The Pit Room

Michael Sambrooks brought craft barbecue to the eclectic Montrose neighborhood in 2016, becoming one of the best joints in the state with a similarly eclectic menu of tacos and other dishes.

It wasn’t easy though. Building a legit barbecue joint in central Houston is made particularly difficult by the city, mostly due to the unusual requirement to have a full hood over the smokers. Indeed, Sambrooks was one of the first to implement this, with two 500 gallon barrel smokers covered by very expensive exhaust systems.

The hard work and investment have paid off big time, with The Pit Room constantly packed with inner-loopers and barbecue tourists alike. With the acquisition of The Patio bar next door, there’s a huge outdoor seating area as well as full bar to complement the outstanding CTX-style barbecue.

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LOCATION DETAILS

Building: Stand-alone building on a busy corner off Richmond in Montrose, small-ish dining room but with an outdoor counter and seating area along the front. Much larger building next door (The Patio) also owned by Sambrooks that offers a huge patio, indoor seating and full bar.

Parking: Small parking lot attached to the original building. Additional small lot at The Patio where you can also park even if you are just getting barbecue. Plenty of street parking around, just keep an eye on"No Parking" signs.

Ordering: Line up for counter-service, large menu above the counter. Place order meat order with cutters, move down the line and place side orders. Bottled drinks in an ice trough. Pay and then head to the condiment and soda stations.

Catering: All types of catering including full-service, onsite catering. 50 person minimum and 2 weeks advance notice for for full service.

Pit(s): Two 500g steel offset barrel pits, with full vent hoods and ansul systems and fireboxes poking through the exterior door to the outside.

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VITAL INFO

Owner(s): Michael Sambrooks

Pitmaster(s): Dino Vazquez

Established: 2016

Address: 1201 Richmond Ave, Houston, TX 77006

Hours: 7 Days, 7-10:30AM (breakfast), 11AM-9PM (lunch/dinner) or sold out

Phone: (281) 888-1929

thepitroombbq.com

facebook.com/ThePitRoom

twitter.com/thepitroombbq

instagram.com/thepitroom

Known for: Three types of sausage made in-house daily. Tortillas made with brisket fat for tacos, esp. the smoked chicken, griddled cheese and charred garlic variety. House-made Texas red chili can be ordered separately or on a Frito pie. Get a side of the crunchy chicharrones (pork rinds).

Pro-tip: If there's no seating in the main building, take your tray and walk a few feet next door to The Patio bar where there is plenty of outdoor and indoor seating and a full bar.

Brisket price/lb: $22.00

Price Date: 2021-04-05