Michael Sambrooks, owner of the tony Houston steakhouse Andiron, actually cut his teeth as a bonafied pit master creating traditional Central Texas-style smoked meats. Years before he made a name for himself in the fine dining sphere, Sambrooks turned his passion for live-fire cooking into what is one of Houston’s most popular BBQ outposts The Pit Room, which added a restaurant in Memorial City earlier this year to go with the original on Richmond Avenue.

For the uninitiated, Central Texas-style barbecue is pretty straightforward. The meat, in most cases, is simply rubbed with just salt and black pepper (although a few barbecue pit masters throw in a few other spices too). Cooked low and slow over indirect heat from the wood of pecan, post oak, or mesquite trees, it is served traditionally without any sauces.

Though truth be told, Sambrooks has bottled his own barbecue sauces, which include a house mustard sauce and coffee bourbon. Not to mention spices rubs too, for those ambitious backyard barbecue aficionados who hope to come close to what the pros can do.

Whether you take your ‘cue to go (the Pit Room can craft carryout for up to 50 people) the barbecue menu that has made The Pit Room one of Texas’ most respected practitioners of the art of smoked meat has a lineup of expertly sourced meats like brisket, beef ribs, pork ribs, pulled pork, turkey and chicken. Made daily, the assorted sausages (including Czech-style beef, jalapeño-cheddar pork and black pepper garlic venison) have become a Pit Room staple.

And what’s a Texas barbecue dinner with one meat or three without the requisite sides? At the Pit Room, the supporting cast of worthy homemade sides include macaroni and cheese, mustard potato salad, elote, charro beans, coleslaw and green beans. Did we mention there are also tacos, chips and dips, chili and Frito pies?

Mixologist Sarah Crowl has been brought in to elevate the cocktail program, creating signature drinks such as a hibiscus margarita and a sparkling version of ranch water.

For those of us who can’t imagine a meal ending without a sweet treat, Sambrooks enlisted his talented pastry chef Alejandra Salas to bake up homemade cookies you can enjoy all on their own or sandwich with your favorite ice cream flavors. And finally, for those adventurous cooks who want to barbecue in their own backyard, the still new Memorial City Pit Room features a retail meat market stocked with to-go packaged brisket, ribeye, t-bone steaks and sausage ready to cook at home.

The Pit Room has restaurants at 1201 Richmond Avenue and 10301 Katy Freeway in the Memorial City. Both locations are open from 7 am to 9 pm seven days a week.