B.B. and BBQ

New smokehouse fires up BBQ and blues music in Sugar Land's hottest destination

Williams Smokehouse BBQ and Blues Furrest Greenwood Kennis Williams

Co-founders Furrest Greenwood and Kennis Williams.

Photo by Michael Anthony

Sugar Land residents will soon have a new option for smoked meats and live music. Williams Smokehouse BBQ and Blues will open this summer in the former Stadia Grill space in Sugar Land Town Square (2105 Lone Star Dr.).

Pitmaser and co-owner Kennis Williams traces his roots in Sugar Land back to his grandparents, according to a release. Schooled in barbecue by his uncles, he saw an opportunity to open a restaurant in partnership with marketing and promotions specialist Furrest Greenwood.

“Growing up, one of my fondest memories was walking into a smoky nightclub in Wallis, Texas and watching my Uncle Earl play alongside the late great B.B. King,” Williams said. “Fast forward to a few years later, I started to become infatuated with the smell of pecan wood burning as my uncles would fire up the barbecue pits in the early mornings at 6 am. I thought to myself, these two things that I love — blues music and barbecue — belong together.”

Williams will add Creole touches to his dishes. Potential menu items include smoked turkey legs stuffed with dirty rice and topped with shrimp and sausage alfredo sauce; homemade armadillo eggs made with homemade sausage, wrapped around a smoked gouda-stuffed, bacon-wrapped jalapeño; and "Creole candy" smoked wings. The restaurant will utilize a wood burning, rotisserie smoker from M&M BBQ Company.

True to its name, the restaurant will have a small stage that will host live blues music. The 5,500-square-foot space will also offer outdoor dining on a patio.

Despite the name, a representative tells CultureMap that this Williams Smokehouse has no connection to the original Williams Smokehouse that operated in Acres Homes until it closed in 2007 after being damaged by a fire. For more than 20 years, Williams Smokehouse was a Houston barbecue gem that earned a spot on Texas Monthly's Top 50 barbecue joints list in 2003. Pitmaster Cedric Williams cooked at the short-lived Republic Smokehouse in Midtown.

To clarify, the new restaurant takes it name from co-owner Kennis Williams and his affinity for blues music. It joins a wide range of dining options in Sugar Land Town Square that include State Fare, The Flying Saucer, and recently opened Indian restaurant Mahesh’s Kitchen. Restaurateur Ben Berg will bring his casual B.B. Italia concept to the area later this year.

“I attended elementary, junior high, and high school in Sugar Land," Williams said. “I’ve built many great life-long friendships and business relationships right here in Sugar Land. Sugar Land is my home and I can’t wait to share my passion for food with my community.”

barbecue news-you-can-eat openings

Houston's smallest restaurant?

Michelin-recognized Houston sushi chef fires up 4-seat Japanese skewer spot

Courtesy of Sip & Skewer

Diners sit in front of chefs cooking on a grill.

The team behind one of Houston’s Michelin-recognized sushi restaurants is opening an intimate new izakaya. Sip & Skewer is the newest concept from Hidden Omakase owner Tuan Tran and chef Marcos Juarez.

Opening Friday, February 13, Sip & Skewer is a four-seat restaurant devoted to skewered meats that’s located within Sushi by Hidden, the group’s affordable omakase restaurant in Rice Village. At Sip & Skewer, diners sit across from the chefs as they cook a 10-course, $90 meal on a Japanese binchotan grill.

“Sip & Skewer is small, loud, and intentional. The kind of hidden experience you’d find in Tokyo,” Tran said. “And with Chef Marcos guiding the team at Sushi by Hidden, this space is getting new energy from every angle.”

A four-seat restaurant within a 10-seat restaurant might seem kind of superfluous, but Tran explains that it’s part of a larger plan for his group of restaurants, which also includes West U. hand roll restaurant Norigami. It also builds on the success of Hidden Omakase, the Galleria-area sushi counter that earned a Recommended designation in the Michelin Guide.

“Sip & Skewer is part of a larger vision. It’s designed as a stepping stone toward our next concept, Kōri, a new hand roll and craft cocktail bar opening in the Heights. Our plan is to open Sip & Skewer directly next to our hand roll spot, creating a small alley of Japanese concepts that feed into one another,” Tran explains.

“This allows us to build awareness, train our team in a new format, and introduce guests to Japanese charcoal grilling in a very personal way before we scale the idea into a larger setting with Kōri. The four-seat format keeps overhead extremely low while serving as a live test kitchen and brand builder for what’s coming next,” he adds.

On a related note, Juarez and the other chefs at Hidden Omakase are dividing their time between all three restaurants. Tuam explains that it’s a deliberate strategy to ensure a consistent customer experience.

“The same team that works Michelin-recognized omakase service also runs the grill here, which keeps quality and execution consistent while allowing the chefs a creative outlet in a very different format,” Tran said. “Because Sip & Skewer is only four seats and reservations only, it does not require a dedicated full-time staff. It’s an extension of the team rather than a separate operation.”