This is the best Brisket in the Houston area even better than that place in Pearland, that Pearland place has fell off real bad for BBQ

Worst service ever waited. Waited in line for about 30 minutes just to be told that the only thing left was brisket and pulled pork. Also one of the cashiers was very rude as when I asked what they had left she said, "Can't you read the board?". Terrible service. Will not be returning. read more

These backwoods hillbillies might have decent BBQ but they remain clueless about running a business and customer service. If u enjoy waiting and terrible customer service for average BBQ go for it. If u prefer the opposite and great BBQ try Demeris or Gabbys. Both are very close to Gatlin's. SMH. read more

The food is good but this group can't even manage a to go order most nights. Somehow most other restaurants manage their business In an attempt to service all customers, but this management team has not yet mastered that idea. read more

Beware the potato salad. A friend and I got food poisoning last night from it. I'm sad to say that because the BBQ was delicious.

I really wanted to love this place and was excited to come try the bbq here. Unfortunately for my hubby and I we just did not like it. What ruined it for us was the over powering use of spices. The brisket, ribs and dirty rice were way over spiced. This is just our taste buds and personal preference though. The pulled pork didn't seem to be so over spiced but was served almost cold. The rest of the meat was served luke warm. Potato salad and fried okra were good but the mac n cheese was just ok. Now for the good and for the reason you should go try this place because what bothers us with the over kill on the spices you might love. The quality of the brisket, ribs and pulled pork was really good. They were tender and not fatty. The bbq sauce was also tasty. The service was quick when we were there for lunch. The servers were friendly and the place is clean with plenty of seating. There was also plenty of parking. So go give the place a try and judge for yourself. read more

Beware if you come with little kids. The TV was showing inappropriate programs for kids (NCIS show with bodies being autopsied with all the details you can imagine....). I asked to change the channel but they were not reactive. Had to talk to three people, they finally agreed to change it, but ten minutes later as nothing had changed we finally left.... A shame as the food is really good! read more

Why did I go back??? I have tried just about everything in this restaurant and I still prefer Mr. Barns BBQ... The service is ok but the food is horrible... They meat be dry and microwave warm, they sides and desserts are ok I guess because they are store brought.. The owners do not give they employers no respect and every time I go there I see different faces except the same old lady standing in the front with a bad attitude... I have had it with this restaurant... adios amigos you will not get anymore of my money... read more

I wanted to love this place despite the negative reviews that I previously read regarding customer service, but it is impossible to overcome how terrible their service is! I ordered the Memphis Combo to split with my husband and one to-go order chopped beef sandwich. Approximately 46 minutes later and inquiring where my order was three times, we were served luke warm, dry brisket and sausage. Now, I will admit the ribs were tasty, but the cole slaw and mac & cheese were mediocre. No matter how tasty the ribs were, it was overshadowed by the fact that every person in line around us had already enjoyed their meal and were preparing to leave when we received our food. The most upsetting part was the Manager (who did not apologize for the delay) explained to me that ordering a to-go order with a dine-in meal takes longer than other meals. I'm sorry, but am I the only one that thinks that explanation makes no sense. Especially considering the fact that they served our food in a to-go container, which means they overlooked our order and where scrambling to put it together. Oh, and one of my favorite parts was watching the cashiers play on their phones when there are no customers in line rather than helping prepare or serve food. Anyways, consider yourself warned. read more

Went to Gatlin's for what I thought would be some good bbq. Purchased the 3 meat plate (brisket, ribs, sausage) and also the kitchen sink hamburger. My initial taste was met with too much salt on the brisket and ribs. The sausage was average. Wanted beef ribs but they did not have any at 11am. The kitchen sink hamburger was also underwhelming no real knock your socks off flavor. The bbq sauce consistency and taste was not the best. I had to result to using my ol trusted kraft thick spicy honey bbq sauce. read more

Best freaking bbq EVER! Best Mac and Cheese. Mash potatoes and although their meat is a bit fatty I don't mind because it melts in your might like butter! read more

If you've been to Killens...this one is a tough sell. Found the meat to be average and the sides well below. Sauce very tomato-y and thin. Glad we tried it out but won't be back. It's just not that good. read more

I finally got to try Gatlin's BBQ on 12/6/17 and it was sooo good!! I read some of the reviews first and they were all favorable. There seemed to be a consensus that the food was amazing. It was!! I ordered a traditional bbq link sandwich with (a small) mixed vegetables as my side. Oh my goodness, those grilled mixed veggies were so good. It was a medley of zucchini squash, purple & white onions, mushrooms and red bell peppers. I would come for that by itself. Delicious! The bbq links (a mix of beef & pork) were also quite tasty. It was a healthy portion on the bun. They had a station for pickles, onions, etc., as well a bbq sauce. From the moment I walked in the door the ambience was very welcoming. I informed the cashier (Nichole M.) that it was our first visit. She instantly made us feel welcome and answered our questions about menu items we wanted to order. We also met some of the owners (mom & dad) who were also very nice and welcoming. I definitely give this place 5-stars and plan to come back any time I have a taste for bbq. Believe the hype about this place their food is the truth!! read more

Place is a joke. I don't know if they think it's trendy to run out of food like the "hot spots" in Austin, but I'd say it's bad business. So they decided they only want to make x amount of money per day and turn away business leaving customers hungry and unhappy? What's worse than running out of meat is that they will let you order and pay for it, then wait 30 minutes for them to tell you they are out of what you already paid for. I ended up leaving with something I didn't want in the first place and not only that but they did not give me all of the items I paid for. It was my third time trying to eat here all with the same terrible experience. I don't care if their bbq tastes like nectar of the gods, nothing is worth that experience. JOKE!! read more

Overpriced for what you get. You can get better quality at other places, and there's a lot of them around with better.

I came here with my family at 6pm on a Saturday (the website advertises that they're open 5-9pm for dinner). They were already out of all meat except for sausage and ribs. This was a huge disappointment, since I wanted brisket and thought that by arriving 3 hours before closing time it would be safe to order the food that they claim to serve. The staff didn't seem to care that my family left hungry. We will not be returning anytime soon. read more

The food is really good, but the waiting for the food and customer service is horrible . Not worth the wait.

The bits of food that I finally received were pretty good. As with other reviews of Gatlin's (which I should have read before trying), the service absolutely needs to change before I would even hesitate to return let alone to recommend. Three of us excitedly went after work for the brisket and a beer, after reading general reviews of the place, except when we arrived at about 7:30 brisket was no longer being served and beer is not an option. Okay, fair enough about the beer (we should have checked) and the brisket (it happens), although it was sort of funny that some guy in front of us said he has come several times, and they are always out of brisket and many things, so just ignore the menu. After waiting in line for about 4 minutes, I ordered the baby back ribs, sausage, and sides, and was given a black buzzer box, ironically with the number 38. My friends ordered sausage and sides. After sitting at a table for about 25 minutes waiting for our buzzers, a waitress came over and said it will be a few more minutes. Mind you this is for BBQ, so a bit ridiculous, but we were still okay, although making quiet jokes amongst us "like this better be really good BBQ to wait this long after ordering." After another 5 minutes, one buzzer goes off. My friend goes to counter, and comes back laughing, "they rang the wrong buzzer". After another 5 minutes, now 35 minutes after ordering food, the same waitress came over again, and said it would be a bit longer for our orders. So, I politely mentioned "this is a pretty long wait for BBQ, so it must be really good, right?" She smiled. Three minutes later, and hence the irony of #38, a different waiter came over, gave my friends their sausage plates and asked what number I was. I said 38, of course adding a joke, stating that I guess this is the minutes I have wait for good ribs. My friends come back with one fork to share and no knives, as there was only one fork and lots of spoons in the utensil bins. After another 7-8 minutes, I finally went up to the counter and asked, still pretty politely, "Hi, what's up? I've now been waiting now for about 45 minutes after ordering, and this is not the greatest service." The stunning answer I received was "We ran out of baby back ribs, so we are making a plate of spare ribs for you instead". Here I said, "you have be joking?" She said, "well, we'll refund you the difference in price" (about $4). To which I said, "seriously, you should chop about $10 off the price after I've been waiting 45 min and then offering me something that I did not order. You all could have told me this several times. This is not good customer service." So, I sit back down for about another 5-10 minutes, and grab a few pieces of sausage off my friends' plates, still waiting, and finally mentioning out loud, "this is really bad service". As my friends are now finishing, I am still without any the food I ordered, even the sides or sausages, I return to the counter, and said, "I would just like my money back, and I'm just going to go somewhere else to eat." And she said "but your plate is almost ready." By this time, and I am actually a pretty mellow guy, I am too pissed off to eat, and I just want to leave with my friends, especially as we now have other places to go. I responded, "No, I just want to leave, and get my money back as this has been really bad service and I still have no food." Then a guy behind the counter starts shouting at me as if I have done something wrong by asking for my money back after waiting 50 minutes and receiving no food, let alone the possibility of the food I originally came for or the food that I actually ordered! Finally, another guy comes over, maybe the owner (?), and says, sorry, we're still trying to figure some things out, gets the cashier to give my money back, and gives me a "to go" foam box with some sausage slices. He seemed sincere. As stated, the sausages and sauce were pretty good (4 out 5), although later in the evening, and when I had to find a fork as none were placed in the bag. I cannot evaluate any of the other food, as this is all I ended up with after nearly one hour int he restaurant. I then went to Yelp to read reviews and see iif I had some sort of bizarrely bad experience. After all, there is always the possibility of a confluence of circumstances to get such absurd service; however, as you can read elsewhere, this seems to be a recurring problem at Gatlin's. There are many very good restaurants in the Houston area, including several known for BBQ. At some places, such at Killen's, one might have to wait in line for 30 minutes during peak times to order, but which you then immediately receive BBQ. This is infinitely better than waiting 50 minutes to finally find out you cannot get what you ordered. read more

I had lunch there today and what a disappointment !! I ordered sliced brisket sandwich. The meat was so dry, I had to abandon the sandwich and dunk each slice in sauce. There was so much char surrounding the beef, the true flavor was lost. I have visited before and I found the beef was pretty good. Possibly a bad day. The service was excellent and I was served quickly. A disappointing visit especially when I had guests with me. Hopefully things will improve. read more

They have customers and they have service. What they don't have, however, is good customer service. Gatlin's is, without question, the worst bar-b-que place I've ever eaten in (and I love que). The staff is slow, a fact exacerbated by their incompetence, the tables remain unclean for an unreasonable amount of time and the line is long due to the slow and incompetent service. The food, however, is their saving grace. If not for the food, they'd have closed before they opened. read more

I have been there twice and each time they have been out of almost everything. They make you wait in a long line and then when you get up there you see a board that shows that maybe they have ribs and that's about it. The quality of the food is not nearly worth the wait and the disappointment and finding out that there's no brisket sausage turkey or anything but ribs. read more

I visited this restaurant with my family, never been here before, first time. When I walked in I was immediately impressed by the atmosphere and the presentation of the food coming from the kitchen and on the table as I passed. I ordered a simple order of a chopped beef sandwich, fries and a drink. I received my food separately, I received my fries first and the portion was not worth the price, it was so small I could literally count them. I had to wave a women down that worked there to return the fries due to the portion size. When My chopped beef came, and I could literally see a scoop of beef between two buns. My cousin's boyfriend ordered the same thing, and his was presentable. I was HOT! I returned the chopped beef and asked to speak to the manager. The manager which was Gatlins wife was very very unprofessional and rude. I told her my issue, and her response was "your the one that sent the fries back". Smh! I was disappointed in her response and customer service. She argued with me about the amount of meat on my sandwich and accused me of eating some of the fries. I advised her I wanted my money back, and she replied, she couldn't unless I had my receipt. What a joke! She was literally arguing and causing a scene infront of customers which made me uncomfortable. I retrieved my receipt and when I returned she had my food ready and asked "do you want the food are not"? And compared treys of food being brought to tables making sly jokes, saying "his chopped beef actually had less then yours." Smh so unprofessional. I went ahead and took the food because I was starving, and the sole purpose of me being there was to eat, and she seemed to need the money more then I did. Eating the food was not worth the wait. While sitting at the table the manager went to a table near by and sat down with other customers, assuming they where her friends or regulars, and sat and converse about me and my family with them. How I know she was talking about me and my family? The women she was talking to turned and looked at our table. So Uncomfortable Smh! I WILL NEVER STEP FOOT in GATLINS again, sooo disappointed they will never get a penny from me. I'll stick to eating at Pappas Bbq and their over priced chopped beef, it's worth the money and wait. read more

Oh my for a BBQ place it takes along time for the food to come out. Not like they have to actually cook it when we order it, so why the long wait. There were 2 people in line ahead of us. We ordered a lb of mixed brisket, 1/4 of traditional sausage 1/4 of spicy sausage, baked bean and green beans. It took a good 15 minutes before the food came out. And it felt like the food sat out for a while under a heating lamp. All the food was luke warm at best. The food came out on nice fancy plates, when I asked for breads and they are individual divide in tissues but the guy the handed me the bread still touch the bread with his fingers so that defeat that purpose of wrapping them in tissues. The bread seem to been sitting out a while cause it was a little dry. The spicy sausage was very dry, I honestly think they precut the sausage and leave it under a lamp. Cause you can see some of the edges on the spicy sausage we're hard and dried. The same is with the traditional sausage, but it seems little but more juicy. The brisket was dry, a lot of flavor but still dry. The green beans was salty and the best part to me was their baked beans. They have people walking around taking care of the customer getting them refills and keeping the table clean which is great. But over all I am not really impressed with the food for being ranks as one of the best BBQ, I am not impressed with this place. It is nice and clean. read more

Went to Gatlin's on Ella at 4:00 p.m. today. They had only ribs, pulled pork and venison sausage left. Gatlin's needs to get their act together. They are now a sit-down restaurant open until 9:00 p.m. Better planning is needed. read more

I was very disappointed :( the wait is too long, poor customer service, and very unorganized. When I did get my order it was missing a plate and some side orders. When I told the lady at the front I was missing some items she was rude and did not want to give me the rest of my order. After some back and forth with her she did complete my order. What ever happen to the customer is always right? I will never go back there to eat. read more

Food is good but very displeased due to business running out of food On LABOR day... Really! Waited in line for over an hour and was informed that they had to stop ordering for apprx20 minutes to calculate how much food was left. That turned into approx. another 40 minutes and we left. ( Not good to have us wait for an hour and then say -wait we must recalculate food- Pissed! read more

Travelled from downtown with local BBQ lover. From South Carolina and I wanted some authentic eats. Had platter with ribs brisket slaw and roasted corn. Did not disappoint. Ribs were beautiful with a great mix of char and juiciness. Brisket was tender and flavorful. You might think it's pricey but good meat is not cheap. I will be back on next business trip. read more

I have been craving BBQ for the past 2 weeks and I did not want just any BBQ but I wanted something that would fulfill my cravings and satisfy my taste. This was my first time visiting Gatlin's BBQ and I must say that I was truly impressed. I had an exceptional experience and the food was amazing!!! I am a very picky eater and I did not have one complaint. The building and ladies restroom was neat and clean, the cooks wore gloves as they prepared the food and more important than anything, the customer service was excellent!!! They make you feel welcome and treat everyone like they are a member of the family. The ribs and brisket was flavorful and super tender (fall of the bone), the spicy sausage and dirty rice was good as well as the other sides, and the hamburger was fresh and made-to-order. My family enjoyed the food as much as I did without a complaint. If you are looking for tasty BBQ and not your normal food chain BBQ I highly recommend this restaurant and I will definitely return in the future. I cannot say enough about my experience at this establishment but great job Gatlin's!!! You have definitely surpassed my expectations and it is rare that I can say that. I never write reviews but you deserve this one. read more

Best BBQ in Houston! And the only thing better than the food is the people. Greg Gatlin (owner) built this restaurant up from a small catering operation without losing any of the focus on the quality of the food or the personal attention he and his team give their customers. Gatlins catered my wedding rehearsal dinner, and they remain our first choice any time we want to take out of town guests for a taste of Texas BBQ. The brisket, sausage, pulled pork and wings are all especially good, but there isn't a single bad thing on the menu. We love Gatlins! read more

Decent BBQ. Ribs are best, brisket is okay, sausage isn't really memorable. Long waits always FOR NO REASON. 32 minutes to get something to eat on a Saturday around 6:30pm and it want a packed house. If they weren't so close and didn't have at least decent BBQ, I'd never go. read more

The Gatlins are very nice people. We ate at their earlier location. The ribs were wonderful. Now they are in a new place. The new restaurant is beautifully done. It's exceptionally clean, and all the employees were super nice. We got there about 5:00PM. There were about twenty people in line. They had two cash registers, so it didn't take long. We ordered a two meat plate, with brisket and pork spare ribs. We added a side of turkey. Our sides were cole slaw, Mac 'n cheese, and roasted kernel corn. It took ten minutes but we got our food. I was disappointed. The brisket had good color, and a nice smoke ring. It was lean, and dry. The ribs were very good, but also almost dry. Ditto the turkey. They have sauce. But a true barbecue fan will tell you good barbecue never needs sauce. As for the sides, they were good. Mac 'n cheese is always the same. It didn't stand out. The cole slaw was a bit above average. The roasted kernel corn was super! Not on the menu, but available are collard greens. Since they were not on the menu we didn't order. But several people did have them. On our earlier visit, the greens were super good. I do hope they get a grip on the dry meats. Good brisket should fall apart. Theirs was tender enough to cut with a fork, as was the turkey. read more

My family visited on a Wednesday, so we can slowly enjoy the touted ambience of Gatlin's BBQ. The staff was great, the atmosphere was welcoming, and the food was amazing. Our effort to drive in from SE Houston was completely rewarded. We will be back soon! read more

We were looking forward to trying Gatlin's at the new location, but we were disappointed. My wife and I ordered a little bit of everything, to the tune of $60. The food seems to have fallen off from what it was, brisket and ribs both had burnt ends (and not the good kind). The ribs were drier than I remember, the sausage was ok. My wife liked the potato salad and the lemon pound cake. There was a mix up of drinking cups -apparently there are different colors for different drinks - and we were soundly scolded for our misunderstanding. Their priorities seem skewed. They seemed more worried that we might put a fountain drink in the wrong color cup than with the quality of the food. It was a little insulting having them imply I was trying to somehow pull a fast one after spending plenty on 2 plates. It's too bad things are that tight. I wish them luck but they've gotten the last dollar they'll get from me. read more

I visited Gatlin's in October 2016 and am just remembering to post a review. It was excellent. I had a beef rib, brisket, and pork ribs. It's on par with many of my favorites in Lockhart, Texas. I can't decide if it's better or not, though. Will have to return. read more

The only reason I didn't give 5 stars because this rating is just from one visit but everything was spectacular from the setting, ambiance, cost, quality of cut meats, and booze! My husband ordered the chopped beef potato and is was enough for leftovers. The meat was well seasoned/smoked and the bbq sauce was not overwhelming like others places we've visited. I had the Texas 2 Step...I love when I can eat my bbq w/o picking out qchunks of fat. This place will definitely satisfy your taste buds. read more

This is one of the best BBQ places to eat at. Nicely smoked briskets, tender, lean baby back ribs, and great venison sausage. Going here 2 x in one week before I leave the Houston area read more

This is my favorite barbecue in town. I went when they were in the first, tiny place and hadn't been completely discovered yet. Every thing I ate that day stayed with me, it was that good. Now I go to the new location, and except for being slicker and bigger, I'm happy to say nothing has changed. The food is still as good, along with yummy new additions. And I have to mention how nice this family is. You know it's family from the time you place your order. You WILL be asked how your meal is. They are a treasure. Go there!! read more

bbq sauce waaaay too spicy!!!!! couldnt really enjoy my food but gotta admist its pretty darn good. sides are definitely better than demeris. read more

Once again I visited gatlins, delicious like all ways. My ribs was super tender, Mac and cheese super cheesy. My pull pork was awesome, and my fried okra good and cruchy. I have never had a bad experience at Gatlins. I loved their food, please keep up the excellent work read more

2nd time here. Cashier was too chatty holding up the line. Brisket was dry and tough. Good flavor, just very dry. Sides weren't anything special either. -17.19. Not coming back. read more