who have mailed ordered Snow’s Brisket and faithfully followed the reheating instructions. Snow’s has twice been named Texas’ #1 by Texas Monthly magazine. (Kind of a big deal.)
Here’s a link for mailorder but as I said, no beef ribs.
Full disclosure, both of my parents are from Lexington where Snow’s is located. I have numerous great-great-great grandparents planted all over the area. I’m kinda biased.
How about hot links? Do you know of any good ones to mail over here? (Not you personally, just a reputable butcher lol)
Never heard of Windmill dogs; probably no way they’re available here.
I’ve participated on a number of discussion boards over the years. There’s always been an active New Jersey contingent. I remember reading that NJ was considered the Hot Dog Capital of the world. My initial response was ‘yeah? Who cares? You can have it.’ But as I kept reading I realized I was missing out on something that sounded very good. The German and Czech immigrants who formed the basis of the sausage making industry in Texas produced medium and coarse grind sausages, not wieners, and we don’t have a strong hot dog culture here like you do there. If I ever visit, I’ll be hitting hot dog joints and Italian delis before I start on the red sauce joints.
Ditto here. Often the subs will come out cold - apparently they’re only on the menu for show it seems. The ingredients will be kept in the refrigerator and there may not be anyone on duty who knows how to put it together. I’ve mostly given up on trying to find good ones.
That’ll do nicely. Thank you.
There’s a couple of new purveyors in Houston, too:
Both have been reviewed in the Chron and on Houston Food Finder; both operate as mobile units in the Heights and only on limited days per week.
Victorian’s offers Tri-Tip but only on Saturday and you have to buy a whole one.
Sweet Caroline pulled pork sandwich - good bun, good cue (pulled/chunked) - moist and flavorful. The small portion of slaw was for the sandwich, although I think slaw on a pulled pork sandwich is a Memphis thing, not a Carolina thing. There was a mustard based sauce, not pictured, but the meat was moist enough I didn’t use it. I got the potato salad side; it was unremarkable.
I used to go to this Pappas in the 80s and 90s, maybe into the early 2000’s. I used to say the sides were the best reason to go to Pappas but their sides have gone down hill. I could go back for the sandwich since it’s so close, but I’d get a different side. I used to love you could get lima beans and sweet potatoes with your Q.
Pappas, Westwood location
