Best BBQ in Montrose: 8 Barbecue Joints Worth Knowing

The best barbecue near Montrose, Houston comes from eight confirmed spots: two sit inside the core 77006 zip code, two cluster along the South Shepherd–Upper Kirby corridor within walking distance of Montrose's western edge, and four are within a 10-minute drive. The standout is The Pit Room on Richmond Avenue—a Texas Monthly Top 50 pick that opens at 7 a.m. and runs breakfast tacos off the same smokers as the brisket.

Montrose is better known for ramen, cocktail bars, and Thai food than for smoke rings—see our culinary tour of Montrose for the full picture. That is why the barbecue joints that operate inside and around this neighborhood earn their place by being genuinely excellent. For this guide we define the Montrose area as the core neighborhood (zip 77006, from Allen Parkway south to US-59 and Bagby west to Shepherd Drive) plus the walkable Upper Kirby corridor on Shepherd and Kirby drives. It is one coherent dining zone, roughly 10 minutes end to end by car.

How we chose

Every pick was confirmed open on its own official website or verified directly as of October 2026, with current hours noted. We are not including Heights joints, Spring Branch, or Pearland—even if they are among Houston's finest. Those are a different guide. Hours change often; treat every schedule below as "typically" and check the official site before you go.

Inside Montrose (zip 77006)

The Pit Room—1201 Richmond Ave

The Texas Monthly Top 50 pick, open for breakfast tacos too

The Pit Room is Montrose's most-decorated barbecue address: Texas Monthly Top 50 and the first place most locals point out-of-towners. The kitchen smokes over post oak. Service starts at 7 a.m. for breakfast tacos—smoked chicken on a brisket-fat tortilla with griddled cheese and charred garlic—then shifts to full BBQ at 11 a.m. until sold out.

What to order: Prime brisket by the pound, jalapeño sausage, the smoked chicken breakfast taco, house red chili as a Frito pie.

Insider tip: When the dining room fills, the adjacent Patio bar at 1205 Richmond takes the overflow until 11 p.m.—same owner, full service, backyard feel. Most visitors miss it entirely.

Hours: typically 7 a.m.–9 p.m. daily, until sold out. Check thepitroombbq.com.

Brookstreet Bar-B-Que—1009 Missouri St

The neighborhood workhorse, hickory-smoked daily

Brookstreet's Montrose location occupies a stone building on Missouri Street in the heart of the neighborhood. It is the accessible, no-line option in the core neighborhood: hickory-smoked brisket, jalapeño sausage, pork ribs, and a full bench of sides served daily from 10:30 a.m. Come here when you want Texas BBQ without the sold-out-by-noon problem.

What to order: Two-meat plate with brisket and ribs, jalapeño sausage, bread pudding.

Hours: typically Mon–Thu 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri–Sat 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 10:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Check brookstreetbbq.com.

On the Montrose border: South Shepherd and Upper Kirby

These two spots sit a few blocks west of Shepherd Drive—the western boundary of Montrose proper—in the Upper Kirby corridor. Both are easily walkable or a very short drive from the neighborhood. For more dining in this stretch, see our Upper Kirby restaurant guide.

Pinkerton's Barbecue—3801 Farnham St

The pitmaster who competes at Memphis in May

Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2024 and 2025. The signature is Copper Creek Prime Brisket, smoked over post oak and mesquite. Grant Pinkerton competes at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Contest—the Super Bowl of competitive BBQ—and has earned four World Champion titles, including back-to-back victories in the Beef category.

What to order: Prime brisket, glazed pork ribs, pork prime rib.

Hours: typically Tue–Thu and Sun 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., closed Mondays, until sold out. Check pinkertonsbbq.com.

Demeris Bar-B-Q—2911 S Shepherd Dr

A smokehouse operating since 1964

The Demeris family has run this institution since 1964 and the second generation still operates it. The menu is unusually wide for a smokehouse: pork spare ribs, baby back ribs, smoked turkey, pulled pork, half-chickens, sausage, full sandwiches, burgers, and the Hoffy Burger—one pound of Angus beef with cheddar and a large onion ring. Demeris has been feeding the South Shepherd corridor longer than most of Montrose's current residents have been alive.

What to order: Pork spare ribs, smoked turkey, Frito chili pie.

Note: Closed Sundays.

Hours: typically Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m. Check demeris.com.

A short drive from Montrose (5–10 minutes)

Goode Company Barbeque—5109 Kirby Dr

The pits have not stopped smoking since 1977

Jim Goode built his first pit by hand in 1977, and the original barn-like structure on Kirby Drive is still the restaurant. Goode was a commercial artist before he opened a smokehouse, and he designed every piece of the restaurant's visual identity himself—the signage, packaging, all of it. His son Levi now runs the operation. The signature is mesquite-smoked brisket, and the Czech-style in-house sausage is a house staple.

What to order: Czech sausage, mesquite brisket, jalapeño cheese bread (baked daily), Brazos Bottom pecan pie.

Hours: typically Mon–Thu 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m. Never sells out; no reservations. Check goodecompanybarbeque.com.

Feges BBQ—3 Greenway Plaza (weekday lunch only)

Serious sides, Monday through Friday

Patrick Feges's Greenway Plaza counter is the fast-casual way to eat at a Texas Monthly Top 50 operation without the wait at his Spring Branch flagship. The brisket and ribs hold the same standard, but what separates Feges is Erin Feges's sides and desserts: loaded baked sweet potato with pulled pork and cilantro slaw, pozole verde, Moroccan spiced carrots, pimento mac and cheese, banana cream pie with salted caramel. Her sides have earned national coverage in their own right.

What to order: Brisket plate, loaded baked sweet potato, banana cream pie.

Important: Weekday lunch only—11 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed all weekend. If you are visiting on a Saturday or Sunday, this location will be closed.

Hours: Mon–Fri 11 a.m.–2 p.m. only. Check fegesbbq.com.

Pappas Bar-B-Q—1217 Pierce St (Midtown)

One of Houston's most accessible BBQ addresses, with early breakfast

The Pierce Street Pappas is a Midtown institution from one of Houston's best-known hospitality families. It is the only spot in this guide that serves barbecue before 10 a.m.—a breakfast menu of biscuits, eggs, and smoked meats typically runs on weekday mornings. For more eating in the area, see our Midtown Houston restaurant guide.

What to order: Mixed platter (brisket, sausage, rib, pulled pork), baby back ribs, pecan pie.

Hours: check pappasbbq.com for current hours before you go—the Midtown location keeps its own schedule.

Pizzitola's Heritage Barbecue—1703 Shepherd Dr

The 1963 brick pits you cannot legally rebuild

John Davis built these wood-burning brick pits by hand in 1963, and they are still firing every morning. You cannot replicate them under current fire code, which requires fireboxes outside the building. Every brisket and rack of ribs comes out of the same irreplaceable pits, making this one of the most historically significant smokehouse addresses in Texas.

The restaurant opened in 1935 as Shepherd Drive BBQ. Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner ate here nearly every Friday for close to 30 years; during his tenure he declared July 10 'Pizzitola's Bar-B-Cue Day' in the city. The Texas Historical Commission awarded the restaurant a Texas Treasure Business designation for more than 50 years of continuous for-profit operation. The location is about a mile north of Montrose's Allen Parkway boundary, technically in the Heights—but close enough on Shepherd Drive to be a natural add-on to any Montrose BBQ run.

What to order: Classic pork ribs, brisket, Mama Pizzitola's Famous Banana Pudding.

Hours: typically Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–8 p.m., closed Sundays. No website currently active—call ahead to confirm. Address: 1703 Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77007.

Save this: the Montrose BBQ route

Never drive between joints after eating. Use rideshare for any multi-stop route.

The Montrose core loop (walkable, any day)

1. Start at The Pit Room on Richmond Ave—arrive by 11 a.m. before it sells out.
2. Walk to Brookstreet on Missouri St for the sides or dessert; reliably open until at least 8 p.m.
3. Rideshare to Pinkerton's on Farnham for prime brisket, or head north on Shepherd to Pizzitola's Heritage Barbecue for the brick-pit ribs.

The weekday drive

1. Lunch at Feges BBQ at Greenway Plaza—arrive by 11:30 a.m. for the best selection.
2. Head to The Pit Room if you want a second look at post oak brisket (the two smoke programs are genuinely different).
3. Finish at Demeris on South Shepherd for spare ribs before 8:30 p.m.

Before you go

• The Pit Room and Pinkerton's both sell out—arrive by noon on weekends for the best cut selection.
• Feges Greenway is weekday lunch only; closed all weekend.
• Demeris and Pizzitola's are both closed Sundays.
• Pizzitola's has no active website; call ahead to confirm hours.
• Every hour above is "typically"—check the official site the day you go.
• Montrose street parking is tight; metered lots on Westheimer and Fairview are the most reliable option.

More to explore: the Montrose area guide, the complete best BBQ in Houston list, and the best restaurants in Montrose for everything else on the menu.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best BBQ restaurant in Montrose, Houston?

The Pit Room at 1201 Richmond Ave in Montrose is a Texas Monthly Top 50 pick and the neighborhood's most-recognized barbecue address. It is open daily from 7 a.m. for breakfast tacos and from 11 a.m. for full BBQ service until sold out.

Is Pinkerton's Barbecue in Montrose?

The Upper Kirby location at 3801 Farnham St is about two to three blocks west of Montrose's western boundary on Shepherd Drive—close enough to walk from the neighborhood, technically in Upper Kirby. It holds Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024 and 2025.

Which Montrose BBQ spots are open on Sunday?

The Pit Room, Brookstreet Bar-B-Que, Goode Company Barbeque on Kirby, and Pappas Bar-B-Q in Midtown are all typically open on Sundays. Feges Greenway, Demeris Bar-B-Q, and Pizzitola's Heritage Barbecue are closed Sundays—confirm hours on each restaurant's official site before you go.

When does The Pit Room sell out?

On busy weekends, The Pit Room on Richmond Ave can sell out of popular cuts by early afternoon. Arriving by 11 a.m.–11:30 a.m. gives you the best selection. Breakfast tacos are typically available from 7 a.m. until the kitchen transitions to full BBQ service.

What is the oldest BBQ restaurant near Montrose?

Pizzitola's Heritage Barbecue on Shepherd Drive traces its roots to 1935, making it the oldest spot in this guide. Demeris Bar-B-Q on South Shepherd has operated since 1964, and Goode Company Barbeque on Kirby Drive since 1977. All three are family-run institutions.

Does Feges BBQ have a Montrose location?

Feges BBQ operates a counter inside the HUB at 3 Greenway Plaza, just south of US-59 and about a five-minute drive from Montrose. It is open weekdays only, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and closed all weekend. The full-service flagship is in Spring Branch.