If the "Ish" was a place, this would be it! This place is tucked inside the Oak Forest area of town near the Heights and is known for their awesome food across the nation. First time in history I've stood in line for an hour on the 4th of July just to order anything(Foodies from everywhere we're standing in line to see if the food lived up to the hype) Staff was nice and informing us while in line about what items they were running out of (Open until they close and/or run out of food; get there early next time was my mental note) plus providing water for everyone. (It was hot) The menu is that of a puzzle meaning you have to piece together your selection with mind and stomach. Two types of ribs, three types of sausage, pulled pork, sliced brisket, chicken and turkey are the protein selections. Also, there are 8-10 sides to chose from. Deserts and drinks as well. Took about 25 minutes to order and get to the table. The order: Two three meat combos. One with chicken, spare ribs, deer sausage with potato salad and greens. The other Pulled Pork, sliced brisket, spicy sausage with candied yams and mac and cheese plus two drinks. Let me not forget the triple layer chocolate cake to go. Total ticket was sixty bucks. The chicken was well seasoned and moist, ribs fell off the bone, but that deer sausage snapped to the sound of well smoked perfection. That mac and cheese has extra love put in to it. The greens had me thinking of when my grandma used to make them on holidays and I even drank the potlicker! (The juice from the greens in case you didn't know) Basically all the meat had been smoke well and the sides were made like the ancestor was supervising in the kitchen. Only thing I didn't like was the potato salad. More of a mustard not mayo guy. However, that my preference and my geldings doesn't take away from the experience. Let me get to the point. This legendary place exceeded my expectations and was well worth the wait. Nice atmosphere, staff and one of the highlights of great barbecue in Houston. read more

Gatlin's BBQ - Two Triple meat combos with two sides - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Southern hospitality at its best! The cashier and food service workers were all very polite, courteous & efficient. The attention to details & cleanliness was impeccable. The Brisket was off the chart Awesome!! I will definitely return when I get a hankering for moist delicious Brisket! Yeehaw get your feed bag on! read more

We loved it!!! All the way from DC. Brisket is our jam and unsalty and moist is what we look for. This hit the mark. Greens delicious maybe a bit too much stalk but tasty. Cole slaw...yummy. Mac & cheese not the best but far from the worst. Bbq sauce was tasty. Greeted immediately and introduced to the owner. Warm hugs all around. We loved our experience. If you want flavorful food without all the salt this is the spot for you. read more

Stopped in yesterday for breakfast tacos. They were fantastic! And huge. Very good quality. The brisket was sliced brisket and a good portion. They serve breakfast 7-10 am. Stop by and try one to support a local restaurant. read more

The pulled pork was dry and the staff all seemed so over it. This place needs more soul and energy. It has a great environment for larger groups, but the best thing we had today were the beans. read more

Gatlin's BBQ - Pulled pork sandwich and pulled pork baked potato - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Overall a very great experience. There's not that many good bbq inside the city, but this one is probably one of the tops. I recommend the brisket, baby back ribs, pork ribs, and sausages. The beef rib was ok, but may be a little too salty for my taste. The sides were good, but nothing stands out read more

Gatlin's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

I tried this place for the 1st time and I ordered the chopped beef salad and my husband ordered the chopped beef burger that came with the toasted bread, my salad was pretty good (its kinda hard to mess up a salad) for $18 it should have came with bread, toast, a roll or something and/or more dressing though and my husband would have preferred the burger bun instead of the toast! He said that it made his meat taste dry (he knew that he could request it but wanted to try the toast) We dined in but was a little uncomfortable and had to switch tables because the sun was beaming through the windows in the front and made it extremely warm in the side, it would be nice if they pull the shades down when needed and i noticed that the staff (the entire staff) didn't seem too happy i never saw one person smile while we were in there! The energy was definitely off! The food wasn't the best we've had and it wasn't the worst! But will we ever go back? Maybe not definitely! read more

Gatlin's BBQ - Chopped beef sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This is my first visit to Gatlin barbecue. My alumni had an event here that was catered by them for the track team that was in town. It was held in their private banquet room which is of a nice size and has a large TV. I was able to sample their ribs, chicken, greens, dirty rice, and baked beans. All were good but the ribs were outstanding! They also have a nice variety of different beers to choose from. Although they are located a distance from my home I plan to return to have more meals there it's definitely worth a visit if you live in or not in that area read more

10/10 recommend. The brisket, sausage, ribs & mac and cheese was DELICIOUS. Restaurant was very clean too. Service was friendly. Will definitely be coming back. read more

Gatlin's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

A family delight since I was a little boy!!!! The family recipe is always a win!!! The parking, the waiting area, & the FULL Ambience was very welcoming, especially if you are visiting Houston for the 1st time. Momma G and the whole crew were a delight, full of southern charm. The Brisket was tender & full of flavor!!! I will say if you are looking for great smoked bar b Que, delicious sides, & great vibes this is your place!! Enjoy read more

Gatlin's BBQ - Brisket moist and Venison!!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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bbq was cold collard greens and dirty rice tasted so bad 0/10 !!! mac and cheese was super bland as well. do not go here definitely better places to go! read more

This place is a little smaller than I expected it, but it still has good seating area. Appears very clean. Food is delicious. I was craving fried okra and their okra was good. Came out crunchy and hot. We got the 3 meat combo and it is huge portion. Loved their max and cheese and the briskets. I think the beef rib is actually better than their pork rib. My friend wasn't a fan of the dirty rice. Can't get BBQ like this in Cali. read more

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This was our first visit and they didn't disappoint. The staff was so welcoming and engaging making us feel so welcome. Ordered for a group of 12 consisting of baked beans that are outstanding and everyone wanted more; Mac & cheese was decent and better than others; dirty rice was tasteful; the whole chicken was so tender and flavorful that just fell off the bone; homemade spicy sausage is really good: others said the brisket and ribs were very good also. Definitely recommend and will return on my future visits. read more

I love this place! I've been here so many times over the years. The owner Greg and his mom are always super friendly. I brought one of my coworkers here for the first time, and she loved the food too. I decided to try their cheeseburger since I've had all of their BBQ already. The burger was big and tasty. Fries were crispy and flavorful. Highly recommend! read more

Gatlin's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Went here for lunch the other day. We had brisket, ribs, chicken, sausage. With them, had smoked corn, coleslaw, collard greens, potato salad, and yams. The brisket was fantastic. Wasn't tough, had a great smoke ring, a nice bark, and a good beef flavor. The chicken was also good. We had the drumstick and thigh, and the meat wasn't tough or dried out, and the skin was perfect. The sausage was also considered very good, and very tasty. We got some regular pork ribs, and they were fall off the bone tender, with a great flavor. Collard greens were tasty, as expected. The smoked corn had a nice flavor as well. Coleslaw was delicious. The yams were beyond belief. Maybe a tad too sweet with whatever they put on it, but ok! The potato salad was perfect as well. Note that the portions are pretty good sized, so we had leftovers to take home. I could say this was some of the best brisket I've had. The other meats were also good, but the brisket was the star, for sure. read more

Finally managed to stop by Gatlin's as it has been on my list for a while. I happened to be in the area and figured, what the heck - let's stop in for lunch. First things first, the staff was so friendly and helpful; they really make you feel at home and like you are an old friend. For the food, I went big and got the single beef rib with 2 sides, potato salad and mac'n'cheese. Certainly big enough that I have leftover meat for another meal, but I devoured those delicious sides! The meat was well cooked with a great peppery crust on the outside. To me, it did not need the bbq sauce, but it is there if you want it. All in all, would certainly come back and recommend folks check it out. I am by no means a BBQ connoisseur, so I can't say if this is the best BBQ in town, but it certainly is delicious and should be enjoyed! read more

Delicious food and outstanding customer service! The Gatlin's family is so warm and welcoming--they treat everyone like family!

We adore your establishment, and have always been treated with respect, courtesy, and with fabulous food! We also come often for takeout! All the staff are cheerful, glad to serve, and professional! The owner Greg, often sees clients walking in, makes very welcoming comments, and just makes you feel at 'home'! Love the 'newish location', with more seating, and some lovely, great new food choices! The Bar-B-Q trilogy is outstanding! A friend of ours just catered his 80th Birthday party from Gatlin's! Just yum! read more

Every single time we come to Houston, we stop at Gatlin's BBQ, and year, after year, they don't disappoint. Great food and wonderful service, every single time. Best brisket in Houston!!! read more

Great food and service. The brisket is the best! Big baked potatoes are delicious! Every meal always yummy!

You know once upon a time this was my favorite bbq place. From its simple roots as a small family business with barely any seating in the Heights, to where it is now, I had admired its growth into an innovative bbq staple with offerings that extend far beyond simple Texas cue. Unfortunately I hadn't been back in nearly a year. I'm a bit hesitant to write this review, but my last two experiences were not great and pretty much ruined my love for this place. Due to the inflation of brisket prices, Gatlin's, like many other bbq places, raised their prices last year. Understandable given the situation. I was fine with that. Plus I absolutely love their moist brisket, so the price increase didn't stop me. The final problem was when I was served dried out old brisket that had obviously been sitting under a heat lamp for some time. I had ordered my usual combo of ribs and brisket. My meal unfortunately arrived with mostly crumbly shards of dried jerky as "brisket" that was well beyond acceptable for being served. When I returned to the counter with my plate, including the barely touched brisket, I spoke to the manager and literally showed him the inedible brisket. His solution? He brought back a slice and a half of fresher brisket, one of which was mostly just fat, and had me taste a bit. It was the brisket I am accustomed to... moist and dreamy. Unfortunately that's where the positive stopped. He proceeded to give me that lil bit of brisket, and tried to wave me off. I asked him if that was it. The quantity he gave me was minuscule. Definitely not a full serving. He mentioned this was bonus brisket in addition to what was on my plate. Excuse me? I wasn't eating that sorry excuse for brisket, and I paid almost twenty dollars for the combo. I literally brought back the plate to show you the embarrassingly inedible brisket that was served to me, and I'm offered just a little "bonus" fresh brisket for the screw up instead of replacing it? That certainly didn't jive with me. I ended up packing up the leftovers, of course leaving the subpar brisket I was originally served (check out below for my included side by side comparison picture). Look, I know food costs were up, but to dismiss food quality control and then not rectify it properly when it is pointed out is a complete failure on so many levels. It was upsetting. I had so much anticipation for this meal. On a prior visit from that incident, I had come in with a friend for lunch. We were in together in line but paying separately. Immediately after taking my friend's order, the cashier started entering a very large amount of individual orders that were written down, into the pos system while I waited for quite some time in line in directly in front of her. It was a bit ridiculous. My companion had already gotten his refreshment and found a seat before I had even been acknowledged. Finish taking care of your current party before ringing in new orders of another guest. I don't care if it was a phone order. This is very basic customer service, and it would have taken about thirty seconds to ring up my order. I actually commented to the manager of my displeasure of how this was handled, and that I didn't want my food coming out way after my dining companion's, as it would have had I not said anything. Even before these two incidents, there had been customer service issues with one of the cashiers that was never smiling or making eye contact and looked like she hated being there. When I wanted a refund for the accidental up charge that was rang up, she was annoyed. Like what? Luckily, Houston has a plethora of bbq options not available ten years ago. And so, after the final few incidents, I considered myself done with this place. I could understand a rare fluke, but these were starting to add up, and the last experience was just insulting. I was actually sad to let go of Gatlin's as my number one. It was a place I had recommended to many over the years. Sayonara! Not all good things are meant to last. My baby gone done me wrong too many time, so it is time for me to move on. read more

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Went on a Saturday at 1 pm and there was a 10-person line in front of us; we could all fit inside and the line moved quickly. We were ordering within 10 minutes. Staff was friendly and attentive, place is clean and bright. We got our food within 15 minutes and easily found a place. The food. THE FOOD!! We like to explore barbecue in Houston and while there are so many fabulous places around here, Gatlin's was amazing!! It tastes like how you want barbecue to taste, rich, smoky, and little tangy with the sauce. It was so nice getting bbq with no surprises except for the deliciousness. Ribs were fall off the bone and full of flavor, brisket was tender with enough fat. Turkey was good but we like the pit room's Turkey better. We LOVED the sides -- sweet baked beans, fries hot with a nice spice. The smoked corn is my favorite bbq side in Houston. Potato salad was a little bland, but still decent. Gatlin's is a bit of a haul for us, but we'll definitely be back again!! read more

The food was great as was the service! I had the brisket snd sausage plate with a side of greens. Everything was perfect. It wasn't cheap but seemed to be in line with other top BBQ restaurants I've been to. Overall a great place for BBQ! read more

I recently did a pick up order for myself and got home and saw one side item was missing. I instantly called and was told to come pick it up. Even though that was an inconvenience I still managed to make my way back to Gatlins. I picked up the side and the young man with the dreads didn't apologize, offer to make the small a medium or anything for the inconvenience. I am a Gatling bbq supporter and eat here ALL the time and was shocked by the lack of empathy. I only will be back because if Ms. Mary knew about it she would have had some remorse. read more

I had the pleasure of visiting Gatlin's Bbq while being in Houston for a few days. As soon as we left the airport, we went straight to Gatlin's. First and foremost, the restaurant was extremely clean and the ambience was great. One of the best things I like about the restaurant is, you can order your food and they will place it in a food locker for you. The food was really good and lived up to the Texas claim to fame on BBQ that I was hoping for. I'm mad at myself for not getting a beef rib though lol read more

Gatlin's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

I was in town this week and one of my coworkers, who is local to the area, took us there for lunch today. We met Miss Gatlin (I don't know her name but she was awesome to talk to). We talked about when they started serving their BBQ out of a house and over 230 people showed up. We got there early and the food was very good. The brisket was moist and the mac n cheese, baked beans, and spicey sausage hit the spot. Giving 5 stars because the food was good and Miss Gatlin was everything :) read more

Ok let's get down to business, this place is pretty darn good! I got the brisket, sausage, turkey (I think) with dirty rice and potato salad for the sides! The meat was phenomenal, brisket seasoned very well, very moist and tender! Sausage was good but not the star of the show and the turkey was surprisingly great! Potato salad was sweet which is how I like it but it was a little too much onion flavor! Dirty rice was a little mushy but ok nonetheless! I will be back read more

Gatlin's BBQ - Sausage turkey and brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

I'm in town visiting and wanted to give Gatlin's a try. I wasn't a fan of the dirty rice but everything else was really good. read more

Gatlin's BBQ - Brisket, chicken, collard greens, potato salad, dirty rice and baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Tried this place today... the line was really long and when we got to the front they said they were out of EVERYTHING! Only meat they had was pulled pork and brisket. It's rude not to announce this and have people waiting for that long. read more

You can't go wrong with this one! To me, BBQ (brisket especially) is all about consistency This is my third time at Gatlin's and I have been very pleased each time! I went big today and got ribs, brisket, and spicy sausage (they had venison which I was tempted to try but will have to get next time around). The ribs are so good, some of the best I have had in Houston. They have spare and baby backs, so I took the recommendation of the cashier and I am glad I did. The baby backs for the win! Oh yeah!!! The sausage I wasn't sold on at first, but that lingering spicy won me over and had me wanting more! The brisket wasn't quite as good as last time, but was still moist and delicious! You got killer bbq and amazing wings (Dream Wings) on the same street in this part of Houston. Get over there and EAT! read more

Gatlin's BBQ - Baby back ribs, brisket, and spicy sausage - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

This was a beautiful lunch spot for some Texas bbq. Brisket and sausage were delish. Get the bread to grab some meat and sponge up the bbq sauce. The sauce had a nice vinegary kick without being too sweet. Greens were amazing... I wish I had thought to get some dirty rice to have with it. The ultimate side was that Mac and cheese... so great! The sweet lady behind the counter was super helpful too! read more

I've been trying as many of the Texas Monthly top 50 and other highly recommended BBQ restaurants in Houston. I was excited to try Gaitlin's after seeing them featured on TV specials. Sadly, I will not return. I tried the brisket, ribs and spicy sausage. The ribs were good, not great. Very little seasoning and a little dry. The brisket was extremely dry and cut in thin slices. I had to use sauce and onion to swallow it. The sausage was inedible. It had an odd texture and taste. I had to toss it. My son enjoyed his pulled pork sandwich and fries, which is why I'm giving this review two stars and not one star. This is a good example of an over-rated restaurant. read more

A different kind of Texas BBQ with orders transmitted to the kitchen for fulfillment instead of assembled in front of you. I am not sure requests get transmitted properly as my moist brisket request wasn't respected. Not much of a line on weekday at 11:15a. Ordered 2 meat plate with "moist" brisket, spicy sausage, green beans and dirty rice. As mentioned before the brisket didn't come very moist and I left about a third of the dry stuff on my plate. Sausage wasn't very spicy but really delicious. The green beans were my favorite part of the meal, so delicious. Dirty rice was also good. Not a destination BBQ, but a good choice if in the neighborhood. read more

Gatlin's BBQ - 2 meat plate: brisket and spicy sausage - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Great tasting Bar B Q! Best my wife and I've had in years! A little pricy but super delicious baby back ribs, links, and brisket. We will be back! George & Judi 8-12-23 read more

This is a must have! Delicious,If I lived in Houston, I would be here weekly! This is a must have! Beautiful location along with Delicious BBQ. If I lived in Houston, I would be here weekly! We will be seeing you soon Gatlins Bbq! read more

Gatlin's BBQ - Check out the smoked corn! Mmmmmm Delicious! - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

As a native Texan, I'm saying that this place is LEGIT. Friendly service. A little bit of everything on the menu. Plates with sides, sandwiches, baked potatoes, meat by the lb, wings. I got a turkey baked potato (get is dressed the way you like: butter, cheese, chives, sour cream). Sauce on the side (yum!). Side of dirty rice. Had no issue with finding parking or a place to sit inside. read more

1st time visitor and I have to say, the dirty rice and yams are good but the portions are small. The rib tips were okay and the sausage dried out before I could really enjoy it. I got brisket but didn't enjoy it since my order was messed up and instead of lean I was given moist, meaning "fatty". Service was exceptional and the staff made me feel welcome. Very clean and comfortable setting. read more

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Gatlin's BBQ is BBQ done RIGHT! The smoke on the meats was pure perfection! The sides were delicious as well! They weren't salty. We felt like we were having Thanksgiving: BBQ Edition. We will definitely be back from NJ! Best damn bbq ever. Best Damn food ever.. Mix the peach lemonade with sweet tea.. It will quench your thirst and bless your life. SERVICE was excellent!!! read more

Gatlin's BBQ - 2 meat combo. Spare ribs Brisket Mac and cheese Collard greens - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Best Fried Okra I've had in years. Since moving to TX, I have been on the hunt for BBQ places that serve fried okra. The crispness and freshness can't be beat here. And if you haven't tasted SMOKED CORN as a side order, you're missing out. read more

Gatlin's BBQ - Beautiful wood inside - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Took some friends from Germany for authentic Texas BarBQue!!! Gatlin's never disappoints! The brisket was perfect, the ribs were fantastic and the sausage was good & spicy! Then there was the sides!!! I had dirty rice and collard greens!!! The best!!! The others had everything from Mac& cheese, beans, fries and potato salad! No one complained.... They had their mouths full! Greg was there and we also got to see Mrs. Gatlin!!! Made my day to see her sweet smile! Love this place! read more