Mo’s BBQ & Burgers

Mos’ BBQ & Burgers built up a reputation for tender brisket in Alvin, Texas long before relocating to the Brays Oaks Management District earlier this year. Alvin’s loss is a huge gain for southwest Houston as owners Sean and Crystal Kabir bring their BBQ talents to our neighborhood. Located on West Bellfort just east of South Gessner. Mo’s is in a convenient and spacious location making for an easy lunch or dinner visit.

Stacks of quartered wood line the walls and the smell of pit smoke permeates the room as you open the door. You know immediately that the smoky taste of real texas BBQ is imminent before you even make it up to the order counter. Let’s be clear, table service and BBQ just do not go together. If you have a lick of sense and a pair of boots in your closet you know real BBQ is ordered at the counter. If it’s really good it will be served to you on butcher paper and/or a lunch tray. If you have waiters or fine porcelain plates anywhere in the vicinity, rest assured, you are not at the right place.

Mo’s has metal trays and butcher paper and, more importantly, they have some great BBQ meats served proper with amazing homemade sides.

I snuck in after the lunch crowd around 1:45 p.m. There were a handful of late lunchers finishing up for the day. Mrs Kabir was behind the counter to greet me and take my order. I playfully asked, “What’s good?” and a gentleman finishing his lunch at the table next to us cheerfully offered, “Everything!” He introduced himself as Joe and spoke highly of the BBQ baked potato had just finished. I’d tell you it looked amazing but he had devoured every last morsel. Joe then suggested the pulled pork or chopped beef sandwich as a “good starting point.”

Well, truth be told, the pecan smoked meats smelled so good, and I was so hungry that I ordered both. One chopped beef sandwich and one pulled pork sandwich. As I was double dipping on a main course I did not order any sides but they all looked amazing. Homemade offerings included; slaw, potato salad, broccoli cheese & rice casserole, baked beans, mac & cheese, green beans, buttered corn, spicy cabbage, and fries. All of them looked homemade and delicious!

After a short wait my sandwiches were ready and served with the requisite pickle and onions, and, because I technically ordered a lunch special, it came with chips and an ice cold can of coke. The first thing I noticed were the buns. The bread is baked fresh locally and brought in a few times a week. The buns had just a hint of sweetness that met the spice and tang of the bbq sauce perfectly.

The pecan smoke was thick in the air and overwhelms your senses. I was drooling like a 19th century dental patient as I sat down to eat, eager to bite into my two sandwiches. To complement the meats, Mo’s makes two sauces in-house–one regular and one spicy. Both have a wondrous sweet tang, but the spicy BBQ has a slow chipotle-like burn. It’s hot, but by no means too hot. It was my favorite but both sauces are exceptional.

The pulled pork sandwich was wonderfully satisfying. Moist and tender with an even smoky flavor throughout. What really stood apart though was the chopped beef sandwich. The bark on the brisket was impressive. Whatever they used in their rub is pure BBQ magic. Additionally, they cooked it just right, hitting that tempature mark and creating a tender easy to eat brisket. Combined with their spicy BBQ sauce it was a slice… err, chopped-up portion… of heaven on earth.

Check out their online menu. Next visit I will try their legendary spiced hamburger. When eating in the Brays Oaks Management District you cannot go wrong with the BBQ at Mo’s!