Houston 101: Where Can I Get the Best Ribs?

Here's another throwback post to my time as the Houston Barbecue Examiner. I did a series called Houston 101, that explored the barbecue around the city of Houston.

Pizzitola's Barbecue

Houston 101: Where can I get  the best ribs?

In Houston, the absolute best place to get some good ribs is Pizzitola’s Bar-B-Cue. Located at 1703 Shepherd Drive, Pizzitola’s boasts some outstanding hickory smoked barbecue that is sure to please and leave even the pickiest eater yearning for more.

Dating back to the Roosevelt era, Pizzitola’s has been hailed as the home for barbecue for many Houstonians for over seventy years. The dining room is overflowing at lunchtime, and continues buzzing through dinner, until eight o’clock, when the doors are closed. In 2007, the Houston Press named Pizzitola’s Houston’s Best Barbecue Restaurant.

As far as food is concerned, there is no substitute. The chicken falls off the bone, and the brisket melts in your mouth, but the real prize of the kitchen, is the pork ribs. Rubbed simply in salt and pepper, these ribs are smoked to perfection, the meat barely hanging on to the bone. Ordered as a plate meal, the ribs pair wonderfully with rice and pinto beans and a glass of homemade lemonade. After a bowl of banana pudding for dessert, be sure to order a slab of ribs to go before paying the check.

Be sure not to pass by Pizzitola’s again, without stopping by to give it a try, or going in to revisit an old favorite. As always, be sure to try out the Saint Arnold Brewing Company’s latest seasonal offering.

Happy Eating.