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Thelma's Bar-B-Que

1020 Live Oak St.

Houston, TX 77003

713-228-2262

This little red house at Lamar and Live Oak is getting awfully famous. Thelma's brisket sandwich was featured in a PBS documentary called Sandwiches You Will Like. And she's also turning up in the pages of Texas Monthly and in Steven Raichlen's recently released tome on regional American barbecue, BBQ USA. Let's just hope all this fame doesn't cause Thelma to hurry up and ruin the brisket.

Full Review: Thelma's Bar-B-Que (07-11-02)

Cuisine(s): Barbecue
Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat.
Price: $, $$
Serving: Lunch, Dinner
Reservations: Not Necessary
Parking: Lot Available
Payment Types: cash
Attire: Casual
Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Takeout, Delivery, Private Party, Catering, Order Online, Kid Friendly, Smoking

show/hide reviews (7) Please log in to write your review

Overall:

Every time that I have been to Thelma's I expect that the service and attitude of the staff and owner will get better, it does not. The food is just really OKAY. I would much prefer to eat somewhere else where it doesn't take forever to get your average food than to have to deal with rude and impatient staff, mediocre food and reasonable prices for the amount of food that you get. And, its way too small for adults let alone kid-friendly, lol, because they aren't even adult friendly.
Review by Jessica
Overall:

Food is good, but it is to small to sit and eat comfortably.
Review by Chauncey
Overall:

This is good barbeque although I will admit, being from Central Texas, I know of better barbeque with far superior service and lower prices. I find Thelma's rude, impolite and ignorant service just totally unnecessary. I also find the decor of this place deplorable. It is pitiful and just down right wrong that after "packing in" the amount of customers she has over the years that she does not have a better, clean and decent place for her patrons to enjoy her barbeque. Given her ignorance and her appearance, one has to wonder where her profits have gone because they surely have not gone in the physical appearance of her restaurant. I personally would rather get a bad grade of barbeque with better service than drive to Thelma's to either not get served (because she has run out of meat) or to have it served to me rudely. I say drive elsewhere and get better service in a cleaner atmosphere.
Review by Michelle
Overall:

Wow. I feel compelled to write this review as I have never had a bad meal at Thelma's, nor have I ever felt mistreated by the staff. In fact, Thelma has gone out of her way to make me and my friends feel welcome each and every time. Not "kid friendly" eh? Can I assume that maybe they were "rude" to you when your little shits threw food all over their restaurant?
Review by heathen
Overall:

The brisket tasted like socks. I didn't like the sauce. This simply isn't good food.
Review by c$
Overall:

Thanks Houston Press for your outgoing support of such a community based bbq pit..whatever Thelma is doing over there seems to be working...in the world of bbq everybody has there own delegation of what best bbq really taste like...there could be a little more in regards to service with the available comp in this market..Thelma please treat you customers better and in a timely fashion are I think the smoked cow may disappear......DD
Review by Derek
Overall:

Terrible. the brisket was tough and flavorless, the sauce was sweet and ketchupy. My sandwich was served in a styrofoam box with a hamburger bun, loaded with brisket sliced way too large, and doused with the crappy sauce. by the time I sat down to eat, the bun was a soggy mush.
what's worse, the atmosphere was depressing. a shabby and undecorated room, sweltering hot and a TV blaring the local news.

I think that there is a need among BBQ fans to applaud a small, privately owned, mom & pop kinda place like this. Owned by a local Houston woman and run out of a run-down house, it seems poised to be the next undiscovered BBQ haven. Instead we find a restaurant with bad food, bad atmosphere, and even worse service.
Thumbs way down.
Pay the extra 2 bucks and go to Goode Co.
Review by hexag1

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