Thelma Bar B Quesimilar businesses >

713-228-2262
City's Best

1020 Live Oak St
Houston, TX 77003

Average Rating 3 (26 Ratings)

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Find this business under: Restaurants-Barbecue, Restaurants

  • Credit Cards Accepted: Cash, Credit Cards

Thelma's Bar-B-Que is a down-home barbecue dive that serves an unbelievable amount of good food. Nestled just east of downtown (and the high rents are creeping closer every day), Thelma's has started attracting a worldwide following of sophisticated foodies to sample its succulent Texas barbecue and attention-getting sides such as dirty rice, cabbage and yams, where a regular order weighs your paper plate down with a pound or more of goodies. Thelma's cooks its barbecue so that you get the delight of crispy black crust outside and tender sweet juicy beef inside. Don't expect silverware, reliable AC or hours past an early supper. In fact, don't even expect them to have any barbecue left (they run out of the sliced beef toward the end of the day on a regular basis). But the waitstaff will find you something delectable to eat and, if you're superhuman, you just might find room for some dessert of sweet potato pie or butter pound cake. -- Ann Walton Sieber

26 Ratings and Reviews

  • Thelma's Q in the 3rd

    Review rating : 4out of 5   akissa97 - 08/30/2007

    What ever Ms. Thelma has left has always been good. It will give you a chance to try other entre's on the menu. Start early with your selection.

  • Gotta Try it....

    Review rating : 5out of 5   cpd448 - 05/15/2007

    I have had BBQ all over the country and this ranks up there with the best. Humble surroundings and an "all about business" atmosphere abound. Hidden away in the industrial area near Minute Maid, one will discover some good old fashioned BBQ in an Old South setting. Be early and be patient is the best advice I can give. The portions are good and are moderately priced. Give yourself the opportunity to form your own opinion.

  • just bad

    Review rating : 1out of 5   marvphll - 02/22/2007

    poor grade of meat and bad service, worst b-b-q in houston dont go but fish dinner is xxx try it ,alone with the bake tater it is also xxxx

  • FINGER LICKING GOOD

    Review rating : 5out of 5   letcastillo - 02/22/2007

    I would never even think about stopping on my own. But I tried it and now I'm hooked.

  • Long lines, GREAT food!

    Review rating : 4out of 5   felsweb - 02/20/2007

    Live with the lines. Enjoy the food!

  • citys worst

    Review rating : 1out of 5   fltxblkmale - 02/02/2007

    this is the worst bbq i have ever tasted in my life...and the service is equally as bad...please dont eat at this place

  • And the problem is....??

    Review rating : 5out of 5   thomkeeton - 12/27/2006

    Long lines at Thelma's ? All I can say is; "Welcome to Houston, where timing is everything". Adjust your schedule to beat the rush. In any case, the food's still worth it.

    Rude staff ? If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen !!! Give back a little of the 'sass' you get....hell, they expect it. Again, in any case, the food's still worth it.

    I'm an 'over 50' graybeard biker from the deep South, and I know BBQ. Thelma's is the best in Houston. PERIOD.

  • Marginal at best

    Review rating : 2out of 5   dendri4 - 08/24/2006

    The previous reviews spell it out. Long lines, long wait after ordering. Rude staff. BBQ is OK at best. The meat is tender and tasty, minimal fat when compared to some other local BBQ outlets, but the sauce is overly sweet, much more like a Kansas CIty or Memphis style than a traditional tangy Texas. It is OK food for bargin shoppers, but not worth the wait or a special trip Downtown, you can do as well or better elsewere in Houston.

  • Long Wait for Nothing

    Review rating : 1out of 5   fennellre - 04/14/2006

    It took an hour to get a Chopped Beef sandwich and Fries. The sauce is too sweet. The Fries tasted like wood. If I had not paid when I ordered I would have left. I will NEVER go there again. I tossed the meal out it tasted so bad.

  • RUDE??? MAYBE. THE BEST? YES

    Review rating : 5out of 5   ajamaljackson - 03/06/2006

    O.K. It's true. The staff can be a little rude at times, but the customers all accept it as part of the 'ol smokehouse charm. Actually, I think it's kind of amusing! Maybe I'm just made of tougher stuff. Nevertheless, I don't go to Thelma's to have my ego stroked. I go to Thelma's because there is absolutely, positively no BBQ in Houston that can even come close to the flavor, tenderness, portions and price of Thelma's BBQ. I'm from Memphis, TN and we know BBQ back home. I've had just about everybody's Q, and trust me when I tell 'ya, you're wasting your time and money going anywhere else for BBQ. Thelma, you go girl! ...with your rude self. :-)

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Showing 11 - 20 of 26 reviews