KB's BBQ

The most disappointing BBQ experience I’ve had in Victoria, TX. I want to preface this review with a compliment to the working staff; they were very kind and enthusiastic about their fare, and it made me excited to sample their foods. That’s a really good thing. The atmosphere is also interesting, it’s an open-ended country-style eatery with plenty of outdoor seating in an intriguing horseshoe formation. Looking in from the outside (and on a rainy day) I was a little concerned about my well-being but once I walked in, I felt the place’s charm and loosened up. This is a rather unique looking restaurant, a tourist attraction in its own right and I’m sure it’s fun to take your family here. Let’s get down business. The food. I ordered a two meat plate with two sides; brisket, spareribs, macaroni & cheese, and pinto beans. I didn’t understand the steep price point of $22 until I saw how packed with meat my to-go box was. You can easily feed two adults with that much meat! Another really good thing. So how was it? The Macaroni & Cheese was okay. It barely had any real flavor, I just found myself thinking about how boring and uninspired it was. If you’re not giving me a burst of cheesy flavor, then please season it with something or give it a panko crust or… Make it do a handstand, I don’t know. I feel like this is what they serve inmates. Yes, this macaroni and cheese made me feel incarcerated. The Spareribs, please spare yourself the pain, and I’m not ribbing you when I say that they were dull and flavorless. You get that smoky charred taste, but there’s nothing else going for it. It’s a shame cause they look absolutely delicious. You can tell from the pictures I’ve shared, they look like they’re begging for you to eat them. What a shame. The Brisket, thick and chewy, it was just a chore to eat. Equally flavorless. Swimming in a pool of barbecue sauce that somehow manages to insult the brisket’s feelings instead of working in harmony with it. It just wasn’t very good, I didn’t even want to finish it. The under-side was so slick and burnt, it looked like a brisket sushi. The Pinto Beans were actually quite good! My favorite part of the meal. Lovely flavors! It’s not every day you go to a barbecue place and blatantly dislike every type of meat on your plate, but that was my experience here. I’m not even picky, I like everything, and I usually eat everything. But when your mac & cheese is bland, and your star proteins are dull, flavorless, and chewy . . . when three out of the four items on your plate are unremarkable, what else is there to enjoy? What else can form the foundation of your star rating? What value is there? $22 is a steep price for a plate of food you don’t like, but it becomes a bargain when the food is overwhelmingly delicious. I think this place still needs to figure out barbecue.

KB’s was a favorite of mine, but this visit left a lot to be desired. It took an hour to get 2 sandwiches, the brisket was very salty and very burnt, the sausage was not the same as before and salty and the sweet tea ran out at 12:20. Lunch had not even started perse. I remember when they would park under the loop bridge on 236. No one could beat their brisket and sausage sandwiches. What happened? Maybe it was just a bad day.

Went for a late lunch. Pork chop and boudin with jalapeño mashed potatoes and mushrooms salad. Loaded baked potato with brisket. Both were delish