Burns Bar BQ   

8307 De Priest St
Houston, TX 77088
281-445-7574

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North Houston residents crowd into this storefront every day, looking for tasty, genuine pit barbecue. And for more than 20 years, they've been getting it. Burn's is a no-frills operation, a tiny waiting room with a cashier sitting behind the counter, a few plastic lawn chairs and a soda machine in the corner. The menu is pretty slim, too: Brisket, sausage, ribs and chicken, two side dishes, potato salad and beans. You'll find a few slices of homemade cake next to the cash register. That's it. You have to ask for pickles, onions and extra sauce when you order or you won't get any. All the orders are takeout, although a couple of picnic tables sit out front for on-the-spot eating. So why is this place always so crowded? Because the food here is delicious. A long-kept secret of the African-American community, Burns is almost legendary. It's the standard by which people in the know measure all other Houston bar-b-que. There's a lunch plate available, but after 3PM you have to order everything a la carte, thankfully each serving of meat is enough for two. -- Olivia Flores Alvarez