DeSantis said he worked for the couple, who owned Texas Star Food. In 2007, the Martins traveled to Oregon on vacation to visit family and attended a party, where they first laid eyes on a Traeger grill and were amazed by its performance, DeSantis said.
Coming from the East Texas brand of barbecue, the Martins were familiar with fall-off-the-bone meat that is cooked low and slow in a traditional smoker for six to eight hours, DeSantis said. However, the Traeger, a wood-pellet grill, produced the same results in significantly less time.
The Martins immediately thought of how this would revolutionize barbecue back home in Texas, DeSantis said.
The Martins opened the first Texas Star Grill Shop storefront in 2008 in West University Place, where they sold Traegers and other wood-pellet grills. DeSantis opened the Katy location in April 2020, which is the third of four Houston-area stores.
Since DeSantis has been with Texas Star from the beginning, he said he has seen how the brand has evolved and grown.
“The original iteration was Texas Star Pellet Grill company,” he said. “We changed it to Texas Star Grill Shop because we wanted to diversify. We started selling all types of grills [and] outdoor kitchens. We wanted to become a real, full featured store. That’s when we really took off.”
That original idea to streamline the grilling process and improve the Texas barbecue experience carries on now in the way that Texas Star Grill Shop assists their customers, DeSantis said.
“We’re going to walk you through the process of purchasing your grill, telling you everything you need to know about it,” DeSantis said. “We’re also going to assemble that grill for no charge, and we’re going to deliver it free to your home. We’re going to set it up, and if you want a tutorial on how it works, we’ll help you with that. We take all that fuss out of it, so you can get grilling.”
DeSantis calls Texas Star a one-stop shop, because it also carries Texas-owned rubs and spices, and has a meat shop in-house that sells Akaushi beef, one of the four breeds of highly-coveted Japanese wagyu beef. The business also partners with contractors who can help price an outdoor kitchen project and sell parts if customers are just looking to replace something broken on a grill they already own.
DeSantis encourages Katy residents to stop by on Saturdays, when the crew is barbecuing on the grills they sell, sampling meats for customers and giving out free beer, spritzers and water.
“We’re letting people get some hands-on experience,” he said. “They can watch us cook as we try to show everyone how to use a product, and if they have questions, we’re here to answer those.”
Grill Guidelines
Here are some of the benefits of different grill types, according to store manager Pete DeSantis.
Wood-pellet grills
- Mix and match flavors by switching out wood pellets
- Set-it-and-forget-it ease of use
- Cooking style versatility
- No max temperature setting
- Greater heat control
- Value and longevity
- Easier to clean and emits less smoke
- Faster ignition time than a charcoal grill
- More even heating
- Classic low and slow barbecue
- Smoke adds flavor and caramelizes sugars
- Inspires creativity
