Houston Chronicle food writer and critic Alison Cook names Harlem Road Texas BBQ as one of Houston’s 10 best dishes of the year in this article. Alison focuses on Chef Ara’s smoked-meat platter. Photo by Greg Morago.
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Houston Chronicle barbecue columnist J.C. Reid says there’s much to love about the new frontier of smoked meat that he’s calling a “capital of creative cue”, referring to the Katy and Richmond area that has quickly grown into a new hotbed of inventive Texas craft barbecue.
A half-hour away, in Richmond, chef-owner Ara Malekian of Harlem Road Texas BBQ delves into his Armenian background (not to mention his experience working in the fine-dining scene in Switzerland) for inspiration. Barbecue sauce spiked with Armenian coffee accompanies a litany of smoked meats (lamb chops, duck, even quail) slow-cooked over aged wine-barrel staves.
There has never been a simple definition of Texas barbecue. Cooking methods, wood types, and seasonings vary across the state. And now things are getting even more complex. Motivated by the competitive barbecue scene and inspired by the foods they eat out or at home, pitmasters are enlivening their menus with ingredients and cooking styles from all over the world. New spots in the Austin area are serving brisket banh mi, barbecue gumbo, and kimchi instead of pickles. A single joint in Houston does all those and more. Even in Waco you can find a bowl of brisket ramen. Moroccan-style carrots and Armenian coffee share the stage with Tex-Mex touches like pico de gallo sausage, barbacoa, and elotes. But don’t worry. The chopped-beef sandwich isn’t going anywhere.
It's been a long time coming, but the new restaurant is finally open! Yes, we've been open for a while, but we're so busy making great BBQ that there's little time to update our website. Click through to view update and hours.
Houstonia writer Mai Pham of Houstonia Magazine conveys her first impression after visiting Harlem Road Texas BBQ, and shares her experience in this in depth article.
Houston is geared up to host the “Big Game” in just a few days, and events are popping up all over the city that feature some of the best barbecue in the city. We’ve assembled a list of the notable happenings, plus a couple of game-day options as well.
In a recent article by CultureMap Houston, Harlem Road Texas BBQ is listed as a top, upcoming destination:
“… a sense of the highest-profile, most-exciting new openings that people will be talking about between now and February…”
Swiss-trained chef Ara Malekian will meld French technique with a love of all things Texas at this barbecue joint in Richmond. Malekian has hosted a number of pop-ups around town where he’s served luscious beef ribs, peppery brisket, and house made sausages. If he can execute consistently, the Sugar Land area will have its first destination barbecue joint.
With a focus on sustainable ranching practices, The Butcher's Ball brings together Texas's top chefs, butchers, and ranchers for a day of demonstrations and tastings using meat from 44 Farms. But that's not all The Butcher's Ball is about. Join us Sunday, October 9th for an incredible celebration of food, drink, music, and art at one of Brenham's most prestigious venues, all while supporting Foodways Texas and Urban Harvest.
The University of St. Thomas is dedicated to becoming a greener, more eco-friendly campus. With that it mind, the Sustainability Committee, in collaboration with the Environmental Science and Studies Department, is planning a week’s worth of activities seeking to raise awareness for sustainability on campus.
Attention to detail is chef Ara Malekian's trademark. When preparing a dish, he considers each ingredient in an effort to create a unique culinary experience. For example, the Swiss-born executive chef, who always wears a cowboy hat, only smokes his meat with oak wine staves - pieces of the barrels that retain the flavor of the vintage they held.
Non-profit organization and local food pioneer Urban Harvest teams up with chef Monica Pope for a farm-to-fork fundraising dinner benefitting its namesake youth education program. Sunday Supper at Sparrow will feature dishes prepared with seasonal ingredients from local farms including Tejas Heritage Farms, Plant it Forward Farms and Sustainable Harvesters.