Diggity said:

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It's been two things since it was a mechanic shop. One was an awful BBQ spot, and J Blacks was there for 5+ years. Hardly seems cursed.

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Was it not two awful BBQ spots before J Blacks? Whether it was or not, I stand corrected.

Pretty sure just one....but it was monumentally awful.

It was on my route to the office in the morning so I watched it go up for about a year in anticipation.

My dad and I went the first week and after eating a few bites I proclaimed it would be closed in a year. I don't think it lasted six months.

It was Phil's BBQ, a San Diego based company.



Not sure how SoCoCue it did not make it in Texas.

I remember reading it was some retired O&G guy who was told by his friends that he made some "Killer Q" in his backyard so he sunk some money into the business.

Didn't realize it was a franchise.

I don't know for certain if they were the same company, but recall seeing a spot in the San Diego airport that had very similar logo, etc.

Either way, it really was terrible.

Just found the old article.

Turns out Phil was a rich dude who sold his company and moved to St. Maarten. He had his cousin and her husband manage it from afar.

How did that not work?

https://www.chron.com/business/article/Lawyer-has-made-his-fortune-now-he-sells-barbecue-1707301.php

Panama Red said:

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It was Phil's BBQ, a San Diego based company.



Not sure how SoCoCue it did not make it in Texas.

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In that case, it was honestly pretty damn good by SoCal standards.

Speaking of out of place restaurants, I always thought people in upscale SoCal or even Manhattan would go crazy over an El Tiempo Cantina. The Mexican food in both places is sh**. Random, i know. And possibly stupid.

"Ronnie Killen's Vietnames Crawfish"

This ain't a real place is it?

Is it?

Just checking ..... for a friend, you know.

Marauder Blue 6 said:

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Panama Red said:

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Ronnie Killen taking over that space.

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/03-25-19-ronnie-killen-new-restaurant-killens-comfort-food-101-heights-hickory-hollow-braun-enterprises/#slide=0

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It will be interesting to see how his great food, not so great service model works where he'll actually have some competition. It's easy to look like a rose amongst weeds in Pearland.

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I"m curious as to what you mean by the "not so great service"? Haven't had a bad service at the steakhouse, BBQ is what I expected for a place that opened up during the surge of the BBQ craze - some line waiting, not all that bad, great BBQ. Hamburger joint's only drawback IMO is the lack of parking.

Boo Weekley said:

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Panama Red said:

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It was Phil's BBQ, a San Diego based company.



Not sure how SoCoCue it did not make it in Texas.

---

In that case, it was honestly pretty damn good by SoCal standards.

Speaking of out of place restaurants, I always thought people in upscale SoCal or even Manhattan would go crazy over an El Tiempo Cantina. The Mexican food in both places is sh**. Random, i know. And possibly stupid.

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Mexican food from the Pecos River west is ***** But you can't tell those folks that, they think it's the tits wherever they are. Hell, half the idiots on this board get boners over bland ass New Mexican food that has to have a ladle of hatch chilis on it to make it palatable.

I found 2 places in AZ that had decent mexican food. The rest were bland AF and not worth the time.

schmellba99 said:

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Boo Weekley said:

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Panama Red said:

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It was Phil's BBQ, a San Diego based company.



Not sure how SoCoCue it did not make it in Texas.

---

In that case, it was honestly pretty damn good by SoCal standards.

Speaking of out of place restaurants, I always thought people in upscale SoCal or even Manhattan would go crazy over an El Tiempo Cantina. The Mexican food in both places is sh**. Random, i know. And possibly stupid.

---

Mexican food from the Pecos River west is ***** But you can't tell those folks that, they think it's the tits wherever they are. Hell, half the idiots on this board get boners over bland ass New Mexican food that has to have a ladle of hatch chilis on it to make it palatable.

I found 2 places in AZ that had decent mexican food. The rest were bland AF and not worth the time.

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Yep. We were at a conference in Phoenix and went to a place that was supposed to be famous for their mexican food and margaritas and it was garbage. 3 out of 4 of us hated it...and the one who thought it was decent was from Vermont, so he basically had the taste buds of an infant. He was a brand new employee at the time and we opened his eyes to a whole new world when we took him to El Tiempo shortly thereafter.

Wish I could remember the name of the place...the local's were raving about it when giving us dinner recs. The worst Ruchi's that ever existed on their worst of nights blew this place out of the water (I realize it's a diff style, but still).

The absolute worst are the people who act like real, authentic Mexican food is better than Tex-Mex...bc it's "authentic". I am sure there are some great spots in Mexico...esp places like Mex City, Oaxaca etc...but every meal I have ever had in that country has been mediocre to awful. I've almost broken teeth on chips down there.

Boo Weekley said:

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schmellba99 said:

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Boo Weekley said:

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Panama Red said:

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It was Phil's BBQ, a San Diego based company.



Not sure how SoCoCue it did not make it in Texas.

---

In that case, it was honestly pretty damn good by SoCal standards.

Speaking of out of place restaurants, I always thought people in upscale SoCal or even Manhattan would go crazy over an El Tiempo Cantina. The Mexican food in both places is sh**. Random, i know. And possibly stupid.

---

Mexican food from the Pecos River west is ***** But you can't tell those folks that, they think it's the tits wherever they are. Hell, half the idiots on this board get boners over bland ass New Mexican food that has to have a ladle of hatch chilis on it to make it palatable.

I found 2 places in AZ that had decent mexican food. The rest were bland AF and not worth the time.

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Yep. We were at a conference in Phoenix and went to a place that was supposed to be famous for their mexican food and margaritas and it was garbage. 3 out of 4 of us hated it...and the one who thought it was decent was from Vermont, so he basically had the taste buds of an infant. He was a brand new employee at the time and we opened his eyes to a whole new world when we took him to El Tiempo shortly thereafter.

Wish I could remember the name of the place...the local's were raving about it when giving us dinner recs. The worst Ruchi's that ever existed on their worst of nights blew this place out of the water (I realize it's a diff style, but still).

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Sounds like Los Dos Molinos. Or heaven forbid, Chevy's.

How often have you had west Texas Mexican food. West of the Pecos since you used that reference point. That's home to me. I'm not going to argue what is better but the Tex Mex here is different than anything I grew up with. The use of hamburger meat and not serving most everything with fresh diced onions are the biggest differences to me.

jja79 said:

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How often have you had west Texas Mexican food. West of the Pecos since you used that reference point. That's home to me. I'm not going to argue what is better but the Tex Mex here is different than anything I grew up with. The use of hamburger meat and not serving most everything with fresh diced onions are the biggest differences to me.

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I lived in PHX for 6 years, El Paso for a year before that. Spent a lot of time traveling that entire area, NM and AZ. Bland, overuse of hatch peppers (especially in NM) and unaware that there is an entire world of spices out there that can actually make the corn and corn-meal based flavor palatable.

schmellba99 said:

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Marauder Blue 6 said:

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Panama Red said:

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Ronnie Killen taking over that space.

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/03-25-19-ronnie-killen-new-restaurant-killens-comfort-food-101-heights-hickory-hollow-braun-enterprises/#slide=0

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It will be interesting to see how his great food, not so great service model works where he'll actually have some competition. It's easy to look like a rose amongst weeds in Pearland.

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I"m curious as to what you mean by the "not so great service"? Haven't had a bad service at the steakhouse, BBQ is what I expected for a place that opened up during the surge of the BBQ craze - some line waiting, not all that bad, great BBQ. Hamburger joint's only drawback IMO is the lack of parking.

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STQ had horrible service when I went, and the food wasn't much better. Haven't had any desire to go back. Went to the steakhouse a couple months ago, and the service was great, but the steaks were average at best.

Never seen hatch chilis used in Mexican food west of the Pecos. I guess they need to add the genuine Mexican menu item puffy tostada with melted velveeta poured over it.

Different strokes you know?

Marauder Blue 6 said:

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Boo Weekley said:

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schmellba99 said:

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Boo Weekley said:

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Panama Red said:

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It was Phil's BBQ, a San Diego based company.



Not sure how SoCoCue it did not make it in Texas.

---

In that case, it was honestly pretty damn good by SoCal standards.

Speaking of out of place restaurants, I always thought people in upscale SoCal or even Manhattan would go crazy over an El Tiempo Cantina. The Mexican food in both places is sh**. Random, i know. And possibly stupid.

---

Mexican food from the Pecos River west is ***** But you can't tell those folks that, they think it's the tits wherever they are. Hell, half the idiots on this board get boners over bland ass New Mexican food that has to have a ladle of hatch chilis on it to make it palatable.

I found 2 places in AZ that had decent mexican food. The rest were bland AF and not worth the time.

---

Yep. We were at a conference in Phoenix and went to a place that was supposed to be famous for their mexican food and margaritas and it was garbage. 3 out of 4 of us hated it...and the one who thought it was decent was from Vermont, so he basically had the taste buds of an infant. He was a brand new employee at the time and we opened his eyes to a whole new world when we took him to El Tiempo shortly thereafter.

Wish I could remember the name of the place...the local's were raving about it when giving us dinner recs. The worst Ruchi's that ever existed on their worst of nights blew this place out of the water (I realize it's a diff style, but still).

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Sounds like Los Dos Molinos. Or heaven forbid, Chevy's.

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nothing wrong with Ruchis.

Cstrickland05 said:

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schmellba99 said:

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Marauder Blue 6 said:

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Panama Red said:

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Ronnie Killen taking over that space.

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/03-25-19-ronnie-killen-new-restaurant-killens-comfort-food-101-heights-hickory-hollow-braun-enterprises/#slide=0

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It will be interesting to see how his great food, not so great service model works where he'll actually have some competition. It's easy to look like a rose amongst weeds in Pearland.

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I"m curious as to what you mean by the "not so great service"? Haven't had a bad service at the steakhouse, BBQ is what I expected for a place that opened up during the surge of the BBQ craze - some line waiting, not all that bad, great BBQ. Hamburger joint's only drawback IMO is the lack of parking.

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STQ had horrible service when I went, and the food wasn't much better. Haven't had any desire to go back. Went to the steakhouse a couple months ago, and the service was great, but the steaks were average at best.

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Damn, if Killen's steaks are average, you live in a world I want to be in. Because they are anything but that to me.

And I've not been to the STQ joint, only the ones in Pearland.

jja79 said:

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Never seen hatch chilis used in Mexican food west of the Pecos. I guess they need to add the genuine Mexican menu item puffy tostada with melted velveeta poured over it.

Different strokes you know?

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Guess so. Not my style, bland and lifeless food IMO.

schmellba99 said:

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Cstrickland05 said:

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schmellba99 said:

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Marauder Blue 6 said:

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Panama Red said:

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Ronnie Killen taking over that space.

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/03-25-19-ronnie-killen-new-restaurant-killens-comfort-food-101-heights-hickory-hollow-braun-enterprises/#slide=0

---

It will be interesting to see how his great food, not so great service model works where he'll actually have some competition. It's easy to look like a rose amongst weeds in Pearland.

---

I"m curious as to what you mean by the "not so great service"? Haven't had a bad service at the steakhouse, BBQ is what I expected for a place that opened up during the surge of the BBQ craze - some line waiting, not all that bad, great BBQ. Hamburger joint's only drawback IMO is the lack of parking.

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STQ had horrible service when I went, and the food wasn't much better. Haven't had any desire to go back. Went to the steakhouse a couple months ago, and the service was great, but the steaks were average at best.

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Damn, if Killen's steaks are average, you live in a world I want to be in. Because they are anything but that to me.

And I've not been to the STQ joint, only the ones in Pearland.

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Maybe it was an off night, but my ribeye and my wife's filet just weren't anything special. Not worth making the journey to Pearland for. Had heard nothing but great things about it, but left disappointed.