Brett's BBQ Shop, a top-ranked Katy favorite, will serve its last in-house meals on December 28, closing the dining room after a seven-year run that turned a tiny counter operation into a regional barbecue destination. Owners Brett Jackson and Jacqueline Herrera said the call to close came only after months of trying to keep the business afloat and left them devastated.
In a statement to the Houston Chronicle, Jackson and Herrera said more than a year of economic pressure, including declining foot traffic along with rising food, labor and rent costs, made staying open unsustainable. They added that “closing now is the hardest choice we have ever made” and that they had exhausted their options to keep the doors open.
From Mason Road to the Boardwalk
Brett's BBQ Shop first opened as a small takeout counter in October 2018 on Mason Road, then later moved into a much larger space in the Katy Boardwalk district to keep up with demand. The expanded dining room and patio at the new location were documented by Community Impact.
Why patrons took notice
Within a few years, the shop had attracted statewide attention, including a spot on Texas Monthly's list of Top 50 barbecue joints, along with mentions in local roundups of Houston's best restaurants. The meats, smoked on a decades-old barrel pit nicknamed “The Beast,” helped build a loyal following, according to the Houston BBQ Guide. Rotating specials like brisket enchiladas and brisket banh mi also kept regulars coming back, per Toast.
Closing, but not the end
Although the dining room will close on December 28, Jackson and Herrera said Brett's will continue to take some catering orders and will send off the space with one final New Year's Eve celebration. They also told the Houston Chronicle that they plan to remain active on the barbecue circuit.
Jackson and Herrera described the shutdown as a painful but responsible decision and left the door open for Brett to return in another form down the line. For now, Katy's barbecue fans have a few more weeks of service and one last celebration to mark what the shop has built over the past seven years.
