Bar-B-Que Hut
31608 Old Hempstead Road, Magnolia
281-259-7706
47125 FM 1774, Magnolia
281-259-0701

Country Bumpkin’s Cafe
18929 Telge Road, Tomball
281-290-6512

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
28155 Hwy. 249, Ste. 2, Tomball
281-255-2775
6011 FM 1488, Magnolia
281-259-5619
www.dickeys.com

Harris County Smokehouse
14243 FM 2920, Tomball
281-351-4060
www.harriscountysmokehouse.com
Hickory Corral
18537 FM 1488, Magnolia
281-356-7885

Old Tomball BBQ
30042 Hwy. 249, Tomball
281-351-0929

The Original Rib Tickler
28930 Hwy. 249, Tomball
281-255-8119
www.texasoriginalribtickler.com

Valley Ranch Grill & Barbeque
22548 Hwy. 249, Tomball
281-376-1588
www.valleyranchbbq.com

The Wooden Spoke
27405 FM 2978, Magnolia
832-701-6453
www.thewoodenspoke.com

Butchers


Ainsworth Meats
32599 FM 2978, Magnolia
281-252-0002
www.ainsworthmeats.com

Pancho’s Meat Market
938 W. Main St., Tomball
281-516-0002

Smitty’s Meat Market
and Smokehouse
11210 Mahaffey Road, Tomball
281-516-7205

Cooking tips


What are the best cuts of meat for grilling?
You’ve got your rib-eye steaks, New York Strips and fillets, which are all prime cuts of meat. Then you’ve got brisket, ribs and pork, which are all really good for grilling and feeding large groups of people. Grilled or smoked sausages also make great appetizers.

What are the biggest mistakes people make when grilling?
They overcook it. What I look for is the firmness of the meat when you pick it up, or you can use a temperature probe to make sure that it’s about 130 degrees or medium-rare. It all really comes down to how individual people want their meat cooked. You also want to make sure you have a grill with heavy-duty metal that holds in the heat.

Grill buying tips


David Hendricks, manager of Westside Grill and Fireplace in Katy, offers shoppers tips on what to consider when buying a new grill.

What should customers look for when shopping for a new grill?
If you don’t want to buy a new grill every few years, you should look for a stainless steel grill. Stainless steel grills are what most people are looking for now, but most people don’t know that there are different grades of stainless steel. When you go to a mass merchant and their grill says that it’s stainless, it doesn’t tell them that it may be a low-grade of stainless steel, and lower-grade stainless steel will rust. If you’re buying a stainless steel grill, take a magnet with you. If the magnet sticks to the surface of the grill, it’s a lower-grade stainless. A magnet won’t stick to higher-grade stainless steel.

When should customers consider purchasing a more expensive grill?
You’ll save yourself a lot of time and money in the long run with a more expensive grill. With proper maintenance, you won’t have to go out and buy a new grill every two or three years. You’ll be able to get something with a higher temperature range and something that you can buy parts for to repair.
With a more expensive grill, you won’t have to chase the heat around [since it cooks meats more thoroughly]. You’ll be able to sear your meats properly so that more juice is locked in.