Josh S.
Yelp
I first went to Fainmous BBQ years back shortly after Hurricane Harvey when they were in a strip center in Meyerland. My experience then was a good one, so I was happy to find they've relocated inside the 610 loop in the rapidly developing Sawyer Yards complex. The restaurant is owned by a couple originally from Knoxville, who brought their East Tennessee-style of barbecue to Houston.
The menu has the typical barbecue breakdown that allows for ordering individual meats by weight; 1, 2, or 3 meat plates; as well as bulk "family packs". There's also a robust list of sandwiches of various meats; your usual barbecue sides like baked beans, potato salad, and green beans; Southern-style desserts such as sweet potato pie and cobbler; and specialty items like a rib tip sandwich. Not all of these are always available, though (when I visited the only dessert on offer was cobbler), so do call ahead if you're looking for something specific.
When trying a new barbecue place, I normally opt for the Texas trinity, i.e., brisket, ribs, and sausage. Brisket is indeed an option here, however, given this is East Tennessee barbecue, which gears more towards pork, I got a three meat plate with ribs and sausage that included pulled pork rather than brisket. For sides, I opted for mac and cheese as well as the bit more unique spinach casserole with peach cobbler for dessert. Homemade lemonade was my beverage of choice.
It's not often that you go to a barbecue place that does everything well, in which each meat is impressive and the sides are likewise a hit. Usually a spot specializes in one kind of meat that is excellent while the others are only so-so and the sides are sometimes simply an afterthought to the meat. Fainmous is thus a rare breed in that they hit it out of the park across the board.
As one would hope for in an East Tennessee joint, the pulled pork was top quality - moist and tender with a flavor that was smoky without being overpowering. The ribs had a great dry rub and exhibited a nice bark with the meat dropping easily off of the bone to likewise impart a subtle smoky taste. Of course, I had expected the pulled pork and ribs to be good, but the sausage really took me by surprise with its quality. Tightly constructed with a slight spiciness, it perfectly rounded off the meat trio. Barbecue should always be good enough that it can stand on its own from sauce, and that was definitely the case here. The sauce provided, more vinegary than the sweet varieties usually found with Texas barbecue, thus only served to enhance the already considerable flavor.
As far as the sides, the spinach casserole, a unique barbecue item to begin with, really impressed with a particularly rich creaminess. Its counterpart, the mac and cheese, while still good and a great accompaniment to the casserole, was perhaps the only item in the whole meal that didn't completely wow. The dining experience was then perfectly finished with the delicious peach cobbler that practically melted in my mouth in a flaky sugary, delight and for which the only complaint possible is that I didn't have some vanilla ice cream to make it a la mode. All of this was washed down by a refreshing, sweet lemonade.
Food aside, I was also charmed by the sheer friendliness of the staff, particularly the wife owner with whom I spoke at length. A longtime chemical engineer in the oil and gas industry who finally decided to go all in on her barbecue, she passionately explained the intricacies of Tennessee barbecue and how her style of Knoxville barbecue near the North Carolina border in the East differs from the Memphis style in the West.
As a native Texan raised on barbecue who eats it quite a bit, I would say my standards are high when it comes to smoked meat and the places that serve it. Accordingly, when I say Fainmous BBQ impressed me on all fronts, I don't write that lightly. A great restaurant with excellent food in a fun area, owned and operated by wonderful people, Fainmous is truly a great find that proves its name apt.
