FEGES BBQ

Local food writers talk about great places for large groups to eat in Houston.

Here are 23 barbecue joints worth visiting in and around America's fourth-largest city.

Halloween has come and gone. Up next, Thanksgiving. This year, skip the thawing, brining, stuffing and basting and opt for a stress-free Turkey Day feast with a little extra oomph. These Houston barbecue joints are offering smoking-good turkey, briskets, ham and side items worthy of your Thanksgiving table.

We bring you a list of the hottest culinary happenings in Houston this weekend.

We bring you a list of the best food and drink events happening in Houston this week.

^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. Support UsHere's a look at this weekend's tasty food and drink happenings:Pop-Up Night Market at 4100 MontroseFriday, 6 to 9 p.m. Holi Celebration at PondicheriFriday-Sunday2800 KirbyIn celebration of Holi, one of India’s most beloved holidays, Pondicheri will feature a variety of vibrant specials from Friday, March 26 to Sunday, March 28. Crawfish Pop-Up at Goode CompanySaturday, noon2515 North BoulevardGoode Company be cooking up Cajun crawfish and tapping their boots to Texas tunes at a crawfish pop-up, with pre-orders and outdoor tables available. The crawfish pop-up will go until the mudbugs are sold out.

^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. The celebratory package ($78) includes one pound each of chopped brisket and German style sausage, a rack of St. Louis style pork ribs and Feges BBQ pork rub. This year’s list of participating restaurants includes Benno’s Cajun Seafood, Mosquito Cafe, Blake’s Bistro, Hubcap Grill and more. Two- and three-course dinners will be priced between $20 and $35, while two-course lunches, breakfasts and brunches will cost between $10 and $20. Grand Opening of Clutch City CluckersFriday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.5550 Val VerdeDue to last week’s winter weather conditions, new halal Houston food truck Clutch City Cluckers has moved its grand opening celebration to this weekend.

These Houston restaurants have you covered with takeout options (available for preorder) for Christmas Eve and/or Day. Cleburne Cafeteria, 3606 Bissonnet, 713-667-2386With traditional recipes that date back almost 80 years, the restaurant will be open and welcome guests for takeout (and dine-in) on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The restaurant will be open for pickups on Christmas Eve but is closed on Christmas Day. Christmas Eve and Day orders need to be placed by December 21 for pickup from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Both Pondicheri and Pondicheri Bake Lab + Shop will be closed on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day.

Photo by Patrick FegesFor Patrick Feges, who owns Feges BBQ with wife Erin Smith, Memorial Day has a deeper meaning than backyard grilling and fireworks. In an emotional press release for this Memorial Day, Feges said, "Every Memorial Day, I think about the three guys who I served with in Iraq that didn't come back...Especially now, I think a lot about the people who have put and are putting their lives on the line for freedom. It will also serve a Memorial Day brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. This Memorial Day weekend, it will feature live music and food trucks all weekend long. State Fare will also debut its brunch menu Memorial Day ,May 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Kenny & Ziggy's is just one of the restaurants that invites you to "Mensch Out" this month. Though social distancing is in effect and bars and restaurants are closed for in-house services, the ever-strong Houston food community continues to truck on. This week, "mensch out in support of Jewish-owned and operated restaurants, learn to make Pad Thai at home, and help feed the frontline. Get the Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese ($9), with Blood Bros. pulled pork, melted Gouda, Havarti and cheddar, and pickles on sourdough; the Pulled Pork Kolache ($3.75) featuring Blood Bros. pulled pork, pickles and BBQ sauce; and the Brisket Biscuit ($9.50) with Blood Bros. brisket and coleslaw in a cheddar chive biscuit with a baby dill pickle on top. Taco of the Month at Torchys TacosAfter a brief haitus, Torchys Tacos Taco of the Month will make its return this month.

This week, support local restaurants by carrying out, fuel up on tacos for Cinco de Mayo, and celebrate all the moms in your life with tasty eats. Monday through FridayTeacher and Nurse Appreciation Week at Grimaldis PizzeriaGrimaldis Pizzeria will honor hardworking teachers and nurses nationwide with its annual appreciation week. Tuesday, May 5Cinco de Mayo SpecialsHoustonians can celebrate Cinco de Mayo with carryout fiesta kits from Cyclone Anaya's, available to preorder. Hungrys, 14714 Memorial, 2356 Rice, will be offering Taco Trays now through Saturday, May 9. Family Meal Menu at Roka AkorRoka Akor, 2929 Weslayan, has added a new Japanese Wagyu Package for $99 per person to its Family Meal Menu.

This week, support local restaurants by carrying out, hit pop-up markets for fresh produce and bbq, and try out a virtual wine tasting. Live Virtual Wine Tasting at Rainbow LodgeRainbow Lodge, 2011 Ella, will host a Live Virtual Wine Tasting with beverage director Marc Borel and prominent wine professionals starting at 5 p.m. Tasters can order a special wine tasting kit which will include the featured wine(s) as well as a take & bake food item prepared by chef Mark Schmidt. Cost for the virtual wine tasting kit is $115 plus tax. The next Live Virtual Wine Tasting will be hosted on Tuesday, May 5, with the featured wine to be announced. Family Meal Packs at Pluckers Wing BarPluckers Wing Bar has launched family meal packs and a Sunday Family Trivia Game Night.

Erin Smith and Patrick Feges are working toward opening a second location of their critically acclaimed barbecue restaurant in Spring Branch in early 2021. The new location will be located at 8217 Long Point Road and have extended hours, including nights and weekends. The recent signing of the lease will offer the duo a space wherein they can serve lunch and dinner six days a week to the nearby office workers and Spring Branch residents. Feges and Smith became parents recently and they saw a need for family-friendly restaurants in the Spring Branch area in which they live. We will be anticipating those smoked wings in the meantime.

I have been annoyed, perhaps irrationally so, by Feges BBQ since it first opened in early 2018. Without weekend hours and only a four-hour window for lunch service (plus a shorter breakfast service in the mornings), Feges BBQ is doing absolute gangbusters business. By their own merits, and under the promotional wing of Patrick Feges' old mentor and executive chef Chris Shepherd, Feges has become a household name in Texas barbecue circles. It has been the sides, perhaps more than anything, that have made Fege's BBQ the buzz-worthy must-try concept that it is. On quality of sides (and dessert) Feges BBQ scores a 9/10.