Foodie News

Texas barbecue that travels draws New York Times love

Hill Country Barbecue Market in New York City
Hill Country Barbecue Market/Facebook
Hill Country Barbecue Market in New York City
Hill Country Barbecue Market/Facebook
Pudnah's Pit Barbecue in Portland, Ore.
Pudnah's Pit Barbecue
Pudnah's Pit Barbecue in Portland, Ore.
Pudnah's Pit Barbecue
Bigmista's Barbecue, with locations in Southern California
Bigmista's Barbecue/Twitter
Bigmista's brisket
Bigmista's Barbecue/Twitter

Every Texas traveler has a story about making the mistake of trying Tex-Mex in some godforsaken place like Colorado or Vermont and the inevitably disastrous results. But does leaving the Lone Star State mean giving up on all Texan food?

J.C. Reid, who is chronicling every barbecue joint in town via his Houston Barbecue Project, has turned his attention to Texas barbecue in the other 49 states in an article in the New York Times.

Can you take barbecue out of Texas and still call it Texas barbecue? A growing number of restaurateurs born or bred in Texas say you can, and they are opening establishments across America where customers can be indoctrinated into the unique tradition of Lone Star barbecue — smoked meat ordered by the pound, served on butcher paper, without sauce or utensils."

Reid argues that while most places offering "authentic Texas barbecue" are all hat and no brisket, there are a few restaurateurs coast to coast with Texas roots offering the real thing.

A few stand-outs include Bigmista’s Barbecue in southern California, run by Galveston native Neil Strawder, who serves a hybrid-style 'cue with both beef brisket and smoked pork ribs. Also in California, Kevin Bludso offers East Texas-style barbecue at Bludso's BBQ in Compton after learning the art by working for his grandmother in Corsicana while growing up.

On the East Coast, Reid profiles Marc Glosserman, whose family hails from Lockhart and who runs Hill Country Barbecue in New York and Washington, D.C. "The highest compliment we can get is when a Texan says we make great barbecue,” Glosserman says.

Check out Reid full story and other barbecue picks here. Have you found great Texas barbecue in the rest of the country?

unspecified

Farewell, ElRo

Creative Montrose pizzeria will shutter after only a year-and-a-half

Photo by Julie Soefer

ElRo Pizza & Crudo

An acclaimed Houston pizzeria will soon serve its final pies. ElRo Pizza & Crudo will close after service on December 31.

In a post on Instagram, chef-owner Terrence Gallivan thanks his staff for their dedication and his customers for their support. “We hope to see you all over the next couple weeks. Come celebrate with us,” he writes.

Open since June 2023, ElRo intrigued diners who enjoyed Gallivan’s work at pioneering Houston restaurant The Pass & Provisions. At ElRo, the chef served a modified version of the Provisions pizza recipe alongside crudos and shareable small plates such as arancini and housemade sausage. It earned four nominations in this year’s CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, including Best New Restaurant and Chef of the Year.

Sadly, Gallivan tells CultureMap that business has seen “a steady decline in business for many months.” Recently, the restaurant had tried a number of initiatives to draw in diners, such as steak night on Tuesday and fried chicken on Saturday.

The early announcement gives diners two weeks to make one more visit (or two) to the restaurant before it closes. Customers may want to time their visit for happy hour, which takes places from 3-6 pm Tuesday-Friday. It includes half-off glasses of wine, $4 draft beers, $9 select cocktails, and food specials.

Gallivan adds that he doesn’t know yet what his next move will be. Hopefully, he’s got one more comeback in him. Houston is a more fun town to dine in when Gallivan is cooking in it.

news-you-can-eat pizza closings