Best BBQ in College Station - Worth Every Mile! If you're looking for authentic Texas pit barbecue done right, Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que in College Station is the real deal. I brought the whole family and we left stuffed, happy, and already planning our next visit. The brisket was melt-in-your-mouth tender with that perfect smoky bark, and the burnt ends were absolute heaven,crispy, and packed with flavor. The sides were just as impressive: creamy, cheesy mac n' cheese that felt like a hug in a bowl, rich twice-baked potatoes loaded with all the good stuff, hearty beans with just the right sweetness and smoke, and everything complemented the meat beautifully. Save room for dessert because they do those right too. The banana pudding was silky, nostalgic perfection, and the cobblers were warm, fruity, and topped with that flaky crust and Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream that makes you want seconds. The service was outstanding and genuinely friendly from the moment we walked in. The staff made us feel welcome and took great care of our large group. The restaurant itself is fantastic , spacious indoor and outdoor seating, plus party rooms that make it ideal for family gatherings, celebrations, rehearsal dinners etc...or just a big Sunday lunch. Cooper's nailed every part of the experience: incredible food, warm hospitality, and a comfortable, family-friendly atmosphere. This is Texas BBQ at its finest. We'll be back soon! I highly recommend bringing the whole crew! Rod Gray Cypress, TX read more

Took out lots of food recently ... Nice looking, large venue. Pit boss was friendly. Turkey, pork ribs, and brisket all tasty, but the ribs were overcooked, so a bit dry. Very salty, but enjoyed the salt ... but not everyone will ... Loaded mashed potatoes were superb. Green beans good too. Peach cobbler was great. Pinto beans were include and good, a nice touch. I thought the prices were in line with today's BBQ prices. Really friendly staff overall and packaged the food nicely. read more

Brisket was moist with a delicious crust, though on the salty side. Smoked turkey was moist with lots of flavor. Meats were good enough to not even need sauce, which is always a good sign. Try their bacon & jalapeño mac&cheese! Friendly staff and clean place. No problems. I will be back. read more

We love Cooper's- such a great atmosphere for families, especially the outdoor lawn seating. It's always perfectly clean, staff is incredibly friendly. read more

Outstanding. An interesting system - you walk up to the counter that smells like heaven and you get to choose the types of meat you want, with an option of meat dipped into the bbq sauce or not. Then you get to choose from the wide variety of sides, and your drink. I had some local beer on top which was delicious. Pork ribs were absolutely spectacular, and burnt ends and brisket didn't disappoint at all - again, superb. Mashed potatoes and spicy mac and cheese worked great as a side dishes. Excellent friendly service. Most highly recommended. read more

Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que - Ribs and burnt ends - Barbeque Near Me - College Station, Texas

Food was very delicious. We ordered a pickup order over the phone, and drove over to pick it up. Picking up was easy. We didn't check the order before leaving, but surely everything was there. The paper bags were heavy! But got back to the house and was missing several of the sides. We called to let them know, but didn't want to drive the round trip back, so we were given a refund for that amount. Not ideal, but handled a tough situation well enough. I'll likely try again, but eat there. The turkey was so good, and I would like to try the sides. read more

Food was DELICIOUS!!! Pinto beans were amazing! Slightly disappointed with the corn bread but the rest was on point! BUT THE TOPPER WAS BEING ABLE TO CHARGE MY CAR WHILE WE ATE! 10/10 recommend! read more

Got brisket that was pretty much all fat and when I asked for a different piece got attitude from the guy running the pit. The man running the sides had to go and get a different piece as we said we were just gonna go somewhere different. The salad and the corn was the best part. read more

Came here looking for an alternative to Rudy's, which IMO isn't quite as good as it used to be. Great first impression; the outside just looks like a good BBQ place, and inside it's decked out in A&M stuff, and I love it. It wasn't obvious to us how to order, but we got that sorted out pretty quick. The brisket was okay, but there was a tough outer layer and a lot of fat, and I didn't fall in love with either BBQ sauce. The sausage was very good (my mouth is watering just thinking about it). The mashed-potato-style potato salad was fine, but not what a mustard-based potato salad lover like me prefers. Liked (but didn't love) the jalapeno & bacon macaroni & cheese. Oddly though, my favorite side was the FREE pinto beans that were at the toppings & sauces bar. They were really good! Bottom line: more I-would-try-it-again than can't-wait-to-go-back. read more

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Great food to enjoy with family . The people guided me and my colleagues on how it worked to get your food , everything was smooth as butter. Great seating arrangements, very nice rustic feel to it. Really enjoyed it read more

Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - College Station, Texas

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Do NOT waste your money here. Nothing was bad. BUT, for a $100 dinner for two, nothing was very good. I had the prime rib and she had the brisket. The brisket was good, but nothing special. It had a little different taste than what we were used to. The 16 oz prime rib ($61!!!!) was dry and tasteless. I was extremely disappointed!! Texas Roadhouse is a MUCH better option. The prime rib is better tasting at half the price. And they have creamy horse radish. She could have had a 16oz Riley cooked to perfection for what we paid for 10 Oz of brisket. For $70, Texas Roadhouse also provides endless (amazing) rolls, salad, chili, and loaded potatoes. Ok, the corn and blackberry cobbler were good. But thats all. read more

I'll try my best not to rag on why I didn't enjoy my experience here I am not sure how to describe this I got spare pork ribs all the sides looked questionable so I didn't know what to get I took the potato salad I'll give it to homeless person if I don't like it The ribs no rub and they dip the meat in this sauce that's like water and drips off everything was watery and seasoning free lacking flavors I'm gonna have a hard time forgetting this place my worst experience at dickies I thought couldn't be worse but omg I want a refund so bad I gave most of it to my dog read more

Came here on a Sunday evening and got one of their family packs for carry out. It was completely awful, all of it. The meats were all room temp. Brisket was not cut into nice uniform slices, but more like hacked up into large chunks, like they did not know how to properly slice it, or just plain did not care. There was no smoke ring and no smoke flavor. It was more like roast beef cooked in an oven. The sausage was dense and devoid of any hint of smokiness as if it was straight out of the package from the grocery store. The ribs were huge and tough and greasy with no trace of smoke. The "family pack" came with 2 quarts of beans. We asked if we could get less beans and sub out any other sides. Nope, no substitutions. Beans were just pinto beans in a watery broth, but by God we had 2 quarts of them! We added sides of Mac & Cheese and mashed potatoes to the order. Both were just as completely pedestrian as could be. We added some banana pudding to the order. Another abomination and assault on our taste buds and sensibilities. All in all, we spent $200 on a bunch of poorly prepared, barely edible garbage. It's like these folks opened a Texas barbecue restaurant without ever having been to one. Complete waste of money. Avoid this place like the plague. read more

not sure how the meat is actually prepared, but it didn't taste like barbecue. Bland meat with bland sauce, no smoke, no juice, no flavor. But there was ALOT of it. Generous portions read more

Fairly good place! The meat is fairly tender and juicy at a really reasonable price! Bar-B-Que is not my favorite food but Cooper's makes a mean brisket. I like to get my meat "baptized in sauce", as the waiters affectionately term it. Apart from the people cutting your meat (and the barista at the bar), there are few waiters as the beans (free) and everything else is self-serve. What I like most is the wide open layout with plenty of outdoor seating. The lighting is also very pretty outside, with a soft yellow glow illuminating a fenced-in play area for kids. read more

Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que - "Burnt Ends" + Turkey + Mashed Potatoes - Barbeque Near Me - College Station, Texas

We have been so many times since my other review, and we always enjoy it. Today, we got turkey, brisket (moist and burnt ends), jalapeno sausage, creamed corn, potato salad, green beans, and the fixin's. Today, the turkey is especially tasty, but everything else is good as usual. They were super busy (especially for a Wednesday!?), but everyone was working hard and being very friendly. As always, I felt like everyone cared about us having a good experience. read more

Way too salty!!!! We ordered brisket and sausage, all the brisket had big pieces of fat on every piece and was overly salted. There sauces were way too watery and tasted like vinegar. The amount of grease that came from this place was also disgusting. Inedible-64 dollars down the drain. read more

We've tried a lot of Texas BBQ. Some supposedly world famous. Coopers is our favorite. Here's why - BIG hospitable place. No standing outside in line. Nice sports bar & lots of tvs. Private event rooms. THE BBQ!! Prime rib, pork tenderloin, brisket ALL PERFECT. Sausage good, loved it. Good ribs, could have been more tender. BEST Cole slaw- it's a little sweet which was perfect. Would like to try more sides. Mac cheese seemed popular with our neighbors. Loved the pecan & peach cobblers too. Will say their BBQ sauce was on the vinegar side, not to our taste. But try them out. Highly recommend Coopers. read more

Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que - Pit - Barbeque Near Me - College Station, Texas

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I appreciate this place! It's very spacious and clean. The staff are friendly. It's easy to order. I think BBQ is your run-of-the-mill BBQ. It's not jaw-dropping amazing, but it's good & decent if you want a large and affordable meal with friends & family! read more

Plain, expensive BBQ, nothing to write home about. Sauce was watered down. Twice baked potatoes were OK. Place was clean

I don't like writing this review...but given how hard we all work for our dollar and "customer service's" response, I need to. Cooper's has been a tried-and-true restaurant and holds many memories for our family in all towns....so when family members came to visit us after our move back to TX from AZ, we were excited to introduce them to Cooper's and for us to try the one by A&M where our daughter goes to school. If I could rate on cleanliness and "cute atmosphere"...it would have been a 5. They have corn hole in front on the grass and a very comfortable layout. The folks behind the counter were very pleasant and the cashier was the nicest and most polite young man you could hope to encounter (his Mama raised him right). The bathrooms...neat, clean and well taken care of in all ways. If my review was solely based on that...it would have been a 5. But, we did come there to eat after all... Facebook feedback and response as follows: Me:Hello Cooper's and Whoop! We were so excited to come see you at College Station. Our daughter is an Aggie, we just moved back to TX from AZ and are so glad to be back. Our family visited us, so of course, we drove from Montgomery over to College Station to have some Cooper's. We all agreed (6 of us) that it was not very good I was so sad. Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que Aggieland response: Hi, thanks for contacting us. We've received your message and appreciate you reaching out. Me: Here is the review of what we had and pros/cons: The beef ribs - all but one was grisly as was the brisket. Our son described his brisket "like the Turkey from Christmas Vacation". The corn on the cob was so overcooked, there was no corn left and the creamed corn had no flavor. My turkey tasted and had the texture of being processed. The banana pudding had 1 banana slice in it and had "pudding skin" that was peeled away from the top. Overall a disappointment. Now...the establishment was delightful - clean and well stocked. Our server (young boy) was soooooo courteous and warm. The bathrooms neat and clean, tables clean. I'd give the environment an A+++++ but the food a D. We loved the Cooper's in New Braunfels and FW wo were hoping for much, much better. My husband's son stated when we walked in "we'll know if it's good when there's not a crowd" which there wasn't. He felt the food was at least 1 but more like 2 days old and reheated. I hate sending this message and will not leave it as a review and sincerely want Cooper's to succeed. But, over $200 later for our order, we walked away feeling really disappointed. Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que Aggieland response: Sorry you feel this way. Letting us know in the restaurant is really the only way we can correct food dissatisfaction and get you taken care of. I asked for day and time so we can look at quality control and look into it further. Your comment about it our food being "like the turkey from the Christmas Vacation" and that you were basically dissatisfied with all of the food was noted. Sorry for your disappointment and that we could not take care of it while you were there. Me: There are various reasons feedback within the store is not always appropriate. We happened to be with company that we thought were enjoying the meal however, later found out they were just being gracious. It was neither the time or the place to provide that feedback to your staff. Normally do I that as a business woman as a part of courtesy. I do find it interesting however that there is no apology within your response about the poor quality of food. I'll be posting your customer service response... Or lack there of. How very disappointing. Customer service truly is something that is going by the wayside. If this was the quality of the food prepared and served the same day, standards have declined. To have a party of six I'll have the same review should say something to you. Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que Aggieland response: Sorry you feel this way. Letting us know in the restaurant is really the only way we can correct food dissatisfaction and get you taken care of. I asked for day and time so we can look at quality control and look into it further. Your comment about it our food being "like the turkey from the Christmas Vacation" and that you were basically dissatisfied with all of the food was noted. Sorry for your disappointment and that we could not take care of it while you were there. So...I tried to let her know the date we were there, but found I was blocked. I'll go to the other Cooper's but not this one. Better food at other BBQ places in Bryan (including Buckee's). read more

I want to make it 4.5 stars! The BBQ is great, prices can be high. However the quality and amount is perfect. I've tried the sausages, ribs and the brisket for the meats. Brisket is amazing, I ask for it to be wet (You know -- have some fat on it) The sides are a great compliment to the meats. Cole slaw, jalapeños bacon Macaroni N Cheese and creamed corn are my favorites. Cooper's is a small Texas BBQ Chain, however they are set apart from all those other joints. They provide a full bar (which is where that half star comes in--later) a place for the kids and adults to enjoy the food and play allowing you to have that backyard type environment, while still getting restaurant quality food. My family and I have opted to sit out in the Texas Summer Heat in order to give the little ones a place to run around safely and without bothering others enjoying a meal in the restaurant. Though it's HAWT, the fans provided help tremendously and once you have a pitcher of beer or some of their ice tea it is much more bearable. After all it wouldn't be a backyard in Texas if it was air conditioned! You can have all the bbq beans you want. They have a self serve for sides such as onions, pickles, jalapeños and sauce. Now for the bar. This place gets busy. They do not seem to have a dedicated Bartender (or at least not the 3 times I've eaten there on a Saturday afternoon). So waiting for someone to come to the very large bar to pour us a pitcher or make a drink is the only downfall. Price of pitchers are great. The bartenders have been wonderful, they see we were waiting and insisted on bringing everything out to our tables. The staff when ordering food walk you through all the way until you pay. With a family, definitely order the "Friend's Feast" there is something for everyone and if you want an extra side the prices are affordable. Especially for that picky eater. I will grab actual food pictures the next time we go. I typically am having too much fun watching the grandkids run around. read more

Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que - Eating outside so the grandkids can enjoy the restaurant too! - Barbeque Near Me - College Station, Texas

Love the Mac n cheese. Brisket can be hit or miss like a lot of bbq spots, but when they're on it's delicious. It's usually very well seasoned. Some of the best bbq in college station area. read more

Some of the best BBQ I've ever had. I got the spud special and it was a brisket filled baked potato with a side and a drink. You can choose to get the smeller sized side and get two - so I chose cream corn and green beans. LOVED both. Beans and bread and pickles are served in the seating area so it's serve yourself. I wish the baked potato came made for me, or on an actual plate. read more

Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que - Spud special - Barbeque Near Me - College Station, Texas

Coming from California, having Cooper's BBQ is a fun time because we don't have many places like this in the SF Bay Area. Even though the food here is a bit too salty for my taste, I think they are good enough to warrant further visits. I would be careful in not ordering too much because the complimentary sides will also fill you up. read more

Was doubtful of other reviews that rated them poorly because I didn't think it was possible for a Texas BBQ place to absolutely miss on every dish. The Mac and cheese is Mac and Milk, the banana pudding is play dough and nilla wafers, and the burnt ends. THE BURNT ENDS. Are burnt salt. I have never consumed so much water in a single meal. Even when cutting off the burnt portions, I'm left to feel the scrape of massive salt particles down my tragus. The onions were the only good thing. The barbecue sauce is tomato vinaigrette. Good luck if you want authentic barbecue. Instead of promoting the natural beef flavor, all you will taste is salt. Coopers Old Time Salt Mines gets a 0 stars from me if I could. read more

Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que - salt. - Barbeque Near Me - College Station, Texas

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Not very busy on a Friday night should have been our first sign. Went in and ordered the Aggie special that's really not a special same price as just ordering individually. Ordered 1/2 pound of brisket. Seems it was an end cut and a large fat cap. Gave it to the lady and she asked if we wanted the fat removed and was like please. She sliced it wrapped it up and left the fat. As you can see in the photos a lot of fat. 4.6 oz of fat. So over half of our half pound was fat. When an employee walked by and asked how was the food I said dang fatty. He's like you think it's a lot? I was doesn't it look like a lot? Guess not. He ask if we told them we wanted it removed and I said yes but she didn't. Personally if you remove half of what you're giving a person they might be upset. So 18.00 for half a pound we received less than 4 oz and so we paid over 4.50 an oz. Crazy. Not worth the money. The Mac and cheese was good but was warm at best. Place was not very busy. It was clean. Smelled like a good bbq place but clearly not worth the money. read more

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Can't believe today's brisket is very salty. The meat was very bad quality and lots of fats. The sausage was very dry. The bbq source was very watery. It looks cooper's in college station try to sell the left over to me. Will never go cooper's again. Pretty much waste all those meat which I have paid for $88. read more

Came here for the first time with family. We've eaten at a few bbq places since we moved here in Nov 2021, but this place some extra features. They had a cafeteria-like setup with TVs to watch sports plus a bar. We walked up to the first station where you can see and pick out all your meats. Then we were given our meat trays to carry over to another station where they'd cut it up, weigh it, and wrap it. Then we moved onto side dishes before paying for our meals. They had a condiment sauce/side dishes along with bread and pinto beans as free sides. My family and I love rice, but this place doesn't serve that so be prepared to eat potatoes or bread as substitutes. Anyways, we ordered the burnt ends (super delicious and salty), beef ribs (tender and delicious), sirloin (tender a pretty good), and 1/2 chicken (some parts dry and some parts juicy). We also ordered the peach and blackberry cobbler, but we weren't fans of these pies so it was ok. We also ordered the banana pudding which was delicious. For sides, we got mac & cheese (ok), mashed potatoes (super flavorful), and creamed corn (first time eating this and it was interestingly good). All the staff are friendly and helpful. They have lots of tables to include outdoor seatings. They have a little outdoor area with some corn holes. read more

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Good food just small portions and on the pricey side. Staff was friendly which is important

The food was very good. The atmosphere was nice. The employees were very helpful. However, the price point is way off. I was not pleased at all. I was shocked a piece of Brisket three sides, a chopped barbecue sandwich and a drink for a jaw dropping $65. read more

Love this place!!!!! I'm a regular and love the easy ordering system. Service is always top notch and overly friendly. The food is full of flavor and consistently delicious. Perfect for family style dining! read more

Cool concept. They have a giant pot of pinto beans and you can serve yourself. They were great, even though I'm not a big bean guy. We had brisket and sausage. Both excellent and huge portions. Jalapeño n' bacon mac n' cheese was quite good. Friendly helpful staff as well. Will return when we pass through again. read more

Food, average.... Beef ribs I think were over cooked and could have been more tender with less char on top. Brisket was good. Chicken was good. Macaroni and cheese was average nothing special or extra tasty about it ... Corn was average... no special flavor and salty Free beans were extremely salty and did not taste fresh at all. Ambiance was good and clean. Service was good. Don't think we will be back....sorry read more

Cooper's in College Station, Texas is a great place to get full. This was the first time I had visited, but not the last. Parking is no problem and seating is great too. I had the brisket on a jalapeño bun along with a link of jalapeño cheese sausage. Both were very good! They have complimentary beans, pickles, onions........... It's a great place to visit and the staff is friendly too. When in Aggieland, go get Full at Cooper's BBQ. read more

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Good Lord those beef ribs! The brisket, pintos, potato salad, sausage and cobbler were all amazing but those beef ribs. Holy Cow!!! If ever in College Station definitely stop by. read more

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I've always heard about Texas and their beef. I've had steaks before but this was first time trying the BBQ. While at the UK vs TX A&M softball game I asked a few Texans for their opinion on where to go and was told Cooper's and if I don't like that I don't like real TX bbq. Well I loved it!! The best beef rib I've ever tasted!!!! So tender it was crazy. Brisket was awesome. All sides were great except the Mac n Cheese. I like the baked Mac n cheese and this was soupy lol. I will definitely be back next trip to TX. read more

Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - College Station, Texas

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Staff was nice and atmosphere was good. Felt like a BBQ joint. Food was extremely mid. Chicken and beef rib were very dry. Beef rib tasted like a roast. I don't think it's worth the money. read more

Brisket, jalapeño cheese sausage, Mac and cheese, pork ribs all very good. Service was excellent. Atmosphere is great. Coca-Cola is a glass bottle hit the spot. Highly recommend. read more

Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que - 5 pork ribs - Barbeque Near Me - College Station, Texas

The ambience is good, the food is good too, and the service is fast. It is a bit expensive, but the quality of the meats is good. Now, you might be wondering why I gave it only 3 stars then. Well, the reason is because the beef offerings that I have tried (brisket, prime rib, sirloin, beef rib, etc.) is so over salted that it almost makes me gag. I prefer my meals to be a bit salty than most people I know, and the food here makes me gag from its saltiness in spite of my preference. This should give you a better idea on how salty the food really is. I have tried the food here three times, and the food has been salty 2 out of 3 times. I am not coming back here and spending a bomb for bbq that tastes like saltier than the sea. read more