There aren’t many reasons to visit Port Neches, a small town deep in the heart of the Golden Triangle in Southeast Texas, bounded by Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange.
If you do find yourself here, it’s probably because you work in the petroleum industry that is the lifeblood of the region.
New visitors exclaim upon arrival, “What’s that smell?”
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Locals, inured to the fragrance of oil being refined into chemicals and gasoline, reply with a wink and a nod, “That’s the smell of money.”
Nowadays, though, if you are standing on the town’s main street, and the wind is blowing just the right way, the response will be, “That’s the smell of burning post oak.”
Specifically, it is smoke from the barbecue pits of Redbird BBQ, one of the best new barbecue joints in Texas.
Redbird BBQ is the creation of Amir Jalali, 30, who grew up here and attended Port Neches-Groves High School. The important thing to know about “PNG” is that it rivals the schools of Midland-Odessa as one of the perennial high school football contenders in the state.
Jalali, who played baseball and football, still holds school records for most pass receptions in a game and season. By all accounts, he is a true native son of the city.
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Address: 1104 Port Neches Ave., Port Neches, TX 77651
Open: 11 a.m. until it sells out Friday-Sunday
Information: theredbirdbbq.com
After high school, he graduated from Baylor and took a corporate job in Houston. Still, he felt like he needed something more, often thinking back to his childhood in Port Neches where his dad, Hamid, is an accomplished home cook.
“In his other life, he wishes he went to culinary school to be a chef,” says Jalali of his dad, who is a prominent local doctor.
During his days off, Jalali got a part-time job at the Spring Branch location of Feges BBQ, learning the ways of commercial barbecue. It was also during this time that he reconnected with his future wife, DeLani, who also grew up in Port Neches and attended PNG.
By 2021, the couple moved back to their hometown with the goal of opening a barbecue joint there. For the next two years Jalali perfected his craft in his backyard, as well as during a stint at Goldee’s BBQ in Fort Worth. Redbird BBQ opened this past August.
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The Central Texas-style smoked meats made by Jalali and his team on two 1000-gallon Cen-Tex offset barrel smokers are some of the best in the state.
Where things really get interesting are the side dishes, overseen by DeLani. Amir is a self-proclaimed Caesar salad fanatic, and they’ve created one of the best coleslaws in the state made with the flavors and textures of his favorite salad.
They also make one of my favorite side dishes on a barbecue joint menu — red beans a rice. It’s a nod to the Cajun influence of the Golden Triangle.
With the help of a team of family and friends, Amir and DeLani have created one of the most unique and personal barbecue joints in the state. The community has responded with overwhelming support.
“I see a lot of my friends or their parents in line,” says Jalali who, for now, takes every order himself at the counter. “The best thing we hear is they genuinely thank us for picking Port Neches to open.”
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In addition to smoked-meat meccas like Austin and Houston, barbecue fans can now add Port Neches as a stop on the great Texas barbecue trail.
Redbird BBQ brings craft barbecue deeper into Southeast...
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01.12.2023
There aren’t many reasons to visit Port Neches, a small town deep in the heart of the Golden Triangle in Southeast Texas, bounded by Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange.
If you do find yourself here, it’s probably because you work in the petroleum industry that is the lifeblood of the region.
New visitors exclaim upon arrival, “What’s that smell?”
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
Locals, inured to the fragrance of oil being refined into chemicals and gasoline, reply with a wink and a nod, “That’s the smell of money.”
Nowadays, though, if you are standing on the town’s main street, and the wind is blowing just the right way, the response will be, “That’s the smell of burning post oak.”
Specifically, it is smoke from the barbecue pits of Redbird BBQ, one of the best new barbecue joints in Texas.
Redbird BBQ is the creation of Amir........
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