Best BBQ in Kemah, TX: Six Smokehouses Around the Bay

The best barbecue near Kemah, TX starts at T-Bone Tom's on State Highway 146, a Kemah barbecue restaurant that has smoked brisket over oak since 1974. From there, the Bay Area barbecue circuit runs through Seabrook, League City, Clear Lake and Webster, all a short drive from the Kemah Boardwalk.

This guide covers six barbecue restaurants we confirmed open on their own official websites: one in Kemah, one in Seabrook, two in League City, one in the Clear Lake area of Houston and one in Webster. Each listing names its city, so you always know where you're headed.

Where does this guide count as "Kemah"?

This guide covers Kemah itself plus the neighboring Bay Area cities a visitor can reach in a short drive. Kemah is a small waterfront city on Galveston Bay that borders Seabrook, so most barbecue runs from the Kemah Boardwalk end up crossing into Seabrook, League City, Clear Lake or Webster anyway. We kept the list to places within roughly ten miles of the Boardwalk and labeled every restaurant's city.

How we chose

Every barbecue restaurant on this list smokes its own brisket, ribs or sausage, and each was confirmed open on its official website in November 2026. We left out places whose sites no longer show current hours, places marked closed, and restaurants that serve smoked meat only as a sideline. Hours change, so treat every schedule below as "typically" and check the restaurant's own site before you go.

Is there barbecue in Kemah itself?

Yes: T-Bone Tom's at 707 State Highway 146 in Kemah is a full barbecue restaurant, smoking its brisket, ribs and sausage over oak.

T-Bone Tom's

707 State Highway 146, Kemah, TX 77565 · [tbonetoms.com](https://tbonetoms.com)

Here's the "I didn't know that" part: T-Bone Tom's own history says it started as the Kemah Meat Market in the 1960s and became T-Bone Tom's Bar B Que in 1974. You can still see the butcher-shop roots. The kitchen smokes brisket, pork ribs and sausage over oak, and the menu has grown to include hand-cut steaks, seafood, chicken-fried steak and gumbo.

The starter people talk about is the Armadillo Eggs, which T-Bone Tom's describes as "hand battered, never frozen." Order a round for the table while you choose between a barbecue plate and a hand-cut steak.

Order: Armadillo Eggs to start. A barbecue plate with brisket and sausage. A hand-cut steak for anyone at the table who isn't in the mood for brisket.

Good to know: T-Bone Tom's has live music six nights a week, and its outdoor patio, Tom's Back Yard, typically stays open later than the dining room.

Hours: Inside dining is typically open Sunday through Thursday 11am to 10pm and Friday and Saturday 11am to 11pm. Tom's Back Yard is typically open Sunday through Thursday 11am to 11pm and Friday and Saturday 11am to midnight. Check the official site before you go.

What's the closest barbecue to Kemah in Seabrook?

Dave's Smokehouse, inside the family-owned Bay Area Meat Market & Deli on Kirby Road, is the Seabrook pick.

Dave's Smokehouse at Bay Area Meat Market & Deli

537 Kirby Rd, Seabrook, TX 77586 · [bayareameatmarket.com](https://bayareameatmarket.com)

Dave's Smokehouse in Seabrook shares an address with Bay Area Meat Market & Deli, which says it has been family owned and operated since 1984. Briskets are smoked for 12 hours over Texas post oak, and the ribs and pulled pork come out of the same smokehouse.

The insider tip: because this is a working meat market, the sausages are house-made, and you can eat smoked meat on site and take raw cuts home on the same trip. If you're cooking at a bay house that weekend, this is your stop.

Order: A brisket plate. The House-Smoked Texas Sausage Platter. Something from the butcher case on your way out.

Hours: The smokehouse is typically open Tuesday through Saturday 10:30am to 7pm, and the meat market Tuesday through Saturday 7am to 7pm. Neither lists Sunday or Monday hours. Check the official site before you go.

Where to eat barbecue in League City

League City has two solid barbecue options near Kemah: Red River BBQ & Grill on East Main Street and Spring Creek Barbeque on the Gulf Freeway.

Red River BBQ & Grill

1911 E Main St, League City, TX 77573 · [redriverbbq.com/league-city](https://redriverbbq.com/league-city/)

Red River BBQ & Grill in League City is family owned and has served the city since 2002. The menu goes well beyond brisket by the pound: smoked wings rolled in barbecue sauce, homemade onion rings, burgers and a long sandwich list share the menu with the barbecue plates, so it's an easy pick for a group that can't agree.

The sandwich to know is the Triple Threat: pulled pork, spicy sausage, peppered bacon and cheddar on a jalapeño cheese bun. Pair it with Mom's Potato Salad or macaroni and cheese.

Order: The Triple Threat sandwich. Smoked wings to share. Pecan cobbler with ice cream to finish.

Hours: Typically Sunday through Thursday 11am to 9pm and Friday and Saturday 11am to 9:30pm. Check the official site before you go.

Spring Creek Barbeque

2710 Gulf Fwy S, League City, TX 77573 · [springcreekbarbeque.com](https://springcreekbarbeque.com/league-city)

Spring Creek Barbeque is a Texas chain that opened its first restaurant in 1980, and its League City restaurant on the Gulf Freeway is the dependable family stop on this list. You can get brisket as a plate, a lunch special, a sandwich or by the pound, and the ribs come baby back or St. Louis style.

The League City menu says baby back ribs and beef ribs are available until sold out, so go earlier in the day if ribs are the goal.

Order: A brisket plate. Ribs while they last. Banana pudding.

Hours: Typically daily 11am to 9pm. Check the official site before you go.

Is there barbecue near NASA in Clear Lake?

Yes: Luka's Barbecue & Steakhouse on Saturn Lane is in the Clear Lake area of Houston, the NASA side of the Bay Area.

Luka's Barbecue & Steakhouse

17052 Saturn Ln, Houston, TX 77058 (Clear Lake) · [lukasbbq.com](https://lukasbbq.com)

Luka's Barbecue & Steakhouse in Clear Lake serves steakhouse plates alongside its barbecue, and the dish to try is the BBQ Baked Potato. It's a filling choice if you're spending the day around Clear Lake and Space Center Houston.

Order: The BBQ Baked Potato. A meat combo dinner if you want a bit of everything. Banana pudding or the peach and blackberry cobbler.

Hours: Typically Monday through Thursday 11am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday 11am to 10pm, and Sunday 11am to 8pm. Check the official site before you go.

Where to get a sit-down barbecue dinner in Webster

Pappas Delta Blues Smokehouse on the Gulf Freeway in Webster is the sit-down dinner pick, with cocktails, happy hour and weekend brunch.

Pappas Delta Blues Smokehouse

19901 Gulf Fwy, Webster, TX 77598 · [pappasdeltablues.com/webster](https://www.pappasdeltablues.com/webster)

Pappas Delta Blues Smokehouse in Webster comes from Houston's Pappas restaurant family, the same group behind Pappadeaux and Pappas Bar-B-Q. It smokes aged USDA Prime brisket over hickory, not the post oak you'll find at Dave's Smokehouse in Seabrook.

Pappas Delta Blues Smokehouse in Webster typically runs happy hour Monday through Friday 3pm to 6pm and weekend brunch Saturday and Sunday 10am to 2pm. With a cocktail menu on top of that, it's a good place to end a Boardwalk day.

Order: Prime brisket. Ribs. Weekend brunch if you're passing through on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

Hours: Typically Monday through Thursday 11am to 9pm, Friday 11am to 10pm, Saturday 10am to 10pm and Sunday 10am to 9pm. Check the official site before you go.

Save this: a Bay Area barbecue day route

Kemah is best known for seafood, but some of its best eating comes out of a smoker. This four-stop route covers butcher-shop brisket, a Kemah original from the 1970s and a sit-down dinner. Bring a designated driver or use rideshare if anyone is drinking.

1. 10:30am: Dave's Smokehouse, Seabrook. Get there when the smokehouse opens, any day Tuesday through Saturday. Grab a pound of brisket to go if you plan more stops.
2. Noon: T-Bone Tom's, Kemah. Armadillo Eggs and a barbecue plate, then a walk on the Kemah Boardwalk.
3. Mid-afternoon: Red River BBQ & Grill, League City. Split a Triple Threat sandwich and smoked wings.
4. Evening: Pappas Delta Blues Smokehouse, Webster. Happy hour or a sit-down dinner to close the day.

Tips before you go

• Check the day. Dave's Smokehouse in Seabrook lists hours only for Tuesday through Saturday, so build Sunday and Monday trips around T-Bone Tom's, Red River, Spring Creek, Luka's or Pappas Delta Blues.
• Go early for ribs. Spring Creek Barbeque in League City says its beef ribs and baby back ribs are available until sold out.
• Bring a cooler. Bay Area Meat Market & Deli in Seabrook is a full butcher shop, so you can take home raw cuts and house-made sausage.
• Check hours online. Every restaurant here posts its hours on its official site, and hours change.

More to eat and do near Kemah

The Kemah Boardwalk is a short drive from every stop on this list. For Gulf seafood instead of smoke, see our guide to the best seafood in Kemah. For the full Houston barbecue picture, start with best BBQ in Houston, or head down the coast for the best BBQ in Galveston. Nearby: things to do in Clear Lake, things to do in League City and the best restaurants in League City. Planning the trip from the city? See day trips from Houston.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there BBQ in Kemah, TX?

Yes. T-Bone Tom's at 707 State Highway 146 in Kemah smokes brisket, pork ribs and sausage over oak and has been a barbecue restaurant since 1974.

What should I order at T-Bone Tom's in Kemah?

Start with the Armadillo Eggs, which T-Bone Tom's describes as hand battered and never frozen, then order a barbecue plate with brisket and sausage. The menu also has hand-cut steaks, seafood and gumbo.

Where is the closest barbecue to the Kemah Boardwalk?

Of the restaurants in this guide, T-Bone Tom's on State Highway 146 in Kemah is the closest to the Kemah Boardwalk. Dave's Smokehouse on Kirby Road in neighboring Seabrook is next.

What are the best barbecue restaurants near Kemah?

Our picks near Kemah are T-Bone Tom's in Kemah, Dave's Smokehouse in Seabrook, Red River BBQ & Grill and Spring Creek Barbeque in League City, Luka's Barbecue & Steakhouse in Clear Lake, and Pappas Delta Blues Smokehouse in Webster. All six were confirmed open on their official websites in November 2026.

Is Dave's Smokehouse in Seabrook open on Sunday?

No Sunday hours are listed. Dave's Smokehouse at Bay Area Meat Market & Deli in Seabrook is typically open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:30am to 7pm, so check the official site before you go.