T-Bone Tom's: Kemah, Texas

The fourth barbecue joint we visited in Texas was located outside of Houston, T-Bone Tom's, 707 Hwy 146, Kemah, TX 77565 (phone: 281-334-2133), 

not too far from the Johnson Space Center. It was also featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Judy ordered a medium rare t-bone steak with mashed potatoes and gravy and sauteed mushrooms. 

The potatoes were real, but the gravy was nothing special. The mushrooms were okay and the t-bone steak was okay. I had one taste and could have had more, as Judy did not finish it, but it wasn't worth the calories or what small room I had left in my stomach. I got the three meat plate with sliced brisket, sausage and smoked pork ribs. The brisket was the least tender and least tasty of all the briskets we tried in Texas. 

The sausage, which is half beef and half pork, was okay, but did not measure up to jalapeno versions I had at Augies or Southside. It probably beat the sausage I had at Texas Pride which was overcooked. I really love a bit of jalapeno in the sausage.

The smoked pork ribs looked beautiful, smoked pink, but the flavor was not there. 

I'm not sure if they were not adequately seasoned or what the problem was, but they just were not that great. 

I got a side of potato salad 

and a side of carmelized onions 

and the onions were by far the best thing I had, they were wonderful. We also got an order of armadillo eggs, four to an order. 

A pickled jalapeno is filled with shredded brisket mixed with barbecue sauce and covered in a coating and then deep fried and served with ranch dressing. 

They are very distinctive, I've never had anything like them before. Judy really liked them and I thought they were okay. The shredded brisket is overpowered by the sweet barbecue sauce, making it taste like a barbacoa. I would have preferred less meat filling, which would have helped the jalapeno stand out more, and I think I would have liked the meat more if it had not been inundated with barbecue sauce.  

Despite the above, smothered in ranch dressing it was really quite good. However, I was disappointed that no armadillos were hurt in the process. 

I really would love to try some armadillo. That would have moved this restaurant up much higher on my list, no matter how it might have tasted. As it was, it was my least favorite barbecue joint in Texas. Of the four we visited, I think it is the only one I would have no interest in going back to. They only thing I really enjoyed was the carmelized onions. I chock this up as another Triple D disappointment.