Killen's Barbecue
Ronnie Killen smokes a Snake River Farms beef rib out back and serves it in what used to be Pearland's first school cafeteria.
Why go
Killen opened Pearland first, and the rooms in The Woodlands and Cypress came later.3 He buys the beef from Snake River Farms.1 MICHELIN gave the Pearland door a Bib Gourmand and has kept it there.6 Doors open at 11 and the crowd moves fast.1
Order this / avoid
- Order: the beef rib, which comes as a plate at a fixed price instead of weighed out at the counter.3
- Order: the pork belly burnt ends, tossed in a pepper jelly sauce.1
- Order: brussels sprouts and collards in potlikker if you want a break from the meat.1
- Order: the creme brulee bread pudding, and save the room for it.1
- Avoid: substituting The Woodlands or Cypress. The Chronicle's team calls Pearland the best and most consistent of the three.3
What locals & experts say
- MICHELIN Guide Texas (2025), Bib Gourmand:
Killen offers a first-class beef rib smoked just out back that is a silken delight and sings of smoke, salt, fat, and pepper. You could cut it with a spoon.
1 - Texas Monthly, Top 50 BBQ Joints 2021 (Daniel Vaughn's team):
The desserts are what made us look to the heavens and rejoice
4 - Houston Chronicle, Top 100 Restaurants (2024):
the original location in Pearland is the setting for Ronnie Killen's best and most consistent Texas 'Q.
3
Good to know
- Timing: doors at 11am, closed Monday. Go early.1
- Booking: the restaurant handles its own bookings and Michelin's advice is to contact it directly.1
- Room: a dining room plus a covered outdoor patio, which is the setup that works for a group.3
- Where it is: 3613 E Broadway St, Pearland.1
Verdict
should-visit — MICHELIN's inspectors said the beef rib could be cut with a spoon, which is a claim about a cook and it lands on the Pearland door specifically. The Bib Gourmand has held across both Texas selections, and the Chronicle's 2024 Top 100 names this the best and most consistent of Killen's three rooms, so the branch discipline pays off for a reader here. Two things hold it off the top rung: Daniel Vaughn's 2025 Top 50, read end to end, does not carry it while the 2021 one did, and nobody in Houston has published a bylined scored review of this door in anything read here.