The line: No matter how long, it’s a fundamental component of the Texas barbecue experience.
Part endurance test (your devotion to barbecue can be measured by how long you’re willing to wait) and part bonding experiment (you’ll most likely make new friends with fellow smoked meat connoisseurs ahead of and behind you), the line is a social ritual that is Lone Star State authentic, through and through.
Terry Black’s Barbecue has mastered the line experience at its signature barbecue joints. To get in the front door, guests must pass the pit room where crews tend to the fire-breathing smokers holding glistening hunks of cosseted, pampered meat. It’s both thrilling and slightly cruel: The smoke and the aroma only heighten the anticipation.
Once in the restaurant, you pass through a gauntlet of stations where you act on well-thought-out decisions to fashion the barbecue tray of your dreams.
It’s genius. It’s theatrical. It’s pure temptation. And it’s finally here in Houston.
More than a year after the famed, family-owned Terry Black’s Barbecue (with roots in Lockhart and Austin) announced it would expand its smoky empire in Houston, the restaurant’s opening is at hand. Ready your taste buds and pack your patience, Terry Black’s is set to open Tuesday, August 18 at its new, barnyard-style smoked meat temple in the Heights, 1329 N. Shepherd Drive.
It is the sixth outpost—and perhaps the grandest—of the legendary, Central Texas-style barbecue juggernaut known as much for its hospitality as it is for superlative brisket, “Dino” beef ribs, pork ribs, house-made sausage, and homespun sides.
Founded by siblings Christina, Mike, and Mark Black, and named for their father, Terry Black’s represents an exciting new chapter within the Houston barbecue landscape. Already home to acclaimed, home-grown barbecue joints, Terry Black’s is, yes, an import with an impressive chain of outposts. But it comes with a sterling reputation for blending honest charm with modern convenience and true Texas authenticity.
Just how good is Terry Black’s? The Food Network series “Top 10” recently ranked Terry Black’s beef rib the best barbecue bite in the country. (The sole Houston representation on the same list was the brisket from Pinkerton’s Barbecue, which came in at No. 5.)
But Terry Black’s is proud of all its dishes. The slogan “Brisket is King” is emblazoned on the walls of its restaurants and shouted from merchandise. It’s at once a mantra, catchphrase, and promise.
“Relentless passion” is what drives the business, said Darien Kapture, senior vice president for food and beverage operations. “In terms of hiring, we look for passionate individuals. The one thing you can’t teach is passion.”
That commitment begins in earnest next week when the restaurant takes its bow in a city already well served by both Central Texas-style operations as well as uniquely Houston variants colored by multicultural inspirations. It is a crowded, competitive terrain, for sure, but one that Terry Black’s is ready to be a part of.
“We’re fully up for the challenge,” Kapture said. “We want to make sure that just because we’re a multi-unit operation, that doesn’t take away from what Central Texas barbecue is.”
The Houston outpost is impressive. At 7,066 square feet, the light-filled, double-height dining room (the company’s first with a second-level dining mezzanine which doubles as a private-dining space), Terry Black’s can seat up to 250 hungry customers.
The smokehouse is a showstopper with six 1,000-gallon offset smokers inhaling post oak (the pits were made for the Houston location by M&M BBQ Company in Tool, Texas). With a patio and a generous parking lot, the restaurant occupies prime real estate on Shepherd.
And the company promises there’s more to come. Black Family Hospitality group is expanding beyond its barbecue roots with event venues, a winery, and has plans for a boutique hotel. The company already has diversified beyond its barbecue stores (Austin, Dallas, Lockhart, Waco, Fort Worth) with concepts including Opal’s Oysters (coastal cuisine) in Waco, Big Bob’s Bowling & Billiards in Lockhart, Glory Roll Sushi & Cocktails in Lockhart, and Smoko Loco (Tex-Mex) also in Lockhart.
But the Terry Black’s fame remains barbecue. And they’re not slowing down on that front either: A new store opens in New Braunfels in September, in San Antonio before the end of the year, and the company’s first out-of-state outpost in Nashville in the first quarter of 2027.
While those communities are eagerly awaiting Terry Black’s to feed them, it’s Houston’s turn today. Come Tuesday, the restaurant will be open daily, from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Get in line.
Terry Black’s Barbecue, 1329 N. Shepherd Dr., Houston, terryblacksbbq.com/Houston is
