These are specific, practical requirements that will help you choose a great barbecue joint for your needs.

Easy Parking: Sometimes you just don't want to have to drive around the block to find parking when you are on a quick lunch. This feature just means a barbecue joint has a relatively large, adjacent parking lot where you can always find a spot.

Outdoor Patio: For those cooler days in Houston, these are the places with some type of outdoor seating.

Does Not Sell Out: Many craft barbecue joints can only cook so much barbecue on a daily basis, and run out of barbecue early in the afternoon. Some places cook all day and always have barbecue. This filter allows you to find those places serving barbecue all day.

Veteran Owned/Operated: Either the owner is a military veteran, or the primary manager or pitmaster is. 

Table Service: At most barbecue joints, you approach a counter and place the order directly to the pitmaster or cutter, then take your tray to your table. Some barbecue joints offer traditional waiter service too, which is specified by this filter.

Essential Houston: This references those barbecue joints which embody the history and traditions of Houston barbecue.

Good for groups: Taking your co-workers to lunch or have family in town? These places have larger seating areas that can accommodate.

Sausage In-house: Sausage made on-site can be very creative and very delicious and is worth seeking out.

Open Mondays: Traditionally, many smaller barbecue joints close on Mondays for a day off as well as to maintain the smokers. But if you need a barbecue fix on a Monday, this filter will help.

Whole Hog: This tradition from the Southern U.S. of cooking a whole hog and then turning it into dishes like pulled pork is starting to gain hold in Houston and Texas. The places in this filter have it on the menu regularly.

To-Go Counter: The line to get barbecue can get pretty long at some places and all you want is a plate of barbecue to-go. These places have a separate to-go counter where you can get in-and-out fast.

Private Room: These barbecue joints have a separate dining room you can reserve for business meetings or other gatherings.

All-natural beef: Those places which are committed to procuring sustainably produces, antibiotic-free beef.

Open Late: Generally a barbecue joint where you can get most are all of the menu after 8pm.

Curbside: Those places where you can call in an order or place the order online and then show up and have someone bring the order to your car.

Online Ordering: Being able to place your order ahead of time, on a website, that you can either pick up or eat onsite.

Drive-Thru: A typical drive-thru window setup where you can place and pick up your order without getting out of your car.

Counter Cut: Those joints where you place the order with the meat cutter and they cut your meat at the counter right in front of you as you watch.