Best Barbecue: Pinkerton’s Barbecue
Houston’s barbecue scene is like a pro football league stacked with winning teams. Head to head, you’re going to get a hell of a game. As fans, that’s the kind of competition we love. Often, the difference is the quarterback and Pinkerton’s Barbecue has a Tom Brady-like force in owner and pitmaster Grant Pinkerton. The best QBs can see the field and Pinkerton had a clear vision for his version of craft barbecue, one that focused on quality meats, made-from-scratch sides and family recipes.
The go-to at Pinkerton’s is the brisket – just look at it up there. Keeping the football motif, this entrée is never a Hail Mary, it’s the X-and-O you call when you want to score. It’s what’s put Pinkerton’s on the lauded Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ Joints list time and again. But, even if you call an audible and go with ribs, turkey or sausage once you’ve made your way to the front of the usual line to order, you’re going to get a winner. That’s thanks to Grant Pinkerton’s expertise and leadership, the sort that gets one splashed on food TV shows, placed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and compared to Tom Brady.
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.
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