Pierson & Company Bar-B-Que

After a couple of years, Pierson’s is back with arguably the best brisket and pretty good ribs too. Gatlin’s had a monopoly for quite some time.
I am not a great fan of the sides, and you can keep the ubiquitous white bread, but the ribs and the bbq sauce hit the spot.

Real Texas BBQ doesn’t get any better than Pierson & Co. Nestled out in a desolate stretch of WTC Jester Blvd, P&C is in a dodgier part of Houston few tourists would ever venture to. Thanks to the Unilocal app and a mean hunger pang, I made the drive out here immediately after touching down during one of my recent Houston trips and have been enamored ever since.
It is way too easy to miss this place. After encountering what I initially thought was a car wash /​gas station convenience store, I eventually found what seemed to be Pierson & Co. There were only a few places to park, people would have to get creative if they intended on fitting their car in a narrow space. With tinted windows, only 4 tables, counter window where one orders and receives, and a TV playing C.O.P.S., P&C is definitely a dive. An empty one at the time, I suddenly wasn’t so sure I should stay.
But I’m glad I did. After a warm greeting from someone at the counter, I set out to pick several items for my dining companion and I from a menu that consisted of BBQ’d meats in sandwich or platter form, with a handful of sides all at decent prices. I went with a BBQ brisket sandwich ($ 5.75), a boudin sausage link ($ 3.00), beef links ($ 4.00), with a side of a loaded baked potato ($ 5.25), and medium potato salad ($ 2.25). After a little bit of waiting and watching the bad boys get served on C.O.P.S. my artery clogging meal was ready. It all smelled sinfully good and the portions were fantastic.
The brisket was nothing short of glorious. Tender, succulent, and juicy were words that came to mind, with a hint of the smokiness that BBQ lovers salivate over, and abundantly stacked in between two little pieces of bread. Next up were the links, boudin and beef were uh-​mazing, with a particular emphasis on the boudin for it’s rich texture within the casing and a flavor so savory that it set the tone for all future tastings. The potato salad was decent, but not mind blowing. It had the tang, but was a little flatter than it’s baked potato cousin which was creamy and delicious, with more stuffed goodness (butter, sour cream, chives, cheese, and bacon bits) than actual potato, which should be the only way to do it.
During my bout with BBQ ecstasy and subsequent foodgasming, a slew of customers came in. They all were vying for takeout and suddenly the place was hoppin. Car outside were parked in every which way direction, some in the grass and others awkwardly angled along the drive way. The owner and his family were gracious with every customer, offering a little banter and recommendations with every step of the way.
There is some haterade out there that disputes this place’s authenticity as a legit BBQ joint. While I am no native Texan, I can still vouch for its worthiness in the wide Houston circle of local establishments. Locals still eat here and many of my native H-​Town friends swear by this place, I would recommend P&C to anyone who is longing for BBQ and an appetite worth conquering.

UPDATE: J.C. Reid reports from Twitter: «Talked to Clarence Pierson. Still recuperating from 2x knee replacements. He vows to be back! Hopefully after holidays.»
Get well soon Clarence Pierson.

Open only 4 days a week (Thur-​Sun) and limited hours even during those days :’(Still, I’m grateful that at least they’re open Thursdays, so business travelers like me are able to enjoy their food.
You can smell that the meats were smoked very nicely. The briskets and ribs had just the right kind of flavor — the flavor was actually in the meat, not just the BBQ sauce. The meats were also so soft that I had a hard time picking it up with my fork. They were a little oily though, but that’s probably expected of most BBQ foods.
Remember to get the peach cobbler! And be prepared to take an afternoon nap right after your meal.
We always take it to go, since the restaurant itself isn’t really inviting for people to sit there.

We were in town for the NCAA Final 4. We stopped by Pierson for good Texas BBQ. We got in around 6pm, just made it before they closed. We were disappointmented that they were out of ribs and chicken. But that didn’t dampened our hunger, we ordered beef briskets and links. We were able to get a small sample of ribs. Wow! Fingers licking good! Try to make it early in the day to enjoy all the good selection of meats. Pierson & co staffs are the most friendly and welcoming people. We can’t wait to visit again when we are back in Houston :)

If the brisket at Pierson’s is sick, then the ribs must be an epidemic. I didn’t know 9.81 m/​s could cause meat to fall off the bone like that. Pierson’s must have hired a professional masseuse because the rib’s rub is supernatural. I usually only order brisket at barbecue restaurants, but this company’s ribs make me want to rethink my strategy. I haven’t been to Pierson & Company in awhile but everything is just as I remembered: friendly people and succulent food.

good BBQ yeah! Real pit used in making BBQ is how its done. this place has only four tables and a bar type setup. But the people are very nice and very hospitable. I was origanaly planning to go to thealmas for my BBQ fix, but she has been closed for the past 2 saturdays. Called up Thealmas someone picked up said «Thealmas» I said «hello, I was just calling to see if you were open today» I promptly heard a sigh and was hung up on. My GF called back said I was over reacting when I said she was rude and out of line but the lady never picked up again. I said thats it for Thealmas.
I had saved Pierson in my bookmarks and said time to give them a shot. Happy I did, wonderful helpful service and clean non clustered establishment. Got my BBQ fix on. I got three meat plate comes with ribs brisket and homemade sausage. The ribs were good had nice bark on the brisket and I like the homemade sausage. My GF had her chicken and she got the last one on the pit. She gets half a chicken she only eats a quarter of it but normaly no one sells dark or white and you have to get what they give so we just get half a chicken where ever we go. She said it was the best one she has tried yet. I had the boudan as well and it was good I took it home with me ate it there I was full from my three meats already. later that night I smelt my shirt I wore over there smelt like I had cooked the BBQ myself, thats when you know you went to a good BBQ shack. I will be back.

My favorite place for bar b que in Houston. The meat is perfect. It’s not over-​spiced and truly takes its flavor from the slow-​smoke. If you’re going to order take-​out on a Friday or Saturday, I would recommend getting there early because they may sell out.
The ribs are great, probably the best I’ve had. They also sell whole briskets, but you must put your order for the whole briskets in a day ahead of time.

I came with the highest of expectations. I left dissapointed.
There are many things one could complain about when it comes to this establishment. It is small and dingy, it’s not in the best part of town, parking is inconvenient, etc. These things, however, do not really matter to me is the food is good. In fact, with good food, these things can often add to the charm of the place. (Think: Kanomwan). That’s what I expected from Pierson & Co. However, I was wrong.
The food at Pierson ranged from okay to inedible. The okay: the sliced pork and some of the brisket on my place. The inedible: most of my serving of ribs The ribs were just awful. A little char on barbeque can be a good thing, but meat charred down to the bone? Not so much.
I had really hoped to like this place. I really did. Unfortunately, for me at least, this served as another example of a restaurant that failed to live up to the hype.

I am serious in my BBQ reviews/​ratings. While most people write that this or that BBQ is the best they have ever tasted, most only have been to about 20 – 30 BBQ establishments. I have lived/​traveled/​been to over a hundred in multiple states from CA, KS, HI, NY, NC, SC, GA, TN, TX, KY. So needless to say I have tried a few BBQ places. But any review I write is IMHO (in my humble opinion). Enough about me, now to the review.
I moved to Houston a little over a year ago from Austin. I am trying to find a good BBQ joint that I can go to and actually enjoy my meat. After reading a lot about Pierson & Company BBQ from a lot of sources (Houston Press, Unilocal,City Search, Fearless Critic, etc), I thought I would give it a try. Well I can say that my search is still on. The food was not bad, but definitely not in the top 100 either. Everyone that said that this was the best BBQ they ever had, really? They must not have had that many, or Houston BBQ is just sucks completely. I hope not.
Well the establishment is very small, with only 3 small tables in there. It was clean, so that is always a plus. Parking is a problem since they do not really have a lot of parking spaces, so people just park on the side of a busy street. The menu was very easy to read, and the prices were fair for BBQ. I know a lot of people say the people running the place are nice and social. They seem to be for the people they knew I guess, but it did not feel that way for me.
Now to the food which is the real reason why I came here. While I did not order every meat variety on the menu, I ordered what I feel should represent a BBQ restaurant. I ordered their sausages, brisket and pork ribs. I will start with the sausages; the casing was good, and firm. But the meat was dense and full of filler. It did not have any taste that stood out. It was very oily, which I think it contains some kind of chili oil in there. I give it 2.5 out of 5. Next to the brisket, it had no flavor other than the rub on the outside. The inside was dry other than the parts very close to the huge chunks of fat they gave me. The brisket was definitely their weak point from the three meats I tried. I would give it 2 out of 5. Their pork rib was not too bad. I can taste the smokiness from the outer rub/​seasoning. It was fairly moist, and enjoyable. I would give it 3 out of 5. I might have given it a 3.5 if it came out hot, but it came out somewhere between cold and warm.
The thing I enjoyed the most was their sauce. If it was not for that, I would have not enjoyed the food as much. I wish they had peach cobbler as stated on their menu.
I was expecting great, but got okay. Maybe I got came on the wrong day or got a bad batch or something. I was talking to another gentleman at the table next to me and we were grading the food together since it was his first time there. We were coming to the same conclusion on the taste of the food. Like I mention, this is my opinion so take it as it is. I would rate this somewhere between 2.5 and 3, but since Unilocal can’t give ½ I will give them a 3.

In a city with many BBQ choices – unfortunately, most of them poor – Pierson sets itself apart with consistent, rich flavors served in a classic BBQ shack-​style location that is unfortunately far from the city center.
I love that Pierson’s offers customers a free sampler platter (just ask for it) to familiarize themselves with the flavors and cuts on offer. Sure, one can hardly be a Texan without knowing the difference between beef and pork ribs or the nature of brisket, but just knowing about these things doesn’t tell one how a particular restaurant infuses them with flavor. Pierson’s free sampler makes it easy for its customers to chart a successful course to dining goodness.
I’m a huge fan of Pierson’s brisket, the potato salad, and the taste of the hot links, and I’m a fan, albeit a smaller one, of everything else I’ve tried, too. The prices are fair and the food is flavorful. It’s the best I’ve had in Houston so far (feel free to send me a message if you feel somewhere else is much better… I’m always ready to try new BBQ!)
My only real gripe is about the hot links. I couldn’t identify whether the casings are created from cast-​off bits of shoe leather or reconstituted from recycled corrugated cardboard. Either way, they are nearly inedible and were even difficult to hack apart with a knife. This is unforgivable, because American BBQ is all about creating tender, flavorful meats. I ended up practically squeezing the meat from the casing like toothpaste from its container. It’s a testament to the food that I felt compelled to go this far.
Pierson’s would probably be the undisputed champ with some fine-​tuning. As it stands, it’s a serious contender for the crown. It’s a bit of a drive to get there, but it’s well worth the trip… just don’t break a tooth gnawing on the sausage.

Now this is what I’m talking about! A hit of sweet wood smell as you enter, and a sweet smile from some nice people with some very nice barbecue. The place up front may not look like much (the ambiance lends itself to to-​go orders, but the people there are really nice), but the pit is sure to be epic, just as the food is.
Pork ribs literally fall off the bone. I picked one up by the bone, and the meat stayed on the plate. Tender, tender, tender, and oh so flavorful. The brisket may be a little inconsistent, some pieces being dry, but when they’re moist, it can transport you to the Hill Country. Beans are porky and well seasoned. Sausage is kind of an andouille consistency, which is not my thing,. but who cares when the brisket at its height and the ribs are just so damn good?
Best ribs in the city. Best brisket in the city. If someone wants to go to Goode, slap them across the face then take them to a real barbecue joint.
I’m voting that Attire is Formal. You will need to bring a jacket to show this barbecue proper respect (it will smell like smoke afterward).

This little BBQ joint is well worth the jaunt north on T.C. Jester. Just as the houses start to spread out, there rises the smokey haven of Pierson & Company Bar-​B-​Que. The heavy mesquite, the friendly and very personable staff, and the small, no frills dining area offer the customer a real look at a true Texas ‘Cue stand.
The real star of the show were the pork ribs. Pull off the bone tender and smoked with mainly mesquite and some oak, the ribs were good enough to eat without the awesome Pierson’s sauce served on the side.
The beans were spiced just right and had ground beef in them for extra meaty kick, and the slaw was bright, fresh, and perfectly acidic from just the right amount of vinegar.
I am interested to try more of one of my new favorite BBQ spots in Houston!

Pierson & Co is definitely one of the best BBQ places I’ve ever been to. We ordered two brisket sandwiches — one regular chopped, the other lean — baked beans, sausage and potato salad. The brisket in the regular sandwich was the perfect blend of tender, fatty and lean meat bathed in their spicy BBQ sauce. The lean brisket sandwich was well-​seasoned, & didn’t need the BBQ sauce that came on the side. Baked bean fans will LOVE Pierson’s — spiced (but not too hot) with bits of meat (brisket? not sure). Potato salad was good. Not a fan of the sausage links. I wanted the rum raisin bread pudding for dessert, but they didn’t have it… sounds amazing. They had peach cobbler instead (but I didn’t try, not a fan of cooked peaches.)
Service was friendly and good. Dining area is small, so don’t recommend going with a large group. I recommend Pierson’s and would definitely stop by next time I’m in the area.

Woah! Are you kidding me? I love this place. You can smell it from like a block away and as your nose leads you into the front door you become overwhelmed by it. Completely overwhelmed. I must have smelled like smoke the rest of the day. At any rate, I just stuck to the brisket, which was amazing. You can taste the love these people put into their food. It probably was one of the best briskets I’ve had here in Houston. So moist and smokey. My beans were awesome too, they had just enough kick to make them interesting. If theres one thing I hate, it’s molasses and brown sugar in the beans. These were awesome though. The coleslaw was little sweeter than I normally prefer, but that came full circle with the beans. The sauce was awesome too, it really wakes up your taste buds.
I’m so glad I found a job and have starting working 3 miles from this place. I’ll be sure to get to know this family in short order.

HOLY SMOKES THIS IS SOME KILLER QUE!
That smoky mesquite smell hit me as I walked up to the front door and I just hoped the BBQ tasted as good as it smelled. I stood there drooling for a while, studying the menu, trying to decide if my wallet and waistline could handle 1 of everything.
They couldn’t, so I went with the Trinity. That’s brisket, sausage and ribs, 2 sides (beans and coleslaw for me), bread, pickles and sauce. Since the dining room is tiny — just 3 tables — and it was filled up, we decided to take our grub back to my boss’s house. What a torturous ride, smelling that sweet, sweet meat. Surprisingly I, and his car interior, survived.
We all dug in and it was 15 minutes of silence. Well almost. There were some mmm’s and ahhhh’s here and there. The brisket was very good with a beautiful ¼ inch smoke ring. It wasn’t quite as moist as I like, but way better than most BBQ places in Houston. I’ve met very few people who make a perfect brisket and this was pretty close. The links were great as were the ribs. The ribs were so tender the meat fell right off the bones. They were a little fatty compared to most — I know that turns some people off — but that’s what made them so tender and juicy. They also had a homemade sauce with bite! Not bad at all.
The sides were good too. I loved the beans, I could even eat them on their own. The coleslaw was great too. I didn’t order the potato salad, but I’ll give it a shot next time. I had the bread pudding for desert and it was pretty good too.
Today was the first of what I’m sure will be many many trips to Pierson & Company Bar-​B-​Que. Clarence Pierson is a true smoke master!

That BBQ sauce jumped up and slapped me in the face with flavor.
I tried the rib and link plate. The ribs tasted «authentic» and smokey. The link sausage was AMAZING! I was burping sausage all day afterwards, but it was worth it.
Not much room for eating in and no frills, just good BBQ.

So every once in awhile I get a day off where I can actually eat lunch during normal hours. So I decided to be a good son and call my mom up to check out Piersons since It’s near my mom’s office.
We rolled up together and ordered the Trinity which is the 3 meat plate. The family that runs this joint is A+. Super friendly and talkative. They were very helpful towards the menu and how to order. The service was prompt.
I started out with the brisket since this is what everyone raves about, I don’t know if I got a bad batch but my brisket was nothing like what other people described. It was a lean cut with a solid layer of fat on the outside. I cut the fat off and the brisket was on par with guy’s meat market.
The ribs were tender but once again lacking the rub I’m still searching for. The ribs were more fatty than places I’ve been to recently. The links were not my type of links. That’s just a personal preference.
As far as the sides they offer 4 different sides, beans, slaw, chips, and potato salad. The beans had a little kick to them and was the best but not by much. The sauce was average.
Overall this place is OK in my book. For the drive I was expecting amazing, it wasn’t bad but still my BB“Quest” continues…

What took me so long to get to Pierson’s?! Wow … this is BBQ to make you remember what good BBQ is all about (and how little of that there is, in spite of all the BBQ places around town). The brisket melts in your mouth with a fantastic char around the edges and a lovely pink smoke ring. Ribs fall off the bone with smokey flavor through and through. The sausage is very tender and unique (some love it, some don’t — I do). Sides are even good, especially the potato salad and the beans. I ate too much to try the homemade peach cobbler but I’m determined to make room next time.
The service is über-​friendly and its not as far «out» as you’d think … just a few minutes north of 610 on T.C. Jester. Do yourself a favor and GO! Absolutely some of the very best BBQ in Houston (or anywhere).

I started my day off at Waldo’s, as usual, when my buddy Nik invited me to lunch. He read Rob Walsh’s «raving» review of Pearson’s BBQ in the «Houston Press» and wanted to check it out. Since I already had coffee, I didn’t have much of an appetite but still agreed to tag along. «I’ll just keep him company,» I thought.
Uhhh, yeah right, Farrah. As soon as I stepped out of my ride, the sweet, savory and smoky smell of mesquite barbecue hit my nose and instantly ignited my appetite.
Parking on a grass/​dirt/​gravely patch of land, I walked over to the two-​story building (upstairs is actually a barber shop) and inside the small eatery. Nik already ordered ribs along with a side of beans and ‘tato salad (which I tasted and really enjoyed. Gimme more, bro). It was a roast beef sammich for me (on wheat bread. Kudos to Pearson’s for offering that.) I do wish it came with onions and pickles, but perhaps I had to ask for those condiments.
The meat was hot, tender, full of flavor – but a tad bit salty for my taste. Nik, on the other hand, was having foodgasms with each bite of his ribs, which he noted that the meat was falling off the bone. No need for a fork. «I’m coming here for dinner tonight,» he says. «You would,» I say sarcastically (Nik’s the type that will go into overkill once he finds a place he likes. But I’m not one to talk. I once ate crawfish five days in a row.)
The Pearson family is incredibly sweet, offering each patron a sample of their grub upon ordering. I chatted with the owner, and he introduced me to his family who help run the kitchen.
They plan on adding picnic tables to the shaded patio in the near future, and from what I saw, they do catering. All in all, the food and service was great, and I look forward to trying some of their other items.