The Search for the Best BBQ in Houston

Let's face it. We are all looking for that perfect barbecue pit at the end of the rainbow. And guess what -- I found it. It's in Pearland.

Of course, I didn't find it on my own. I had a little help from someone who told me that Central Texas Style BBQ was the best barbeque in the Houston area.

Naturally, I was skeptical, but I took him up on his dare and did the trek.

And boy, am I glad I did.

THE LINE STARTS HERE

It was just after 12 noon when I arrived at Central Texas Style BBQ on 4110 West Broadway, and from the outside, the place is unassuming. But inside, you'll be in for a shock...and a treat.

First of all, there was a massive line.

I didn't know what to expect, but a line that wrapped around the counter and almost went out the back door wasn't it. But that was perfectly fine. I always take long lines in places like this to be a good sign. It means the food is fresh and the customers are happy.

Besides, there was a lot of choices on the menu and I needed some time to figure things out.

So why is this place so popular? Well, it is family owned and has been around for nearly four decades. But what really keeps people coming back again and again is that they actually hickory smoke their own meat in the two pits they have on site. Plus, the customer service is like eating at mom's house.

MORE BBQ THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE

Like I said, the line was long. But I really needed the time to think. That's because they have 10 choices of meat. Yup...that's right 10!! You can get everything from beef and sausage, to ham, turkey and chicken.

And once you figure out what you want, you then have to figure out how much you want.

I had never been to a place where you can order meat by the pound. Very cool, but a little intimidating for a BBQ newbie like me.

Thankfully, they have taken this into consideration as they have some plate dinners on the menu where you can pick one meat, two, three or a deluxe portion.

After watching the people in front of me get heaping trays full of food, I went with the Diana plate. Compared to the others, it's a smaller plate with your choice of meat, two sides and a drink.

So now all I had to do is pick out a side, but I was running out of time.

You see, even though the line is long, the people that eat there seemed to have a lot less of a problem picking out what they want than I did and the line was whipping by quickly.

I had only just narrowed down my meat, when it was time for me to pick out my sides - which is almost harder than the meat. That's because they have 14 main meal sides and seven desserts (that you can use as a side - excellent!).

Figuring in a place as busy as this, I couldn't go wrong with whatever I picked, I chose sweet potatoes and this one dish that all three people in front of me got. I didn't even know what it was, but it seemed to be very popular.

"That's Banana Pudding," said the server. "It's really good."

Okay, that sounds good to me.

BECAUSE I'M A PEPPER, TOO

One of my favorite things about Texas is there is always Dr. Pepper and I LOVE Dr. Pepper. Of course, there is always sweet tea, too, but that hasn't grown on me like the Dr. Pepper has.

After I filled my giant cup with the good doctor, I carried my now heavy tray to my table to see if the BBQ was as good as it smelled. And it was. It was tender, slightly hickory in flavor and worth the 30 minutes it took me to get there.

And yes. My source was correct. This was the best barbecue in Texas, and the place all others will be compared to in the future.

My banana pudding was also good, but by the time I ate the all meat and the sweet potatoes (yes, my mom taught me to eat the real food first), I was so stuffed, I couldn't finish it.

I was also glad I got the smallest plate on the menu, because if I ate any more, I would have exploded.

And by the way...the line was even longer at 12:45 so people just kept on coming in for the yummy barbecue goodness.

WAKE ME UP, I'M IN FOOD HEAVEN
Then I saw it. The cornbread.

I leaned back in my chair and was about to take a couple of pictures of the restaurant when I noticed that every person sitting around me had this giant piece of cornbread on their table. Let me tell you a little secret...I will do anything for cornbread. It's my Texas kryptonite, and whenever it's around, I have to have it.

Based on the observation that everyone around had a giant chunk, I concluded that this must be some pretty good stuff, and there was no way I was going to miss out on good cornbread. Besides, if this place had the best barbecue in the area, then maybe it had the best cornbread, too.

It turns out they don't just have the best cornbread; they have the two types of cornbread: Jalapeno and sweet. Yay!! And it's only $0.75 - double Yay!!!

Yup, you will be seeing me in Pearland more often. In fact, I'm kind of craving barbecue right now.