We have noticed this place several times on our travels back and forth between our home NW of Austin and our grandchildren in Houston. I always try to be supportive of small, locally owned businesses everywhere I go. Look at some of my other reviews, it will bear this out. For once, it wasn't a Sunday when we were passing by and we weren't in a hurry, so we thought we'd stop for lunch. It looks like everything you'd expect for a barbecue restaurant. Everything rustic and country. There was a menu painted on the wall with no prices anywhere. They have a nice selection of sides in meats. My wife ordered the 2 Meat Plate with Brisket and Sausage, Potato Salad and Pinto beans. I was thinking about Pork Butt; however, when I saw it , I decided to pass. Strike 1! I ordered the Brisket Plate with Black -Eyed Peas and Coleslaw. When the young woman handed it to me, It had Pintos on it rather than Black-Eyed Peas. When I cited the error she indignantly snapped, "That's what you ordered!" Strike 2! (who argues with civil paying customers?) I said, " I'm not trying to be any trouble. I just want what I ordered." at which point the older woman told her to give me a side of Black-Eyed Peas, which at this point seemed completely academic. We found a table, found our way to the drinks and also to the Barbecue Sauce and various condiments. I really wish I could say that this was the best Barbecue that I ever put in my mouth but unfortunately, I have to say just the opposite. Strike 3! This is singularly the worst barbecue experience that I have ever had anywhere in Texas or elsewhere in the country. The Brisket was gray, dry, and there wasn't a smoke ring in sight. It was no better than the Pork Butt had looked to me, in fact it was probably worse. My wife loves Sausage and she is not as discriminating about it as I am, but she said that was the worst Sausage she ever bought from a Barbecue Restaurant in her life, and she's the lifelong Texan in this couple, not me. I see mixed reviews out there besides my own and I'm wondering if perhaps the problem here is just inconsistency with the food because other than that and the little service blip, this wasn't a horrible meal but it was pretty far from a good one. Sorry Nathan's, I so wanted to like you. read more

If I could give this place less than 1 star I would. We were in Brenham and saw this place which claimed to be old school Texas BBQ. Well, the meat tasted like it came from an old school. The brisket was dry and tasted like it had been sitting around for days. The sausage was literally uneditable even drowned in BBQ sauce. The sides were okay, but it's hard to ruin potato salad and mac and cheese. I actually threw my food in the trash. It was almost $60 for 2 people. Even the diet pepsi was bad. Do not under any circumstances eat here. read more

We came here for late lunch on a Saturday and it was pretty empty. It is attached to a gas station, but has their own entrance (you can also enter through the gas station as they connect on the inside as well) and a BBQ pit that you can look at through a window (it wasn't that exciting). They menu is right when you enter and then you grab a tray. I got some meat by the pound and really enjoyed the burnt ends! The sliced brisket I got on the other hand, was pretty dry. I loved that you get a drink included with your purchase. There was plenty of room to sit inside and you buss your own table at the end. The staff was friendly and there was ample parking in the back for this place and the gas station it is attached to. read more

Before arrival at Nathan's, we made our to-go selections using their website, a pound of brisket ($25.95) and a whole chicken ($17.95). Imagine my surprise when the actual prices were $31.95 and $21.95! When I questioned the woman at the register, she just said,"That website's no good." That's a deceptive and lazy way to run a business. Nathan's, update your website or take it down! read more

We use to love this place. But... tonight the BBQ chicken was dry and had been sitting around for a long time. I took it back and the manager frowned and reluctantly replaced it with a better piece of meat. This place use to be a Brenham favorite. Please get back to the quality before you were bought out. We did like the band. Oh and the restroom was dirty, trash cans overflowing and someone shit on the seat. Gross! read more

Avoid this hillbilly dump place at all costs, employees are not friendly and they will prepare your food with no hairnets and you will receive a tasty hair strain in your food! Still in the midsts of doing credit card chargeback for this! read more

Nathan's BBQ - Employee hair on the meat - Barbeque Near Me - Brenham, Texas

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This place is a gem! 10/10. Brisket, sausage, & pork butt all have a unique and memorable flavor. Traditional bbq sauce. Sides are phenomenal too. I'd come back just for the side! My favorite were the brisket, pork butt, corn bread, and bean options. 2 and 3 Meat plates are served generously! read more

We read an article about this place being good. It was not, not even close. No flavor, no hairnets, and not great service. The only uplifting thing was watching the seniors dance to polka and drinking of all things, Messina Hof wines. read more

Nathan's BBQ - Meh.... - Barbeque Near Me - Brenham, Texas

We have been coming here since way before Yelp existed. We have never had a bad meal here. Sometimes the bbq is as good as we have ever had sometimes it not very spectacular but still very good. Today the ribs were very good (almost as good as I can do on my smoker) The sliced pork was not up to their usual high standards but still good. In my experience at Nathan's the sliced pork is very dependent upon how long it has been off the smoker. The best is right off the smoker! Very glad we stopped and we will be back every time we travel through Brenham. read more

Nathan's BBQ was absolutely outstanding--and there was plenty of it! The sides were just as amazing. When you first pull up, you might wonder about the location, tucked next to a convenience store and gas station. But step inside, and you're greeted with true Texas charm--wood-paneled walls and plenty of Texas character and stories. I absolutely loved it! read more

this place sucks I won't be back. I don't recommend it and they're all rude. Their prices are not even up-to-date. worst $30 spend

Worst experience of my life. A BBQ place had no ribs at 5:30 pm. Horrible service. The old man taking orders was rude and not helpful. I will never return to the place EVER. Gives Texas BBQ a horrible name. Do not waste your time at this place. read more

The person who got my order was very rude and disrespectful. The food not even good. Will not be back in this place. I work in retail and I want the same respect as I have to give to people. read more

Just moved my kid into Blinn-- was recommend by his roommate to check out Nathan's. It's not bad-- it's passable bbq, especially the chicken ribs and sides. Brisket was another story, dry and really chewy. Chicken and ribs had great smoke on them and tasted good. Two plates ran around 43 with drinks, it's pricey but all things bbq are pricey now. If we are back at Blinn I would be ok with coming back here-- connected to shell station so this ironically fits the version of Texas bbq. Texans this isn't franklins or la barbecue, for familiarity I'd say similar to Rudy's except for the brisket. Nice place to sit inside and has Pepsi product for fountain drinks. Other reviews mentioned bad service, I had nothing of the sort quite the opposite, pit guys were friendly and patient with my son who has autism. read more

Nathan's BBQ - Ribs with Mac and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Brenham, Texas

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Passing through and popped in, the reviews are mixed as some anre expecting a 5 star restaurant from a home town bbq restaurant......JS! My experience was great, moist brisket.....service was great and the restaurant is cute.... Texas has a TON of BBQ restaurants with an array of sauces, every BBQ restaurant has their own cooking (Pit smoking) technique. It's fun trying them all, this location is a good one. :) read more

I tried Nathans for the 1st time today and most likely my last. I had a 2 meat plate of brisket and ribs. The brisket was just OK, but nothing compared to Meyers or Southside just down the road. The ribs were very disappointing, but central Texas standards. The ribs had to be gnawed at to released the meat. That's OK in Memphis, but not here where lots of BBQ houses serve ribs with the meat tender, also most falling off the bone. The sides of greens bean and baked beans were quite good. read more

Our first time here after passing by for years. Food is good but let me tell you the customer service is beyond unacceptable. Since it was our first time, we were a little lost. We started in the food line, opened two bottles of beers and were told we have to place our To-go order at the register. That is where we went, the main lady looked at us, pointed her fingers and yelled you two stay right there. Do not cross the line to the store and continued serving her customer. We were so confused but luckily another employee came over, apologized for the behavior and told us that the liquor license in the store is different .. literally that simple .. what was the need to point your fingers and yell when that is all you had to tell us. We continued to check out with the friendly server and asked her if it was okay for us to finish the beer out on the patio and she said of course. Granted the one to go order took forever, once we got the order we just wanted to go outside to recover from that terrible main lady. We said thank you, grabbed our To-go order and walked to the door. I kid you not, that rude lady yelled again, "excuse me, where are yall going with that beer." I am of same race and I have never been spoken to like this in my entire life! I was so embarrassed. Perhaps she was like this because my husband is not??? You can sell the best food in the state and I would never come back!!! We are spreading the word! That woman should not work in customer service!!! What a disgrace !!! read more

OMG! This is true BBQ! It's been soo hard finding actual good bbq in Texas to say Texas supposed to be known for BBQ! And of course I'm big on customer service, the lady that took my order was phenomenal. Didn't take long either to get my order. read more

Nathan's BBQ - It's connected to a convenience store. - Barbeque Near Me - Brenham, Texas

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When I moved to California I was amazed at how good the Mexican food was even from a gas station... same with Texas and BBQ!! I was so happy to find burnt ends as those are something I've always wanted to try but hadn't found yet and they were even better then I've even dreamed! Got 1/4 pound (plenty for one person!) plus a side of delicious fresh flavorful coleslaw and slightly gummy but appreciate the creativity mashed twice baked potato. Price was reasonable also! The pies and cakes looked yummy too. Great stop if you have to get gas or even if you don't! read more

Nathan's BBQ - Amazing bottle cap tabletops - Barbeque Near Me - Brenham, Texas

Charge me $10 for a chopped beef sandwich no chips no sides no drink. It was mostly bread . never again.

This barbecue place sits directly on Highway 290 on exit FM-389. It is a barbecue restaurant mated up with a Shell gas station. I got the three meat plate and the ribs were quite good, but the sausage had virtually no flavor unless you dipped in their bbq sauce. That brings us to the barbecue sauce. It was like barbecue flavored pudding, not my favorite. The brisket was fairly decent, but nothing about it really stood out. The sides were your typical offerings of beans, coleslaw,etc, which were average, although they do make a good broccoli salad. It's a good place to find decent, but not outstanding barbecue. read more

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We were passing through with our four grandchildren. All food ordered was very good. The brisket was lean and tender and the sauce was good. The sides were good, as was a cheeseburger read more

Kind of pricey. 2 meat plate with a drink was over $19. Last time I was here a few moths ago, the two meat plate was $13. What happened? The menus are laying on the counter where you order and all the prices were blacked out so you had to ask if you wanted to know pricing. Not crowded with a good sized dining room. Food line was fast . Both the brisket and sausage had a distinct smoke flavor that I really liked. The sausage rates up there with one of the best in my opinion. Green beans were good and I liked that the coleslaw was not overly sweet. Overall I feel the food was very good just did not like that I did not know what to expect price wise until I checked out read more

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Very good BBQ my wife had ribs and brisket very good. I had the special of fried chicken it was delicious. They had sweet rice that brought me back to my childhood. Great service and atmosphere. read more

The brisket is always dry. What more can I say?. They do have good potato salad, though. And they have a sandwich that my husband likes. So we will order for takeout if at all. read more

Amazing ! Great food and service! We will be back ! The Brisket was perfect and cheese sausage was good too. For the sides we liked the twice baked potatoes and potato salad . read more

Visited day before yesterday, to get a bite to eat, unfortunately the food was less than adequate. Dry meat and 20 minute wait for a burger. Why? Why? Why? The woman at the register let me know to take the tray off the table and return it. I guess cleaning up is not thier forte'. I did not like thier BBQ anyway, but tried to give them another try. Will not be back. read more

I have eaten at Nathan's for years. Typical BBQ place. High prices...but my recent visit will be my last. I ordered the regular sausage and it was so dry it was almost crunchy. I got two sides. Coleslaw and twice baked mashed potatoes. The potatoes tasted like paste. Almost gravy like. And the coleslaw was just basic. My husband ordered chicken breast. One breast was almost 1lb. Looked nice. Got to the register...$25.98 for the chicken breast. No side no drink just meat. Are you kidding me? I understand meat prices have risen but this was ridiculous. When you increase your price, keep the same quality or try to improve. Don't go downhill. We should have known better. Only two cars in the parking lot, when it used to be packed. Sorry Nathan's. You've lost long time customers. read more

Nathan's BBQ - Dry sausage. Twice baked mashed potatoes concrete. - Barbeque Near Me - Brenham, Texas

Although the friendly people greet you when you are placing your order, their kitchen staff clearly do not have a clue of what they are putting out to the customers on the dining area. My half pound cheeseburger cooked down to a 1/3 pound patty at best and it took them 20 minutes to cook it and when I substituted mac & cheese for the french fries that totally threw them off and they forgot my mac & cheese altogether..Come on H-E-B get your stuff going "cuz" this place is going downhill really quick. Check out the Buccaneers beverage station next-door while you're waiting for your substandard food at the BBQ place to be prepared. Buccaneers offers a wide range of beverage choices and you can pour your own drinks to match your own preferences. read more

The meat was grisly. The broccoli salad was old. The sauce was not good. There prices are way too high !!

Boring bbq for Texas. It's great if you are not from here. The cole slaw is actually decent, the sausage and brisket are the best options. Just remember to ask for "fatty" or "wet" brisket, that way it's not so dry. read more

My god the brisket is awful. Tough, no bark and no flavor and they want $25 a pound. Save your money and find a better place to eat.

Food is always lukewarm when I go never fails it boggles my mind as to when you have warmers the food should be hot and good read more

Nathan's BBQ - This is my sausage from Nathan's it's dry and lukewarm - Barbeque Near Me - Brenham, Texas

Nathan's FKA Big Daddy BBQ was the benchmark for Brenham, TX back in the day. Today they are my 4th choice or so for BBQ in Brenham, TX. The food is mediocre and served cafeteria style. The BBQ and sides are very so-so. FYI: Nathans is attached to the Shell Station, at a Major Off/On Highway exit in Brenham (Blinn College exit) which makes them a beacon for lotsa different customers including families, lunch crowds, hunters. So yes I have people watched here a lot. With the Shell station, indoors, they have Snacks, Drinks, Clean Bathrooms, and BBQ, etc. making them a locals favorite stop. A lot of their BBQ competitors in the area have shut down or limited their business hours since Covid has affected their businesses. Especially, beef prices. read more

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Meh... Arrived just for a late lunch on a Wednesday, heading back to Austin. Was not crowded, plenty of seats. The decor was nice, typical Texas BBQ joint and the staff was friendly. But that was the best if the experience. The Brisket was dry, i think we got the over cooked slab The sauce was just ok, nothing special, it was mild and not sweet The chicken was dry, seems it was sitting under the lamps all day The jalapeno sausage was good, that was position The chicken fried chicken was good, a flattened piece of breast meat with "secret seasonings that's different from the chicken fried steak The greens and pinto beans were awesome. I was hoping for better food. If you are looking for good BBQ, visit LJ's, just a couple of miles away for the best stuff . read more

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Nice people but the place was very expensive. We ordered a so-called "complete" take out thanksgiving dinner for 6. Yea, right! The entire dinner sucked and cost $200! First there was no dressing. Then the meat was tough, dry and inedible. Even the one (not two) drumstick was tough and inedible. The gravy, rolls, cranberry sauce and sweet potato casserole were looked really nasty and were inedible. The two pie's were at best average. We threw most of the food out and should have gone to Taco Bell. Thanks for nothing Nathan's!!!! Our thanksgiving dinner sucked because of you guys and you obviously don't care about food quality or costs. We won't going back. Why are you guys still in business? read more

To start with... Our family of 4 walked in to the most unfriendliest staff I have ever been around!!! Got our food which consisted of sausage, ribs, chicken and sides that included pinto beans, mashed potatoes, black eyed peas, Mac and cheese and potato salad and a stuffed baked potato. Meat was fatty and did not have flavor, and was room temperature. The sides had no flavor with the exception of the black eyed peas which were the bomb however, if I have to soak everything In the Bar-b-Que sauce To eat it...it isn't good! I would not recommend this place AT ALL!!!! We did receive a refund 30.00 after telling the manager read more

Man what a delicious chopped beef sandwich. Soft pillowy bun saucy sweet smoked BBQ beef. I will stop here again and try other items. I thought it was delicious. Times are tough support small local businesses here in Texas! read more

Excellent food and service. I would visit this place again. We ordered brisket, chicken, and steak tips are wee very good.

I was invited here for lunch by a colleague. He said it's amazing barbecue! He also recommended another location further up the highway but mentioned they are only open on the weekends. This was a Monday just after the lunch rush, around 1pm. The place was pretty crowded upon our arrival but thinned out. This was a repeat visit for my colleague but first visit for me so I followed him through the line. He suggested the pork chop which apparently has been their signature. It did look delicious but I was eyeing the brisket. The line staff was super friendly and the owner present and greeted me as well. Always a nice sight to see a restaurant owner present in daily operation activities! My one meat plate came with two sides and I was offered a choice of bread or cornbread. I chose the cornbread muffin. Definitely not the typical dry cornbread you find at most barbecue establishments. It had a sweet taste....so yummy! The brisket was very tender with an amazing flavor and little fat. Definitely recommend checking it out! I also had a side Mac n cheese and barbecue beans. I was far too stuffed to finish my sides after scarfing down the brisket but I did taste them. The beans were kinda spicy but so good! Mac n cheese had a great flavor and tasted fresh too. I would drive to Brenham from Houston for their sweet tea! Highly recommend checking these guys out! read more