Killen’s Barbecue – Pearland

Killen's Barbecue - Pearland outside
One of the Houston area's most accomplished pitmasters, Ronnie Killen expanded beyond his steakhouse empire to open this classic Central Texas-style barbecue joint in his hometown of Pearland.

Killen’s long resume starts many years ago with a barbecue joint in Pearland (Killen’s Kountry BBQ) and eventually leads to a formal culinary education and the establishment of a Houston-area institution – Killen’s Steakhouse, originally located in an unassuming building on a stretch of road near Pearland proper.

Killen went back to his roots eventually, hosting pop-up barbecue events at the steakhouse before purchasing an old, disused Pearland I.S.D. cafeteria and transforming it into a destination joint for barbecue fans in the Houston area and beyond. The original Killen’s Barbecue – Pearland location has a diverse collection of pits in the back including 1000 gallon Moberg offset barrel pits and a couple of Oyler rotisseries.

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Owner(s): Ronnie Killen
Pitmaster(s): Manny Torres
Established: 2012
Address: 3613 E Broadway St, Pearland, TX 77581
Hours: Tue-Thu 11AM-6PM or sold out, Fri-Sat 11AM-8PM or sold out, Closed Mon.
Phone: (281) 485-2272
Known for: House-made all-beef sausage, the highest grade of beef for brisket, and croissant bread pudding.
Pro-tip: For to-go orders, order online and go straight to the check out counter - no need to wait in line.
Brisket price/lb: $23.00
Price Date: 2021-04-05
Building: Remodeled Pearland ISD cafeteria with a big dining room, open pit sheds out back, and a big adjacent covered patio.
Parking: Small paved parking lot adjacent to the front entrance, plenty of street parking and an auxiliary paved parking lot in the back.
Ordering: For lunch and dinner on weekdays, go to the order counter, grab a tray and place meat order, then sides and desserts. Take tray to checkout, pay and find a table. On Friday and Saturday starting at 5pm, tables service and reservations are available.
Catering: Full catering available.
Pit(s): Two Oyler 1300 rotisseries and two 1000 gallon Moberg steel barrel offsets.
Style(s):Central Texas
Neighborhood(s):South, Southeast, Pearland
Building Type:Stand-Alone
Accolade(s):2022 Houston Chronicle Top 100, 2019 Alison Cook Top 100, 2022 HOUBBQ Festival, 2019 HOUBBQ Festival, 2021 Texas Monthly Top 50, 2017 Texas Monthly Top 50
Catering:Pickup, Delivery, Full Service
Primary Wood(s):Oak
Primary Pit Type(s):Offset Steel, Rotisserie
Meals Served:Lunch, Dinner
Drinks:Beer, Wine
Features:Outdoor Patio, Good for Groups, Sausage In-house, Online Ordering, Counter Cut
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