cue up for this 'cue
Anthony Bourdain-approved Houston BBQ restaurant launches new bistro
A beloved local barbecue joint spotlighted by Anthony Bourdain on his Parts Unknown series is opening yet another hub in a bustling grocery store.
Burns BBQ — an Acres Home fixture since 1973 — is launching an grab-and-go bistro in an Humble-area Kroger (14221 E. Sam Houston Pkwy, N.).
The new locale will open at 9 am Saturday, June 3, with opening remarks by Mayor Sylvester Turner, plus a proclamation of Burns BBQ Flagship Day.
This new flagship location will offer sandwiches, sides, and family packs available for to-go, or dine-in at the store’s seating area. Fans can expect favorites such as brisket, links, turkey, ribs, chicken boudin, and monster potatoes, along with mac and cheese and baked beans, per a press release.
Foodies will recall that Bourdain paid a visit to Burns BBQ followed by a slab party with Houston hip-hop artist Slim Thug, CultureMap’s Eric Sandler reported in 2016. A prominent community player, Burns was one of several locally owned restaurants that participated in pop-ups at Houston area Kroger stores during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, when area grocer Jim’s Super burned down, leaving many people in the area without easy access to groceries, Burns was on-site to provide food to the Metro drivers and Kroger volunteers in the food-insecure area, a press release notes.
The new Humble Kroger store boasts a Burns Bistro with a full menu available, open from 11am-7pm from Wednesday to Sunday.
Burns’ partnership with Kroger started in 2019; the company initially sold sauces in-store. Since then, the Black-owned family business is in more than 20 area Kroger stores.
