Barbecue Inn
| Address: | 116 W Crosstimbers Rd, Houston, TX 77018, USA |
| Phone: | +1 713-695-8112 |
| Site: | thebarbecueinn.com |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | Closed 10:30AM–9:30PM 10:30AM–9:30PM 10:30AM–9:30PM 10:30AM–9:30PM 10:30AM–9:30PM Closed |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
A
A Private User
Few things irk me more that average restaurants that get great reviews either because of a past reputation or some longevity loyalty. Here is the scoop, the food is average and the lunch prices are relatively high. Ive eaten 3 things at Barbecue Inn. I had the fried chicken. When you compare it to KFC, Popeyes or Churchs, sure its really good; however, its not near as good as the original Frenchys and doesnt compare to home cooked fried chicken. The BBQ is at best average, and with no real smoky flavor, I wonder if it was cooked in an oven. Finally, the chicken fried steak. I kept reading over and over about their fantastic CFS. The meat was very tender. It had the right amount of crust. It looked great. The problem was it was the most bland CFS Ive ever had. I had to add salt and practically the entire pepper shaker on it to finally squeak out some flavor. And what kind of Texas restaurant/diner doesnt offer mashed potatoes with their CFS?!?!?!? (BTW, I thought maybe I hit a bad CFS day with them, but the same on a follow up). As far a flavor goes, the CFS at Cheddars tops the BBQ Inn CFS. (I just hope the Carriage House can help me). . The funny thing is that the best thing I tasted there was the fried shrimp that a friend had ordered.
WA
Wanda Anglin
This is a real treat! Not only is the food ultra fresh, piping hot, and tasty, it is a people-watching palooza. Lots of long-time Houston fans were lined up Saturday night and you could tell they had come here for decades. I suspect there were some characters among them like the customer who came by the cash register on his way back from the bathroom to inquire about the brand of toilet tissue because he liked it so much and asked his waitress standing nearby to put a roll on his tab...too funny! I high ly recommend sitting at the bar down where you can see into the kitchen. They are working like a hive of bees and the waitresses all look like they are 20-30 years into the place. It is just a gem! What is really interesting is that a place called Barbecue Inn and has barbecue, but we only saw one plate of bbq come out from the kitchen among at least a hundred plates of fried chicken and occasional seafood. My husband loved his chicken fried steak and my my catfish had 3 large tasty fillets on it that were good, but I prefer corn meal coating to a batter. But that crunchy batter is perfect for chicken or oysters so I will be trying those next time.
FR
Fred Walters
Please acknowledge that you need to put your vacation hours on your website. Before making the 27 minute drive and coordinating four people to patronize your restaurant during posted hours on Google Maps, we checked your website. NO MENTION OF VACATION HOURS...until we pulled into an empty parking lot and read the sign on the door. And, spontaneously, we have driven out to your place several times because we crave fried chicken only to find an empty parking lot. Your business model is not for me to criticize. But, when I want homestyle cookin at Lolas on Yale, it never occurs me to me if they are closed or not. And, thats one of the reasons we go there ten times more than the Barbeque Inn. Your servers are adorable. And, your food is amazing. And, I hope your business model bends with the changing restaurant times. Ive never seen my generation in your business - only the one before me. Oh, I forgot. We visited your place last year during your vacation in 2016 and once again, found an empty parking lot. Were trying to give you our money, but, you make it very difficult.
BA
BARBARA MCKINNEY
I REALIZE EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO HIS/HER OPINION. THAT BEING SAID, THIS IS MINE. HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM! WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF FAST FOOD EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK. AND BECAUSE OF THAT LOOK AT SOME OF US. IT`S A CHALLENGE TO FIND A REAL DOWN HOME COOKED FOOD RESTAURANT AND I STUMBLED UPON ONE. BARBECUE INN. I HAVEN`T HAD THE PLEASURE OF TRYING OTHER DISHES ON THEIR MENU BUT THE RIBS AND CHICKEN FRIED STEAK WERE VERY GOOD. I PEEKED AT THE OTHER TABLES AND THEIR CHOICES LOOKED VERY APPETIZING AS WELL. THROUGHOUT LIFE YOU HAVE/WILL DISCOVER THAT YOU CANNOT PLEASE EVERYONE. BUT YOU SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE CHOICES. SO IF YOU HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE, JUST EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO CHOICES. THE PLACE WAS CLEAN, THE ATMOSPHERE WAS RELAXING, THE STAFF WAS FRIENDLY AND THE PRICE WAS IN MY BUDGET. AND I AM WILLING TO PAY FOR WHAT I LIKE. I WILL BE ADDING BARBECUE INN TO MY GO TO PLACE FOR GOOD EATING. MY NAME IS BARBARA AND I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE.
JO
Joaquin Torres
$10 Shrimp Cocktail (8 small defrosted shrimp on a bed of watery lettuce with ketchup like substance no flavor) $13 chicken friend steak (2- round bun sized steaks smothered in wht gravy, seemed prepackage to me and oven baked) fries were hot and normal. $2.50 For fountain drinks in a 10-12 oz plastic glasslike. I JUST DONT SEE WHAT ALL THE RAVE IS ABOUT. This place is stuck in the 1970s with with it decor, very friendly staff. I thought Micheal Knight (Knight Ryder) was gonna walk in the place! Maybe even the original staff, lol. BUT THE PRICES SEEM TO BE FROM THE FUTURE CAUSE THEY ARE HIGHLY OVERPRICED. MAYBE WERE ARE SUPPORTING ALL FIVE GENERATIONS. Once again great staff, but never go there again.
JU
Judy Golden
My husband and I have been going to the Barbecue Inn for 30 years and recently they changed the meat they use for chicken fried steak. We are not sure what the "meat" really is. We called it Mystery Meat. It had NO taste at all. I will not order this item again. We have never been disappointed in the food weve eaten there, but since the 3rd generation has come on board, the prices have skyrocketed and the quality of the food has gone down. I believe they have even changed the quality of the lettuce/tomatoes used in their salad. Too bad. This has been our go to place to eat and we love the waitstaff. Hopefully if enough people complain, they will go back to the original chicken fried steak.
JU
Juan Bautista
I went in because of the reviews on the fried chicken... The service is good and most of the people working there have been there for decades.... When ever you order the fried chicken it takes about 20 mins so be prepare to wait.... Once I got the chicken it still came to me with the sizzling sound from the fryer and i could tell it was fried just for me....the chicken itself was very juicy and crisp...very good....however it could use a few spices to enhance the flavor and give it an extra something. It would also help a lot if they included mashed potatoes in their menu this would really compliment the chicken....Overall i liked my eating experience here the chicken was good.
JE
Jeffrey Cutler
Decided to try this acclaimed institution a few days ago, and was not disappointed! Definitely has a retro vibe, but that is part of the charm, along with attentive service and great food. I tried the tried shrimp and a fried chicken greasy (so I could try both) ....and was not disappointed. The fried chicken was just like what I enjoyed for years that my grandmothers, aunts and Mom prepared. Fantastic, great batter and not greasy. The fried shrimp was fresh with a great, flaky batter. And, the coconut cream pie was excellent, too. The waitstaff were all friendly, attentive and efficient. Definitely will return, and recommend to others.
