Chuckwagon BBQ & Burgers
There's something oddly comforting about eating in a replica of a chuckwagon.
Also comforting: that it’s located in a suburban shopping mall in Katy rather than on a dusty prairie in west Texas. And instead of eating a questionable bean stew from a cast iron pot, I’m eating great barbecue cooked by owner and pitmaster Waseem Hilal of Chuckwagon BBQ & Burgers.
Hilal, 33, grew up in the barbecue business. His dad, Michael, came to Houston from Syria in the 1970s and established Charlie’s BBQ in Greenway Plaza in 1978. Growing up, Waseem helped out at the family business during summers, usually manning the cash register.
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GUIDE: Houston's Top 30 barbecue joints
After a lease dispute at Greenway, the family departed for the Northside and partnered with an existing barbecue joint on Airline Drive, Hungry Farmer Bar-B-Q, in 2008. Waseem worked at the restaurant with his dad, now cooking on the big Southern Pride rotisserie smokers that produced large volumes of smoked meats for the low-slung, rambling dining room filled with old-school, vinyl-covered booths.
Waseem worked there until 2016 while also attending Houston Community College, eventually earning a degree in culinary arts. He would branch out and leave the family business, working at popular establishments of the time like Max’s Wine Dive and Hotel Granduca.
Chuckwagon BBQ & Burgers
4031 FM 1463, No. 50, Katy; chuckwagonbbqburgers.com
Open lunch and dinner, Tues.-Sun.
In 2017, tragedy struck. The Airline location, since renamed Charlie’s BBQ, burned to the ground in a massive fire.
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“We lived in the southwest, 30 miles away, and I got out of my house (after hearing about the fire) and could see the smoke,” said Waseem.
Charlie's closed permanently. Waseem took time off from working in the restaurant business for a while, but eventually landed a chef position at Tobiuo Sushi in the Cinco Ranch area of Katy.
He had no experience making sushi, so they put him in charge of the yakitori grill to make grilled meats. That’s when the idea to resurrect the family business became a reality.
“Every day I would light up natural lump charcoal and add a few chunks of wood to it,” said Waseem. “I just happened to buy hickory wood for it and the smell would take me back to my childhood. My mind would replay memories of my barbecue past. That’s when my itch to return to the barbecue world started.”
In 2019, he saw a Facebook ad for an existing barbecue joint that included an Ole Hickory rotisserie smoker and a wall lined with cozy, faux chuckwagon compartments. He was sold, and took over in June of that year.
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Since then, Waseem, with his parents helping in the kitchen, has created one of the best and most unique barbecue joints in the Katy area. There’s an excellent Texas trinity of brisket, pork ribs and all-beef sausage. This is supplemented with comfort food favorites such as a pico de gallo burger that received a rare “A” grade from Houston Chronicle restaurant critic Alison Cook.
Chuckwagon is the only barbecue joint in the area with a dedicated halal meat menu, which caters to the large Muslim community of southwest Houston. This includes meats like beef and chicken while excluding pork, which is available on the regular menu but prepared separately from the halal meats.
It’s increasingly rare to find a family barbecue business that can trace its origins back almost 50 years. Fortunately, through tragedy and challenges, the Hilal family continues to produce great smoked meats and more for Houston barbecue fans.
Chuckwagon in Katy continues a family barbecue tradition of over 50 years
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28.12.2023
Chuckwagon BBQ & Burgers
There's something oddly comforting about eating in a replica of a chuckwagon.
Also comforting: that it’s located in a suburban shopping mall in Katy rather than on a dusty prairie in west Texas. And instead of eating a questionable bean stew from a cast iron pot, I’m eating great barbecue cooked by owner and pitmaster Waseem Hilal of Chuckwagon BBQ & Burgers.
Hilal, 33, grew up in the barbecue business. His dad, Michael, came to Houston from Syria in the 1970s and established Charlie’s BBQ in Greenway Plaza in 1978. Growing up, Waseem helped out at the family business during summers, usually manning the cash register.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
GUIDE: Houston's Top 30 barbecue joints
After a lease dispute at Greenway, the family departed for the Northside and partnered with an existing barbecue joint on Airline Drive, Hungry Farmer Bar-B-Q, in........
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