BBQ Battle

Houston crowned best BBQ city in America in surprising new survey

Texans love to argue about barbecue.

Photo by Robert Jacob Lerma

Houston is the best city in the country for barbecue. Congratulations, Houstonians, we've conquered the state's top cuisine.

This surprising conclusion comes courtesy of a report by the website BBQ Revolution. Titled "The Most Popular BBQ in the U.S.," the website proclaimed Houston as America's top city for barbecue.

Methodology is everything, of course. For its survey, BBQ Revolution has selected quantity over quality. To compile its ranking, the website analyzed Tripadvisor data and counted the number of barbecue restaurants in each city. With 167 establishments, Houston edged out noted barbecue destination Los Angeles (162) for the title.

San Antonio (135) ranks a surprising second in the state and third overall. Austin (113) and Dallas (109) come in at fifth and sixth nationally, respectively. Chicago ranks fourth with 124, and New York City takes sixth with 94.

Certainly, Houstonians will be pleased with that result, but the notion that Austin might be Texas' third best city for barbecue will likely cause considerable agita in the state capital.

Then again, why not Houston? The city's is home to top restaurants like Truth BBQ, Roegels Barbecue, and Gatlin's BBQ and a lively pop-up scene that includes the Vietnamese-influenced smoke masters Khói Barbecue and the decadent birria tacos of JQ's Tex-Mex Barbecue. Houston's own Blood Bros. will soon open their new location in a Las Vegas casino alongside some of the top chefs in the country.

As a point of comparison, consider Texas Monthly's 2017 list of the state's top 50 barbecue joints, which are based on actual visits by the magazine's staff. Austin landed seven in the top 50, including two in the top 10.

Houston proper had four — three more if Pearland, Tomball, and Spring are included — while Dallas had three and San Antonio only had two. Admittedly, a lot has changed in barbecue over the last four years, but that certainly feels more in line with the conventional wisdom around the state's barbecue universe.

One thing every Texan can agree on — any ranking that has Los Angeles ahead of anywhere in the Lone Star State should be viewed skeptically at best.

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domo arigato

Award-winning ramen shop sets opening date for new Memorial location

Courtesy of Ramen Tatsu-ya

Ramen Tatsu-ya opens in Town & Country Village on Tuesday, December 9.

Memorial-area diners will soon be slurping noodles and chowing down on Sweet & Sour Yodas. Ramen Tatsu-ya is opening its second Houston-area location this Tuesday, December 9.

Located in Town & Country Village (600 West Sam Houston Pkwy North, #605), the new Ramen Tatsu-ya builds on the success of the restaurant’s first Houston location that opened in 2017. It has earned a following for its signature tonkotsu broth, which takes up to three days to prepare.

The menu also includes small plates such as sweet and spicy Brussels sprouts (aka, Yodas), karaage, and gyoza. They can be paired with a full range of drinks, including beer, sake, frozens, and non-alcoholic sips such as lemongrass-cucumber limeade and strawberry-yuzu lemonade.

“Houston has been so good to us since opening our first ramen shop in Montrose in 2017,” Tatsu-ya CEO Todd Coerver said in a statement. “We’re excited to bring our authentic, Japanese-style ramen to Memorial City, and we aren’t stopping there. A third opening in Houston is planned for summer 2026.”

Ramen Tatsu-ya Memorial Briks mural Houston artist Briks painted the restaurant's mural.Courtesy of Ramen Tatsu-ya

The restaurant will open at 2 pm. The first 50 people to dine in will receive a t-shirt that features an image of the location’s mural, which was created by Houston artist Briks.

Founded in 2012 by chefs Tatsu Aikawa and Takuya Matsumoto, Ramen Tatsu-ya took Austin by storm. Fans lined up an hour or more to get a bowl of soup, and the restaurant earned a spot on Bon Appetit’s 2013 list of the country’s best new restaurants. Memorial/Town & Country will be the restaurant’s ninth location, following a to-go window that opened on the Drag near the University of Texas earlier this year. More are coming, as Coerver’s statement makes clear.

Ramen Tatsu-ya joins a dynamic mix of new and new-ish restaurants in Memorial and Town & Country Village, including neighborhood restaurant The Henry, classic American restaurant Relish Restaurant & Bar, Murray’s Pizza & Wine, and Michelin-recognized live-fire concept Credence.

Courtesy of Ramen Tatsu-ya

Ramen Tatsu-ya opens in Town & Country Village on Tuesday, December 9.

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