Virgie’s Bar-B-Que

Great little bbq shop everything I’ve tasted so far has been delicious I usually stop here from time too time before work. Love the staff always so nice and friendly

Excellent food, and service, the owner goes out of his way to make you feel welcome and appreciated. Cozy, clean atmosphere. I loved it!

Ok! This is neither kileens, nor gatlins. This is a yuppie free zone here. The owner used to be an OTR trucker. He learned from Kansas City, Memphis, St. Louis and came back and took over his grandmas convenience store and converted it into what it is today. You snooze you lose. You go late and they will definitely run out of meat. Be there early or by lunch time. This is not TX BBQ which is slathered in sauce. Sauce comes on the side but the meat is divine. Flavored, dry spiced, rubbed and tender. It’s the best BBQ joint in Houston. Try and be the judge yourself. I wish he would franchise and I would buy one :)

It’s alright. Outside their chopped beef sandwich with links, it’s nothing special. Better BBQ elsewhere.

YUM! I can never seem to catch this place when it’s open, but so glad we popped in on a Saturday afternoon.
The guy who runs this restaurant is incredibly nice. We took a really long time to decide on what to order (it all sounded good) but he was really patient with us. Eventually we went with the brisket sandwich and the smoked chicken sandwich. We also talked him in to letting us try a rib and a small sample piece of the smoked sausage and he obliged. Didn’t get any sides, just wanted to try the BBQ this time.
My favorite was the brisket: it was lean but so tender, and you could see and taste the smoke. Hubby’s was the rib: fall off the bone, juicy, tender and a huge smoke ring! I also liked the sausage: smokey, not too much salt, tons of flavor. My least favorite was the smoked chicken, not because it was bad, but because everything else was such a star. The chicken was juicy and tender, but unless you had told me so I wouldn’t have known it was smoked honestly.
The sandwiches come on a plain, soft 5oz bun which I thought would be boring but in the end it lets the meat stand out more so probably the best choice. He also puts a bit of BBQ sauce, some thinly sliced onion, as well as pickle unless you don’t want that stuff. Very good and satisfying sandwich.
He does catering so now I’m looking for an excuse to have a party lol. He also mentioned that they will probably start doing daily specials soon for their lunch crowd so be on the look out for that.
Would definitely recommend this restaurant, not only is the food excellent, but the owner really appreciates his customers!

Not sure whats up with this company but I have tried several times to contact them regarding questions about their menu and to set up a pick up order and no one ever answers. How do you stay in business if you can’t pick up the dang phone?! #annoyed

Would have got five stars but when I asked for some burnt ends with my brisket. The cashier obviously had no idea what I was talking about :-(I love my BBQ and I know where the flavor is at. Prices were in range with other BBQ joints.

Meat was fall-​off-​the-​bone tender. Staff was friendly. Table service was much more than you would expect. All-​around great experience. I will be back.

First time to try this place. Very good, sauce is a little sweet, brisket was a tad on the dry side, now the ribs are really good along with the sausage. Service was great, very clean. Will be back

I didn’t think this place was all that, deco was off putting, very cheap looking, normally I wouldn’t care if the food is mind blowing but that was also a miss. I think folks get caught up in the owners charm and overlook the food. One HUGE no excuse for me was that there was no Unsweet ice tea, I mean WTH! Overlooking that the ribs were ok and other meats. Ray’s and Rudy’s blow the door off this place and I gave them 4 stars.

The brisket is amazing… best I’ve ever had. I always order it sliced from the «fatty side»…mouth watering!

Went out of my way to get here and it was totally worth the detour. Being on the «Top 50» meant my expectations were high going in and they were met in almost every area.
The counter service was excellent and prompt. I ordered sliced brisket, ribs and sausage for carry out. It was 5pm, so I felt lucky they were even open and when the gentleman took my order only to come back to tell me they only had chopped brisket left, and no sliced. I took it in stride given the time of day. He offered me a free drink to compensate and the sweet tea I sipped while waiting for my order was perfectly (and not overly) sweet.
The ribs were the star of the plate. They were absolutely perfect! They had a nice thin bark that was dark but not burnt. They were long ribs and were tender with just the right amount of pull from the tips all the way down to the bone end. A nice smoke ring was present and the flavor had the right balance of smoke, sweet and spice. I’ve had great BBQ ribs across the country and these are up with the very best.
The brisket was chopped, but still very delicious and the spice was perfect. I would opt for sliced if there’s a choice, because it can only be better than what I thought was some very «above average» brisket. The sausage was solid too. Great flavor and perfectly cooked, juicy with a good snap on the case. Even though I was wishing it had a little more spice, I dipped it in the sweet and spicy BBQ sauce as I finished every bite.
The sides I had were not remarkable — beans and slaw — and I would skip them next time and just order the meat with white bread and pickles. This was the only weak spot in an otherwise stellar meal.
I was very impressed with the restaurant and staff. Impeccably clean dining area and the friendliest counter staff ever! Great job by this owner and I hope to return someday soon!

Went here for lunch. They have baby back ribs on the menu but don’t have any. I won’t come back.
Crazy…as I was sitting there someone ordered ribs. I told the grntleman at the counter that I was told there were no ribs. Not only did he correct this but didn’t charge me extra. Now that’s what I call excellent customer service!!! I will be coming back and recommend they cater our next office luncheon.

Got the ribs while on a business trip in Houston. The baked beans tasted canned, the potato salad was fairly forgettable. But the pork ribs were muy tender. The ONLY complaint I have and the reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that the outer layer was pretty scorched. Made a hard layer that I basically had to bite the meat off the back and leave the burned bit behind. The rest of the meat was tender. Might be letting the flame get too close to the ribs. I’m not a pit master, so I’m guessing.
It’s a small place, but apparently quite busy. Not being FROM Houston I have to guess that. Prices aren’t out of wack, the flavors are good and the staff was friendly. We got there close to their closing, so they ran out of sausage that one of my co-​workers wanted to order.
Overall…a good visit and I’d return.

First of all, I read everyone’s reviews over and over prior to eating here and again prior to writing this review.
Second of all, I have my love with Virgie’s BBQ from the beginning. I’ve been here every other week and it’s becoming my routine on paydays. I’ve tried everything on the menu. Most of dishes are twice my usual portion, which makes them quite economical.
The meats are uniquely seasoned and fresh. Sliced beef is my favorite. If I feel like sharing, I order 2 meats dinner plate with sausage. Leftover would be my perfect midnight snack. I could make them into a sandwich or add them as toppings on my ramen. Otherwise, my quick grab is a sandwich, which satisfies my craving for meat on the go.
The sides are also unique: Coleslaw had a perfect texture. I added a pinch of salt and hot sauce to season to my liking. Green beans were already seasoned. Just make sure to stir well, the tasty seasoning settled to the bottom. Potato salad was really homemade as I would like it at home. Baked beans, not sure (I normally don’t eat beans with meats.)
Besides the BBQ joints’ basics, I also tried the baked potatoes with chopped chicken. Bravo to the chef! This creative variety is beyond believe. They are served in 2 sizes: smaller portion is with chopped beef, otherwise, normal portion comes with meat toppings on a layer of halved baked potato. (see my photo)
According to my Unilocaler friends, Killen’s and CorkScrew are better than Virgie’s. Uh… I don’t travel outside of my comfort zones and wait in line for hours. I have to say that I’m very lucky to work near Virgie’s to have delicious BBQ anytime.
My special shoutouts to Belly for the Texas’ 50 BBQ website link; and Earl’s encouragement after my initial cultural shock. Watch my in-​app video for a sense of Texas motif in the dining room.

Nice big juicy ribs without the wait. Love coming to this old Houston hidden pearl, great smoky taste.

Day 2 of Houston food trip. First stop, Virgie’s out on the west side of the city.
Driving out here took a bit and when I started winding my way through back streets in a residential/​industrial area I thought for sure google was leading me to the wrong place. However, I abruptly came upon Virgie’s which consisted of a small wooden shack in a grassy lot. Both the exterior and interior really made me feel like I was in a southern bbq joint as the bustling shop was filled with texas flags, animal skulls, bible quotes and nancy grace blaring on the tv. The cashier was very friendly and everyone there certainly looked like they were enjoying their meals.
I ordered a pound of brisket and a small order of pork ribs. This turned out to be a good decision because the brisket was amazing and the ribs were disappointing. I’d give the ribs a ²⁄₅ because they were dry and just not exciting in any way. The brisket though, was wonderful. More than anything you notice the smoky flavor coming out in these thin slices that literally fall apart when you touch them.
Side note, when I got a drink at Virgie’s, I got to the soda fountain and realized they had no diet sodas at all. This seemed fitting given the atmosphere and customers, who were almost all drinking the sweet tea instead.
Overall, they certainly know how to do brisket well in this town. So far both places I’ve gone have had some of the best brisket I’ve ever had, albeit in very different styles. While Rudy’s were thick cuts of ultra moist and fatty beef, Virgie’s was thin and almost delicate with the taste of smoke filling your mouth. Unfortunately, neither of them compare to Corkscrew’s brisket. «I’m a fan,» but this is not as good as it gets.

With Gatlin’s BBQ temporarily closed, we needed a great BBQ joint that wouldn’t disappoint our visitors for the weekend. Even though Virgie’s was a bit far, we decided to brave the drive for the promise of delicious ribs and brisket.
I am happy to say that Virgie’s did not disappoint at all. We ordered a bit of everything to share. The meat is definitely where it’s at. I didn’t think the sides were very impressive hence only 4 stars. If you get sides, the beans were the best. The potato salad and coleslaw were super mayo-​heavy.
The sausage was amazing with just a hint of spicy kick. I wasn’t expecting that at all. Next time I’d get more of that! The brisket was also very good but very fatty. The ribs were very tender and flavorful. I normally am not a huge fan of ribs but I really liked these.
I enjoyed the laid back picnic feel to the place. Everyone we encountered was so friendly and helpful. I’m so glad we made the drive to try it out!

I don’t eat a tremendous amount of BBQ (I know, I know and I’m a native Texan) but I do try to try out as much as I can. So going through my list, Virgie’s time was up next. I Stopped here on a beautiful Saturday at noon for some Q. The staff were extremely nice and every customer seemed to be happy as everyone said hi and made convo with me (it felt like home). Anyways I went for the 2 meat plate because I’m extremely greedy! Brisket and links were my victims along with green beans and potato salad. Now the potato salad was made with perfection I mean I wanted to slap my momma’s momma and ask «why have you denied me!!!» The brisket is good but not the best I’ve had, the sausage was «meh». The sauce was good though and I really don’t use BBQ sauce, but I did sip it like I was part of the S.U.C. Overall, it’s a good option for Texas Q if in the area and service is excellent!

After seeing this place being featured as one of the two best BBQ places in Houston by Texas Monthly for 2013, as a good (nay, GREAT) Unilocalologist, of course I had to go and try this place out, right?
You can read about the top 50 BBQ places in Texas here:
Anyway, first of all, this place has some odd hours. They’re closed on Sundays and Mondays, and they’re only open until 2 PM on Tuesdays, and their hours become more regular from Wednesday — Saturday when they close at 6:30 PM (through Friday) and 5:30 (Saturday). Pretty much, if you’re thinking about trying this place out, check their hours first! Don’t be an idiot like me who drove all the way here on a Monday just to find out that the place wasn’t even open.
Moving on with the review. this place is tiny. The parking lot is tiny. The inside is tiny. I came here around 2;30 pm so it was way past lunch hours but I can imagine people having to wait a little bit during lunch rush.
I got myself the two-​meat platter because I wanted to try the brisket and the sausage. I’d have to say, they did not disappoint. The brisket was moist and super tender. Rich of flavors. The sausage wasn’t as good as the brisket in comparison, but it was still really good. You get to choose two sides with my platter. I opted for potato salad and some cole slaw. The potato salad was also good. The cole slaw, however, was nothing special. My platter also came with two slices of bread.
Now the downside of this bbq joint is, they only gave me one little container cup of BBQ sauce. ONE!!! If you want extra, it’ll cost you $ 0.25 per container. The thing is, I’m the kind of guy who loooooooves to just pour bbq sauce all over my meat. And I also love to dip my bread in the bbq sauce before eating them. That one little container? It wasn’t nearly enough. I had to take away one star just for this. Seriously. I mean, why wouldn’t you just provide your sauce just like most other bbq joints where you can just get unlimited amount of sauce? Or, if you get a two-​meat platter, at least give me two containers, instead of just the one?
Would I be back? Yes, definitely. Would I be happy when I pay that extra $ 1 for four extra containers of bbq sauce? Probably not. I hope when I try Gatlin’s (the other bbq joint in Houston voted into the top 50), this will not be the case.