I was in parts northern on 45 this week and met some offspring for lunch at the newly opened Tex-Mex concept Goode Company Kitchen on Six Pines in The Woodlands. Half the building is BBQ, the other half Tex-Mex and they have separate entrances. The newly opened Tex-Mex side is bright and fun.
The waiter started by recommending great “lunch sized” dishes and really sold the tampiquena, fajita steak with one enchilada combo I normally favor at local mexieateries. Luckily I looked at the menu to find this staple dish is $29 all day long here. Too rich for my lunch.
We ordered a small guacamole “all the way” for the table, and it came topped with, as far as I can remember, bacon, pepitas, pickled onions, shrimp, crab, chicharones, and with sides of cilantro, chopped peppers and Cotija. Great and only $13, but small everything and plenty for 3 adults plus a toddler or two as an app.
I ordered the blue crab and spinach enchiladas which had plenty of flaky white crab, but were served warmish not hot, normally my pet peeve, but they get a pass because they are newly opened. If it were served piping hot it would have been really great. Service was slow and others said their food was hot so I lost the heating lamp lottery. ($19 with beans, rice and avocado salad)
Later I googled and see that the I-10 location of Goode Co BBQ also now sports a tex-mex kitchen nearby. It’s a thing now. The now defunct Mason Jar on I-10 (aka, the last bastion for smokers in Houston) is the new Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina. Ole.
I won’t likely be traveling to El Woodlands to try this but may journey over to el Memorial location. I haven’t been in maybe a decade but I always liked the Taqueria on Kirby, certainly better than the bbq place.
Incidentally, re: a certain get-together a couple of years ago. When Jim Goode passed last year, Alison Cooke wrote quite a nice tribute to him and his influence on the Houston culinary scene. From his obituary I learned that his mother was from Campeche and it was on many trips there to visit in-laws that he learned of the famous cocktail. It isn’t on the menu of the original taqueria on Kirby but I see it is on the menu of the new place (and Armadillo Palace).
I agree about the Taqueria being better than the BBQ place. The fajitas, grilled chicken, burgers, and chips and salsa are all first rate.
The [quote=“brucesw, post:2, topic:10927, full:true”]
Excellent review, Ms Lambowner. Thank you.
I won’t likely be traveling to El Woodlands to try this but may journey over to el Memorial location. I haven’t been in maybe a decade but I always liked the Taqueria on Kirby, certainly better than the bbq place.
Incidentally, re: a certain get-together a couple of years ago. When Jim Goode passed last year, Alison Cooke wrote quite a nice tribute to him and his influence on the Houston culinary scene. From his obituary I learned that his mother was from Campeche and it was on many trips there to visit in-laws that he learned of the famous cocktail. It isn’t on the menu of the original taqueria on Kirby but I see it is on the menu of the new place (and Armadillo Palace).
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There was some sort of a cramp in my previous reply. The…
I’ve been a few times but not in years. The BBQ seems to all taste the same with heavy mesquite flavor and too dry. However, I am one of the seemingly few people that likes the sauce especially with the good jalapeno cheese bread dipped in it.
The Tex-Mex menu seems to be a play on El Tiempo’s. It looks good and I’m sure it is, they’re just not so Goode at BBQ, especially with the explosion of places in town.
I think a lot of people liked the sauce and jalapeno cheese bread. I liked the sausage and the smoked duck. I just never forgot my first visit, very much unaware of the bbq snobbery that had developed about the place, the deli-thin slices of brisket on my plate, a very small portion, too, and all the Texas kitsch. It does seem, even today, that its the sauce, cheese bread and pecan pie that get the most raves.
I love Bellaire Broiler Burger but haven’t been since I moved out of Sharpstown over 10 years ago.
I just read the Allison Cooke review and call me a BBQ snob as I feel the mesquite overwhelms as I stated earlier.
When he opened his Kirby place in the 70’s I was working just down the street. Everybody at work found the chicken groundbreaking as nobody had anything like that before. We went a lot and it seemed like Mr. Goode was always there.
He was a true pioneer, heck he even looked like one.
