Lenox Bar-B-Q

Lenox Bar-B-Q owners Reece and Erik Mrok
In 1949 Leonard McNeill won a neighborhood café in a dice game and turned it into a legendary barbecue joint; today, owner Erik Mrok continues the tradition in this rapidly gentrifying area of the East End.

You might be confused the first time you visit Lenox Bar-B-Q. When you enter the front door, you’re basically entering the kitchen. You go to the back of the building, past cooks making sides and carvers cutting briskets, place your order, and then wait around for the order to appear. Where’s the dining room? Look no further than literally in front of the building where the newly-built light-rail tracks required Mrok to tear down the front (dining room) of the structure several years ago.

So it’s mostly a take-out joint and only open for lunch on weekdays, feeding neighborhood locals and plenty of construction workers from this booming area of Houston. Don’t expect Wagyu brisket or house-made sausage – this is strictly blue-collar grub with a side of Houston barbecue history. While you’re waiting for your order, try to get a peek into the well-seasoned pit room encasing the massive Oyler smokers – the tight quarters means it’s often compared to the engine room of a submarine.

PHOTO GALLERY

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LOCATION DETAILS

Building: This is the original Lenox building since at least the 1950s, minus the dining room which used to be in front. The light rail line in front forced Lenox to tear down the dining room so that you now enter what was originally (and still is) the kitchen and pit area.
Parking: Quite a few parking spaces on site. Rarely full. More in the back. Street parking on nearby Altic St.
Ordering: **Takeout only** When the dinidn room was bulldozed in the 90s, Lenox mostly became a takeout joint. You actually enter through the kitchen head back to the office area, place your order with staff, than watch it cut and assembled right before you as you stand in the kitchen area.
Catering: Pickup, delivery and full service available. Lenox has specialized in full service barbecue catering for over 70 years. Minimum 100 person for a full-service order.
Pit(s): Quite possibly some of the oldest Oyler rotisserie pits continuously running. A total of 3 pits all installed in the 1970s.

VIDEO TOUR

VITAL INFO

Owner(s): Erik, Nonie, & Reece Mrok
Pitmaster(s): Erik Mrok, Sostenace Rubio, Tereso Rubio
Established: 1946
Address: 5420 Harrisburg Blvd, Houston, TX 77011
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30AM-2PM, Sat 9:30AM-12PM
Phone: (713) 926-2649
Known for: Throwback, old-school ETX-style barbecue with some CTX influence, cooked in 50 year-old rotisserie pits and served to-go.
Pro-tip: One of the last joints in Houston to do "custom cooking," that is, you can bring your raw meat that they will cook for you based on a per-pound price.
Brisket price/lb: $16.50
Price Date: 2021-05-17

FEATURES

Neighborhood(s): East, East End
Building Type: Stand-Alone
Primary Wood(s): Oak
Primary Pit Type(s): Rotisserie
Meals Served: Lunch

MEDIA COVERAGE

Lenox Bar-B-Q changes with the times
Houston Chronicle
Leonard McNeill and the legacy of Lenox Bar-B-Q
Houston Chronicle
Interview: Erik Mrok of Lenox Bar-B-Q
Texas Monthly
East End cafe became BBQ spot after owner won it in dice game
ABC 13
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