Nestled in Houston’s historic East Downtown neighborhood is J-Bar-M Barbecue, one of the city’s most critically acclaimed palaces of smoked meats.
Founded in 2021 by lifelong Houstonian and entrepreneur John Toomey, J-Bar-M has embraced the neighborhood it resides in by hosting a variety of cultural happenings, from concerts to car shows and even the occasional boxing match under its massive outdoor patio space. It didn’t take long for J-Bar-M to become a Bayou City destination, especially with the city’s international visitors for its outsized Texas vibes. The restaurant was named one of Texas Monthly’s “Top 25 Best New BBQ Joints” and has a “Wall of Fame” with photos of notable guests that includes sports stars CJ Stroud, Earl Campbell, Dan Pastorini, Jamal Shead and Clyde Drexler.
Chances are when you walk into J-Bar-M on any given day, you will find general manager Hoffie Ferreira holding court with customers and staff. He’s hard to miss, built like a superstar WWE wrestler and wearing his signature shades, his arms adorned with copious amounts of tattoos. The native South African – a 6-foot-8 former rugby player – is the first person that most notice when they arrive at J-Bar-M.
“Everyone is welcome at J-Bar-M,” Ferreira says. “We’ve developed a community around this place that you can feel when you walk in the doors. Someone always greets you with a smile and a hello, and the food is an extension of that. I like to call it H-Town hospitality.”
The menu at J-Bar-M features all of the smoked meats that a great barbecue joint in Texas has to offer, from lovingly crafted brisket to juicy turkey, succulent sausage and smoked chicken. The sides and entrees here are wildly inventive, influenced by the neighborhood's culinary history, mixing soul food with Tex-Mex for a uniquely Houston flavor. You can find smoked cheeseburgers, brisket enchiladas and even occasional brisket lasagna on the weekly menu.
“Each day, I walk into the pit room or the kitchen and see our pitmaster Nick Orozco and Mr. Chuy working on something new and special for our customers,” Ferreira says. “Delivering top notch barbecue is the goal here, and we allow our staff to explore their creativity with our daily and weekly specials, like our Tex-Mex and Italian dishes. We’re always innovating and listening to our customers, which makes our menu so much fun.”
Not to be outdone, J-Bar-M also has a full cocktail bar with an expansive list of rare spirits and curated wine offerings to pair with its barbecue menu. Bourbon and brisket, how much more urban cowboy can it get?
J-Bar-M is conveniently located just a few blocks from Daikin Park, Toyota Center and Shell Energy Stadium, making it a favorite among sports fans to pregame before the biggest games and concerts that are within walking distance. There’s plenty of TVs, too, if you just feel like posting up at J-Bar-M instead and watching a game.
“At the end of the day, we want people to walk away from J-Bar-M feeling like they had an amazing experience,” Ferreira says. “That’s always been my goal and the goal of the Toomey family. J-Bar-M is the perfect pairing of Houston hospitality and barbecue.”