Texas True

In-store Houston offerings fill your plate with H-E-B's tasty Texas roots

It doesn't get more Texas than H-E-B, the revered San Antonio-based grocery store with a cult-like following. But the brand isn't satisfied with just being the site of your weekly shop — it has also developed several restaurant concepts that are quickly becoming just as beloved.

True Texas Boil House opened at the end of January in H-E-B's Chinatown-area store, at 10100 Beechnut St. The restaurant serves boiled seafood (crawfish, shrimp, and crab legs), fried seafood (shrimp and catfish), sides (potatoes, Cajun fries, coleslaw, hushpuppies, and corn), and six different dipping sauces.

A pound of crawfish costs $6.97, or $5.97 when you order five pounds or more, while the fried baskets — which come with two sides and one dipping sauce — start at $7.97.

But seafood isn't the only restaurant route H-E-B has gone down. True Texas BBQ opened at the Pleasanton location in 2014, and now there are 10 in-store stands and counting across the Lone Star State, including Kingwood (4517 Kingwood Dr.), Magnolia (7988 FM 1488), and Huntsville (1702 11th St.).

Smoked with Texas oak wood for up to 14 hours, the by-the-pound or plated barbecue spans brisket (three ways), smoked turkey, pulled pork, smoked chicken, sausage links, and St. Louis spare ribs. Potatoes heaped with toppings, five different sandwiches, and a salad round out the main courses, with brisket beans, creamed corn, potato salad, mac and cheese, green beans, cornbread, and coleslaw making up the sides.

The joint is so authentic, Texas Monthly surprised smoked-meat snobs around the state by naming it the best barbecue chain in the state.

Speaking of authentic, shoppers at The Woodlands H-E-B also get to enjoy fresh, made-to-order artisan pies from South Flo Pizza. Keeping in line with the grocer's affordable prices, the 8-inch personal pizzas are only $7 while the 16-inch ones are $10. Make sure to visit during the daily happy hour from 4-7 pm, when $10 gets you a 16-inch pizza plus two local craft beers (or, if you prefer, two glasses of wine).

As you drive around Texas, keep an eye out for concepts like True Texas Tacos or simply stock your home fridge with the best of local craft brews. Cheers, y'all.

Seafood by the pound? Don't mind if we do.

H-E-B True Texas Boil House seafood medley

Courtesy of H-E-B

Seafood by the pound? Don't mind if we do.

tacos barbecue pizza promoted shopping craft-beer

head east

Eagerly-anticipated Houston barbecue joint hosts weekend preview pop-ups

Courtesy of Eastbound Barbecue

Get a first taste of Eastbound Barbecue this weekend.

One of Houston’s most eagerly anticipated new barbecue joints is giving diners a preview of what’s to come. Eastbound Barbecue will host “Sneak Peak Weekends” every Saturday and Sunday beginning this Saturday, December 20, until the restaurant opens in early 2026.

Held at the restaurant’s location in the East End (1105 Sampson Street) from 12-4 pm (or sold out), the weekend service gives diners their first chance to try Eastbound Barbecue’s smoked meats, sides, and desserts. That includes, smoked brisket, baby back ribs, jalapeno & cheese sausage, hatch chili lasagna mac & cheese, herbed potato salad, and more. Save room for the two dessert offerings, salted caramel banana pudding and cookie butter cake.

To distinguish Eastbound’s barbecue, chefs Lopez and Granville use different seasonings than other restaurants, such as rosemary salt in the brisket rub and a miso-caramel sauce that gives its ribs a sweet and savory bite. During the preview, Eastbound’s prices are noticeably lower than many other Houston barbecue joints, with brisket priced at $29 per pound, ribs at $26 per pound, and pulled pork at $22 per pound.

As CultureMap reported in August, Eastbound unites four friends, Ryan Penn, Ryan Powell, Luis Lopez, and Jake Granville, who also held senior roles at various restaurants owned by prominent Houston chef Ronnie Killen. Since then, the four partners have finished many of the improvements they needed to make prior to opening, including closing in the patio and installing offset smokers on the property.

For Penn, leaving the Killen’s organization after almost 20 years was a difficult decision, but one he felt he had to make. “I could have worked for [Killen] forever and been happy. It was more along the lines of, if I don’t do this now, I don’t want to be 70 and wish that I had,” he said at the time.

Courtesy of Eastbound Barbecue

Get a first taste of Eastbound Barbecue this weekend.

news-you-can-eat barbecue openings