Harlem Road Texas BBQ

"I've had this place marked as a BBQ place to try due to all the great reviews and our son gave them a try and bombarded us with pics. I needed his help today and we decided to treat him for lunch, he got to pick where. He suggested Harlem which is what i was thinking....sure glad great minds think alike. We thoroughly enjoyed the sliced brisket, tender and full of flavor, the pork ribs were amazing and almost falling off the bone, We loved both sausages, their regular and the chipotle. The housemade BBQ sauce was tasty but not really needed and the pickled onions and pickles paired well with everything we made disappear. If my wife didn't keep feeding our grandbaby brisket in a timely manner....she'd holler, yup, that good. This is now in my top five 'Q list. The outside of this place doesn't look like much but with 'Q this good it don't matter. We'll be back for more meaty goodies! The even sell their own coffee beans, got me a bag of whole beans and a nice t shirt."

"Worst Barbecue I’ve ever had. We ordered to go. The pork ribs were very small and dry and the chopped brisket was dry and chewy. We had to throw everything away except for the sausage which was decent. I placed a spoon inside the box with the ribs to show how small they were."

"Struck gold finding this gem in the middle of nowhere. Absolute gold. Or diamond I guess? :) (Click to keep reading) Food The brisket was perfect, smokey and the perfect ratio of of moist fat to thick meat. The chipotle sausage paired so well with the homemade BBQ sauce made with their own Armenian coffee (that they sell). The meat Mac-n-cheese was great. And oh my lord the coleslaw. The complete opposite of store-bought mayo-drenched poor droopy cabbage. The vegetables sprung alive in the vinegar and local honey (which they sell from Hive Bee Farm) dressing, capped off by the interesting addition of sunflower sprouts, which transported me instantly to a whimsical botanical garden. The homemade bread pudding capped off my feast nicely. Prices are reasonable - not cheap, but definitely reasonable. Service Personable, fun, and super nice. And the food came out quick on top of that. One of the servers was the chef-owner’s nephew, Caden, and he couldn’t have been more fun, both in recommendations and conversation. Atmosphere It’s so fun inside. Like you stepped back into an old wooden shack from an old Western movie. But spacious and tastefully decorated. Even the little garden outside with the “outhouses” starts the vibe. They had up a thanksgiving “what are you thankful for” board. And a cute Christmas tree. And decorated guitars and a cool Stubborn Sodas fountain. Even though it was mostly empty at 3pm on a Wednesday, it was still so fun. But why is it in the middle of nowhere? It’s off the side of a medium-sized highway between strip malls of chain junk restaurants, Amazon’s huge warehouse, storage lockers and a neighborhood. No sidewalks. The chef’s nephew filled me in. It started as a trailer food truck, and then the chef’s friend Joe owned the huge plot of land with the storage lockers. He asked Joe for a little corner of it to begin his shack 6 years ago, and then he built the shack around the trailer. In fact, the kitchen is still all in the same trailer, but it melds so perfectly with the shack that I didn’t even realize until he pointed it out. The chef, Ara Malekian, is apparently pretty well-known in news articles and the like. He has his own cookbook (also for sale), and he was on the BBQ Brawl TV show."

"This little bbq shack in Richmond delivers the flavor. It's one of the best bbq joints in the area for sure. Come early to get beef ribs before they sell out as they often do. Food: We tried all the proteins. The chicken was good but a little dry. Both sausages were pretty tasty. The moist brisket was moist without falling apart and had a good bark. The pork rib was delicious and cooked competition style. For those who dont know what that means: meat hangs onto bone and does not fall off, i prefer a little looser. The pulled pork was a surprise hit and was not as sweet as others, which was perfect for us. The star was the beef rib. Perhaps one of the best beef ribs I've ever had. It's no wonder they were sold out before noon. I fortunately got the last one. Condiments were even good, and the housemade pickles were fresh and delicious. Service: fast and friendly. Couldn't ask for more. Atmosphere: Laid back country vibe with lots of metal and wood rustic charm. Very clean and tidy."

"The locals of Richmond, TX, had told me about this little gem right off Harlem Rd. It was worth it so I could get my brisket fix when I'm at work. They were out of the beef ribs, which I wanted to try. They had plenty of brisket. I get the moist cut. Well, at least I asked for it, but I got a mixed cut of both. Personally, I don't care for the lean cut, but that's me. The bark was amazing, and the flavor was great. The lean was a little dry. The bark was a bit salty, but that's perfect for me. I tried their Mac and Cheese, which was good. What I love most about this little restaurant is the old country backyard BBQ feeling I got once I arrived. I stopped by during my lunch, so I did not get to enjoy that full experience. I did get the chance to meet the owner and pit master of the joint. He offered me a free drink as I waited for my order to be completed and served. He was extremely helpful and provided great hospitality. Overall experience is a 5. I'd definitely be back to try more of the items on the menu."