Luling City Market Bar-B-Q

(713) 871-1903

4726 Richmond Ave (Kirby District)
Houston, TX 77027 29.7329 -95.4565

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Neighborhoods: Afton Oaks/ River Oaks, Central

LULINGCITYMARKET.COM

Years in business

Established in 1985

Hours:

Mon-Sat 11am-9pm

Sun noon-7pm

Price:

$

Last updated 8.16.11

Category:

Restaurants, Barbecue Restaurants, Catering

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Luling City Market Bar-B-Q

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – Can't make it to the original? Houston's Luling City Market will serve up your barbecue, including a coarsely ground-beef sausage that still energizes a considerable fan club. Most offerings can be ordered by the pound--the ribs and brisket here are a must and the turkey holds its own. The meat is served up on a piece of butcher paper accompanied by plenty of white bread. An authoritative dipping sauce keeps the faith.

Editor's Tips

The Extras:
Take it home with you. The barbecue sauce can be purchased for about $2.50 per pint; and meat and sausages are sold hot or cold.
ambiance
75.0% positive
  1. “This is in an unlikeley location for a really good bbq joint (near the gallereria inside the loop).”
  2. “If you want good barbecue in a casual ambience, you have to try this place.”
  3. “However, I have now lived in Houston for 4-years and eating at the one on Richmond Ave the food to me is just as delicious to that in Luling (less the smoke room ambiance).”
  4. “Small, full service bar has a "neighborhood bar" atmosphere.”
drinks
70.0% positive
  1. “Ambiance: This a very casual place, all most like a country sports bar; Food: The ribs are pinkish tender moist with quite a bit of fat at the end of it, they tasted good; The Brisket was tender moist and tasty, the smoked turkey did not really have a smo”
  2. “Great food and a great bar.”
  3. “Small, full service bar has a "neighborhood bar" atmosphere.”
  4. “Best beer joint BBQ.”
  5. “Belly up to the bar with a ice cold longneck and a big plate of oak pit smoked BBQ and you'll think you've died and gone to Texas Heaven!”
food quality
76.83000087738037% positive
  1. “there is nothing better than placing a slice of sausage in a piece of pure white bread, then pouring the sauce on it for every bite and dringking it down with a cold Shiner.”
  2. “the kind that can run the gamut from bland bottled sauce to the delicious stuff served up at Good Company or Rudy's.”
  3. “The brisket rocks as always and the sauce is a nice departure from the "standard" BBQ sauce all over Houston.”
  4. “The sauce was not good but made the meal palatable.”
  5. “WORST food in my life.”
  6. “great brisket, ok ribs, good sausage, yuk strange sauce, add Goode Co.'s sauce and you have a real winner”
  7. “Likewise, I love the homemade sausage and the mustard based sauce.”
  8. “Bad quality food”
  9. “The meats were so dry making it difficult to swallow.”
  10. “Sides are optional as well, but hardly sold because the meat is too flavorful to put down.”
  11. “also love the slightly-spicy and unique homemade sauce.”
  12. “Love the sauce.”
  13. “Sauce (usually not noteworthy in most places) is unique and tasty.”
  14. “This is in an unlikeley location for a really good bbq joint (near the gallereria inside the loop).”
  15. “This place has been a favorite of my family since they opened, I can't remeber a time that the food was ever anything less than amazing.”
  16. “Much better than the (usually) mediocre Goode Company, despite their imagination- barbeque is about doing the basics well, producing smoked meat so flavorful that sauce (even when quite good, and Luling's is good) is not necessary.”
  17. “Great food and a great bar.”
  18. “However, I have now lived in Houston for 4-years and eating at the one on Richmond Ave the food to me is just as delicious to that in Luling (less the smoke room ambiance).”
  19. “This place had some good Bar-B-Que and my girlfriend loved the brisket sandwich and the onion bun that it was served on.”
  20. “Good food - limited selection”
  21. “The potato salad was tasteless.”
  22. “The food tastes great, but I love the sauce!”
  23. “Easy to get in and get out, I love the sauce, my favorite thing to do is get a link of sausage and slice it up and but on a slice of bread with lots of sauce.”
  24. “We sat down, ready to dig into what a lot of people have touted as the best bbq in Houston.”
  25. “The salad was so bland, the meat was dry and the bread was rock hard!”
  26. “The slaw and potato salad were okay, the brisket was flavorful but very dry, the pork ribs were like jerky and thank goodness the sausage was excellent.”
  27. “The meat has a great taste, excellent smoke ring and tender.”
  28. “This outstanding little BBQ joint has the best food in town.”
  29. “The ribs look delicious as well.”
  30. “City market is great, but to fully experience the taste a trip to the original in luling must be made, i was raised on that original bbq and wont settle for anything else.”
  31. “go because I like the people and the food.”
  32. “read one of the other reviews said the beans were excellent - I wouldn't say they were anything special, but definitely good.”
  33. “happen to love it even more than some of the best tomato-based sauces that I have tried.”
  34. “The food is great and the restaurant is a great setting.”
  35. “If you want good food with no frills come here.”
  36. “don't like cinnamon in my chili and I don't like cole slaw on a pulled pork sandwich with vinegar sauce.”
  37. “promise you will have a different opinion after you taste the juicy ribs and tender beef!”
  38. “The sausage was great, just a little spicy but not too hot.”
  39. “Please read all the reviews and note that people who don't want their BBQ on paper or don't "understand" the sauce don't know anything about good BBQ.”
  40. “Oh they still sell food, but the service is rude to those that aren't regulars.”
  41. “Ambiance: This a very casual place, all most like a country sports bar; Food: The ribs are pinkish tender moist with quite a bit of fat at the end of it, they tasted good; The Brisket was tender moist and tasty, the smoked turkey did not really have a smo”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “Good food - limited selection”
overall
80.0% positive
  1. “If you want good barbecue in a casual ambience, you have to try this place.”
  2. “The food is great and the restaurant is a great setting.”
  3. “am originally from Luling and had the best BBQ there, so the only thing good about this place is the name and nothing else.”
  4. “Ambiance: This a very casual place, all most like a country sports bar; Food: The ribs are pinkish tender moist with quite a bit of fat at the end of it, they tasted good; The Brisket was tender moist and tasty, the smoked turkey did not really have a smo”
  5. “So far, we can't find any good BBQ place in Houston.”
service
58.33000183105469% positive
  1. “go because I like the people and the food.”
  2. “The service people was slow and just stood there looking at us.”
  3. “am now convinced that it will just be a matter of time till they close when you consider that there are other great places like the old LLC people now out on Elderidge (Houston BBQ or Texas BBQ can't recall the name).”
  4. “thats ok, I really don't compain about much,BUT the people there are so RUDE!”
  5. “Oh they still sell food, but the service is rude to those that aren't regulars.”
  6. “Small, full service bar has a "neighborhood bar" atmosphere.”
  7. “There the people are great and they never over charge or sneer at you.”
  8. “Please read all the reviews and note that people who don't want their BBQ on paper or don't "understand" the sauce don't know anything about good BBQ.”
  9. “The portions were smaller than other b-b-q houses in Houston, and the service was not as good as I expected.”
  10. “The place has small town character with a friendly staff that makes you feel at home.”
  11. “Friendly staff.”
  12. “We sat down, ready to dig into what a lot of people have touted as the best bbq in Houston.”
value
0.0% positive
  1. “The portions were smaller than other b-b-q houses in Houston, and the service was not as good as I expected.”
  2. “Way expensive AND overrated.”
wait time
0.0% positive
  1. “The service people was slow and just stood there looking at us.”
1 Star Rating: Poor

03/22/11

How can you call yourself a BBQ place with this food

by jg1977

This is by far the worse BBq place in the world. The service was horrible. The meats looked burnt and was really dry, and no BBQ sauce to dip the meat in. The sauce they did have was just hot sauce and they called it BBQ sauce. Also the setting was kinda like a chow line, and the sides, Potato salad or cole slaw was nasty as well. They also charged extra for pickles and bread. If you notice they put the meat on a paper and weigh it but before they do that they add bread to the weight and make you pay for that weight not just for the meat. I have never heard of a BBq place charging for bread. Last but not least the price was really high, 2 meats 1 side and a drink and 2 pickles is 16.50. I have been to some expensive BBQ places in my days but atleast the food is good unlike this place. PLEASE STAY AWAY.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/21/10

Worst sausage in town

by CSMobileUser2

I had hoped this would be a great BBQ restaurant after reading their website but the service was horrible and the sausage unedible and cold. I went as far as to complain to the two workers that the sausage tasted a little sour but they shrugged and ignored me. I threw up five times last night after eating here. I've called the health department, hope no one else eats here.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

09/10/10

one of the better bbq in houston

by garryt

ribs are very good.brisket is very good ,but the homemade hot links - if you can take spicey is my favorite !. their home made salse is spicy and tasty too .i really like it as well. their side items are nothing special.

1 Star Rating: Poor

04/16/10

NOT THE REAL LULING BBQ !

by Scooby

Ok, this is NOT THE Luling city market, I repeat NOT. If you truly want the best BBQ in texas as voted in TEXAS MONTHLY 1 of only 10 that even made it in the mag and it's not in houston it's in downtown LULING next to the train tracks. BBQ is very you like it or you don't. I've eaten at over 60 BBG joints in my 45 years on this planet and I can say LULING CITY MARKET in LULING TEXAS is the best .Or at least the top 10 ever. I have been eating there since I was in collage at Sam Houston ,I would drive there on the weekends instead of going home and eat and swim at the bridge at the edge of town. When we go the river each year in the summer we have to stop and PIG out, you won't be left hungry. I gave this place a star because i had to it does not deserve even 1 star this was a family member who split from the LULING family.

  • Pros: NONE
  • Cons: Don't eat here ever.
1 Star Rating: Poor

08/01/09

I will never ever eat here

by Nikkig

I will never eat the nastyest bbq in the state of tx again. If you see their name on a sign keep driving. They have discusting food and even worse management. I would not even give them a star if the rating system would allow me to. I give them two thumbs down.

  • Pros: none
  • Cons: sucky mgt

The Details on Luling City Market Bar-B-Q

Place Categories:

  • dry brisket
  • best city bbq
  • great food
  • favorite bbq place
  • love yuk strange sauce
  • good homemade sausage
  • all very good ok ribs
  • rude service
  • flavorful smoked meat
  • really good bbq joint
  • rude service people
  • good barbecue
  • like people
  • great luling city market
  • dry meat
  • incredible flavor
  • friendly staff
  • nice beer joint
  • good pickles
  • big plate
  • memorable nothing
  • best goode co
  • dry ribs
  • excellent smoke ring
  • best tomatobased sauces

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