Conroe has a new spot where Texas smoke meets Thai heat. Charm Taphouse & BBQ, the seventh concept from husband-and-wife team Wanalee and Adam Gorelick, has moved into the former Tapped Drafthouse space at Marcel Town Center. The couple is aiming for a true hybrid, part barbecue joint and part craft taproom, pairing long-smoked meats with curries, bao buns and a serious beer list.
According to Community Impact, the kitchen smokes its meats for more than 16 hours and turns out brisket, pork belly, chicken, housemade sausages and turkey breast. Those proteins show up in Thai plates and mashups, such as a Charm Special Red Curry topped with sliced brisket, pad kee mao and a red-curry mac-and-cheese. The report also notes that the bar pours more than 30 craft beers and offers signature cocktails.
Adam Gorelick told Community Impact that it took months to figure out how to balance quick-cook Thai techniques with the slow tempo of barbecue. He and Wanalee say her Thai recipes and his smokehouse experiments were worked into the menu so the dishes feel like real collaborators, not novelty one-offs.
What to order
Headliners include the Charm Special Red Curry, a coconut-scented sauce over jasmine rice finished with sliced brisket, along with a Red Curry Mac & Cheese and pork-belly bao buns that lean into both traditions. The Houston Chronicle points to housemade sausages and a Massaman-seasoned potato salad as playful spins on classic barbecue sides. Burger fans can zero in on a beef-and-basil burger that folds smoked prime beef into Thai dipping sauce and Kewpie mayo.
How the fusion works
Instead of cramming ingredients together, the menu lets technique carry the fusion, with barbecue providing smoke and texture while Thai sauces and aromatics bring the brightness. The Houston Press highlights details such as yum-style green beans, lemongrass-spiked sausages and ribs finished in a nam jim jaew glaze, touches that keep the Thai influence from feeling like an afterthought. Reviewers say those flourishes make the food read like a real dialogue between the two cuisines.
Where it fits in the local scene
Charm is part of a growing wave of Tex-Asian barbecue concepts around Greater Houston, a trend the Houston Chronicle has tracked at spots that bring together brisket and Southeast Asian flavors. The Gorelicks say their approach aims for a two-way exchange, smoking Thai staples and seasoning barbecue sides, a combo that has helped the restaurant stand out in a crowded field. Early reviews and neighborhood chatter have called out the kitchen's attention to both smoke and spice.
Practical info
Charm Taphouse & BBQ sits in Marcel Town Center in Conroe, and the restaurant shares contact details and reservation options on its website. For up-to-date hours and online ordering, visit the Charm Taphouse & BBQ site or call (281) 869-8686. The spot operates as a full-service taproom with weekend dinner service, plus takeout and group order options.
