{"id":183516,"date":"2025-08-29T01:12:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T01:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/183516\/"},"modified":"2025-08-29T01:12:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T01:12:11","slug":"eastbound-barbecue-to-open-in-houstons-east-end-this-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/183516\/","title":{"rendered":"Eastbound Barbecue to open in Houston’s East End this fall"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new barbecue joint is ready to introduce itself to Houstonians. Let\u2019s meet the four men behind Eastbound Barbecue<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n

Partners Ryan Penn, Ryan Powell, Luis Lopez, and Jake Granville all worked in senior roles for Ronnie Killen at his various restaurants across Houston. Lopez was the executive chef of Killen\u2019s Steakhouse in The Woodlands, and Granville rose through the ranks from pitmaster of Killen\u2019s Barbecue in Cypress to overseeing operations for the other two locations. Powell is a front of house specialist, and Penn was Killen\u2019s most trusted lieutenant, overseeing operations and maintaining standards company-wide. <\/p>\n

Together, they\u2019ve leased the former East End Backyard<\/a> space (1105 Sampson Street) for Eastbound\u2019s brick-and-mortar outpost. They\u2019ll begin introducing themselves to the neighborhood with a pop-up this Sunday, August 31 from noon until sold out.<\/p>\n

For Penn, leaving the Killen\u2019s organization after almost 20 years was a difficult decision, but one he felt he had to make. \u201cI could have worked for [Killen] forever and been happy. It was more along the lines of, if I don\u2019t do this now, I don\u2019t want to be 70 and wish that I had,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

He asked Powell, the best man at his wedding, to jon the project. Together, they recruited Lopez and Granville for their culinary skills. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a no-brainer for me,\u201d Lopez says. \u201cBarbecue is something I\u2019ve had my hands in for a bit. It\u2019s the four of us cooking what we want. Working with these guys has been a fun challenge.\u201d <\/p>\n

While they contemplated finding beginning their collaboration with a fine dining restaurant, the East End Backyard space lended itself to showcasing their skills with Texas barbecue. Once the group receives all the necessary permits, they\u2019ll close in the bar\u2019s covered patio to have climate-controlled seating. Rather than build a kitchen from the ground up, they\u2019re installing converted shipping containers to give Eastbound a place to serve people. A separate enclosure will be built to house two, 1,000-gallon offset smokers and two rotisserie smokers. The property\u2019s small bar will continue to serve cocktails and be the focus of plans to operate into the evening. <\/p>\n

These choices are designed to allow Eastbound to open as soon as October or November. Until then, look for them to do more pop-ups both onsite and in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

Eastbound’s Barbecue<\/strong><\/p>\n

The obvious question for this quartet is \u2014 how do they create barbecue that tastes different from what they served while working for chef Killen? The answer is different seasonings that bring a fresh perspective to the Texas trinity of beef brisket, sausage, and pork ribs. <\/p>\n

Eastbound\u2019s brisket uses rosemary salt in its rub for a herbal flavor that\u2019s distinct from traditional Texas \u2018cue. Similarly, the chefs decided to smoke baby back ribs rather than pork spare ribs and glazes them with a miso-caramel sauce for a sweet and savory bite. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a smaller rib, so we\u2019re able to give guests a couple more ribs per order. At the very least, it looks like more on the plate,\u201d Lopez says. <\/p>\n

\u201cOne rib on a three meat plate is a problem we\u2019re trying to avoid,\u201d Granville quips.<\/p>\n

Instead of a traditional Carolina-style vinegar sauce, Eastbound\u2019s pulled pork takes inspiration from Cuban-style mojo pork with a citrus component that\u2019s bright and fresh. Instead of jalapeno-cheddar sauce, the team looks to Italy for with mozzarella and Calabrian chiles. <\/p>\n

\"Eastbound A three-meat plate from Eastbound’s first pop-up.Photo by Eric Sandler<\/a><\/p>\n

The sides are similarly distinct \u2014 herbed potato salad, stewed beans with Spanish chorizo, and a hatch chile lasagna that seems poised to become as essential to Eastbound\u2019s identity as creamed corn is to Killen\u2019s.<\/p>\n

For Sunday\u2019s pop-up, they\u2019re adding a beef cheek cheesesteak that occupies a space between the classic Philly favorite and a Mexican torta. <\/p>\n

After a successful trial run at Winnie\u2019s, word about Eastbound is already spreading. They\u2019ve picked up some catering jobs and are expecting a good crowd for Sunday. Since the restaurant is still in development, the quartet has had an opportunity to learn more about some of the bars and restaurants that have helped make EaDo and the East End a rising culinary destination.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to mention how excited we are to be part of East Downtown,\u201d Lopez says. \u201cNeil\u2019s Bahr is down the road. We come here to work. When it\u2019s time to go, we\u2019re getting to know our neighbors. Nickel City and Eight Row are the main two.\u201d <\/p>\n