Restaurant in Houston, United States
Michelin-backed BBQ that earns the queue.
The Pit Room has held back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition (2024 and 2025) at a $$ price point, making it one of the strongest value cases in Houston's competitive barbecue scene. Chef Trey Lamont runs a consistent counter-service operation at 1201 Richmond Ave. in Montrose. Walk-in format, casual dress, and a 4.5-star Google rating across 7,000+ reviews confirm the demand is real.
If you've been to The Pit Room once, you already know what the fuss is about. The question on a return visit is whether it's still delivering the same consistency that earned back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024 and 2025 — and whether there's more to discover beyond whatever you ordered the first time. The short answer: yes on both counts. At a $$ price point, this is one of the most credentialed barbecue addresses in Houston, and it holds up.
The Pit Room sits at 1201 Richmond Ave. in Montrose, one of Houston's most restaurant-dense corridors. The space reads as a working barbecue operation rather than a polished dining room — order at the counter, find a seat, deal with the pace of service that comes with high-volume smoked meat. If you came expecting the hushed atmosphere of a sit-down restaurant, you'll need to recalibrate. The layout is open and informal, with communal-style seating that makes solo visits and groups of four or five equally workable. The physical energy here is functional, not atmospheric: exposed surfaces, the smell of wood smoke embedded in the room, natural light during daytime hours. For barbecue, that's the right call. Spatial intimacy is not the draw; the food is.
On a second visit, this spatial context matters more than it did the first time. You've absorbed the format. Now you're making choices rather than just reacting to the experience. The counter flow moves quickly enough that you can work through different cuts across visits without a complicated plan. The Bib Gourmand designation is Michelin's signal for high quality at a moderate price , two consecutive years of that recognition, in a city with serious barbecue competition, is not a coincidence.
Chef Trey Lamont runs the operation. The Pit Room's consistency under his direction is the main reason the Michelin recognition has held. In the broader Houston barbecue conversation, The Pit Room competes at a different register than the counter-service spots that lean purely on nostalgia or volume. It is also operating in a city where the barbecue bar is genuinely high: Truth BBQ and Pinkerton's Barbecue are the most direct peers in Houston, and both are worth your time. The Pit Room's Montrose location gives it a practical edge for visitors staying or dining in that part of the city. Pinkerton's Barbecue in Upper Kirby is close enough to warrant a direct comparison if you're choosing between them for a single trip.
The drinks program at The Pit Room is worth noting for a barbecue context. Most Texas barbecue operations treat the bar as an afterthought , cold beer, maybe a few cocktails. The Pit Room's setup is more considered than average for the format, with a drink selection that pairs with the smoke-forward food rather than competing with it. If you're comparing it to the cocktail depth at a dedicated bar, that's the wrong benchmark. But for a barbecue counter in Houston's Montrose neighborhood, the drinks side holds its own and gives return visitors a reason to spend more time at the table rather than eating quickly and leaving. For a fuller picture of Houston's bar scene, our Houston bars guide covers the options nearby.
On the value question: the Bib Gourmand is specifically Michelin's award for the leading eating at a non-luxury price point. Two consecutive years means The Pit Room is not coasting. For the price tier, it is delivering at a level that places it alongside Michelin-recognized spots nationally. For context on what that recognition means across different cuisine categories, you might compare it to Emeril's in New Orleans or track what the Bib Gourmand tier looks like at Lazy Bear in San Francisco , both are different price brackets entirely, but the award's credibility is the same standard. At the $$ level, The Pit Room is punching above its weight class in a way that's verifiable rather than claimed.
If you're building a Houston barbecue itinerary rather than a single visit, Brisket & Rice and Goode Co. Texas BBQ cover different ends of the spectrum. For out-of-town comparisons, CorkScrew BBQ in Spring and InterStellar BBQ in Austin are worth the trip if you're serious about the category. The Pit Room holds its position in that conversation without needing to overclaim. Our full Houston restaurants guide has more context on where it fits across cuisine types.
Address: 1201 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77006. Cuisine: Barbecue. Price: $$. Awards: Michelin Bib Gourmand 2024 and 2025. Chef: Trey Lamont. Google Rating: 4.5 (7,041 reviews). Booking Difficulty: Easy. Dress: Casual , this is a counter-service barbecue operation; there is no dress expectation beyond what you'd wear to a casual lunch. Groups: The open layout handles groups comfortably; no private dining data is confirmed. Reservations: No confirmed booking method in our data; walk-in format is standard for this style of operation, though high-demand periods may mean a wait.
For more on where to stay and what else to do nearby, see our Houston hotels guide, our Houston wineries guide, and our Houston experiences guide.
Walk-in is the standard format for The Pit Room , no confirmed reservation system is in our data. That said, popular periods and weekend lunch rushes at a Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognized spot can mean waits. Arriving early in the service window is the practical move. At a $$ price point with 7,041 Google reviews at 4.5 stars, demand is consistent rather than casual.
Order at the counter, find a seat, and expect a working barbecue operation rather than a sit-down restaurant. The Bib Gourmand recognition (two consecutive years, 2024 and 2025) tells you the quality is verified. Houston's barbecue scene is competitive , Truth BBQ and Pinkerton's Barbecue are the closest peer comparisons. The Pit Room's Montrose address makes it the most central of the three for most visitors.
The open, communal-style layout handles groups of four to six without difficulty in our assessment. No private dining room data is confirmed. For larger groups in Houston at a comparable price point, check capacity details directly. The $$ pricing makes The Pit Room one of the more cost-effective group options among Michelin-recognized venues in the city.
No tasting menu format is confirmed in our data. The Pit Room operates as a counter-service barbecue spot , you're selecting cuts and sides rather than progressing through a set menu. The Michelin Bib Gourmand award specifically recognizes value at a non-luxury price point, which means the quality-to-cost ratio is the strength here, not a curated multi-course format. If a tasting format is what you want, Hidden Omakase or March are the relevant Houston options, at a significantly higher price tier.
Casual. This is a counter-service barbecue operation in Montrose. No dress code applies. The Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition is about the food, not the formality , the room is relaxed and the format is informal. Dress as you would for a casual lunch, not a restaurant booking.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Pit Room | Barbecue | $$ | Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025); Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024) | Easy | — |
| March | Venetian | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Musaafer | Indian | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Nancy's Hustle | New American, Contemporary | $$ | Unknown | — | |
| Hidden Omakase | Sushi | $$$$ | Unknown | — | |
| Theodore Rex | New American, Contemporary | $$$ | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
The Pit Room operates as a barbecue counter, so the real booking strategy is arriving early — popular Houston BBQ spots at this price point sell out of key cuts before close. Check their current hours and ordering format before you go. Two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmands (2024 and 2025) mean foot traffic is not slowing down.
Go hungry and go early. At $$ pricing with back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition, this is one of the stronger value propositions in Houston's barbecue scene. The operation is run by chef Trey Lamont out of the Montrose corridor at 1201 Richmond Ave., one of the city's most competitive restaurant strips — it holds its own.
For small groups of 2–4, The Pit Room's counter-service format works without much coordination. Larger groups should plan around the ordering format — barbecue operations of this type rarely take reservations, so arriving together and ordering in volume is the practical approach. Confirm current group policies directly before bringing a party of 6 or more.
The Pit Room is a barbecue venue, not a tasting-menu format — the value case is a $$ price point with two Michelin Bib Gourmands, which signals strong quality-to-cost ratio rather than a prix-fixe experience. If you want structured multi-course dining in Houston, Theodore Rex is the comparison; if you want honest, decorated BBQ at approachable prices, The Pit Room is the call.
This is a working barbecue operation on Richmond Ave. — dress casually and practically. There is no dress code to worry about. The Michelin recognition here is for value and quality, not formality, so treat it accordingly.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
