Where To Go Next - Texas' New Flame

The next generation of pit masters is revolutionizing Lone Star ’cue.

- Chris Hughes

THE SIGN OUTSIDE says “Texas Barbecue.” A crowd of locals is lined up in the haze of post oak smoke. And the slow march toward black-barked brisket and juicy pork ribs is underway. But unlike the no-frills meat markets of Lockhart, Texas, or the unassuming roadside trailers farther north, you’re standing in a sparkling shopping center in Bellaire, Texas, a wealthy suburb in southwest Houston. And the “Texas” part of that sign? Yeah, that might be a little different than what you’re imagining.

Alongside the Lone Star State’s holy trinity of brisket, ribs, and hot guts sausage, Blood Bros. BBQ is slinging togarashi pulled beef, sides of fried rice, and beef belly burnt ends slathered in spicy Korean gochujang. Because here in Bellaire, a metro area near Houston’s Chinatown, this is the flavor of Texas. At least it is for co-owners Robin and Terry Wong—third-generation Chinese-Americans—and pitmaster Quy Hoang, whose family emigrated from Vietnam in 1975.

The three friends grew up together in nearby Alief, and like so many next-gen barbecue stalwarts, they’ve spun a backyard hobby into a full-time business. Predictably, part of that passion was fueled by trips to Kreuz Market and Black’s Barbecue in Lockhart and Luling City Market in Houston. But they saw a future for the category outside of the bovine-first, no-sauce edicts of the classic Central Texas-style. And that personalized, paradigm-shifting approach is now being seen across the state.