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    Passionate Pitmaster

    Passionate 26-year old pitmaster aims to bring high quality barbecue to River Oaks

    Eric Sandler
    Mar 18, 2015 | 2:31 pm

    Among a certain segment of Houston's culinary community, it's an axiom of faith that the first person to open a high-quality, central-Texas style barbecue joint inside the loop will make an absolute shitload of money. After all, the argument goes, if CorkScrew BBQ in Spring and Killen's Barbecue in Pearland are selling meat as fast as they can smoke it, the right concept in the heart of Houston could become a Franklin-style juggernaut.

     

    While more established restaurants like Goode Co and even the venerable Pizzitola's have their fans, they simply aren't serving the intensely smoky, fatty, full-flavored barbecue that's at the forefront of Houston's barbecue awakening.

     

    Given the potential for profit, some big names are already involved in the quest to open such a restaurant. Bryan Caswell and Greg Gatlin will soon open Jackson Street Barbecue in downtown, the Landmark Houston Hospitality Group is bringing The Republic Smokehouse & Saloon to Midtown and Wayne Mueller will open a version of central Texas stalwart Louie Mueller Barbecue in the Eastside at some point.

     
     

      Pinkerton discovered this passion when, at 10 years old, he knew by intuition that his father needed to take some steaks off the grill.

     
     

    With all that talent entering the market, it came as a bit of a surprise when the Chronicle reported recently that a 26-year old pitmaster with no formal culinary training would be opening a barbecue restaurant in River Oaks this August. Meet Grant Pinkerton: a Lamar High School and University of Texas grad with plans to open Pinkerton's Barbecue.

     

    "I have a weird, undying passion for meat," Pinkerton tells CultureMap."I love it. Cooking meat has fascinated me since I was a little kid."

     

    Pinkerton discovered this passion when, at 10 years old, he knew by intuition that his father needed to take some steaks off the grill. After learning to grill, he turned to a smoker. At Texas, he started cooking for 200 to 400 people at tailgates and, in the offseason, taking road trips to central Texas barbecue joints in places like Lockhart, Taylor and Llano.

     

    "I came back to Houston and ate some barbecue here and said 'I can do better than this,'" Pinkerton explains. "Not only can I do better than this, but I want to provide awesome barbecue to Houston." He purchased a catering rig and started popping up "outlaw style," without permits, around West University Place. Pretty soon he had an email list of names that would allow him to pre-sell almost an entire day's production. That led to more catering, which is how Pinkerton met the people who are backing him in the restaurant.

     

     The perfect place

     

    Pinkerton says he had a vision for how his space would look but wasn't optimistic about finding the right fit until a friend referred him to a building on Joanel Street behind River Oaks Donuts. "We went and we checked it out, boom. It’s an old metal building with chicken wire covering the insulation and exposed metal beams. I was, like, this is it. This is perfect. I knew that’s exactly where I wanted to move in."

     

     

      Pinkerton plans to serve brisket, beef ribs, pork ribs, sausage, chicken and turkey on the regular menu with occasional specials like whole hog or cabrito.  

     
     

    A massive 12-foot by 42-inch, trailer-mounted Klose offset smoker will provide plenty of capacity. "We’ve worked with the architect to design a vent hood and ventilation system to go over the smokestack," Pinkerton says. "I think it can serve up to 1,800 to 2,000 people per day."

     

    Pinkerton plans to serve brisket, beef ribs, pork ribs, sausage, chicken and turkey on the regular menu with occasional specials like whole hog or cabrito. Sides will include jambalaya, coleslaw, potato salad and jalapeno cheese rice. "I want really awesome sides: culinary level sides to match really good meat," Pinkerton adds.

     

    He's even developing a couple of salads for the River Oaks crowd, but they'll still be topped with meat.

     

    As part of the run-up to opening, Pinkerton will be hosting pop-ups, participating in events like the Houston Barbecue Festival in April and booking more catering jobs. Festival organizer Michael Fulmer got his first taste of Pinkerton's barbecue last Saturday and was impressed by what he tasted.

     

    "It didn't just look good. It tasted good," Fulmer tells CultureMap. "Both the fatty and the lean brisket were really good. It shows great adeptness of skill when you can execute like that.

     

    "It's clear to me that he's not an amateur looking to come and play with professionals. This is a guy who's ready to go to the next level, and that's really encouraging."

     

    Achieving his goals won't be easy, but Pinkerton is ready to make some sacrifices to achieve his dreams. "The hours are insane, and I’m thinking about that. It’s going to be crazy. It’s 6 a.m. to midnight, at least, every day.

     

    "Luckily, I’m a pretty young guy. I figure I can kill myself for the first five to eight years."

    Pinkerton smokes his brisket low and slow with a mixture of oak and mesquite.

    Pinkerton's BBQ Barbecue
      
    Courtesy photo
    Pinkerton smokes his brisket low and slow with a mixture of oak and mesquite.
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    LRW 2025

    Two week dining event celebrates Houston's Latin-owned restaurants

    Eric Sandler
    Jul 14, 2025 | 6:00 am
    The Lymbar interior
    Photo by Dylan McEwan
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    A two-week celebration of Latin food and culture has begun in Houston. Latin Restaurant Weeks has returned for its seventh year.

    Held from Friday, July 11 until July 25, Latin Restaurant Weeks has more than 40 participants that showcase the diversity of Latin American cuisine. It includes everything from all four of James Beard Award winner Hugo Ortega’s restaurants — Mexican staple Hugo’s, seafood restaurant Caracol, Oaxacan restaurant Xochi, and street food favorite Urbe — as well as Brazilian steakhouses, casual taquerias, and bakeries.

    Unlike Houston Restaurant Weeks where restaurant serve prix fixe menus at set prices, each participating restaurant in Late Restaurant Weeks determines its own offer. For example, at The Lymbar, David Cordua’s Latin-Mediterranean fusion restaurant in Midtown, diners have the option of a two-course, $25 lunch or a three-course, $39 dinner. Next door at Late August, chef Chris Williams and Sergio Hidalgo’s Michelin-recommended restaurant, the options consist of a two-course lunch and a three-course dinner (pricing information wasn’t available at press time). In contrast, Urbe’s sole offering is a three crispy pork belly taco plate for $17.

    Those looking for more of a bar experience should consider Botónica, the recently-opened, Latin-inspired cocktail bar near River Oaks District. Aye Candy, a speakeasy-style bar in Spring Branch, is serving a $35 margarita flight with four variations on the popular cocktail.

    Married couple Karinn Chavarria-Luckett and Warren Luckett founded Latin Restaurant Weeks in 2019 to increase awareness of Latin-owned restaurants. Since then, the event has expanded from Houston to Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C.

    “Latin Restaurant Weeks was created to spotlight the cultural richness woven into each dish and story,” said Karinn Chavarria-Luckett, co-founder of Latin Restaurant Weeks. “It’s a celebration of identity, of creativity, and of the people behind the flavors who make our communities vibrant and strong.”

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