J-Bar-M Barbecue - Review - East Downtown - Houston - The Infatuation
"J-Bar-M Barbecue in EaDo looks straight out of a Magnolia Home catalog. We don’t know of any other barbecue joint that puts fresh white hydrangeas on every table. This restaurant is a bit more expensive and squeaky clean than other barbecue joints. And if you speak Texan, this polished smoked meats restaurant should raise some eyebrows. Still, J-Bar-M serves up some of the city’s best new-school barbecue. The meat hits all the major plot points: beautifully rendered brisket, snappy jalapeño-cheddar sausage, tender pork ribs, and thick slices of pepper-crusted turkey breast. Skip the chicken—it’s almost always dry. And, if you're tired of getting a regular old tray of barbecue, J-Bar-M has chopped brisket tacos on housemade tortillas with fresh pico de gallo or an entire brunch menu—the best time to order crispy fried chicken. J-Bar-M is open all day to satisfy an ever-present need for smoked meats. And don’t worry about sweating over a tray of meat or having to linger outside before ordering. This dining room is so huge that you could line up the entire Texans' offensive line in front of you, and there would still be room to squeeze in some pre-barbecue stretches under the blasting AC. So get gussied up because it’s too nice here to wear anything scrubby, and grab a tray. Just make sure to tuck a napkin into your collar extra tight. Food Rundown Brisket J-Bar-M strikes a nice balance between super-moist brisket and making sure it’s still recognizable for what it is: meat. One thing about new-school barbecue is sometimes the brisket gets too soft. Here, it’s tender, well-rendered, and has a just-thick-enough smoky crust. Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage This sausage is straight-forward with thick pockets of both jalapeño and cheese throughout. And the casing has a quick snap that gives way to tender sausage with each bite. Pork Ribs These are the kind of smoky ribs you want to pick clean. The meat is tender and moist but still has a textured crust with a satisfying char. Get these every time. Chicken Even though the chicken looked nice and crispy, the meat was dry on each of our visits. If you are looking for white meat that's not pork, skip the chicken and get the turkey breast instead. Brisket Tacos Each taco arrives mounted with a thick layer of fresh pico de gallo that balances out every rich bite of brisket. We couldn’t stop reaching for these between bites of the barbecue tray. Macaroni And Cheese Move over, elbow noodles. J-Bar-M makes macaroni and cheese with spiral cavatappi, adding even more texture and creamy cheese per square inch. Charro Beans Most places in Houston know how to toss in a nod to the state’s Mexican roots, and these smoky, deeply savory, stick-to-your-stomach charro beans are no exception. We baptized every meat in the herb-spiced stew and savored the resulting bites." - Chelsea Thomas
