The 2016 Houston BBQ Throwdown has come and gone and it was another top notch event. This is truly one of my favorite events as it, like the food that is showcased, it crafted with great care.
Instead of just pushing masses of people through the gates, the Houston BBQ Throwdown keeps the attendance low enough to guarantee you’re never waiting in line for more than just a couple of minutes. This is truly a celebration of Houston Barbecue instead of just a line-waiting extravaganza. This also allows you the opportunity to meet the faces of Houston barbecue in a casual setting. It’s very cool to see fellow pitmasters mingling and sampling the offerings of the other booths as the event winds down. They’re of the same community and have the same dedication to elevating the craft of Houston Barbecue.
The whole basis of the Throwdown is to stretch the definition of “Houston Barbecue.” That in itself guarantees unique dishes that you won’t find anywhere else (well, unless it’s a hit and pops up on the menu at your local barbecue joint). With all of the novelty, it’s notable that we are two years in and there has not been a dish that has failed to impress me.
This has become a must-do event in the Houston area, even if you are not a barbecue enthusiast. It is the most laid back event of its kind and is a honestly just a good day to enjoy good food and good conversation.
I just wanted to check in with a brief summary of this year’s event. If you’d like a more flowery description, take a look at my write-up from last year. (And if you’d like to see better pictures that do this even justice, head over to Jimmy Ho’s site.)
The event once again featured 14 area barbecue joints. A few barbecue names from last year were absent at this year’s event (BBQ Godfather, Chopped N Smoked BBQ, Jackson Street BBQ) but some new names were injected into this year’s lineup (Killen’s STQ, Midtown Barbecue, Tejas Chocolate Craftory).
Unlike the presidential election, both the popular vote and the electoral votes count towards the results of the contest that is at the center of the Throwdown. And this year we saw both awards, the “People’s Choice” and the “Judge’s Choice,” change hands. Killen’s new STQ brand deservedly took home the judge’s choice with their three beautifully presented items. This year the People’s Choice award actually went to the item that I voted for as Feges BBQ was named “People’s Choice.”
This Year’s Attendees and Their Entries (In Alphabetical Order):
Blood Bros BBQ – Gochujang Beef Belly Burnt Ends with Korean Salad and Pickled Onions
Brooks’ Place [2015 Judge’s Choice] – Brisket and Boudin Stuffed Bell Peppers with a Beef Oxtails Twist
Corkscrew BBQ [2015 People’s Choice] – Smoked Chile Mac-n-Cheese: Creamy Cheddar Mac-N-Cheese, Smoked Hatch Green Chile Topped with Pepper Crusted Prime Beef Rib
Feges BBQ [2016 People’s Choice and My Favorite] – Beef Belly Burnt Ends with Pimento Cheese Grits, Braised Greens, Bourbon Cane Syrup, Pickled Red Onions and Chives
Killen’s STQ [2016 Judge’s Choice] – “Beef Short Rib Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” (They went all out with three items at their booth)
Yesterday: Short Rib Tamale, Pork Belly and Brisket Chile de Arbol Con Carne, Queso Fresco and Micro Cilantro
Today: Smoked Beef Short Rib Ravioli, Port Demi Cream, Parmesan, Fall Black Truffle
Tomorrow: Smoked Short Rib Umami, Bonito, Mushroom, Mushroom Powder, Smoked Beef Consume Pipette
Midtown Barbecue – Smoked Prime Rib with Chimichurri
Pappa Charlies BBQ – Short Rib Vindaloo with Paneer Queso
Pit Room – Chopped Brisket Taco with Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream and Salsa Roja
Pizzitola’s – “Pulled Pork & Waffles”: Smoked Jalapeno, Cheddar and Green Onion Waffle Topped with Pulled Pork, Pit-Candied Pecans and Sweet Pork Sauce
Ray’s BBQ Shack – “Muddy Waters”: Sausage With Shrimp, Crawfish, Crab and Pork in a Pork Casing.
Roegels Barbecue Co – Smoked Pork Belly with Surf and Turf Boudin
Tejas Chocolate Craftory – “Tejas Tostada”: Santo Braised, Smoked Pork Cheek with Pinto Whip, Avocado Verde ‘Cue Sauce, Pickled Red Onion Cilantro on a Crisp Corn Tortilla
The Brisket House – “Beef Rib Ala Veracruz”: Slow Smoked Beef Rib Cut into Cubes, Basted in Veracruz Sauce, Served Over Rice with Fresh Pico de Gallo
Tin Roof BBQ – Smoked Tomahawk Prime Rib Served with Back Pew Milk Stout Au Jus & Horseradish Cream
Instead of just pushing masses of people through the gates, the Houston BBQ Throwdown keeps the attendance low enough to guarantee you’re never waiting in line for more than just a couple of minutes. This is truly a celebration of Houston Barbecue instead of just a line-waiting extravaganza. This also allows you the opportunity to meet the faces of Houston barbecue in a casual setting. It’s very cool to see fellow pitmasters mingling and sampling the offerings of the other booths as the event winds down. They’re of the same community and have the same dedication to elevating the craft of Houston Barbecue.
The whole basis of the Throwdown is to stretch the definition of “Houston Barbecue.” That in itself guarantees unique dishes that you won’t find anywhere else (well, unless it’s a hit and pops up on the menu at your local barbecue joint). With all of the novelty, it’s notable that we are two years in and there has not been a dish that has failed to impress me.
This has become a must-do event in the Houston area, even if you are not a barbecue enthusiast. It is the most laid back event of its kind and is a honestly just a good day to enjoy good food and good conversation.
I just wanted to check in with a brief summary of this year’s event. If you’d like a more flowery description, take a look at my write-up from last year. (And if you’d like to see better pictures that do this even justice, head over to Jimmy Ho’s site.)
The event once again featured 14 area barbecue joints. A few barbecue names from last year were absent at this year’s event (BBQ Godfather, Chopped N Smoked BBQ, Jackson Street BBQ) but some new names were injected into this year’s lineup (Killen’s STQ, Midtown Barbecue, Tejas Chocolate Craftory).
Unlike the presidential election, both the popular vote and the electoral votes count towards the results of the contest that is at the center of the Throwdown. And this year we saw both awards, the “People’s Choice” and the “Judge’s Choice,” change hands. Killen’s new STQ brand deservedly took home the judge’s choice with their three beautifully presented items. This year the People’s Choice award actually went to the item that I voted for as Feges BBQ was named “People’s Choice.”
This Year’s Attendees and Their Entries (In Alphabetical Order):
Blood Bros BBQ – Gochujang Beef Belly Burnt Ends with Korean Salad and Pickled Onions
Brooks’ Place [2015 Judge’s Choice] – Brisket and Boudin Stuffed Bell Peppers with a Beef Oxtails Twist
Corkscrew BBQ [2015 People’s Choice] – Smoked Chile Mac-n-Cheese: Creamy Cheddar Mac-N-Cheese, Smoked Hatch Green Chile Topped with Pepper Crusted Prime Beef Rib
Feges BBQ [2016 People’s Choice and My Favorite] – Beef Belly Burnt Ends with Pimento Cheese Grits, Braised Greens, Bourbon Cane Syrup, Pickled Red Onions and Chives
Killen’s STQ [2016 Judge’s Choice] – “Beef Short Rib Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” (They went all out with three items at their booth)
Yesterday: Short Rib Tamale, Pork Belly and Brisket Chile de Arbol Con Carne, Queso Fresco and Micro Cilantro
Today: Smoked Beef Short Rib Ravioli, Port Demi Cream, Parmesan, Fall Black Truffle
Tomorrow: Smoked Short Rib Umami, Bonito, Mushroom, Mushroom Powder, Smoked Beef Consume Pipette
Midtown Barbecue – Smoked Prime Rib with Chimichurri
Pappa Charlies BBQ – Short Rib Vindaloo with Paneer Queso
Pit Room – Chopped Brisket Taco with Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream and Salsa Roja
Pizzitola’s – “Pulled Pork & Waffles”: Smoked Jalapeno, Cheddar and Green Onion Waffle Topped with Pulled Pork, Pit-Candied Pecans and Sweet Pork Sauce
Ray’s BBQ Shack – “Muddy Waters”: Sausage With Shrimp, Crawfish, Crab and Pork in a Pork Casing.
Roegels Barbecue Co – Smoked Pork Belly with Surf and Turf Boudin
Tejas Chocolate Craftory – “Tejas Tostada”: Santo Braised, Smoked Pork Cheek with Pinto Whip, Avocado Verde ‘Cue Sauce, Pickled Red Onion Cilantro on a Crisp Corn Tortilla
The Brisket House – “Beef Rib Ala Veracruz”: Slow Smoked Beef Rib Cut into Cubes, Basted in Veracruz Sauce, Served Over Rice with Fresh Pico de Gallo
Tin Roof BBQ – Smoked Tomahawk Prime Rib Served with Back Pew Milk Stout Au Jus & Horseradish Cream
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| Saint Arnold Brewery serves as a perfect host for the Houston BBQ Throwdown |
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| The line of anxious attendees stretched beyond the train tracks |
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| The crowd in the brewery |
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| Clockwise from Top Left: Midtown Barb, Pit Room, Tejas, Pappa Charlies |
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| Clockwise from Top Left: Blood Bros, Corkscrew, Ray's, Feges |
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| Clockwise from Top Left: Pizzitola's, Brooks' Place, Roegels, Killen's STQ, Killen's STQ |
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| The three dishes of STQ. From Top: Smoked
Short Rib Umami, Smoked Beef Short Rib Ravioli, Short Rib Tamale |
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| A closer look at Feges Beautiful Beef Belly Burnt End |
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| The spread at Killen's STQ |
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| Roegel's crafting their multi-faceted dish |
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| Killen's STQ Booth |
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| Pizzitola's assembling pulled pork & waffles |
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| Tin Roof slicing their prime rib |
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| Midtown Barbecue serving their Smoked Prime Rib with Chimichurri |
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| The folks at Corkscrew assembling their mac & cheese with prime rib |
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| Slicing up the seafood sausage at Ray's booth |
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| Another look at the happy crowd at the Throwdown |
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| Preparing to announce the winners of the Throwdown |
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| A look at the hardware that goes to the winners |
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| Feges took the People's Choice award |
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| Killen's STQ was the Judge's Award winner |
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| Saint Arnold's mural fits the scene at the Houston BBQ Throwdown well |
