Killen's BBQ

You may think you have a lot of options when it comes to Houston BBQ. But you don't. Sure, there are many establishments in this city that have the words "BBQ" in the name, but most of these range in quality from "fine" to "pretty good." There many situations in which "fine" will do, but consuming BBQ is not one of them. Someday in the future I will tell you about the other places in Houston that do serve good BBQ, but they all still pale in comparison to Killen's. This entire post is probably going to sound hyperbolic, but I feel more strongly about this than anything else I have ever rambled about on this blog.

You may be skeptical of driving all the way to Pearland for BBQ. Not just "outside the loop," but all the way to the SUBURBS. And you may have heard that you'll be waiting in a long line, most likely in undesirable weather (because Houston). These are not acceptable excuses for not going to Killen's. First of all, it doesn't actually take that long to get to get there. Google Maps estimates a short 29 minutes from my inner-loop apartment at the moment I type this. Admittedly, traffic is not an issue right now, but in my experience if you go at a random time, like a late lunch, you will deal with less traffic and shorter lines when you get there. Speaking of the line - yes, there's a very good chance it will be out the door. From where I was standing when I took the above picture, we waited about 45 minutes (we got there around 11:30 AM on a Sunday). But go with some good company and the wait will fly by! Or go by yourself and play on your phone. I won't judge you. Also, I have been served free beer while waiting in line before (Lone Star, but nonetheless). This didn't happen last time, so I'm not sure if this is still a thing...if you go soon, please report back. Now that I have successfully shut down all your excuses and convinced you to make the pilgrimage to Killen's at your earliest convenience (unless you're a vegetarian or something...I guess that's a pretty good reason not to go), let's talk about the glorious food.

From a May 2017 visit, with a better view of the brisket.  As you can see, they have stepped up their presentation as of late (while I can appreciate good presentation for food blogging purposes, I really don't care what they serve this food on… — From a May 2017 visit, with a better view of the brisket. As you can see, they have stepped up their presentation as of late (while I can appreciate good presentation for food blogging purposes, I really don't care what they serve this food on).

I usually try to resize the food pictures I post on here so they don't take up the whole screen, but I had to make an exception for this masterpiece. I don't even know where to begin in describing this meal. Hiding under the bread and the beef ribs (we will return to those) is the absolute best brisket in the Houston area (and at least top 5 in Texas/the world), hands down. When you order it, they will ask if you want lean or fatty. You want fatty. Witnessing people order lean brisket hurts my soul...almost as much as when people ask for their steak or burger to be cooked more than medium rare (but that's for another post on another day). Also, the BBQ sauce here is pretty good, but all Texans know that good brisket does not require sauce (seeing people drown Killen's brisket in sauce might be even more painful than the steak temperature thing). Now...the beef ribs. While waiting in line, I loudly announced to my friends that I would obviously be ordering the brisket, because I can't go to Killen's and not get brisket, when the man standing in front of us (who appeared to be a regular) informed us that while the brisket is excellent, the beef ribs are even better. Although this is not an item I would usually order anywhere, I was intrigued. Ultimately, I decided to branch out from my usual order and settled on the beef ribs plate, which comes with two sides, and added on a quarter pound of brisket. It was absolutely the right choice. The beef ribs were unbelievable. They fell right off the bone, and were incredibly flavorful. The guy from the line warned us that the seasoning is extremely peppery, and he was not wrong. I don't know enough fancy food critic lingo to adequately describe this beautiful meal, but every time I dine at Killen's the food is somehow even better than the time before. On the side of my tray you will see fresh green beans and creamed corn. When the meat is that good, you could literally serve me beans and corn out of a can for my sides and I wouldn't complain, but of course all the sides here are fantastic (which really just adds another level of stress to figuring out your order). The mashed potatoes, cole slaw, and mac & cheese pictured above on the other trays also got excellent reviews from my friends. Even the pickles you can serve yourself are made in-house and are somehow better than standard BBQ joint pickles. And finally, in the bottom left corner, you will see the greatest bread pudding in the entire world. Okay...I'm not actually much of a bread pudding person in general so I have very little to compare it to. HOWEVER. This stuff is what dreams are made of. I shamelessly forced myself to eat it even though I was completely stuffed after my meal. And then I went into a sugar coma. 100% worth it.

As you can see from my super artfully arranged pictures, there is picnic table seating outside under a large patio. There is also ample indoor seating (once you get through the line, finding a table is never a problem). Also, amazingly, parking has never been an issue for me here, even in the longest lines I've waited in. There's a large lot in the back. In some ways, the vibe here feels a little more upscale than your typical Texas BBQ joint, but this is not just your typical Texas BBQ joint. This the holy grail of Houston BBQ. It is the best brisket I've ever had (disclaimer: I have not had Franklin yet...but it's at the top of my food bucket list and I'll be blogging about it the second I get my hands on some), the best beef ribs I've ever had, the best bread pudding I've ever had, and the sides are so much better than they need to be. Yeah, it's a little expensive, the lines can be a little long, and it's a little far. But it is truly the best, and I cannot recommend it enough.

I know I promised that this blog is mainly about coffee, and my last few posts have not delivered on that promise...but stay tuned. More coffee (and plenty of other nonsense) is in the works!

<3 liz