Phil's BBQ in Houston, TX: A Review

Phil's BBQ in Houston, TX is the latest BBQ restaurant in the loop and although we had high hopes, we were grossly disappointed. I wondered why they decided to open up yet another BBQ restaurant so close to Hickory Hollow (which has fabulous BBQ), and worried about the competition but fortunately for Hickory Hollow there is no competition because Phil's BBQ in Houston, TX is just downright terrible.

Phil's BBQ claims they have genuine Hill Country barbeque flavor but sadly they are misguided. Even the BBQ we got from a gas station in the Hill Country was better than Phil's.

Phil's BBQ restaurant is very clean, open and bright, and there is even outdoor seating which is fabulous. And Phil's BBQ in Houston, TX also has multiple television screens for sports lovers in addition to a bar so in theory this should be a local hangout but if anyone is going there for the food, they will be in for a real let down.

The staff didn't seem to understand nor speak English very well which was frustrating for everyone (not just us) trying to order. The menu is typical of any BBQ restaurant in Texas but it is much more expensive which is perplexing since it's certainly not worth the extra price.

I ordered the chopped beef with two sides: potato salad and dirty rice. Potato salad is one of those dishes that is hard to ruin but somehow Phil's BBQ in Houston, TX did just that. It had the oddest taste yet was bland. No amount of salt and pepper could salvage it. The dirty rice had ground beef in it and again, was bland and flavorless. And surprise, surprise the chopped beef was fatty and flavorless. How could a BBQ restaurant in the south not be able to make savory smoked meat?

My husband had the chopped beef sandwich and agreed with my assessment. The only thing he enjoyed was his onion rings and that's because they were deep fried and anything deep fried tastes good to him. The only food item I thought was edible was the sliced pickle.

I wanted to love Phil's BBQ in Houston, TX but unless they figure out how to actually cook barbeque food and hire staff that understands their customers, this dining establishment won't be around long. They already have a plethora of negative reviews on multiple sites. The only good thing is that Phil, the owner, is willing to listen to the critiques and make changes.

Phil's BBQ is located at 110 South Heights Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77007. Their website is http://www.philstxbbq.com/s/home/