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Pappas Bar-B-Q

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MY REVIEW: I took a friend there for dinner and ordered beef brisket and turkey. Neither the brisket or turkey was good at all. The brisket was dry and tough and the turkey breast tasted like it had been out for a while. Not good. The sides were good, but man, isn't a bbq place about the meat? Their sauce is the worst bbq sauce ever too, unfortunately. Anything you get bottled in a store is much better. One good thing, when I told the manager about how the food was not up to par, she offered me a full refund. I may try another Pappas BBQ location, but this one need some work.

NAME: Wayne
SUBMITTED: 2/15/2012   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/11
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: I have had Pappas BBQ catered before where it was just Beef Brisket and sausage. It was not bad. Decided to take my girlfriend for some Pork Ribs. I decided to get Beef ribs. Both were so tough to eat and did not have much flavor. The vegatables were good, no problem there. If I go back I will not have ribs. The chicken looked very good though.

NAME: VolvoC30
SUBMITTED: 1/15/2012   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/2012
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Great BBQ chicken wings !!! They are huge compared to other places that serve wings. I've not had their spicy wings but the BBQ ones are great! Unfortunately they only have them on Sat & Sun and until they run out. Also love their potato salad. Used to love their shells & cheese but sometime in the past year they changed up the recipe and the dish went from cheesy goodness to watery blandness. Disappointing as sometimes I would just get a half pint of it for dinner. They have various fresh juices, Ajuga, available throughout the day. I've never had any but they look yummy.

Great Pecan pie! I don't know where they get it but it's almost as good as mine I make from scratch.

I usually go the drive-thru route because I can't stand country music. If you don't like CW music, I suggest you do the same. On very rare occasions they have BBQ prime rib and it's out of this world but you have to tell them no sauce or they'll ruin it with that nasty stuff.

The sliced beef sandwiches are usually great, as is the BBQ chicken.

---mediocre stuff----

The french fried potatoes are hit and miss. Sometimes they are crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside, and fabulous. Most times they are barely done. You do generally get a large serving of them however.

The rest of the side dishes, cole slaw, beans, candied yams (which taste like they emptied the can into a container without cooking them), and rice are just meh..okay. Not bad but not good either. I've not had the rice because I'm not fond of spicy rice too much.

The sliced beef tends to be pretty dried out and thinly sliced. Not great. For some reason it's better when I order it in the po'boy sandwich it is usually thicker and has a little more fat, which makes it taste better.

They have a couple of different sauces and both need a lot of work. A WHOLE lot of work. The pork ribs are sometimes spectacular and other times just plain dried out and leathery tasting.

Their sausages are okay, and the ham is canned ham that was grilled. The pulled pork is overcooked, dry and has a tendency to have a grainy texture, which is about the same everywhere in town.

---just plain bad---

If you use the drive thru you'll want to either get your drink elsewhere or ask them to get your drink from the other fountain. Either the ice or the soda machine has a problem which makes the drinks taste very metallic. I have sensitive tastes so you may or may not think the same. Some days the taste is worse than others.

I've never had baby back ribs here that were good at all. Mostly dried out and overcooked. The beef ribs tend to be half fat. They have a good flavor so it's really a shame they don't trim off the fat before cooking.

---wait staff---

Hit and miss just like everywhere else. I get really good service at the drive thru window, usually, but check your order before pulling away or you might have a nasty surprise of someone else's order, especially if they are particularly busy.

ENJOY!

NAME: KAF
SUBMITTED: 11/25/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/2011
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

MY REVIEW: I'm on the quest to find best BBQ ribs in Houston... We ordered two ribs plate, each has 1 Beef Rib, 2 Pork Ribs, and 3 Baby Back Ribs.

The Pork Ribs were so good, crusty on the outside yet the meat was moist, tender, and falling off the bones without being mushy.

The Baby Back Rib didn't have much flavor, the meat was not so tender, and you would need a knife to cut the meat.

The Beef Rib was the worst! It was tasteless and stringy. I couldn't even get the meat off the bones with knife! We just sort of pokee at it, and pull it out bits by bits, almost like beef jerky. It was just horrible! I figure there must be something wrong with the beef ribs that night. After all, it's BBQ, but the beef ribs tasted just like it was just on the grill / smoker for 20 minutes tops! Such a disappointment! Maybe I do need to give them another try, because I read some good reviews on the beef ribs below. Maybe people's tastes are different, but I don't think in this case. It was just not edible.

NAME: llvixen
SUBMITTED: 7/12/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: July/2011
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: I had pork ribs, potato salad & spicy rice. I got sauce on the side (I'd been warned). The ribs & potato salad, I liked. the spicy rice was very good. I'm really glad they didn't try to call it 'dirty rice', though. My friend's warning about the sauce was on the nose. He used to work for them. Thin, spicy, colored water. Fortunately, I believe that, if the ribs are right--one doesn't need sauce.

NAME: rogerscorpion
SUBMITTED: 1/9/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 9/10
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: I've had a sliced beef sandwich here once a month for the last 3 years. I've never gotten so much fat I've had to remove it - and I know because the servings give so much beef on the sandwich I remove enough slices to eat later so I can get the sandwich in my mouth. Not a fan of them but if there were no sliced jalapenos, I'd ask for some. Staff is definitely service minded so if sliced jalaps aren't on the menu they'd sure give me a sharp knife to cut my own. The sandwich is a serving and a half and the fries are soft inside and crispy out. Good food and excellent value.

NAME: Harriet
SUBMITTED: 12/23/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: Nov 2010
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: Strong points? None. I ordered a sliced beef sandwich and side of potato salad. The sliced "beef" was more fat than beef. If I'd trimmed all the fat there would not have been enough sandwich left to eat. The potato salad was tasteless. At the condiment bar they had only whole jalepenos, no sliced. Ever tried slicing a jalepeno with a butter knife? Not easy. The barbeque sauce was more runny than the ketchup. Absolutely awful and I won't be back.

NAME: KC in Sugar Land
SUBMITTED: 12/10/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/10
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Strong point: Potato Salad and Baked Potatoes

Weak Points: Terrible sauce. Absolutely awful ribs.

Staff is courteous. Big screen TV is nice. Prices are good. But don't go expecting to get anything other than potatoes that is close to what you could get when it was L*uther's Bar-B-Que.

Why do I keep going back? My wife loves their baked potatoes.

NAME: DrDaddyO
SUBMITTED: 11/18/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: We usually only frequent the small, independent BBQ joints since they invarialbly and handily beat the chains on BBQ quality. Plus they usually have 'character' as a buonus. But today (Sunday) Pappas on I-45 across from The Woodlands was the closest open BBQ place. and she wanted BBQ NOW. lol.

Service, like many BBQ joints, is cafeteria style. Very friendly and chatty servers. Big serve-yourself condiment island with all the trimmings possible.

She got the sliced brisket sandwich with a side of potato salad, and I got the 2-meat combo, choosing sliced brisket and pork ribs, with potato salad and beans. Like to get the basics when trying a BBQ place for the first time since that best reveals their style.

The meat portions were very generous, particularly the pork ribs. Which is my weakness anyway. Prices were average.

A big alert right up front here: DO NOT use their BBQ sauce... take your own, their's is that bad. Not kidding. The stuff is just awful. Extremely vinegary, with some unknown awful flavor. Never tasted such bad BBQ sauce. Fortunately we always ask for the sauce on the side so we can actually taste the brisket unadultereated.

The brisket had a nice smoke ring, tasted nice and smoky, a good flavor. But can't call it tender. Not tough, but not tender. Can't cut it with a fork. It was quite dry too, no moisture or fat at all. Pretty average brisket.

The pork ribs were very good, a great smoke flavor, and very generous. Not fall-off-the-bone tender, but tender enough. Above average ribs for a chain.

The beans tasted great, kinda spicy. A tad under-cooked though. But not enough to keep you from wanting to eat them.

The potato salad was GREAT! Why is it that most BBQ joints, even the mom-&pops that make great BBQ, usually make very meek potato salad? This was very mustardy, lots of crunchy pickle and onion, and lumpy, not mushy like the pablum usualy served as potato salad. The real deal.

All in all, for a chain, this Pappas is slightly above average on food taste, but nowhere in the same league as, say, N*ew Zion Baptist Church or C*hop's or B*urns. Probably would only return under similar circumstances... want BBQ quickly and OK with where-ever!

NAME: Rib-dude
SUBMITTED: 7/11/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 7/10
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: I HAD A PULLED PORK PLATE WITH COLE SLAW AND SPICY RICE. THE PORTIONS WERE GOOD AND I HAD TROUBLE EATING IT ALL. THE SPICY RICE HAD CHUNKS OF SAUSAGE MIXED IN AND THE FLAVOR WAS VERY GOOD. I WATCHED THE MANAGER WORKING WITH PEOPLE AND HE SURE HAD A LOT OF PATIENCE WHEN ANSWERING THEIR QUESTIONS. MY PLATE WAS ONLY $7.95 AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD PRICE BECAUSE SOME PLACES ARE IN THE $9.00 TO $12.00 RANGE FOR BBQ PLATES. I HAD NEVER BEEN TO PAPPAS BUT WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS GOOD BBQ. THEY ALSO HAVE BURGERS AND SALADS. TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR WEBSITE AND CHECK OUT THE MENU.

NAME: BIG TUMMY
SUBMITTED: 7/8/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 7/10
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Seriously, I HATE chain restaurants. They typically have dull menus designed to feed patrons with mundane tastes. Such restaurants deliver this food with mediocre preparation and branded sincerity..."How does everything TASTE?" Although I'm not fond of Pappas, P*appadeaux, and P*appasitos for precisely those reasons, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Pappas BBQ.

Unbelievably delicious meat, sides, and efficiency. No gag-me branding and overpriced, ill-prepared meals served by waitstaff clearly hired for their model potential. The BBQ melts in your mouth. Seasoned perfectly. Love the beans - smokey, but never greasy. Smoked turkey breast is so moist and healthy to eat. Pork ribs are always meaty and juicy. The condiment bar is full of everything you could possibly want. Prices are fair and if lines are long, they move fast. What more do you want?

NAME: festusbodine
SUBMITTED: 6/28/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 06/10
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: I was on my way to work and got an order to go at the drive thru. I got to work and pulled it out of the sack and opened it and the containers for the side orders,in my case, ranch beans and yams, were of a new variety. Very thin, and the bottom was indented, so it was even thinner. I guess eventually they will find a supplier of plastic disposable sewing thimbles and use them.

NAME: Larry
SUBMITTED: 5/2/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 04/2010
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

MY REVIEW: This location is quite different from the one near my home (1960/45ish) The people ordering were a interesting mix of homeless to business. From every known background you can image. I LOVE IT! We as people should mix and interact with each other more. The parking is very difficult and small, but manageable. I order the smoke turkey and it was great. The pecan pie was large and good. The food seemed to be a bit more family like at this location than the chain like taste at the one near my home. I always order there and then re-flavor it, when I go home. This was right on point. I will be back

NAME: Poetman
SUBMITTED: 3/25/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 03/10
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: My coworkers and I had the cheeseburger basket and it was to die for. I have also had the chicken burger and that is also very very good. As a matter of fact I had the cheeseburger twice last week from Pappas BBQ.

NAME: Claudia
SUBMITTED: 2/1/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: Had been to other locations a couple of times but not for quite a while, and food was OK. Decided to try Westheimer & Gessner location since we were nearby. It was not good at all. Portions were very large, but the sliced beef was so salty I only ate about 1/3 of it. Food has to be pretty bad for me to waste it. Sausage was not good either and a few pieces were gristly. Potato salad was OK but didn't like ranch beans. One beef plate, one beef and sausage plate and one iced tea was over $23. Definitely not worth the price. Will never go back.

NAME: KLB
SUBMITTED: 1/30/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/10
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

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