HOUSTON – If there’s one thing that Texas is known for best, it’s our barbecue. It’s no secret that Houston is home to some of the best flavors in the game.
But one of the city’s best BBQ joints can be found along a residential street in Acres Homes.
Burns Original BBQ has gained worldwide attention in recent years after big names like Anthony Bourdain have stopped by to try some of their BBQ.
“I mean, we’ve had a little bit of everybody here... Beyonce, everybody,” said Marcus Carter, Vice President of Burns Original BBQ.
Their brand is so flavorful, but it doesn’t just stop at their smoked meats. They have a line of chips, sauce and even drinks.
“We do a little bit of it all, and we even got a cola and a cream soda, as well,” Carter said.
Carter and his best friend, whom he calls his brother, are still building the Burns BBQ brand that Roy Burns started more than 50 years ago.
“It actually started with Roy Burns on the side of the road in a pickup truck,” Carter said. “And then he gradually migrated to a house. And then from there, it’s been here ever since.”
The Burns BBQ you see now is actually where his family used to live. Now, Roy Burn’s signature sauce is in homes all across Texas.
Kroger is selling the sauce in all 108 of their stores in the Lonestar State.
Gage: “You think Roy, back in 1973, would think we’d be sitting here thinking that y’all got a cola and some lemonade, some tea and a cream soda all over a barbecue brand?”
Marcus: “Especially not. Not like in a major spotlight.”
They’ve come a long way from their humble beginnings in the “44,” a nickname for Acres Homes coming from the neighborhood’s bus route number.
Even generation after generation, they’ve never forgotten that the “44″ is home.
Burns BBQ has donated tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships, they cook up free meals for holidays and even open doors for families.
“I mean, if you look on the street that everyone just rode in on, De Priest, any house that you see that’s Red and white, That’s actually a Burns BBQ-owned house, which we try to create homes within the neighborhood,” Carter said. “To be labeled as a staple and represent Acres Home, we make sure in our mission statement, never forget Acres Home.”
Sure, their smoked BBQ sets them apart, but it’s that family feeling that keeps people coming back to Acres Homes for more finger-licking good Burns BBQ.
“We got a lot of aunts and uncles that come through every day because if they ate here in the 70s, we consider them part of the family,” he said.