Best bbq in Houston. Sausage link must try. Not greasy. Clean and staff is friendly. read more

If you're in the market for a rack of ribs choose wisely. Carls sells their racks by the pound so a rack of ribs will set you back $60. I called another local bbq place and there's are under $30 while another runs a $25 special. I was genuinely shocked at the price, but happy to find out that other local restaurants do not charge nearly as much. read more

Carl's Bar-B-Q - 1 rack of ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Cypress, Texas

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We've been meaning to check out this place and it's really popular. I ordered thru DoorDash and was bummed some items like the onion rings weren't available on the app. I ordered pickup so I thought I would try to wait in line to order the onion rings but after 30 minutes I decided not to wait anymore. I got my to go order and enjoyed my meal at home. I will say it's not a bad option to order from here but you do have to worry about the wait. The ambiance is cute with deer decor and welcoming environment. I will say I love the flavor of the pulled pork and bbq sauce. The brisket was greasier than I thought it would be but it was appetizing. I will say ordering thru DoorDash helped get me my food faster but just know not all items are on the app. I do like that it's a popular place. read more

Carl's Bar-B-Q - Two Meat Plate Brisket and Pulled Pork - Barbeque Near Me - Cypress, Texas

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Walked in to order. Greeted at counter, and they asked if I wanted one of their specials. I went with a 3 meat combo. Moist Brisket, Jalapeño Sausage and Pork Ribs. Mac n Cheese and Pinto Beans for my sides. Grabbed sliced pickles and sliced bread. My fountain drink was Dr Pepper with free refills. Staff was joking and laughing the whole time. Another customer made some jokes at our table which made our group feel welcomed. I need to add this to my go to places. read more

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Carl's BBQ is an excellent choice. Walking up to joint I wasn't sure what to expect. But once inside you're suddenly at ease as the decor and aroma let you know you're in the right place for good food. The fine folks behind the counter will guide you to making the perfect selections. I opted for brisket and ribs for my two meat platter with a side of beans and potato salad. Everything was finger licking good! You can tastes the mastery of the pit bosses in every bite. Looking forward to my return visit here. read more

Carl's Bar-B-Q - 2 Meat Plate: ribs and brisket with a side of beans and Potato Salad and bread - Barbeque Near Me - Cypress, Texas

Sadly, Carl's BBQ, a long time restaurant in Cypress, TX, has lost its appeal. I ordered a BBQ sandwich, chips and medium drink. The cost totaled $20.99. That seemed a bit much, but was sorely disappointed with the quality. What used to be a flavorful beef brisket was now a dry, flavorless sandwich. Even the sauce had changed for the worse. After being a patron for 45+ years. I have decided today was my last visit to Carl's. Poor quality and exorbitant prices have intersected to a point of no return. Here's hoping management understands the issue and works back to good good and a reasonable price. Cheers!​ read more

This place was great! Everyone was super friendly upon coming in. I got the brisket with mashed potatoes and mac & cheese. The brisket was amazing, the mac & cheese was super creamy, I was really impressed. The dining area has a welcoming feel to it and the decor is super cute. Highly recommend ! read more

We are visiting from out of state and decided to try this place. It was quite good! Especially the brisket and mac and cheese. We stopped in during the week and service was quick. We didn't expect the cafeteria type service but it worked out. Place is very open with plenty of seating around. read more

Carl's Bar-B-Q - Brisket, green beans, mac and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Cypress, Texas

Carl's is a long time favorite. The turkey and the ribs are my favorites along with potato salad and beans. It's hard, but I try to save room for their banana pudding. Carl's is cafeteria style where you walk in grab a tray and start making your way around. read more

The food here was okay. People loved the ribs but thought everything was dry and mediocre. The food is kind of expensive, too. Overall, I do not recommend this BBQ restaurant. read more

I come here monthly...it is close to my work. The Brisket is meh...hit or miss. The turkey...I love their turkey...let me say it again,,,,I love the smoked turkey. I was sad when the guy put sauce all over my meat....he asked if I wanted gravy, on my mash sure...not on my turkey. :(..... I give this place 3/4 it is not great but that turkey! read more

Carl's Bar-B-Q - turkey - Barbeque Near Me - Cypress, Texas

Food is great and hasn't changed much that I'm aware of. I have been coming here since 1996. I wish BBQ wasn't so expensive as a whole but definitely worth it if you have the money. read more

Most restaurants are gouging customers today with pricing that is not in line with inflation or the cost of the ingredients. This is a great example. $27 lunch. $4 for each side. $3 drink. I'd bet the macaroni cost him .30 and the drink also .30 Bread was stale. Pork was on the dry side. Not a do again at all. Family of 4 here get ready for $110 lunch. read more

Carl's Bar-B-Q - Lunch with cobbler dessert - Barbeque Near Me - Cypress, Texas

I was just there recently and after the lunch rush. You can tell you are about to step in a good BBQ place before you walk in. The smoke in the air was the first clue this was going to be good. The food was fresh, bbq looked and tasted excellent and the preparation area was very clean. All the employees were super friendly and the banana pudding was delicious too. I came for the BBQ and was not disappointed. I plan on returning soon. read more

I can't remember when the last time I had eaten here. 20 years ago? Anyway- my wife and I ran in for lunch. Great set up and definitely reminds you of old country bbq joint. Staff was polite and friendly. Service fast and everyone seemed to be enjoying a ether rainy Monday. I got brisket and turkey with potato salad, green beans and banana pudding. My wife got pork ribs, brisket, the same sides and a piece of chocolate pie. I have to say I was disappointed. Brisket was ok and the turkey wasn't near the flavor and tenderness that you get at Rudy's. Green beans were plain and potato salad was the store bought mustard kind. Banana pudding tasted imitation without any bananas. I took 2 bites and was done. My wife liked the pork ribs and got a bite--they are good. We were glad to give it a shot after all of these years but we felt there are better places around our area. read more

They cooked 5 briskets for my retirement dinner. Great place and the service was excellent.

Not Good! If anyone that knows Texas BBQ the photo speaks for itself. For everyone else,... some details: They did not even ask what end of the brisket. Which had "Zero" bark on it. The "pre-sauced?" ribs needed to stay in the oven for 30 more minutes. And yes "Oven" because none of this meat tasted like it was smoked. Last, it's not easy to offer a Top Level sausage, but you could go to Krogers and randomly pick a better sausage. As for the other things,... that make a good: visit service, ambience, cleanliness, etc. no complaints average. Just really bad bbq. read more

Carl's Bar-B-Q - Carls 3 Meat Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Cypress, Texas

I got a bacon cheeseburger and it was just ok, people were telling me it was sooo good. Meat was dry the best part was the pickles

Carl's had the best ever onion rings. I use to live close but now live 4 hours away. Recently brought a friend to eat here after about two years since my last visit. My bbq was good but the onion rings were over cooked. Three weeks later I stopped back. Again the rings were almost burned. Thus time they put so much sauce on the Sandwich almost impossible to eat with out a mess, I asked for pickles and onions they didn't put them on the sandwich when I went to ask for them I got Two onion pieces and a few pickles. Something has changed Carl's is just ordinary now read more

I have been going to Carl's BBQ since they opened 30 or so years ago. I knew the first owner & I'm so happy this place has kept going as long as it has. The chicken fried chicken is my go-to fave along with their amazing twice baked potato casserole & delicious banana pudding. Last night, walked up the steps to the front door & were immediately hit in the face with the foulest stench imaginable. We quickly went inside hoping the food was worth the passage through that disgusting smell. However, the experience we had was definitely NOT. Ordering was... problematic. We didn't order anything complicated; 2 chicken fried chicken plates, one with mashed potatoes & green beans, the other with potato casserole & green beans. The man behind the counter, while it seemed he had our order correct, felt the need to KEEP REPEATING it in such a way that made it seem like he in fact DID NOT have our order right. Then, as we moved down the line, the second man asked if we want gravy. He was serving up the sides, so I thought he meant on the mashed potatoes, so I felt like they thought we were BOTH getting mashed potatoes because the first man repeated "mashed potatoes" at least THREE TIMES. How can you not just get that right the first time? I have no clue. Still not sure what was happening there, but when they brought our food over, the order was correct, but he called mine "half baked potatoes"! WHAT? It was just such an off-putting experience, I'm not going to go back again. The atmosphere has changed dramatically, although the place is still clean & kept nice, it's just not the same. And that STENCH!? We went out the back door & down the handicap ramp, then walked all the way around through the parking lot to avoid having to smell that again! They seriously need to get that resolved! Yikes! read more

Came to have lunch with work group! Great for groups and lots of indoor seating if you are trying to be COVID conscious! Food is fresh and tried the 2 meats plates with double side of green beans, lean brisket, and Turkey! Will come back! read more

Carl's Bar-B-Q - 2 Two Meats - Barbeque Near Me - Cypress, Texas

Not as good as I had hoped :( we got a loaded baked potato and a 2-meat plate. The brisket was quite dry and surprisingly the chicken tasted better. Mac n cheese was okay but nothing special. I'm biased because I judge bbq places heavily based on their brisket and while the baked potato was good, dry brisket is really a dealbreaker. I still gave them 3 stars because I realize it could've just been an off day. The service was good and everyone was very friendly. read more

Carl's Bar-B-Q - Fancy Stuff Potato - Barbeque Near Me - Cypress, Texas

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I was disappointed in the overall order. I have not been there in a few, but what a disappointment for delivery. Food was dry, along with mashed potatoes and not enough gravy to help with that. The banana pudding literally has 2 slices of banana in it. Sadly, I will not be ordering delivery from them again. My family and I used to live this place. Get it together Carl. read more

Really nice people that own the place. I am giving them a 2 because their sides are really good. I got two meat plate with two sides and a drink and I was around $15. Extremely overpriced for very Mediocre bbq! First off when I saw the brisket I knew I was in trouble. It had that cooked in the oven look to it. It didn't look anything like slab bbq out of Austin or Rudys here in Houston. You know that look that you can tell the brisket was cooked for hours in a pit. This brisket looked like it was cooked in the oven. I asked for moist/fatty brisket and either they gave me the lean brisket or good god I would hate to try their lean brisket lol. Sausage was okay at best. The bottled big Red was amazing. Lol. Now let me tell you what. The bbq sauce is really bad. Tastes like they added a bunch of hunts tomato ketchup. Not a fan at all of the bbq or the sauce. Maybe Ill try the ribs next time. The sides however were amazing. Loaded mashed potatoes were full of flavor and the Mac and cheese was amazing. read more

One of my favorite places to grab a BBQ brisket or sliced turkey sandwich. I used to come here all the time when I was a teenager, and since I am rarely on that side of town, I don't come as often. They have one of the best BBQ sauces that I drool for! Love dunking my sandwich in the BBQ sauce. Their meets are always moist and tender! Fried okra is a must, and I love how they bread them! read more

I had never been to Carl's. It doesn't look like you'd expect. Driving up to the building, it really doesn't feel like your going into a restaurant. We picked up an order and took it home. My gosh was everything GREAT! Their macaroni is delicious! The fried okra is amazing! Their baked potatoes are ENORMOUS! Overall great experience and I cannot wait to be back! read more

This is a good option for brisket! You can't go wrong. They also have some good sides that my kids enjoy, like macaroni and corn. The cornbread is good. It isn't a big place but buying to go is always an option. read more

Ok my heart melts! Been coming here for YEARS, and decided to come today because I remembered the goodness of this place! Well today changed all that! Got a loaded baked potato and was NOT impressed! The meat was nasty, the sauce was wayyy to sweet and for two loaded baked potatoes with two teas was $35.00! Way over priced, no bread like used to have and food is not that good! Hard to mess up a baked potato, but they managed! Time to move on. Really not worth it anymore! :/ sad read more

On Apple Maps it says 10pm, here it's 830pm. Menu prices are wrong wrong wrong. If I knew this place closed 5 minutes ago I would have passed. It's good, but not hurry up good. read more

Carl's BBQ has been around since 1951. And my family has been loyal customers since the 80s. They've been a longtime family favorite and an institution in the Cypress area. But recently, quality of food and service has certainly gone down. My bro-in-law told me they now have new owners, but I can't confirm that. But what I can say is that my recent visit was rather annoying. I stopped in to pickup some takeout for the fam. Three loaded bakers, a No. 1 (family dinner 4 pack) and a sliced brisket sandwich for pops. The food was ready in minutes, and the fellas in the kitchen are friendly. The woman behind the register was not. I assumed the food came with onions, pickles and jalapeños and had to run back inside to grab some. 1. Not sure why she didn't offer it in the first place. And 2. She gave me one tiny container upon request. After I just spent $70 on food, I don't see how that tiny container would have been enough for 8 people. A gentleman behind me also wanted extra sides and she snapped back: "Didn't I already give you one?" My rec is dine in that way you have unlimited amount of BBQ toppings ... or take the 1 minute drive down the street to Goode Company or Rudy's for your barbecue needs. I always want to support smaller local businesses but Carl's needs to work on their customer service. ...And their BBQ. All the brisket and bakers were DRY. read more

When I say I want BBQ THIS is what I mean!! This was my first time eating here and I was pleasantly surprised. It might not look like much from the outside but inside it is very spacious, clean, the service is great! I had a loaded baked potato, my boyfriend got 2 meats and sides. I can't wait to come back to try more items from the menu. read more

Carl's Bar-B-Q - Texas Chow Down, Two Meats, Corn On The Cob, Mac & Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Cypress, Texas

My only concern was that the order line was NOT DISTANCED. Too many people in line , next to each other. They had No curbside. My indoor Pick Up Service took about 10 minutes. The food was abundant and the brisket and chicken were quite tasty. The service was friendly. I will definitely be back. read more

My son and I are on a baseball tournament trip in Houston and I knew he had to try some Texas BBQ. So, we went on a hunt for a good hometown BBQ joint close to our hotel. We found Carl's and from the outside wasn't sure but thought let's do it! And... oh man I'm so glad we did! These people know how to make some good food. The meat was juicy and the sauce had the perfect kick! The Mac and cheese was so cheesy which I never order but holy cow it's good and the coleslaw is good... I wish it had a little more vinegar but that's ok perhaps that just how Texas does it. My son had a chicken fried chicken sandwich with gravy... you have to order this if you go it's so good! Dip your fries in the gravy too, YUM! I would recommend if you're in Houston you stop by Carl's, don't let the building scare you this place is legit! read more

Carl's Bar-B-Q - Three Meats Combo (chicken, ribs, and brisket) with Mac & Cheese and Coleslaw for the sides. - Barbeque Near Me - Cypress, Texas

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It's been awhile since my last visit to Carl's. Evidently they'd raised their prices in that time. I ordered one meat, which comes with two sides (see photo). The cost: $ 13.58, which is excessive for what you get. My sliced brisket was good although on the dry side. The rice was nicely seasoned. Carl's has been at this location since 1951 and is family owned. Come to your own conclusions. Side note: their food is served on plastic plates yet they give you metal utensils. Maybe the cost of washing the silverware is the reason for their increased prices. read more

Carl's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Cypress, Texas

Stopped here while visiting a friend. I am not from the Houston area but when we searched BBQ this place popped up. I got the brisket tacos which was awesome! It was a special for that day written on a chalkboard but I strongly recommend it! I got beans and Mac n cheese for my sides which were both delicious. The others I was with got the burger and they were raving about it. Claiming is was the best burger they have had in a long time. They also got ribs and brisket. Everyone said the ribs were great. They looked like spare ribs, not baby backs or St. Louis. Those who got the brisket did not seemed thrilled. They said they like a little more fat on their brisket. I would totally recommend this place to anyone. If I ever end up back in the area I will stop again. read more

Carl's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Cypress, Texas

Trash trash trash trash trash. My fiance has been wanting to try this spot since we moved to the area 4 years ago so we went on and gave it a try since my normal spot is closed on Sundays. Big mistake. Ordered 2 chopped beef sandwiches, mac n cheese, baked potato casserole and fries. The highlight of the meal was the mac n cheese. The chopped beef had no bark and absolutely no flavor. None. And the bun was not toasted but yet hard. Took 3 bites of the sandwich and couldn't stomach anymore. read more

We tried Carl's BBQ for takeout. The baked potato was Texas-sized and the brisket was very tender and perfectly seasoned and smoked. The banana pudding was dreamy. It's something between pudding and custard and is some of the best banana pudding that I've ever had. read more

Last Saturday we picked up food for about 30 people. It was a big hit at our party. I ordered a day in advance. Food was ready at the scheduled time. The meats came in aluminum pans, which made it easy to keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. Note, I asked how it would be packed when I ordered and was told that it would come Styrofoam containers so I bought aluminum pans that I ended up not needing. There were plenty of onions, pickles and jalapenos but they charged me for bread, which is normally included with a meal even if it is to go. I have eaten at Carl's a number of times over the last 15 or so years and the food has always been consistently good! read more

One of my co-workers swore up and down that this was the best BBQ place that he's ever been. Better than Virgie's. Better than Rudy's. Better than anything else. Well, I took his word with a grain of salt because obviously he's never been to Killen's (neither have I,) Gatlin's, Salt Lick (Austin,) or Franklin's (Austin.) So, he didn't really have much to compare. I gave this place a shot. More than once just because it's relatively close to work. Their prices are not too shabby. $9.95 for a one meat platter, $10.95 for a two meats platter or $12.50 for a three meats platter. Each platter comes with two sides of your choice. I've tried the ribs. I've tried the turkey. I've tried the sausage. I've tried the turkey. And I have to admit that the ribs are pretty good. It's probably the best meat they have here at Carl's. The brisket is a tad too dry for me. The turkey is also a tad dry. And who could mess up sausage, right? I actually love the BBQ sauce. Now if they could tenderize the briskets a bit more and moisten the turkey a tad, it'd be pretty awesome. Especially at this price point. The potato salad is pretty good. But I love, love, love the Macaroni and cheese. For whatever reason, it just tastes so good to me. You should definitely try it as one of your sides. I love the fact that Carl's is very generous with their BBQ sauce. Unlike Virgie's or Gatlin's where they give you a container of BBQ sauce, you have the option to have them smother your meats with BBQ sauce, or have them on the side. In addition, you can help yourself to more BBQ sauce from the bread/corn bread station. Yup, they have a bread/corn bread station where you can help yourself to all the bread and corn bread you can eat. But note that the corn breads are $0.25 each if you take them TO GO. The banana pudding is not too shabby either. But I've had better. I'd definitely come back here whenever I have a craving for some BBQ. My experience is really a 3.5 stars but I can't see myself rounding up in this instance. So unfortunately, I had to round down. read more

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Not fancy. Not huge. But it's because they put all their love and attention to their food. I do love their food. The Mac n cheese slaps!! Their cole slaw is great! Their bbq sauce is sooo good. Everything I've tried, I've really enjoyed. Their ribs are moist and tasty. I drove by it for about 2-years until we decided to try it since it's close to home. We were NOT disappointed. read more