Pizzitola's Bar-B-Cue

I understand that Pizzitola's is the oldest bbq restaurant in H town and remember eating here once many years ago and haven't been back since then. Recently I have visited twice both times at lunch. The first time was for the 1/2 chicken plate with 2 sides of slow cooked pinto beans and mustard potato salad from the list of options for $16. That visit was on a Saturday and I took advantage of their Pop A Top Saturday special of $2 domestic beers too. The smoked chicken was overall good tasting and juicy and the beans and potato salad respectable too. The mustard based potato salad was smoother tasting that most which can be tangy. My only knock to the meal is their thin and runny bbq sauce. It needs more body which would give it more flavor. Table service was good too and I gave this meal a 3.5.The second visit was for the sliced brisket sandwich ($12) and I added a side of the smoked 4 cheese mac n cheese (thats what they call it on the menu) for another $4.50. That's the a la carte price for all of their side dishes which is above average in price. The sandwich was served on a sesame seed bun and the moist brisket had bark on it and was tender. What hurt it was that runny bbq sauce. The mac n cheese was thicker in consistency than normal. Not dry but not creamy enough either. The sandwich was a 3.5 and the side dish was a 3 in my opinion. Again the table service was good.Pizzitola's has been here for a long time and is popular with the older inner loop neighborhood crowd. I believe that this restaurant represents what Houston's bbq game was 15 years ago. Since then the Q scene in the greater Houston area has improved dramatically but Pizzitola's has stayed the same. The food is a 3.5 but I must round down to a 3 for Yelp purposes. Don't get me wrong if you come here you will get a decent meal. It's just that there are several better barbecue options nowadays.

We made a return visit the other evening. Partner and I ordered the rib appetizer with two sides for our meals. Ribs were nicely done but too much salt. Even my partner said it was too salty and he salts everything! Drinks were water. Dessert were banana pudding and chocolate cake. Both were very good. I could most of the customers were frequent visitors by the conversations with the staff. It's an old place and the decor is very dated but the food and service keeps it going.

My Dad, visiting from NY, got the best experience of his life when he got the grand tour of the restaurant including a closer view of the iconic& historically renown PIT!! The food, atmosphere and staff were ALL AMAZING! #RibsAppetizer! #BrisketBurger #BananaPudding #AhhhHeavennnn

This was our first time eating there. We saw this place on TV a few months earlier and wanted to try it out. We were greeted by a friendly staff and seated. Unlike most Bar B Q restaurants where you order from a counter, Pizzitolas seats their guests and hands them a menu. (expect to tip). I ordered the brisket dinner and my GF ordered the rib dinner. I thought the brisket was very good. It was moist and seasoned/smoked just right. Also tried one of her ribs and it was very good too. The plate also came with two sides, bread, pickles, onions, pickled jalapenos and i think there were pickled onions too. BBQ sauce was served on the side. The sauce was tangy, had a little kick to it and was not too sweet. I liked it. For sides I had mac and cheese and coleslaw. The mac and cheese was a little runnier that what I prefer, but it was still tasty. When ordering, I had envisioned a baked mac n cheese with baked cheese on top, but this was not the case. The coleslaw was unique to Pizzitolas. I haven't had coleslaw like theirs before, but I enjoyed it. We have been on a bit of a Bar B Que binge for the last several month. We've eaten at City Market in Luling, at Killens new location on 290 and Brook's Barbeque (food truck) on Barker Cypress and FM 529. Out of these four BBQ restaurants, I liked Pizzitola's the best. It would be my go to BBQ restaurant if I lived closer. Going to have to stop by there again next year when we have our company reunion across the street at Jax's Grill.About the staff: I noticed as customers would enter the restaurant, our waiter and the other waitress working there would greet most of them by name. I got a sense that they had worked there for quite a while to know the customers on a first name basis. It also seems like they have a lot of regular customers. If the food wasn't good, they wouldn't be coming back. As far as ambiance, this place had a down home feel to it. They've been around since 1935 (if I remember correctly). There was a sense of so much history and nostalgia about the restaurant. Looking forward to going back again.

Good but they have lost a bit after many years - but I still love it . Their menu has been the same for many years and detail and quality is there for people with a big hunger

Don't sleep on this local gem! I used to live near pit room and that was my go to BBQ, but I recently moved and I heard Truth BBQ was the "best" nearby. I tried it a few times and I wasn't super impressed. Well once I found out about Pizzitola's Bar-B-Cue I've never looked back! The service is good, and the staff is friendly! It has an old country vibe to the restaurant, but I usually grab it to go other than a few times I dinned in. Their moist brisket is some of the best I've had, super delicious and melts in your mouth! I also enjoy their spare ribs and sides. I usually am not a fan of most sides at BBQ places but everything I've gotten here has been good! The sauce is very liquidy and tangy smokey kinda which is right up my alley! They've gained a new returning customer for life

Excellent ribs and brisket. Cole slaw a little spicy and potato salad a little bland. Got it to go.

Love this place great service and try the street corn and been around for 89 years services have been there for years

Nothing fancy, just excellent BBQ. We live in AZ now but I dream of the ribs. Last time we visited Houston, this was our first stop. Try everything, it is all great!

Best pit barbecue this side of Texas. The contender is crazy! The service was fast and smooth, and the inside of the restaurant takes you back to an old school barbecue joint somewhere in the middle of nowhere Texas. Can't recommend this place enough!