After a little research into a Texan BBQ, I discovered upon Pinkerton’s BBQ in San Antonio Texas. I ventured off the San Antonio Riverwalk Tourist trail to get to Pinkerton’s BBQ. I would discover a terrific authentic Texan BBQ experience where I was able to enjoy pretty much every type of Texan BBQ meat available. Read on to see what a visit to Pinkerton’s BBQ will hold for your future visit.

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This post is one chapter on a work trip from Canada to San Antonio, Texas, United States of America. This trip was enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status, and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. For parts of the trip, please see this index.

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Review: Pinkerton’s BBQ, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America.

During my limited time in San Antonio, Texas, the Pinkerton’s BBQ restaurant came as a highly recommended restaurant in order to taste test some southern Texan BBQ. It is frequently rated as the best BBQ in San Antonio. With excellent word of mouth reviews, great reviews on google and reddit, it came a quest to discover.

About Pinkerton’s BBQ San Antonio:

Pinkerton’s BBQ San Antonio has been open since February 2021. The restaurant has received accloades since it’s opened, having had appearances on the Food Network Eddie Jackson show, CBS “The Dish”Texas’, and Top 50 BBQ Monthly. The BBQ has also been featured on the Travel Channel, the Food Network and the Cooking Channel.

Discovering Pinkerton’s BBQ:

I set out to visit the downtown location of Pinkerton’s BBQ from the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter on the Riverwalk. The restaurant is located in a newer part of San Antonio, away from the multitude of restaurants on the Riverwalk area.

It was about a twenty minute walk to get to the restaurant, which was located just outside of the historic riverwalk district. I got to pass through the historic part of San Antonio, which had a great collection of neon signs from an era past.

Taking a bit of a zig zag walk, I was able to pass by several landmarks in San Antonio. These included the beautiful churches in town, that were wonderfully lit up at dusk.

Eventually, I made it to Pinkerton’s BBQ. The restaurant fronted Legacy Park, and was surrounded by newer high rise residential towers.

During my visit, the Pinkerton’s BBQ was open from 11 AM to 9 PM (10 PM on weekends). The restaurant operates on a “walk in” basis and does not accept reservations.

As all items are prepared fresh daily, it’s worth mentioning that the restaurant serves items until they “run out”. As a result, you’ll be better off if you come early to the restaurant, as you’ll have the greatest selection of food.

Inside Pinkerton’s BBQ Restaurant:

Like many great food experiences, Pinkerton’s BBQ is a walk up to counter experience. Visitors queue for their order, which is freshly prepared for each visitor. On my mid evening visit at 7:30 PM, there was still quite a line.

Pinkerton’s BBQ offers both cold and hot sides. There were cold favorites such as coleslaw , grant’s potato salad served in four different quantity sizes such as small, large, pint and quart.

The hot sides featured jambalaya, south texas beans and bacon macaroni and cheese. There were also some featured desserts such as smoked bread pudding and blueberry cobbler to name a few.

The meats were ordered by the pound. As a result, you had to get a little handy in knowing the correct quantity of food to order.

All the food at Pinkerton’s BBQ is freshly prepared at the counter. The experience almost builds the anticipation as you move towards the food preparation area.

After placing your order, each plate or tray is individually prepared to order. It looked absolutely scrumptious watching these come together.

I ordered a half pound of dry rub pork ribs, a third of a pound of beef brisket, along with two sides of macaroni and cheese and coleslaw. While I attempted to order some chicken thighs, they were regretfully all sold out by 7:30 PM on the day I visited.

Seating at Pinkerton’s BBQ:

The seating at Pinkerton’s BBQ is open styled with first come first serve. Given the amount of visitors, there was quite a bit of turn over in the seating. The various animals around the ceiling added a bit of humorous levity to the dining experience.

The bar offered a separate area where drinks could be ordered. I ended up getting a margarita to drink; something perfect for Texas’ southern environment.

The bar and restaurant area have quite a bit of personality to them. I found the space to be quite entertaining and engaging for a night out.

The Food: Texan BBQ at it’s best

My dinner order consisted of a margarita and a combination plate of meats. I really wanted to try everything, but I settled on beef brisket and dry rub pork ribs. I paired these with coleslaw and bacon macaroni and cheese.

There is nothing there that doesn’t look spectacular. Pinkerton’s BBQ represents everything that I would expect from a Texan BBQ.

In terms of food quality, the beef brisket and dry rub pork ribs were a great combination. While most customers were focused on the meat, I ended up balancing the meal with two sides.

The meal was served with two complimentary pieces of white bread, along with a small order of sliced pickles.

The dry rub pork ribs were exceptionally tasty. The ribs were nicely cooked, with just a hint of softness with tenderness throughout. The brisket was exceptionally well seasoned in a balanced manner, with just the right amount of fat across the meat.

When put up next to the sides, the meat shone. The mac and cheese was great on the first few bites, although it did get to be a little heavy with a side for one. The coleslaw had a chunky personality and mouth feel to it, comparable to what you’d expect from a family barbeque. All to say, the mains were supercharged and it made the sides look a slight bit less spectacular, despite the sides being pretty good on it’s own.

Closing Thoughts:

My bill for dinner came to a super reasonable $38.10 USD for half a poind of glazed pork ribs, a third of a pound of brisket, and two small sides of coleslaw and macaroni and cheese.

My bar bill came to $8 USD for a lime margarita.

The price point attracted more locals than tourists with dinner coming to a total of $46.10; a pretty reasonable price point overall.

Overall, it was an excellent meal. There was nothing not to like about my first Texan Bar-Be-Que.

The Bottom Line: Pinkerton’s BBQ San Antonio

I was really impressed with Pinkerton’s BBQ. For a food lover, there was every kind of possible meat to be enjoyed, and an ordering means which would allow you to sample and experience everything.

Pinkerton’s BBQ is highly recommended if you find yourself passing through San Antonio, Texas, USA

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If you have visited Pinkerton’s BBQ, which dish keeps you coming back for more ?

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