If you’re driving down Harlem Road in the southern-most reaches of the Katy area, you might notice the “BBQ” sign on a dusty stretch in between cattle pastures and new-home developments.

Of course, in Texas, roadside barbecue stands are part of the natural landscape, like pine trees in East Texas and yucca in West Texas. But if you’re an intrepid barbecue explorer and curiosity gets the best of you as you U-turn and track back to the gravel parking lot of Harlem Road Texas BBQ, you might be surprised.

Far from the typical meat-and-sauce ’cue shack, Harlem Road pitmaster Ara Malekian is producing some of the most inventive barbecue in Houston and the state. Along with Brett Jackson of Brett’s BBQ Shop in Katy proper and Randy Duncan of Daddy Duncan’s BBQ food truck, which roams Katy and surrounding areas, this region is becoming a center for creative applications of smoked meats.

Now, I know what many of you are saying. “I don’t want creative, I just want barbecue!”

More Information Harlem Road Texas BBQ 9823 Harlem Road, Richmond; 832-278-2101; facebook.com/harlemroadtexasbbq Brett’s BBQ Shop 606 S. Mason, Katy; 281-392-7666; facebook.com/brettsbarbecueshop Daddy Duncan’s BBQ 713-898-9910; facebook.com/daddyduncansbbq Check these Facebook pages for when special menu items are available.

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Not to worry. Malekian, Jackson and Duncan also produce some of the best traditional Central Texas-style barbecue in the state. Whether you are craving old-school smoked meats or are curious about new-school options, these pitmasters have you covered.

Malekian is a European-trained-chef-turned-Texas-pitmaster. His daily menu features classic barbecue meats as well as house-made side dishes and some of the best desserts you will find at a Houston-area barbecue joint. However, it is on the weekends that Malekian introduces some of his most distinctive creations: perfectly tender and medium-rare lamb chops, smoked octopus and blue crab, and a classic in-season smoked duck.

Malekian also takes his unique style of barbecue on the road and collaborates with other chefs and bar owners. For example, he recently hosted a 13-course dinner at the well-regarded Midtown wine bar 13 Celsius, featuring upscale dishes such as smoked pork belly paired with creamy polenta and a fettucine carbonara with his own house-smoked pancetta.

Similarly for Duncan, creativity is found in collaborations with other Katy restaurants that incorporate his smoked meats into a variety of dishes. Craving ramen in cool weather? Head over to Slurp Ramen Factory, where Duncan’s pork belly and brisket are used in classic Japanese noodle dishes. And if you’re in the mood for Italian, check out Danjoy’s Homemade Pasta that makes lasagna with Duncan’s brisket.

At Brett’s BBQ Shop, Jackson is slowly adding his unique touches to the traditional barbecue menu. Jackson took over the old Nonmacher’s Bar-B-Que location — a bastion of old-school barbecue if there ever were one — and has added as many new dishes as his busy schedule, tiny kitchen and beast of a smoker will allow. The new enchiladas stuffed with smoked Prime-grade brisket and covered in queso-and-chile-con-carne sauce are on the menu Thursdays and Sundays and have become a cult favorite among Katy barbecue fans. This week he’s adding smoked beef bone marrow — a classic steakhouse dish — as a Friday special.

So what’s behind this flourish of creativity to our west? I’d suggest a couple of things. Katy is a latecomer to the craft-barbecue scene. Neither the customers nor the pitmasters here may feel as constrained by longstanding traditions that more established barbecue cities (for example, Lockhart) might experience.

And more generally, the Katy restaurant scene is flourishing with independent, mom-and-pop restaurants rebelling against the traditional chain-restaurant domination of most Houston suburbs.

These days, Katy really is the wild, wild west.

jcreid@jcreidtx.com

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