H-E-B is one of the most beloved brands in Texas.
And unlike Whataburger, Texans aren’t the only ones singing its praises. The grocery chain has built its reputation on balancing value with quality, which is why some people are surprised to discover that H-E-B also serves barbecue.
When I first moved to Austin eleven years ago, I was genuinely impressed. The barbecue was solid and compared favorably to many of the legacy barbecue places around town.
But barbecue in Texas has changed dramatically since then.
The craft barbecue movement has raised the bar, with places like LeRoy and Lewis, Burnt Bean, and La Barbecue redefining what great barbecue can be. Those places often come with long lines and limited hours.
H-E-B offers something many of them don’t:
Convenience.
In my latest Outrageous Foods review, I stopped by H-E-B True Texas BBQ to see how it scored on taste, price, and calories.
Watch the full review!
H-E-B True Texas BBQ Review by the NumbersThe meats were good.
Really good.
Brisket, turkey, ribs—I enjoyed all of them. H-E-B delivers competent, satisfying Texas barbecue, and considering you’re eating inside a grocery store, that’s no small feat.
Barbecue has evolved.
Like it or not, the craft barbecue movement changed expectations. While H-E-B’s barbecue is very solid, it’s hard to put it in the same class as the elite joints pushing creativity and technique to another level.
My sides were decent too despite chatter that they can be the achilles heel, but they lack the innovation and cultural mashups happening throughout modern Texas barbecue.
Bottom line?
H-E-B barbecue is excellent for a grocery store.
But it isn’t elite barbecue.
My three-meat plate cost nearly $30.
That’s a lot of food, but it’s also approaching what you’d pay at elite spots like Micklethwait.
Thirty bucks isn’t cheap.
And that’s the problem.
At that price, H-E-B finds itself competing with some of the best barbecue in Texas.
If I have thirty dollars and the choice is between H-E-B and Micklethwait, the answer is easy.
I’m going to Micklethwait.
This platter was an absolute monster.
Brisket: 370 calories
Turkey: 190 calories
Ribs: 600 calories
Fried okra: 810 calories
Coleslaw: 350 calories
Total:
2,320 calories.
Even split between two people, that’s 1,160 calories each.
We’re talking Five Guys territory.
And somehow the biggest caloric bomb on the plate wasn’t the meat.
It was the fried okra.
A day’s worth of calories is staggering, even for a platter intended to be shared.
And honestly, one of the reasons I enjoy doing these reviews is that it forces us to understand what we’re actually eating.
H-E-B perhaps gets unfairly put through the meat grinder because they publish calorie information while many barbecue restaurants don’t.
But calories are calories whether they’re posted or not.
And if nothing else, this experience made me appreciate just how quickly fried foods can add up.
H-E-B barbecue absolutely scratches an itch and, in the context of grocery store dining, you really can’t do much better. In fact, I’d love to find a supermarket that does sushi as well as H-E-B does barbecue, though I suspect I’d have to fly to Japan for that.
And therein lies the brilliance of the whole thing. This is Texas after all, where barbecue is king, and of course a beloved institution like H-E-B would figure out how to serve good barbecue. In many ways, True Texas BBQ is simply another reason why Texans are so fiercely loyal to the grocery chain.
Nothing comes free, however. Calories are calories, and barbecue has become expensive. So when you order that three-meat plate, understand that you’re consuming roughly a day’s worth of calories and spending nearly enough money to eat at some of the state’s elite barbecue joints.
Which raises an uncomfortable question.
If you’re already spending thirty dollars, perhaps it’s worth waiting a few hours in line and treating yourself to the very best barbecue Texas has to offer.
Last BiteH-E-B True Texas BBQ is convenient, tasty, and better than most grocery store food has any right to be.
But for nearly thirty dollars, I’d rather spend a little more time and get truly elite barbecue.
Overall Score: 16.9/30
Good barbecue.
Not great barbecue.
And certainly not cheap barbecue.
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