Leon’s World’s Finest BBQ

Don’t let the humble exterior fool you, inside this place has some serious barbecue.
If there is faster or friendlier service on the island, I have yet to experience it. Our waitress was extremely attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and is the fastest iced tea refill in the business.
Brisket was great, red beans and rice good and loaded with sausage.
Nothing fancy just great affordable BBQ. Can’t wait to return!

Omg. Eat ½ your plate and save room for PIE!
I’d read the reviews on the buttermilk pie like my grandmother used to make it hadn’t had it since she passed away and it was Fe-​nom-​in-​al!
And then to make things even more interesting, they hybridized a pecan AND buttermilk pies! She brought me a taste and OMG! What to order next time?! Oh well, there is always «to go».

How HOW HOW does this place get good reviews!!! The people who leave 5 stars must be absolutely insane and have NO taste whatsoever!!! I’m from Pennsylvania and even the worst BBQ place here is 10x better than Leons.
The brisket is horrible. Dryer than Texas itself in the middle of summer. The Chicken– OK at best, but don’t order it on a sandwich because they don’t even take the bones out before slapping it on the bread!
The ribs were crappy spare ribs, filled with more cartilage than meat. I spent so long chewing the horribly tough jerky like meat that it made my jaw sore.
The sides were absolute crap, too. Canned soggy green beans, «spicy» rice that tasted like nothing.
There is not a single thing here that was suitable for even my dogs.

Best barbecue on the island. Everything is great, but Leon’s cut is to as good as it gets.

The world famous Leon bbq falls short of its name. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great. I got a two meat dinner link, chip beef with mac & cheese and beans. The flavor was seriously lacking and the overall food was subpare at best. Maybe it was because they were closing in 30 minutes and they threw together whatever they had left and it wasn’t many choices on the menu. I might give it another chance and try it in the afternoon, just to see if my opinions change.

Best BBQ sandwich I’ve had in a long time Leon saw that my daughter didn’t have a drink and took care of us very nice family-​run business thank you so much for the great food. I will definitely come back here every time I come to Galveston.

Decent barbecue. No frills interior very local. Nothing particular to write home about but if you’re looking for barbecue in the area not a bad choice.

Good Southeast Texas-​style BBQ, enjoyed a good balance of smoke and seasoning on the brisket, tender and flavorful. This is a type and method of BBQ that is unique to this region, and it gets some unfair poor reviews that I would simply attribute to a misunderstanding of the style. I liked this BBQ, and would rate higher if the ribs had a little more time in the pit.

We ate here a couple days ago.
This place is awful. Avoid at all costs. Huge disappointment. They only had one type of sauce. The sides looked and rated like they had been purchased at a gas station. Texas has way better BBQ options then this.
I wish I could give it a zero star rating.

There’s nothing like Texas for barbecue. Really, really, really great barbecue. I’m a low-​carb-​kinda guy, and Leon’s was perfect. Leon knows barbecue! First of all — they don’t drench their meat in sauce. If you want sauce, there is some available on the side… but nothing on the meat. The *only* reason you’d put sauce on smoked meat is that it’s either re-​heated or it doesn’t have enough flavor to stand on its own.
Try the «Leon’s Cut» of brisket. This is what is considered the «moist» or «fatty» cut of brisket. It was, beyond a doubt, the most tender I’ve had in ages. I also had some of the «Link Du Jour» to go with my brisket: also very smokey, tender and no grissle or chunks of cartilage like other sausages at other BBQ places. The sausage and brisket are the highest quality, and even higher in flavor.
I don’t like re-​heated or left-​over meat… but I took an extra pound of brisket with me for take-​out so that I’d have lunch on the flight the next day… and it was just as good re-​heated as it was the day I got it. Still moist, tender and as smokey as ever.
I don’t know when or if I’ll ever make it back to Galveston… but I will go straight to Leon’s if I’m in town or even in Houston. It’s worth the trip!
This is some OUTSTANDING barbecue!

Not the best bbq I’ve had, but certainly not bad. Everything had really good flavor (though I wasn’t a fan of the potato salad, it was a little too soupy/​creamy) and everyone inside was super friendly, despite us being the only customers while they were watching a movie (slow day).
The brisket was a little drier than I like it, but not dried out. The sausage was good, and the bbq chicken was actually some of the best I’ve had. It was very moist and my favorite thing we ordered. We will be back!

You will pass this place in the blink of an eye. That would indeed be unfortunate. Because Leon’s Bar-​B-​Que is deliciously amazing. It’s a Local treasure. Don’t pass it up. It’s tastes like Grandmas secret recipe ribs and sausage. It’s worth the stop.

Hole in the wall like atmosphere with friendly staff. Got the 2 meat dinner with your choice of meat and sides. I got Leon’s cut, ribs, turnip greens and mash potatoes.
Leon’s cut which is a fatty brisket was amazing. Tender, juicy and flavorful.
The ribs where dry and weren’t very good.
The turnip greens are good but I wasn’t really into the mashed potatoes. They had a relish taste to it.
Overall I recommend this place if you’re looking for smoked BBQ.
MUST TRY LEON’S CUT

Got the smoked sausage dinner plate. The sausage was juicy, the perfect texture and some bbq sauce only enhanced the flavor. I was with a group so I was able to taste the potato salad, coleslaw, mac & cheese, green beans and turnip greens. All delicious. The coleslaw is some of the best around imo. I tried the buttermilk pie and rum cake which were both very satisfying. I’d recommend the buttermilk pie if you’ve never had it. Very sweet with a light, crisp crust and creamy center. All in all, I would definitely go again.

At first we all looked at each other, «Could this really be the right place? Is it even open?» Then we walked inside and were immediately greeted like family, shown a table and asked if we’d like something cool to drink.
It’s a family business, everyone works it. Leon himself makes a point of greeting every customer with a handshake. We were cosseted like someone’s favorite long lost cousin throughout our stay.
But the Food! Words almost fail. We all got the brisket and it was tender and just dry enough to yearn for a dousing of their special sweet and tangy BBQ sauce. Add the pickles and onions to the top of it all and It was amazing. We ordered all the sides to share and taste Clear winners were the cole slaw, mac ‘n cheese, and BBQ beans (tho’ i also want to give a shout out to the turnip greens and green beans). Save room for pie at the end. The buttermilk pie is a slice of heaven, but then so is the sweet potato pie. Get both!
Finally, we took home some of Leon’s homemade smoked sausage and turkey. both were amazing. Our only regret is that we didn’t sample the ribs as well. We’ll just have to go back… tomorrow?

Exceptional meal! The bbq is incredible! So many dishes do not have pork and it was great! The beef sausage was very tasty!!! Loved everything!

Leon’s BBQ was an amazing experience and an amazing ending to an unforgettable day with friends. It was the perfect icing on the cake.
The brisket and sausage were amazing, each having their own authentic flavor that you will never find any where else. The BBQ beans had a surprising, but delicious sweet kick to it, but still had that old fashioned BBQ taste that you crave. The potato salad was almost too good, I finished it in what seemed like seconds. The mac n’ cheese was made to perfection, just some of the best mac n’ cheese I’ve had. Last, but most definitely not least, their buttermilk pie. Their buttermilk pie, is handsdown the BEST buttermilk pie I’ve ever had. I mean the first bite was just heavenly. I was literally in awe in how delicious the pie was and every bite after was just as good.
However, although the food was top of the line, the service and hospitality I experienced was even better. When my friends and I opened the door we were warmly greeted by the owners who quickly sat us down and didn’t leave our side until they knew were comfortable. Quickly after we were able to get our orders taken, and waited no less than 5 minutes to receive our meals. Throughout our dining they checked up on use to make sure everything was alright. One moment I won’t forget however is a waiter who noticed my friend who was wearing a sleeveless tank and knew that we had just gotten back from being in the water looked to be cold so she came over and said «You look like your cold, are you cold?» my friend responded that he was fine like most people do when they want to be polite and not make too much out of something, but the waiter then replied knowing he was just trying to be nice, «So you’re just gonna sit their and eat your food uncomfortably? No, you need to be comfortable when you eat.» Then she quickly asked Leon to turn down the AC because a customer was cold and without any hesitation he did it. Just amazing customer service and would recommend to every one I know. Definitely will go back, 5 stars; just wonderful!

Aptly named Leon, aptly named. Its hard to quantify the world’s finest of anything, but you’re definitely in the elite league of Texas BBQ pit masters in my book. As a self proclaimed BBQ connoisseur and aspiring pit master, I proclaim that all 3 meats I did taste and partake of were of the finest hickory smoke flavor ever to grace my lunch plate. Now for my detailed account:
Brisket — perfect amount of smoke and dry rub flavor on the crispy outside, slightly dry in a good way with occasional strands of moist fat, and tender as ever. Actually tastes like a BBQ joint smells.
Ribs — same as the brisket. On the drier, tender side of perfection.
Sausage — best custom sausage I have had to date. I can taste the love in ever bite of succulent pork, spice and mild heat. I’d buy out the Kroger meat isle if only they sold it there.
I won’t even mention the sides, except that if you can master the meats the way you do, having amazing sides is pretty much a given.
Thank you for graciously signing my copy of «The Prophets of Smoked Meat»!

Positive: The ribs were delicious and soft. Cornbread was great
Negative the brisket was dry and tough — I had ordered the moist and they call it Leons cut brisket. I did not receive this.
Positive: The server did give me a sample of the Leons cut and it was very delicious. So delicious I went back the next day with a group of 8. They all loved the ribs and the brisket.
If I am ever back in Galveston, I will definitely drop by for some BBQ.

I went here today (Friday) and ordered a link dinner.
Drove allll the way back to my job with my mouth watering.
Opened the container and almost cried.
I thought they mistakenly gave me the childrens plate.
I checked my receipt, $ 10.55, nope this is my food.
If you take a gander at my picture I attached, you’ll see the link was smaller than the slice of bread next to it!
Why would they serve this?!
Where’s the rest of my food?!
The potato salad was just ok, and the green beans were less than impressive.
Definately not worth the money.
Also, I hate to walk in places where everyone turns around and watches you enter. Establishment is very small. That has nothing to do with this review though…
I’m just about ready to give up on Bar b q in Galveston