Best BBQ in Galleria and Uptown Houston: 8 Verified Picks

The best barbecue in Houston's Galleria and Uptown runs from a Post Oak pit that has been smoking on Richmond Avenue since 1981 to an 18-hour prime brisket seasoned with Aleppo pepper and pomegranate molasses less than a mile west on Westheimer. For this guide, we define the zone as the Westheimer corridor from Shepherd Drive to Chimney Rock, north through the Uptown business district to Memorial, plus the adjacent Greenway Plaza neighborhood just across the 610 West Loop and Upper Kirby about two miles southeast. Eight places made the cut.

How we chose

Every restaurant on this list was verified as open on its own official website as of October 2026. We required a real address within or close to the Galleria/Uptown neighborhood and at least one wood-smoked meat on the menu. We left out restaurants we could not confirm were currently operating, and we note when hours are limited.

Hours and prices change. Check the restaurant's official site before you go.

On Westheimer: the corridor picks

Levant BBQ

5884 Westheimer Rd, Houston · typically open Mon–Thu 11am–9pm, Fri–Sun 11am–10pm

The most surprising plate of barbecue in the Galleria/Uptown corridor is also the most specifically Houston: Levant builds on Central Texas low-and-slow technique and layers in the flavors of the Levant region. The prime brisket smokes for 18 hours over post oak, then gets a rub of Aleppo pepper, cardamom, and pomegranate molasses that gives the bark a warmth you won't find at a standard Texas joint. All meats are certified halal.

Order the brisket by the pound or work through The Levant Feast, a platter sized for three to four people. The brisket shawarma sandwich is the move if you want something handheld. Current pricing is on the official site.

Why it matters: Texas Monthly wrote about Levant as an example of Texas barbecue culture brought to a new audience — it is worth the trip whether or not you are shopping the Galleria that day.

Pappas Bar-B-Q

9797 Westheimer Rd, Houston · typically open Mon–Thu 11am–9pm, Fri–Sat 11am–10pm, Sun 11am–9pm

The closest Pappas Bar-B-Q to the Galleria sits just west of the 610 loop on Westheimer — technically Westchase, but a five-minute drive from the Galleria entrance. The slow-smoked brisket, ribs, and sausage links here are the Pappas Bar-B-Q classics. A drive-thru opens for breakfast on weekday mornings.

Best for: a reliable, well-priced plate any day of the week, or a drive-thru pickup on the Westheimer corridor.

Off Westheimer: the neighborhood core

Luling City Market

4726 Richmond Ave, Houston · typically open Mon–Sat 11am–8pm, Sun 12pm–7pm

Luling City Market has been smoking over Post Oak wood on Richmond Avenue since 1981, which makes it the longest-running barbecue destination in the immediate Galleria/Uptown area. Family-owned and operated, it predates the area's current commercial build-out by decades.

Order the brisket — half-pound or by the pound, smoked over post oak exclusively — and the house-made beef sausage links. Pork ribs come by the slab; call ahead if you're planning to order them for a group. Nothing about the experience is designed to impress you, which is partly the point.

Insider tip: Luling City Market has smoked over Post Oak wood — not mesquite, not hickory — for over four decades. In a city where mesquite rules, that consistency makes the brisket taste noticeably different: cleaner smoke, more of the beef flavor coming through.

The Brisket House

5775 Woodway Dr, Houston · typically open Mon–Sat 11am–8pm, Sun 11am–6pm

The Brisket House has been in the Briargrove neighborhood — inside the 610 loop, between Westheimer and San Felipe — since 2010. The brisket smokes 12 to 14 hours overnight over oak with a proprietary spice blend. Baby back ribs get a cherry jam glaze. Fresh BBQ sauce is made daily.

The banana pudding has a following. Online ordering is available through the official site.

Best for: a neighborhood dinner in the Galleria zone when you want consistently smoked meat without a long drive.

Just east of the loop: Feges BBQ at Greenway Plaza

Feges BBQ

3 Greenway Plaza, Suite C-210, Houston · typically open Mon–Fri 11am–2pm only

Feges BBQ operates from the HUB food hall at Greenway Plaza, directly across the 610 West Loop from the Galleria. Pitmaster Patrick Feges runs a fast-casual lunch-only spot that draws a loyal office crowd from both Greenway and the Uptown towers.

Order the sliced brisket or the brisket sandwich. The pimento mac and cheese is a reliable side. The loaded potato mash is one of the more filling weekday lunches in the area for the price.

Critical note: Feges BBQ at this location is open weekdays only, typically 11am–2pm, and closes when it sells out. It is not a dinner or weekend option. Check the official site before making the trip.

A little further: Upper Kirby picks

Pinkerton's Barbecue

3801 Farnham St, Houston (Upper Kirby) · Tue–Thu 11am–9pm, Fri–Sat 11am–10pm, Sun 11am–9pm. Closed Mondays. Service until sold out.

Pinkerton's Barbecue — whose Heights original earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2025 and 2026 — added an Upper Kirby location about two miles southeast of the Galleria. The Copper Creek prime brisket smokes over a blend of post oak and mesquite. On Saturdays, whole hog is on the menu until it runs out.

The ManBearPig sandwich (chopped beef and pork blend), beef tallow fries, and pork prime rib are all worth adding to your tray. Arrive early on Saturdays for the whole hog.

Why it matters: whole hog at this level of quality is uncommon in Houston. If you are in the Galleria area on a Saturday, adding Pinkerton's as a lunch stop is worth the two-mile detour.

Goode Co. Texas Bar-B-Q

5109 Kirby Dr, Houston · typically open Sun–Thu 11am–8:30pm, Fri–Sat 11am–9pm

Goode Co. has been in the Houston BBQ conversation since 1977, and the Kirby Drive original — about two and a half miles from the Galleria — is the one to visit. The most iconic item is the jalapeño cheese bread sandwich: house-baked bread, sliced brisket, a measured kick of heat. The smoked sausage and the pecan pie close out the meal well.

Meats are mesquite-fired, low and slow. This is one of Houston's foundational BBQ restaurants, the kind of place that shaped what people around the country think Texas BBQ tastes like.

Best for: out-of-town guests who need to eat somewhere with real Houston history, or a date night where the setting is as good as the food.

Worth the drive: Blood Bros. BBQ

Blood Bros. BBQ

5425 Bellaire Blvd, Bellaire · Tue–Sun 11am–3pm lunch; dinner Wed–Sat 5pm–9pm. Closed Mondays.

Blood Bros. is in Bellaire, roughly four to five miles southwest of the Galleria — outside the neighborhood, but one of the most acclaimed BBQ restaurants in Houston right now. Three childhood friends from Houston's Vietnamese, Chinese, and Southern American communities smoke brisket that draws on all three backgrounds.

The brisket cheeseburger (Wednesdays), Tray Day Thursday (two meats, two sides, cornbread, and sauce), and the rotating weekly specials rooted in Vietnamese and Asian cooking are the dishes that earned Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024, 2025, and 2026 and a place on Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ list. Tray Day Thursdays: two meats, two sides, cornbread, and sauce.

Distance note: plan Blood Bros. as its own outing or pair it with a stop in Bellaire, rather than tacking it onto a Galleria dinner.

Save this: the Galleria-area BBQ checklist

• Closest spot to the Galleria mall: Luling City Market on Richmond Ave, under a mile from the main entrance.
• Weekday office lunch? Feges BBQ at Greenway Plaza — weekdays only, 11am–2pm, sells out. Go early.
• Dinner on Westheimer? Levant BBQ is open until 9pm or 10pm depending on the night.
• Whole hog? Pinkerton's Upper Kirby, Saturdays only, until sold out — arrive before noon.
• Halal-certified only? Levant BBQ on Westheimer is fully halal-certified.
• Large group any day? Pappas Bar-B-Q at 9797 Westheimer has the scale and the drive-thru.

More eating in and around Galleria/Uptown

For every cuisine in the neighborhood, see our full Galleria/Uptown restaurant guide. For an overview of the best BBQ in Houston across the whole city, start there. If brisket alongside a prime cut sounds right, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse is a few miles west on Westheimer. Our best steakhouses in Houston guide covers the city's prime dining broadly. For context on the neighborhood itself, our Galleria/Uptown neighborhood guide covers the full picture.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best barbecue near the Galleria Houston?

The closest verified pick to the Galleria mall is Luling City Market at 4726 Richmond Ave, about a mile from the main entrance, open since 1981. Levant BBQ at 5884 Westheimer and The Brisket House at 5775 Woodway Dr are also within the immediate Galleria/Uptown neighborhood.

Is there halal BBQ in the Galleria or Uptown area?

Yes. Levant BBQ at 5884 Westheimer Rd in the Galleria/Uptown corridor is fully halal-certified. The menu centers on 18-hour post oak–smoked prime brisket with a rub of Aleppo pepper, cardamom, and pomegranate molasses.

Is Feges BBQ at Greenway Plaza open on weekends?

No. The Feges BBQ location at 3 Greenway Plaza is open Monday through Friday only, typically 11am to 2pm. It closes when it sells out. Check the official site before you go.

What is the oldest BBQ restaurant near the Galleria?

Luling City Market at 4726 Richmond Ave has operated since 1981, making it the longest-running barbecue destination in the immediate Galleria/Uptown area. It smokes exclusively over Post Oak wood.

Where can I get brisket near the Galleria after 8pm?

Levant BBQ at 5884 Westheimer is typically open until 9pm Monday through Thursday and until 10pm Friday through Sunday. Pappas Bar-B-Q at 9797 Westheimer closes at 9pm on weekdays and 10pm on Friday and Saturday. Check each restaurant's site for current hours.

Does Blood Bros. BBQ serve dinner?

Yes. Blood Bros. BBQ at 5425 Bellaire Blvd in Bellaire serves dinner Wednesday through Saturday, typically 5pm to 9pm. Lunch runs Tuesday through Sunday, typically 11am to 3pm. The restaurant is closed Mondays. Blood Bros. is about four to five miles southwest of the Galleria.