Houston Barbecue Events

Announcing the 2026 Houston Barbecue Festival

January 6, 2026

The Houston Barbecue Festival returns on Sunday, April 12, 2026, for its 13th year, celebrating everything that makes Houston barbecue unlike anywhere else in the world. The festival is presented by Goodstock by Nolan Ryan. With its sheer number of barbecue joints and an unmatched diversity of styles, the greater Houston area has quietly become one of America’s great barbecue cities. The Houston Barbecue Festival is the only event that brings together the full spectrum of that scene – legendary institutions, neighborhood favorites, and the city’s most exciting rising stars – all in one place, at one time, for one price.

Why aren’t there more 24/7 barbecue joints in Texas?

January 3, 2026

By many measures, barbecue joints should be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After all, most joints have staff on site all day, either cooking, prepping or serving. Why not just keep the doors open continuously and if someone wanders in in the middle of the night, have the pit team do double duty and serve them a basic menu of chopped beef sandwiches or a rib or sausage plate. Genius business idea, right? Surprisingly, though, there are very few barbecue operations serving smoked meats around the clock.

You might include Buc-ee’s in the list, as there are some locations open 24 hours. But I’ve never been to a Buc-ee’s at 3 a.m. to check if they still have pre-wrapped chopped beef sandwiches in the warming cabinet.

Announcing the 2025 BBQ Block Party: The New Houston ‘Q

June 23, 2025

The Houston Barbecue Festival, Goodstock by Nolan Ryan, and Saint Arnold Brewing Company announce the 2025 BBQ Block Party: The New Houston ‘Q celebrating a new generation of pitmasters that will continue greater Houston’s reign as the best and most creative city for barbecue in the state. Like the old saying goes, Houston is an hour away from Houston. It’s a big place to cover for barbecue fans searching for the latest and greatest smoked meats.

Fortunately, the team at HOUBBQ has put in the research and the miles to discover the next wave of Houston-area barbecue talent and will bring them together on July 20th for barbecue aficionados to taste their wares and meet these rising stars in person.