Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
True Texas chili: tender cubed beef, dried chilies rehydrated and pureed, cumin, garlic, and dark beer simmered to a thick rust-red gravy. No tomatoes, no beans, no ground beef.
Chili con carne was first served by the chili queens of San Antonio in the 1880s and codified as a Texas dish by 1893 when Texas State Fair vendors sold bowls for a dime. State legislature declared chili the official Texas state dish in 1977. The Houston tradition holds the original rule of meat-and-chiles only; competition chili across the Texas circuit follows the same rule.
5 editor picks for Texas Chili (Chili con Carne, No Beans) in Houston, ranked by editorial score. All Houston signature dishes · Texas Chili (Chili con Carne, No Beans) across every city.
Truth BBQ in Houston is Leonard Botello IV's Heights Boulevard smokehouse, the Brenham original relocated in 2019, with post-oak-smoked brisket Texas.
OrderBrisket fatty, sliced thick. Pulled pork. A side of pinto beans and a slice of the strawberry cake.
TipOpen Wed to Sun, lunch only until they sell out (usually 2 to 3pm). Get there by 11am for brisket; the line moves fast.
Killen's Barbecue in Pearland (south of Houston) is Ronnie Killen's smokehouse on East Broadway, a Michelin Bib Gourmand 2025 pick with a Texas beef rib.
OrderThe Texas beef rib (one is enough for two), brisket fatty and the creamed corn side.
TipTuesday through Saturday lunch only, sold out by mid-afternoon. The beef rib runs out first; order it on entry.
Lankford Grocery & Market in Houston is the 1939 corner-store-turned-burger-shack on Dennis Street in Midtown, with the Grim burger, weekday breakfast.
OrderThe Grim (a Hatch chile burger with American cheese, jalapenos and house sauce).
TipCash and card. Closed weekends. Sit at the picnic tables outside; the indoor counter is a single bench.
Goode Company Barbeque on Kirby Drive in Houston is Jim Goode's 1977 mesquite-smoked barbecue room, the city's introduction to commercial Texas barbecue.
OrderBrisket and a jalapeno pork sausage link. Jambalaya. Pecan pie to close.
TipMultiple Goode Company locations across Houston exist. The Kirby flagship is the original and the only one with the screened porch.
Pinkerton's Barbecue in Houston is Grant Pinkerton's Heights smokehouse on Airline Drive, a Michelin-recognised joint with brisket, smoked turkey and the new.
OrderBrisket fatty, smoked turkey, beef ribs when they show up.
TipOpen Wed to Sun for lunch only. The newer 3801 Farnham Upper Kirby location opened January 2026 and has shorter lines.
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