Thelma's Barbecue   1020 Live Oak St @ Lamar Houston TX 77003 713.228.2262 You might also be interested in these:     American Food    Bar-B-Que    Lunch Specials    ZIP 77003   Add Review       MY REVIEW: I have read the reviews and I have to say that these do not begin to describe Thelmas. I love the establishment, and it just feels homey. And this is what to be expected from a mom and pops establishment. The employees are great and cordial and Thelma herself makes you feel at home. Not to mention that the portion sizes are great. I think people expect way too much for there dollars. What do you expect to get for entrees that start at $6.00. I love this place and I love Ms. Thelma. And obviously she is doing good business because her place is still packed and running. Keep it up Ms. Thelma! NAME: latte2002 SUBMITTED: 7/7/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 7/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: NotWorthTheTrip, Haha, I find it funny cause I was in there that day when your problem occured. Thelma tried pulling the same thing on me, I ordered the ribs ala carte and the sausage ala carte too, she then tried to say i ordered the meal, and I did not want the sides. She is very rude, her sweet tea is nothing but sugar and sweet tea powder mixture. Her BBQ sauce is nothing but ketchup watered down, with sugar added. I remember she tried yelling at you, and you said that she should admit she was wrong, but she still wouldn't do it. After witnessing that service, I will never go back as well. By the way, the restaurant is inside a dingy 2 room house, with practically no air conditioning. Ohh, in order to bring home condiments, you must place the condiments inside 2 small paper plates, and wrap them with tin foil. Good to see Thelma watching her bottomline, I mean providing condiment cups with lids would be a lot to ask for. Never going back there again. NAME: BBQ Traveler SUBMITTED: 6/19/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 5/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: After hearing so many good things about Thelma's on Food Netwook and PBS, I finally decided to try it. My co-worker and I arrived at approximately 11:45 and the line was long (as we expected). We were very excited as we passed tables of customers munching on their mouth-watering plates. We ooo'd and ahh'd over everyones plate as we told each other "I'm going to get that" or "I can't wait to try that" and "Oh, I am so excited." When it was my turn to place my order, I pointed to the selections listed under "ORDER" and said I want an ORDER of "Ribs," and ORDER of "Links," and and ORDER of "Beef," to which Thelma replied "You want the meal?" I explained that I wanted the separate orders of ribs, links and beef, and she told me I needed to order it "ala cart" even though that was nowhere on the typed menu. I then proceeded to order a 1/2 pint of green beans and potato salad, and was told that it should be 1 pint since it was a typo on the menu. So I orderd 1 pint of potato salad and 1 pint of green beans, in addition to a catfish dinner with two sides. My entire order was over $30.00. However, when I received my order, I realized it was NOT what I ordered. There was no ORDER of ribs, ORDER of links and ORDER of beef. Instead I received a rib, link, beef combo (without two side dishes). When I brought this to Thelma's attention, a heated debate began with her telling me I got what I paid for. She proceeded to hold up the line of at least 15 customers, to find my receipt so she could prove I got what I paid for. My whole argument was that I did not get what I ORDERED. She said that I "confused" her by my order. I said, "I pointed at what I wanted -- can you understand 'point'?" It ended up with me leaving with my order the way it was, and not enough for the "picnic" for Memorial Day weekend I had planned. Even with all of the "drama" I was still looking forward to getting back to the office to partake of this meal that had become quite an adventure. To say the least, I was very dissapointed. The (2) ribs were not tender, the links were greasy and the beef was tough. The sauce was way too sweet, the potato salad had too much sugar, no eggs, no crunch. The beans were good. Needless to say, it was NOT worth the trip and I will NOT go back. NAME: NotWorthTheTrip SUBMITTED: 5/23/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/23/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: After reading several of the most recent reviews, I knew what to expect. Hole in the wall restaurant: check Sweet style BBQ: check Very sweet tea: check Dining room sink: check Since no one seemed to disagree that the fried fish was good, that's what I ordered. Service was friendly when they saw I already knew what I wanted. I got fries in lieu of two side orders, and a soft drink. The fish was piping hot, as were the fries. The "fish" consisted of three huge delicious, mild and fresh tasting filets. The "fries" were as hot as they could be and not still be frying. (If I get my fish order to go next time it will still be piping hot when I get it home, I'm sure.) And Thelma's must use very hot grease, as nothing was greasy. The tasty tartar sauce was obviously homemade; not that nasty bottled stuff. I got two big fat slices of "Texas toast" and just had to eat them both, as they were pillow-soft fresh. This was an excellent meal, and a real value at under $10, and Thelma's will see me again. NAME: Glitterik SUBMITTED: 4/29/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: April 26 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Took a friend for lunch and was taken aback by Thelmas refusal to change my too sweet powdered tea for a coke instead. She said I knew it was sweet tea and I had to pay extra for the coke. On another note, as much as she charges for her too sweet BBQ you would think she could knock out a wall or something to make the place bigger.The jukebox that takes up room doesn't work. Won't be back. NAME: Dewey or Don"t we SUBMITTED: 4/22/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 03/09/08 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: The food there was "to some extent "worth the trouble of finding out what is ahead when stepping into the place. From what I experienced when you walk in have knowledge/confident in what you're ordering otherwise you "WILL" be look down and laugh at by the people there. Overall rude attitudes and so are their regular customers or relatives. PS Save the hassle by calling (713)228-2262, wait 10-30mins, and then come pickup. NAME: BBQ LOVER SUBMITTED: 4/21/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: April/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: My husband had spotted this barbeque place some time ago, and made the decision to save eating there until we could experience it together. I was excited from the moment we drove up. Though the atmosphere may cause some people to question dining there, it only made me quickly get out of the car and start what I knew would be an exciting experience. The smells hit you before you ever make it to the door. The menu was quite simple, but still enough to make the decision difficult. I opted for the 1/2 chicken, and an order of french fries, while my husband ordered the two meat plate, with dirty rice and cole slaw. The sweet tea is unlike anything I've ever had before...so sweet it was almost syrup...I enjoyed it. There is nothing negative to say about the food...it was delicious. I know we will return again when in the area. I anxiously await trying the fried fish. I was so full this time, but dessert will be a must next time, also. The stories being told while people were waiting on their food, and sitting at other tables only added to the atmosphere. NAME: M LeRouax SUBMITTED: 3/6/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: March/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: After reading reviews on here, I thought I would be greeted w/ horrible attitudes and a long wait, but I love BBQ so I was willing to suck it up. However, this was not the case at all --- service was friendly and even though there was a line, I got my food in 5 minutes or less (at about 1 p.m. on a Saturday). Food was good and portions were generous. Place looked like a house, but I wasn't expecting a 5 star restaurant. It's BBQ! Don't come in w/ a haughty attitude and you'll be just fine. I'd come back again. NAME: DRM SUBMITTED: 3/1/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: February/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: We love the food. Everything is made the way my grandmother cooked ... with sugar. The catfish is perfectly fried, moist and flakey, the potato salad is sweetly delicious, and the chopped beef is already lean -- so if you aks for extra-lean they will tell you they don't do it. There are several rules, they are very reasonable .. for instance, they won't take your order if you are on the cell phone. The prices are good and the portions are big enough to split. NAME: Vanya SUBMITTED: 2/27/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/27/2008 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: Staff was very polite! To my surprise. I ordered the sliced beef sandwich and it the meat was very tough. Pretty good flavor and portion size was really big. My daughter ordered the sausage sandwich and it was really good and big. Cole slaw was too sweet for me. Green beans were perfect. Our table cloth was filthy to the point of unhealthy.. I have had the catfish there before and I wish I had ordered it this time because it is great. NAME: BW SUBMITTED: 1/10/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/5/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: BBQ sauce was indeed sweet, but I liked it fine. Brisket wasn't the softest-tenderest-best-ever-BBQ-of-all-time that I've heard about from other reviews, though the ribs were both tender in the right parts and chewy/crunchy from the fire in others. Really good; $9.62 for four ribs, six (slim) slices of brisket, okra, and beans. The inside was fine, like eating at a fireman's-pancake-breakfast - no frills, but no spills, either. Regarding the rudeness: I remarked to my wife when I got home about how polite and kind they were, both behind the kitchen (I tried to come in the wrong way) and behind the counter. Don't know if I met Thelma or not, but I'd be shocked if anybody in the place were ever rude to me. Not saying it didn't happen, but wow - it just seems so out of character. Summary: portions were big (I shared my 2-meats-with-two-sides with my wife and was satisfied), prices are pretty good, but not cheap, and I'll probably go back again after trying g*00de & co. again to refresh my memory so I can compare. NAME: Michael Shelley SUBMITTED: 1/6/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/05/08 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: i am just getting to the point where I hate coming here and having to make the decision: do i get the best fried catfish in town or the ribs to die for or maybe some sliced brisket?? I am never disapointed here. I learned a long time ago that the sauce is way too sweet for human consumption and the meat sooooo good without it that I order mine dry. the catfish...well I keep trying catfish at different venues hoping to find someone who cooks it right only to be let down time after time by places who are known for their seafood or their catfish in particular. thelma's big crispy cornmeal breaded filets are just perfect and her slightly spicy tartar sauce the perfect compliment. I cannot figure out all those who say thelma is rude. perhaps if you are wasting her time when there are twenty people in line and more coming in ever second, but thelma is always sweeter than her homemade pie to me and always remembers my name even if I have not been around for a month or so NAME: handsome bob SUBMITTED: 12/3/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/27 /07 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: Went there with a friend and Thelma waited on us. She is as RUDE as the day is long. I just knew that anyone with that much attitude certainly had a product that everyone wanted. Wow, was I mistaken? After all the flack she gave my friend and I, the food was not very good at all. The chicken had no sign of smoke flavor and the bbq was so sweet that we could not eat it. The ice tea was a sugar mound as well. Where does this lady get off? Not a favorite dining pick and I will not return. Have you ever heard the expression "Bad to the Bone"....well visit Thelma's and you will soon find out who pinned that expression. NAME: LAWMAN SUBMITTED: 11/3/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: November/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I decided to visit Thelma's Bar-B-Q after reading rave reviews about her bar-b-q specifically brisket online. My friend and I decided to take the 40 minute hike only to be disappointed all around. I arrived at 6:30 p.m. on a saturday, close to closing time and all employees were in the kitchen and no one was up front to greet guests. I quickly told my friend what to order for me as I wanted to run to the ladies room to wash my hands. Here I read one of many "behavioral signs" as how customers are to conduct themselves while in her establishment. I searched for a sink in the restroom only to read yet another sign explaining that the sink/basin to wash your hands was located outside the restroom door in the dining room of the restaurant. So, when I reentered the dining room, my friend was placing my order for a combination dinner with chicken dark meat and links. Then all of a sudden Thelma, owner of this fine establishment who was taking her order exclaimed, "There is no such thing as dark meat"! I walked up and told her that I wanted dark meat with my order and she said in a very agitated tone "Look, there is no such thing as dark meat, you get two good pieces of chicken of whatever they grab". I ordered chicken & links anyway and inquired if the links were homemade...she rudely said, "I didn't make them"! Not having a pleasant dining experience on my first and last trip I attempted to pay for my dinner. Guess what? That posed a problem also. I gave her a $100 dollar bill and she pointed to yet another sign that stated "no bills over $50 after 3 p.m." She then begin to state in a very hostile tone "I don't keep that much money here after 3 p.m." In complete disbelief I told her "there are so many rules here". She then told me that "I have rules in my own home" and I agreed, but I told her that I'm not at home and neither is she. She is running a place of business and when I am with my customers I treat them with respect and appreciation. If I had not driven so far for this spectacular bbq, I certainly would have left and told "Ms. Thelma" to have a good day. But instead I made the gruesome mistake of purchasing the most overrated bbq meal ever! The bbq sauce is way too SWEET, the chicken tasted like it was baked top with a mountain of sauce. The chicken was very small and the drumstick was broken. The links were definitely not homemade as she stated and the side items were nothing to write home about. Too bad Ms. Thelmas' attitude isn't as sweet as her sauce. I will never go back as this dining experience left a bad taste in my mouth all around. NAME: REALTORONTHEGO SUBMITTED: 11/3/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: November 3 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: The food is great. The bad things are: the sauce is way too sweet. If you want it on the side, she'll add a $2 charge for that. The tea is way too sweet as well. If you stay away from those things, you're good to go. You can get no sauce for no charge (I recommend doing this because like I said, it's sickly too sweet). NAME: ShadedGray7 SUBMITTED: 11/3/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Although I've been in Houston for nearly 15 years, I'd never been to Thelma's before this week. I had relatives in town that had heard about it and wanted to eat there. So, we stopped by, coming in presumably after the normal lunch rush. The line was short, and we got our food quickly, but that's about where my praise ends... I got the BBQ chicken sandwich and was thoroughly disappointed. The sandwich consisted of a 1/4 chicken (bones and all) slapped on a bun and slathered in sauce. I could have dealt with that if 1) the sauce hadn't been sickeningly sweet, 2) the chicken hadn't been bone dry and 3) there had been any evidence whatsoever of smokiness to the chicken. I've had more smoke on my meat by throwing a handful of wet woodchips on the side of my gas grill at while bbqing chicken at home. The two people that were with me both got the chopped beef sandwiches and found them tasty, but also felt that the sauce was overly sweet. The sides that we shared (potato salad and coleslaw) were uninspiring. Unlike the reports of some others, we received friendly service, though I suspect that coming during a slow period had something to do with that. The prices were reasonable, but not an exceptional value, especially considering the fairly disappointing quality of the food. For my money, I'd rather go eat at G*oode Co (or any one of a half dozen other smaller 'Que "joints" around town) where the chicken is smokey, moist and tender, and I can easily get my sauce "on the side". NAME: #1 sushi boy SUBMITTED: 10/11/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/8/07 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: We stopped at Thelma's on Sat afternoon for take-out and Thelma's still rules. The restaurant was pretty busy but we got our order in just a few minutes. It's a half hour drive home from Thelma's and the take-out smelled so good we were tempted to stop and eat. The potatos were super, the ribs were great and the sides were delicious. Thelma makes excellent barbecue. Try it, you'll like it! NAME: bbqbob SUBMITTED: 9/21/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 9/15/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: My fiance and I always order the baked potatoes with chopped beef. It is great! I don't care for Thelma's location nor the inability to find a seat, but it's definitely worth visiting for the taste of her great BBQ! NAME: Karla Deckard SUBMITTED: 8/15/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: I am visiting Houston this week and I always love to check out the local BBQ joints. b4-u-eat steered me to Thelma's. Luck would have it, my hotel was just one mile from this little bit of heaven on earth. I cold not walk fast enough to get to Thelma's and it was just as great as most people on here have reported. I hit the joint at about 5:30 and ordered two meats with two sides and a sweet tea. Paid a whopping $9.47. A bargain no matter where you are. The food was awesome. The three ribs should have been enough food for one meal, but I had the added pleasure of beef, beans and dirty rice. The atmosphere was perfect and Thelma could not have been nicer. It was obvious she had been on the job all day in heat that topped 100 degrees. She still smiled and was as pleasant as could be. If you live in Houston and have not tried Thelma's you are missing out on BBQ the way it was intended to be. Do yourself a favor and check it out! NAME: Jeff from Omaha SUBMITTED: 8/13/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/13/07 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Great food...for the price. Thelma is located in a jewel location.. gentrification is everywhere. The food (fish, brisket, sweets) all is a taste bud paradise. I often go after work and pick up a brisket sandwich for my teenage sons...it fills them up. NAME: Debora Evans SUBMITTED: 8/10/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: July 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: I been going to Thelma's for three or four yeras now and love it !! Thelma always says hi and gives me a smile even when I can tell she's tired and had a hard day. I almost always get ribs ala carte with no sauce and they Rock!!. however on this day in particular they were to die for (I had come with the intention of getting catfish and changed my mind at the last minute). When I opened up my order and saw, rather than the five to seven ribs I am accustomed to just three big ones, my heart sank. In all my experience large pork ribs will have much more fat content and not near as much flavour as medium to small ones. NOT HERE!!! The first bite was orgasmic and they were exceptional even on the Thelma scale!! They were sooo big I could only finish two and took the other home for a midnight snack. Thelma is not just a barbecue hero, the woman is a barbecue superhero!!!! P.S I am not a big fan of barbecued chicken and so have only ordered it once here, but Thelma's bbq chicken is the best I've ever sunk teeth into NAME: handsome bob SUBMITTED: 8/6/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/1/07 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: OMG...everything said about this place is true! The portions are amazing and the barbeque is great. I had the baked potato with chopped brisket. The styrofoam container was loaded to the top! It was $6 and was enough for easily 2.5 meals. My friend had the 3 meat plate. He barely 1/2 of it. You have to give it a try! :) NAME: bellarosie SUBMITTED: 7/26/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 07/07 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYONE AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO FIND NEGATIVITY IN EVERYTHING. TO GET TO THE POINT THELMA'S IS GREAT. I LOVE THEIR RIBS. THEY ARE SO GOOD YOU DON'T NEED THE SAUCE ON THEM. AND THEY ALSO HAVE THE BEST POTATO SALAD. IT IS NOT CHUNKY LIKE THE KIND YOU FIND AT S*AMS BARBECUE AND P*APPA'S. IT ACTUALLY TASTES HOMEMADE AND NOT STORE BOUGHT LIKE THE OTHERS. THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO VISIT. I RECOMMEND THAT YOU TRY THE PLACE OUT YOURSELF AND FORM YOUR OWN OPINION. NAME: PAMELA SUBMITTED: 7/26/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: JULY 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I'm very particular about smoked meat. I don't believe that majority of the people who claim they can barbeque are actually good at it. However, Thelma's is an exception. The barbeque is great, as well as the catfish. Honestly, I wasn't too thrilled about the potato salad or yams. Still I will continue to gladly give my business to Thelma because the barbeque & catfish are out of sight. Also, they serve large portions for a very reasonable price. The restaurant is a small, mom & pop place with very limited seating. If necessary, get your order to go. Despite any shortcomings, the place is well worth it. NAME: a picky bbq eater SUBMITTED: 7/12/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 6/30/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: If you are looking for quality food for your buck, Thelma's is your place. Don't go during lunch if you are in a hurry as it seems EVERYONE that works downtown knows about the food here. Don't just go for the BBQ though. Thelma's puts out some great southern fried catfish that will knock your socks off, not to mention you can make two meals from one order. NAME: John Blackman SUBMITTED: 6/17/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/07 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY