Best BBQ in Katy, TX: Brisket, Ribs, and 5 Joints Worth the Drive

Katy, TX has five barbecue joints we can vouch for: Roegels Barbecue Co. on the Katy Freeway (a Texas Monthly Top 50 honoree), Midway BBQ on Highway Blvd, Chuckwagon BBQ & Burgers on FM 1463, Red River BBQ & Burger on South Mason Road, and Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q on the Katy Freeway. All five are open and confirmed on their own official sites. This guide covers the city of Katy and the surrounding Katy-area ZIP codes 77449, 77450, 77493 and 77494.

Which Katy BBQ joint should you pick?

Pick by what you need: Roegels for a destination brisket run, Midway for Katy history and a big sit-down room, Chuckwagon for a halal-friendly table, Red River for a no-plan lunch, and Rudy's for the earliest start.

• For a destination trip: Roegels Barbecue Co., Central Texas style over post oak, named to Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ Joints in 2017.
• For a Katy institution: Midway BBQ, which began in the mid-1990s as a shack in front of Midway Grocery Store.
• For a halal-friendly table: Chuckwagon BBQ & Burgers, where the brisket, burgers, chicken, turkey and hot links are halal.
• For a reliable everyday lunch: Red River BBQ & Burger, open seven days on South Mason Road.
• For an early start: Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q, which typically opens at 7am.

How we chose

We picked barbecue restaurants with an address in Katy's ZIP codes that we could confirm open on their own official websites as of November 2026. We left out places we couldn't confirm through an official source, and Brett's BBQ Shop on Kingsland Blvd, a well-loved Katy smokehouse that closed at the end of December 2025. Hours change, so check the official site before you go.

Roegels Barbecue Co.

20702 Katy Freeway, Katy, TX 77449 · Typically Wed–Sat 11am–8pm, Tue and Sun 11am–3pm, closed Mon

Roegels Barbecue Co. on the Katy Freeway is the Katy-area joint with the strongest résumé. Pitmaster Russell Roegels and Misty Roegels founded Roegels in 2014 on Voss Road in west Houston, and the Katy Freeway location brings the same pits and recipes out west. According to the restaurant, Texas Monthly named Roegels to its Top 50 BBQ Joints in 2017, with honorable mentions in 2021 and 2025.

The style is Central Texas: meats smoked over post oak and sliced to order. Brisket is the anchor, with pork ribs and house-made sausage close behind. The fried pork belly bites and brisket-loaded fries are worth adding, and the Katy Freeway location has a full bar.

Order: Sliced brisket, pork ribs and a link of house-made sausage. Ask for a mix of lean and moist brisket on your first visit.

Tip: Roegels in Katy typically closes at 3pm on Tuesdays and Sundays. Go Wednesday through Saturday if you want a later dinner.

Official site: katyfreeway.roegelsbarbecue.com

Midway BBQ

6025 Highway Blvd, Katy, TX 77494 · Typically Mon–Thu 10:30am–8pm, Fri–Sat 10:30am–8:30pm, Sun 11am–8pm

Midway BBQ on Highway Blvd is the Katy original that grew up with the town. Herman Meyer opened Midway in the mid-1990s as a shack in front of Midway Grocery Store, because his grocery and deer-processing customers had nowhere good in Katy to get barbecue. Today Midway BBQ fills an 8,500-square-foot building with a full-service restaurant, a banquet room and a catering company.

The menu splits its woods: Midway smokes its sliced brisket, pork butt and turkey over post oak, and its beef and pork sausage over pecan. Chicken, ham and pork ribs round out the board. The Brisket Assassin Melt is the item to know: brisket, bacon, cheddar, grilled peppers and onions and sriracha mayo on Texas toast.

Order: The Brisket Assassin Melt if you've never had it, or a plate of post-oak brisket and pecan-smoked sausage to taste both woods side by side.

Tip: Midway BBQ typically opens at 10:30am Monday through Saturday, earlier than Roegels, Chuckwagon or Red River, so it suits an early lunch.

Official site: midwaybbqkatytx.com

Chuckwagon BBQ & Burgers

4031 FM 1463 Ste 50, Katy, TX 77494 · Typically Tue–Sun 11am–9pm, closed Mon

Chuckwagon BBQ & Burgers on FM 1463 is the Katy pick when your group includes people who eat halal. Chuckwagon lists its brisket, burgers, smoked chicken, smoked turkey breast and hot links as halal and served daily, with halal beef belly burnt ends on Fridays and halal beef ribs Friday through Sunday until they sell out.

Chef Waseem Hilal says on the restaurant's About page that he and his father have about 50 years of combined barbecue experience; his father ran several barbecue restaurants while he was growing up. The menu pairs post-oak Texas barbecue with craft burgers, so it also settles the burger-or-brisket argument.

Order: Halal brisket by the pound or a chopped brisket sandwich. On a Friday, add the beef belly burnt ends.

Tip: The beef ribs at Chuckwagon BBQ & Burgers run Friday through Sunday only and can sell out, so go early on those days.

Official site: chuckwagonbbqburgers.com

Red River BBQ & Burger

1711 S Mason Rd, Katy, TX 77450 · Typically Sun–Thu 11am–9pm, Fri–Sat 11am–9:30pm

Red River BBQ & Burger on South Mason Road is the workhorse of this list: open seven days, easy to reach from central Katy, and set up for pickup. Red River smokes its brisket and pulled pork low and slow over Texas post oak, and says it prepares everything fresh daily with locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. The menu also covers burgers and homestyle sides, and the Katy location takes pickup orders online with delivery through DoorDash.

Order: A sliced brisket or pulled pork plate. Red River's brisket is a good baseline for comparing against the rest of this list.

Tip: Red River BBQ & Burger is open until 9pm or later every night, which makes it the safest dinner call on this list when Roegels has already closed.

Official site: redriverbbq.com/katy

Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q

21799 Katy Freeway, Katy, TX 77450 · Typically Sun–Thu 7am–9pm, Fri–Sat 7am–10pm

Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q on the Katy Freeway is the Texas counter-service chain that opens earliest of the five picks, typically at 7am. That makes it the one Katy barbecue stop where you can start with breakfast tacos, which are on the Katy location's menu, before the brisket crowd shows up.

The order at Rudy's is the brisket labeled "moist" on the menu, the fattier cut, sold by the half pound. Turkey, pulled pork and sausage fill out the board, with sides like cole slaw.

Order: Moist brisket by the half pound and a side of cole slaw to cut the richness.

Official site: rudysbbq.com

Save this: Katy BBQ day plan

This Katy BBQ day plan hits all five picks on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday, when every stop is typically open. Share plates: one order per stop is plenty for two or three people.

1. 7am, Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q, 21799 Katy Freeway. Breakfast tacos and a half pound of moist brisket.
2. 10:30am, Midway BBQ, 6025 Highway Blvd. Split a Brisket Assassin Melt and see the place that started as a grocery-store shack.
3. 12:30pm, Chuckwagon BBQ & Burgers, 4031 FM 1463. Halal brisket or a chopped brisket sandwich; on Fridays, beef belly burnt ends.
4. 3pm, Roegels Barbecue Co., 20702 Katy Freeway. Sliced brisket, pork ribs and sausage at the Texas Monthly Top 50 honoree.
5. 6pm, Red River BBQ & Burger, 1711 S Mason Rd. Pick up a brisket plate for dinner at home.

Before you go

• Check each official site the day you go; hours change.
• Roegels and Chuckwagon are both closed Mondays, and Roegels typically closes at 3pm on Tuesdays and Sundays.
• Chuckwagon's beef ribs run Friday through Sunday only, until sold out.
• If you drink at Roegels' full bar, use a designated driver or rideshare for the rest of the run.

Is Katy barbecue worth the drive from Houston?

Yes, if you want Texas Monthly-recognized brisket without driving inside the Beltway, or a halal barbecue plate from a Texas-style smokehouse. Roegels Barbecue Co. and Rudy's both sit right on the Katy Freeway (I-10), so they're easy stops on the way to or from Central Texas.

More Katy and Houston BBQ

For pitmasters and destination joints across the city, start with the best BBQ in Houston guide. Katy's wider dining scene is covered in best restaurants in Katy, TX, and if brisket isn't settling the argument, try best burgers in Katy, TX. For more halal options, see best halal restaurants in Houston. Building a multi-day barbecue trip? The family-friendly Houston BBQ crawl maps a route. New to the area? The Katy area guide, living in Katy, TX and things to do in Katy, TX cover the rest.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best BBQ in Katy, TX?

Our top pick is Roegels Barbecue Co. at 20702 Katy Freeway, Katy, TX 77449, which Texas Monthly named to its Top 50 BBQ Joints in 2017. It serves Central Texas-style brisket, pork ribs and house-made sausage smoked over post oak, typically Tuesday through Sunday.

Is Brett's BBQ Shop in Katy still open?

No. Brett's BBQ Shop at 25220 Kingsland Blvd in Katy closed at the end of December 2025.

Is there halal BBQ in Katy, TX?

Yes. Chuckwagon BBQ & Burgers at 4031 FM 1463 Ste 50, Katy, TX 77494 lists its brisket, burgers, smoked chicken, smoked turkey breast and hot links as halal and served daily.

Which Katy BBQ place opens earliest?

Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q at 21799 Katy Freeway typically opens at 7am every day and has breakfast tacos on its menu. Midway BBQ on Highway Blvd typically opens at 10:30am Monday through Saturday.

Is Roegels Barbecue in Katy open on Mondays?

No. Roegels Barbecue Co. at 20702 Katy Freeway is typically closed Mondays, open 11am to 3pm on Tuesdays and Sundays, and 11am to 8pm Wednesday through Saturday.

What is Midway BBQ known for?

Midway BBQ at 6025 Highway Blvd in Katy is known for post-oak brisket, pecan-smoked sausage and the Brisket Assassin Melt. It began in the mid-1990s as a shack in front of Midway Grocery Store and now fills an 8,500-square-foot building with a banquet room.