Grilling, broiling, barbecuing – whatever you want to call it – is an art, not just a matter of building a pyre and throwing on a piece of meat as a sacrifice to the gods of the stomach.James Beard
In Texas, barbecue is an art form, a lifestyle and big business.
At the Annual Houston Barbecue Festival, twenty-three barbecue owners and pit masters display their art and talent in the form of food samples: barbacoa tacos, brisket, lamb chops, pork belly, ribs, sausage and more.
Initially, the non-vip line looks daunting at the festival entrance with the quarter mile queue wrapping around the lot. Thoughts of a food shortage race through the mind as the belly grumbles from the lack of breakfast.
It’s noon and the games begin.
With a tray in hand and extra napkins in my purse, I join the masses in lines at the booths closest to the entrance.
Minimal interaction exchanges between BBQ team members and festival goers to maintain a continuous flow in the lines. The smell from the pits lure attendees from booth to booth.
Although I can feel my stomach expanding to maximum capacity, I forge on to the BBQ joints on my list:
- Blood Bros. BBQ
- Brooks’ Place BBQ
- CorkScrew BBQ
- El Burro & the Bull
- Feges BBQ
- Gatlin’s BBQ
- Gerardo’s
- Killen’s Barbecue
- Louie Mueller Barbecue
- Pappa Charlies Barbeque
- Pinkerton’s BBQ
- Ray’s BBQ Shack
- Roegels Barbecue Co.
- Southside Market & Barbeque
- Tin Roof BBQ
By 3 p.m., I feel the meat sweats settling in and a slight food coma overcoming me and I tell my friends, “Game-over!” We leave the Houston Barbecue Festival fat and happy.
As a first timer to the Houston Barbecue Fest, I suggest the following tips:
- pace yourself and share samples with friends
- have a strategy and pick 10-15 out of the 23 BBQ booths to visit (It’s a lot of food!)
- bring a tray to gather samples and sit under a tented table to enjoy them
- bring your own napkins and wipes (Wash stations are available but why slow down?)
- bring zip locks and ice packs (You don’t want to waste any of these tasty samples!)
To learn more about the Annual Houston Barbecue Festival, go to http://houbbq.com.
See you there next year and don’t forget to buy your tickets early because this event sells out!
Be blessed and love on,
Michelle
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