We chose BAR A barbecue after carefully looking for what we hoped would be the BEST in the Houston…read morearea. We saw some great options ( Truth, Triple J, Killen's, and Brisket & Rice were all in the running, and we didn't try any of those so can't say on them). This was a thought out choice and I was super excited to try them! Being a family run operation was really awesome to me as well.
First the good to great: the staff was super nice and helpful. The brisket was ah-mazing. Not too Smokey but cooked very tender and delicious! The barbecue sauce was on point. Sauces tend to range from too thin to too thick, too sweet to too spicy but Bar A's hit the bulls eye! Not too thin, not too sweet...I really enjoyed the brisket!
Walking up, the smells were incredible! A nice outdoor spot to eat (it was a very mild day and just beautiful out..but I digress). Also, the Mac and Cheese...oh my!! Some of the best I've ever had!
The downside: We drove an hour and a half especially to eat here...it was our primary reason for heading up to Montgomery! Getting there around 3pm, you would figure is a sweet spot for a restaurant open from like 11-6 on a Friday.
When we went to order as we're trying to figure out the plate we want, you know, 2 meats or 3 meats ...sides, yum, as you're drooling, we were going for the TRINITY Plate. Brisket, rib and sausage...a nice cross section. Nope, we can't do a TRINITY. we only have brisket and turkey left.
I know a lot of people love turkey. I'm not one of them and my heart was set on Beef. So now we're on a 1 meat and two sides track I guess. Ok, can we do brisket on the one meat? "Sure I can do that" was the cheery reply. So we got two plates brisket, and I asked could you make that moist cut brisket (my favorite, while my wife always prefers the lean). "Nope, sorry, we're all out of moist brisket".
Ok, so one plate with cheesy potato casserole (doesn't that just sound amazing?) and Mac & cheese and one plate
With cheesy potato casserole and pinto beans, that way we can get more great tastes and share, right?
Oh, and bread, pickles, onions and jalapeños. (The bread is Martins and is always amazing if you know what I'm talking about...I think it's potato roll bread?).
Got our plates and start to pay...two $20 plates and no drinks, just water. Over $50! Hmmm, well, the one meat tray with brisket has a $4 up charge. Hmmm.
Sat down and got to chowing down! Here's where disappointment sets in. As I said, brisket and sauce was on point. The onions are maybe slightly pickled, not sure, but also very good.
The meat, was 3 slices of brisket...4 would have been a sweet spot but eh, 3.
The sides. Cheesy potato casserole had the texture of rice...I kept thinking it was rice as I ate it. It had some spice to it but very little flavor. Very disappointing. Mac & cheese--ah-mazing! Pinto beans were like a salt-a-holics take on ranch style beans. Not good. Almost not edible. But I was hungry. I put some sauce on the potato casserole and made it taste ok...still couldn't get
Over the rice texture (I'm not saying it had rice, but just had the texture of a rice pilaf ). Two pieces of great bread rounded it out!
So overall, disappointed that there wasn't more to choose (ribs, moist brisket, sausage) and I get it, They make so much and sell out then that's good business for them. To the customer who drove and hour and a half to eat there, not so good business. The sides were 1 for 3 in the good to great category and worst of all, after spending $50+ on lunch for 2, I was still hungry. I wouldn't have expected that for sure.
I couldn't decide between 3 or 4 star but my missing stars shake out like this: 1 went because of availability and then ultimately being up charged for what was left. And 1 went for disappointing 2 out of 3 sides and portion size/value.
Sorry, we didn't take any photos of the food.