Many of our readers are familiar with Corkscrew BBQ, the food trailer that serves some of the best BBQ in the entire Houston area. They've had universally good reviews, including a rare two-star review from The Houston Chronicle's Alison Cook. They've been so successful that they've had to expand from their original pit to a higher capacity model, and from their small food trailer to a modern, larger trailer. Even with these expansions, they still sell out of their BBQ every day. Rain or shine, in hot or cold weather.
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| Waiting for BBQ at Corkscrew |
Just about everyone who's been to Corkscrew loves 'em... with one notable exception. There's another BBQ place, called Pit Master BBQ, that's in a shopping center on the main road near Corkscrew's side-road location. Unlike Corkscrew, Pit Master is a full restaurant, with walls, air conditioning, restrooms, and all the other accoutrements that come with a brick-and-mortar shop. Yet they don't seem to be able to compete with the little BBQ trailer. It's a classic David-vs-Goliath story, but instead of David being armed with a slingshot, he's got BBQ meats as his weapon of choice.
Pit Master is only lacking two things: Great BBQ and a sense of ethics. I've eaten at Pit Master a couple of times, and found their food to be utterly unremarkable - the type of corporate BBQ that's available all over the place, and simply isn't memorable. Until Corkscrew opened, Pit Master was the only BBQ spot in the area, and without competition their unremarkable BBQ wasn't a serious problem.
Apparently the appearance of a master pitmaster like Will Buckman upset Pit Master's apple cart, because according to reports, Pit Master's owners have tried to get Corkscrew BBQ shut down. Repeatedly.
Nichole Buckman, one of the owners of Corkscrew BBQ, shares the sad tale on her Facebook page:
"Well we are working on going permanent, starting the processes this week. We'll be staying in the same location in the trailer, we'll be getting bathrooms put in and we'll be able to sell beer and wine, yea!
"Everyone can thank Pitmaster BBQ for that...why you ask? They decided to go to the commissioner and try and have us shut down for having a pit room and canopy that was APPROVED but not written in the laws of having a food truck. So all those still frequenting them, this is how they treat other local family owned business, they try and shut them down bc they are loosing business, which has NOTHING to do with us but all with the quality of their food.
"I wish they would think that when they try and shut us down they are potentially taking the roof over my kids heads way, food from their mouths and clothes off their backs. I would never do that to a person, its shameful. We will not be bullied by them, it's not the first time they've been trying to shut us down since we opened."
We make no secret about being fans of Corkscrew BBQ and their world-class food. And we applaud Nichole's positive attitude, and her drive to make her business even better. Corkscrew is a perfect example of how hard work, customer service, and dedication to a superior product will enable a small business to thrive, even in a tough economy.
We hope Pit Master tries a new approach - serving better BBQ, as opposed to whining to local government to get a family business shut down. Until that happens, we ask each of our readers to ask themselves what sort of business they'd like to support.
And we welcome a rebuttal from Pit Master in the comments. We'd love to hear your side of this sordid story.
Even if you love to try new things, it's easy to fall into a rut. For years I was in a pizza rut - every time I'd order a pizza, pepperoni would be the key topping. Sure, I'd occasionally augment things with some Italian sausage, onion, or bacon, but it wasn't a pizza for me without pepperoni.
UPDATE: Sadly, the Rockabilly Diner has closed.
The Houston City Council is making it tough on food trucks. While many are operating in the city, they face an unaccommodating legal environment that makes it tougher for these creative mobile kitchens to offer a great experience for their customers.
Seating? No can do. Shaded seating? You're kidding, right?
These factors alone put food trucks at a huge disadvantage compared to standalone restaurants. Eating standing up isn't any fun. Eating standing up under a hot Texas sun is even less fun. Yet customers will endure these inconveniences if the food is good enough.
Even with these stumbling blocks, food trucks persevere, and some even thrive. Hopefully the city council will someday change these anticompetitive regulations and let trucks compete without artificial barriers (that seem to be written by brick-and-mortar restaurant associations.)
Until then, some trucks will take refuge outside the city limits of Houston, where the regulations are based on health and safety, and not make-believe fantasies of back-of-the-truck drug deals and apron-wearing terrorists operating behind the grill. (You can't make this stuff up.)
Enter the Rockabilly Diner, a food truck located just west of Kuykendall on FM 2920 (the first major road south of the Woodlands.) Eschewing both the hipsters and the silly regulations found Inside The Loop, Rockabilly converted a vacant spot near a busy intersection into an al fresco location for lunch or dinner that's a real change from the typical suburban restaurant.
Parking is ample, and the bright yellow trailer houses a modern kitchen that would be right at home in a small mom-and-pop restaurant.
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| The kitchen at Rockabilly Diner |
At the back of the property is a small seating pavilion, with a pair of picnic tables and a sturdy fan providing a breeze even when Mother Nature isn't cooperative.
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| Seating area at Rockabilly Diner |
The entire property is clean, neat, and well kept, with little homey touches that remind you that Rockabilly isn't a corporate concept cashing in on the food truck craze.
Stepping up to the counter, we're immediately greeted by Chad McMullen, a Brooklyn transplant who's been in Texas long enough to add "y'all" to his vocabulary. Chad is passionate about burgers, and his enthusiasm comes through loud and clear. And his excitement is resonating with customers - Rockabilly has recently extended its hours from 11am to 8pm, serving the dinner crowd as well as those craving a burger for lunch.
On this, our first visit, we followed Chad's suggestions, and ordered a Bacon and Cheese Rockaburger. Based around a hand-formed one-third pound beef patty, it's topped with your choice of several cheeses, generously sliced bacon cooked on the griddle right beside the patty, and the usual array of traditional burger toppings.
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| Burgers and bacon coexisting on the griddle at Rockabilly Diner |
Nothing was started until our order was placed - no precooked patties here. Or even precooked bacon, something that's very common at even the best burger joints. We applaud Chad's dedication. Another interesting observation: Chad covers the burger patty with a lid on the grill, the same technique that Ricky Craig at Hubcap Grill uses to such great effect.
After a reasonable time for cooking and production, our burger appeared, wrapped in foil and placed within an insulated foam carrier. This burger is packaged to travel well, but the only vacation in its future was into my stomach.
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| Bacon and Cheese Rockaburger at Rockabilly Diner |
All this attention to detail was put to the test when we bit into the Rockaburger. The coarsely ground beef was cooked medium well, but the covered griddling technique resulted in a nicely juicy patty, and perfectly melted cheese (pepper jack, as was Chad's recommendation). The beefy flavor was front and center, seasoned gently with salt and pepper. The hot-off-the-griddle bacon added a nice smoky counterpoint, and had a firm, dense, chewy consistency. Veggies were crisp and fresh. Our only disappointment was a slight one - a rather pedestrian bun that was neither toasted or griddled, but it did it's job holding everything together.
All in all, a very good burger, and one that we look forward to enjoying again.
There was a considerably lunch rush of Houstonians enjoying a burger in the great outdoors, comfortably seated alongside friends and strangers under the pavilion. It's a shame that every food truck can't offer this sort of experience to its guests, but we're happy that the Rockabilly Diner has picked a location that allows for this kind of great experience.
We'll be back.
Rockabilly Diner | 6149 FM 2920 (Just west of Kuykendahl), Spring
rockabillyconcessions@gmail.com
One of the ongoing battles I hear in the food community is whether one has to stay ITL (Inside The Loop, aka Loop 610 around central Houston) in order to enjoy great food. Historically, that's where Houston's elite lived, and and it's where Houston's best restaurants were located.
(A quibble: At the time, Tony's was located OTL (Outside The Loop) near the Galleria, and Houstonians gladly braved the dragons of South Post Oak to dine there, but that's a fact that's conveniently overlooked.)
Now that the Houston metropolitan area extends from Sugar Land to the Woodlands, the concept of staying ITL seems rather quaint. The Woodlands in particular is becoming a dining destinations, with restaurants as varied as Capri Pasta, Corkscrew BBQ and Crust Pizza calling the Woodlands home. These casual spots compare favorably to any place in their respective categories, and all have garnered a loyal following.
But what about a high end, chef driven restaurant, scouring the earth for amazing ingredients, and putting together unique creations? Surely places like this are only found ITL.
Challenging this conventional wisdom is Hubbell & Hudson Bistro, the upscale-yet-comfortable restaurant attached to Hubbell & Hudson Market, located at the Woodlands Waterway. Hubbell & Hudson has become the Woodlands epicenter for all things food, with a superb high-end market, a Viking cooking school, a well regarded catering operation, and the Bistro.
Several months back the Bistro elevated Austin Simmons to the position of executive chef, and this talented man has been gradually putting his mark on the menu. Simmons first gained notoriety in the Woodlands as sous chef at Tesar's Modern, being elevated to co-executive chef (with Jeromy Robison) at Tesar's when John Tesar parted ways with his eponymous establishment. When Tesar's imploded, Chef Robison ended up at La Colombe D'or in Houston, and later at Uchi in Austin. Fortunately for the Woodlands, Hubbell & Hudsons scooped up Chef Simmons and soon promoted him to Executive Chef.
We've been fans of Chef Simmons's cooking ever since we sampled his creations at Tesar's, and have enjoyed the work he has been doing at Hubbell. For those who've never visited, Hubbell & Hudson Market scours the world for unique ingredients to offer to gourmets, and Chef Austin has leveraged this purchasing expertise to secure ingredients for his kitchen. He recently invited us to sample several of his creations for the new fall menu.
First up is the Crab Fritter, a unique spin on the crab cake. A healthy portion of lump crabmeat is accented with marinated tomatoes, mushrooms and asparagus, and it's finished with a jaunty ginger vinaigrette. Absent is the filler that often overwhelms pedestrian crabcakes, and the result was terrific -
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| Crab Fritter at Hubbell & Hudson Bistro |
Chef Simmons then presented his ricotta ravioli. Created entirely in-house (housemade pastas are a new focus at Hubbell & Hudson, and one we applaud) the al dente pasta is pillowed with slightly sweet ricotta, and sauced with an intriguing soy-orange reduction, fennel pollen tomato compote, and topped with crispy prosciutto di parma. This past fused Italian and Asian influences expertly, and really showcased Chef Simmons's deft touch.
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| Ricotta Ravioli at Hubbell & Hudson Bistro |
Next up is a fascinating dish, Chili Rubbed Pork Tenderloin. A generous slab of fork-tender pork tenderloin is rubbed with a mild chili seasoning, and served over hand-rolled cous cous and tangy peach chutney. Drizzled on the pork was a complex Moroccan jus - I detected hints of nutmeg, cumin, cinnamon, and several other flavors that I couldn't isolate, but greatly enjoyed.
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| Chili-rubbed Pork Tenderloin at Hubbell & Hudson Bistro |
I received an eye-opening surprise when I bit into the fried vegetable served with the tenderloin. The sharp, fresh flavor of pickled okra burst forth from the crispy breading, an unexpected flavor that paired masterfully with the earthy pork. This is an incredibly successful dish, and one that I hope remains on the menu for a long time.
I didn't really have room for dessert at this point, but I've learned never to refuse the suggestions of a chef as talented as Austin Simmons. The waiter whisked out a unique pie - an apple / almond crumble. French vanilla gelato topped a slice of heaven - a dense pastry crust with rustic apple filling, a cinnamon crumble upper layer, and a hint of rum-spiked almond cream.
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| Apple Almond Crumble at Hubbell & Hudson Bistro |
Chef Simmons's new creations are demonstrating a mastery of complexity and a sense of focus and pairing that we've rarely seen. I believe that he is one of the upper echelon of chefs working in Texas today, and I look forward to sampling future examples of his superlative work.
Hubbell & Hudson Bistro | 24 Waterway Ave | The Woodlands 77380 | 281-203-5641
HubbellAndHudson.com
It's been over half a year since we updated our listing of our recommended places to eat in the Woodlands, but we've been eating almost every day, searching for the best spots to recommend. From burgers and Tex-Mex to handmade pastas, fresh seafood and steaks, these are our favorite restaurants in the Woodlands area.
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| Crab Fritter at Hubbell & Hudson |
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| Cheeseburger with Garlic Fries at Jax Burgers, Fries and Shakes |
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| Lunch special at Kan's Sushi |
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| The Jerk at Crust Pizza |
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| Chopped Beef Sandwich at Corkscrew BBQ |
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| Mixed Grill at The Olive Oil |
This time, we're presenting our recommendations here in an embedded Google Map. What do you think of this format?
View Where to Eat Now in the Woodlands in a larger map
Trader Joe's opened its doors in Texas this morning, and the residents of the Woodlands showed up in droves to welcome this newest import from the West Coast. This fabled grocer is known for quality food, an interesting, well curated selection, and affordable prices. We joined the crowd to see what all the fuss was about.
Amazingly delicious "Cookie Butter" - creamy gingerbread spread. I'm anxious to try this on waffles, bagels, plywood...
A sample of TJ's Mandarin Orange Chicken - one of the best frozen Chinese entrees we've tried.
And last but not least, one of the Charles Shaw wines, aka "Two Buck Chuck". (Now $3, thanks to inflation.)
The assembled masses were scooping up items left and right, and the lines for checkout were easily 30 shoppers deep. But Trader Joe's friendly staff was doing a great job of keeping the line moving, and doing so with a smile.
If opening day was any indication, Texas has a great new addition to the grocery store scene. Trader Joe's combines an interesting product selection with great prices, and that's a winning combination that will draw in foodies for years to come.
We'll be back.
The Beer & Cheese festival is a great way for Houstonians to become acquainted with new and unique pairings of different styled beers and cheeses. Throughout the event, beer and cheese experts will be available to answer questions. Featured local Texas Breweries include Rhar & Sons (Fort Worth, Texas), St. Arnold (Houston, Texas), Karbach (Houston, Texas), Independence (Austin, Texas) and Southern Star (Conroe, Texas).
The event will take place at Hubbell & Hudson Market, located at 24 Waterway Avenue in The Woodlands, on Saturday June 30th from Noon to 5PM.
Admission to the event is granted with any cash donation to Montgomery County Youth Services. Participants are required to verify age to sample products.
Hubbell & Hudson Kitchen will continue offering an oasis for beer and cheese lovers throughout the summer with their own weekly Beer & Cheese sampling event starting, Monday July 2nd and every Monday thereafter.
For more information, check out the Event Website.
We have sad news to report during National Burger Month. Coal Burger, the coal fired oven burger concept from the folks at Grimaldi's, has closed. We were fans of the burger, but will admit that there were consistency issues: Sometimes the burger was perfect, sometimes it was dried out. Apparently cooking ground beef in a 1000+ degree coal-fired oven requires a very deft touch.
Combine the consistency issues with the notoriously dicey parking situation at the Woodlands Waterway, and Grimaldi's decided to close this restaurant after less than a year.
According to our sources, Grimaldi's plans to expand its pizza operation into the Coal Burger space.
We have no word on whether other Coal Burger locations in Arizona are closing as well.
Growing up, I enjoyed burgers, but like many teenagers, considered them to all be pretty much the same. Only when I moved up to Austin to attend UT did I begin to appreciate the differences between a good burger and truly exceptional one. And on my frequent visits back to Houston, I'd often crave a burger.
On one trip, I was fortunate enough to stumble into the then-new Beck's Prime, and I realized I had found a real Houston treasure. Beck's is a chain, but it's locally owned and run; the opposite of an impersonal franchise. And the burgers - thick, juicy, with quality ingredients and the mesquite-charred flavor that was anything but mundane. Beck's became my go-to burger place, and to this day remains my benchmark for an excellent burger.
I realized that I'd not visited Beck's in months, and thought it would be the perfect way to kick of National Burger Month. I met fellow burger aficionado Kerry Stessell (of Hot Line Pepper Products fame) at the scenic Woodlands location, ordered at the counter, and grabbed a table.
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| Dining Room at Beck's Prime |
In short order our burgers appeared. I went with the classic - a simple cheeseburger. It's a favorite of mine; the fresh veggies and American cheese compliment rather than overpower the lush mesquite flavor of the beef, and the freshly baked bun serves as a foundation to this formidable burger.
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| Cheeseburger at Becks' Prime |
My companion ordered one of Beck's signature options, Bill's Burger. It adds cheddar cheese, grilled onions, thick-cut bacon, and special Bill's sauce to the Beck's formula. Here the sass of the grilled onions and the slight sweetness of the bacon combine with the mesquite-tinged beef to create a very satisfying combination.
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| Bill's Burger at Beck's Prime |
Beck's also offers a formidable ahi tuna sandwich among it's non-burger offerings. Heck, you can even get your choice of prime steaks... through the drive-through window.
A great burger or a prime steak through a drive-through window? It's things like this that make Beck's Prime unique, and distinctly Houston. It was a perfect way to kick of National Burger Month, and it's one of the best burgers in town.
[box type="note" fontsize="14"]Update: Things have changed at JerryBuilt, and we take another look.[/box]
It wouldn't be unfair to say that a great burger is one of my favorite things. There's something essentially American about the hamburger - it's portable, filling, and available in every big city and tiny hamlet from coast to coast. Some burgers are inexpensive, some are very pricey. Many are uninspiring; a few are extraordinary. The search for extraordinary burgers was one of the original motivations for creating this blog, and it's an obsession that continues to this day.
A few weeks ago, we attended a media preview of the brand-spanking-new JerryBuilt Homegrown Burgers location on Holcombe. It is the prototype store, and after chatting with the owners, I was thrilled to discover that a second location would follow shortly, this one being in the Woodlands.
When opening day arrived (no pre-opening events for this now seasoned team) we made a trek to the Woodlands Mall parking lot to JerryBuilt's new location. Unlike the standalone Holcombe location (in a converted bank building) the Woodlands store is located in a small strip center on the north side of the Mall's ring road. Parking is ample, and there's even shade; an important consideration around lunchtime in Texas.
The Woodlands store is a larger location, with plenty of seating. The interior has a similar design ethic as the gorgeous Holcomb location; clearly the owners care about proving a pleasant, family-friendly setting. Being a new restaurant in the Woodlands the place was packed; business types, teens out shopping, and plenty of families. The well-trained staff was handling the deluge of hungry diners with ease, we were impressed with the smoothness of the operation on opening day.
We ordered at the counter, grabbed our cups, and went to find a table. On the way, we spent some quality time with the Coke Freestyle machine, a hulking red behemoth that's touchscreen operated and a big draw with the iPad generation. Over 100 possible combinations can be concocted.
After filling our beverages, we headed back towards the seating area, and glanced into the open prep area. This is something we love about JerryBuilt - they're proud to show the world where and how they prep their food. We saw hardworking staff members laying out mounds of Three Brothers Bakery dough, ready to be baked into buns.
This brings us to a key part of the JerryBuilt philosophy: Great ingredients, locally sourced when practical. From the aforementioned Three Brothers dough to Niman Ranch beef to high quality produce, it's clear that JerryBuilt cares about putting a high quality product out for its customers. They go as far as to list the source of their ingredients on a blackboard wall in the main room.
As many high end burger places do, JerryBuilt cuts their fries fresh in house, but they take it one step further: They have a device that crinkle-cuts fresh potatoes. We don't know what sort of wizardry is behind such a device, but we approve heartily.
Attention to detail is an operational philosophy, and it shows everywhere you look. A highlight is an automated handwashing station at the side of the dining area. We saw preteen boys voluntarily washing their hands, a miracle as any parent can attest.
On our first visit to JerryBuilt, my bride was frustrated because there was nowhere to pour ketchup for her fries. She mentioned this to one of the owners, and lo and behold there was a dispenser by the new ketchup pumps, and it was stocked with tiny disposable cups to hold condiments. Many restaurateurs listen to customer feedback, but these guys were acting on it. Bravo.
We snared a good seat near the middle of the room, and in short order our burgers appeared. The packaging is unique - both burgers and fries are presented in small cardboard boxes, adorned with thoughtful sayings from sources as diverse as Albert Einstein and singer-songwriter Steve Forbert.
Looking inside, we were presented with a compact burger, carefully assembled from quality ingredients. The petite (by today's standards) quarter pound patty was placed atop the stunningly fresh veggies, nestled in the just-baked Three Brothers bun.
Biting into the burger reinforced the feeling of freshness. But it also revealed our lone disappointment with JerryBuilt... and unfortuately, it is a big one. We were underwhelmed with the flavor and texture of the beef. We noticed this first on our original visit to the Holcombe store, and wrote it off as a pre-opening snafu. But the impression was confirmed on two subsequent visits.
The Niman Ranch beef was cooked to medium well, and remained moderately juicy, a coup. But the texture was somewhat mushy, and the flavor of the beef was unappealing. Instead of the rich, beefy swagger we identify with the best burgers in town, we tasted a softer yet distinct flavor, one that we didn't find appealing. We experienced the same flavor on all three visits to JerryBuilt, so it must be by design.
Discussing the food at JerryBuilt with several friends who'd visited revealed a dichotomy of responses. Some friends loved the burgers. Others didn't, and all of those (including the Chronicle's esteemed food critic Alison Cook) commented on the flavor of the beef. Considering how seriously the owners of JerryBuilt are about listening to customer feedback, we have high hopes that this issue will be resolved promptly.
Other than this one shortcoming, we are very impressed by both the concept and the execution at JerryBuilt Burgers. We expect great things from them, and look forward to sampling more of their offerings in the near future.
JerryBuilt Homemade Burgers | 1335 Lake Woodlands Drive (in the Mall parking lot), The Woodlands 77380 | 281-367-2874 | JerryBuiltBurgers.com
