Bar-Be-Two

Texas Monthly has released their annual list of the Top 50 BBQ Joints In Texas in the June issue that's just hit newsstands. For you Houston barbeque fans, we hope that you like the bitter taste of disppointment with your brisket: Only two Houston restaurants made the exclusive list.

In a state known for its barbeque, making a list containing only 50 barbeque restaurants is no easy task. And since barbeque is perhaps best made and best enjoyed in a non-urban setting, it's not too surprising that the number of small-town 'que joints far outweighs the number of big city BBQs. To wit: all of the Top 5 barbeque restaurants are in towns smaller than the average Houstonian's closet. That said, let's hail the Houston champions!

First up is the venerated Burns Bar-B-Que Cooking and Catering, a neighborhood favorite off the North Freeway. Tiny and tucked-away, Burns Bar-B-Que is a longtime fixture in the Acres Homes community and will no doubt be invaded by Texas Monthly afficionados for at least the next few months as a result of the article. Wait for the crowds to die down, then go and pay the Burns family a visit to try some of the best (very, very hot!) sausage and ribs in town. Remember to bring cash, though; your Visas and Mastercards won't get you very far here.

Second (and last) on the list is newcomer Virgie's Bar-B-Que. At only three years old, Virgie's food is already wonderful enough to be noticed by hardcore foodies and big-time magazines alike. Perhaps that's because pitmaster Adrian Handsborough takes so much pride in his old-fashioned and personalized service while tending the pits. Their barbeque is both cheap and delicious; high marks in any book. Visit Virgie's on Gessner the next time that you're on the northwest side of town, and keep an eye out for the pig in a bib.

If you're willing to travel slightly outside the city limits, you can visit some of the other barbeque joints that Texas Monthly has deemed worthy of making this year's list: New Zion Bar-B-Que in Huntsville, Caroline’s Quality and Quantity Bar-B-Que in Kountze and Willy Ray’s Bar-B-Q and Grill in Beaumont all made the Top 50.

The good news? Our rival to the north, Dallas, only had one barbeque restaurant make the list and -- no surprise here! -- it's a chain restaurant with locations throughout the country.

Photo courtesy of Alison Cook/Houston Chronicle.

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Burns Bar-B-Que Cooking and Catering
8307 De Priest Street
281.445.7574

Virgie's Bar-B-Que
5535 Gessner Drive
713.466.6525