Willow Villarreal and Jasmine Barela have opened a Houston barbecue gem. Writing that gives me déjà vu. I felt the same way in 2018, when Willow’s Texas BBQ shone brightly before shutting down thirteen months later, when it ran out of money after paying for an expensive health-department permit. In 2021 the couple resurrected their barbecue careers in glorious fashion at J-Bar-M Barbecue, where Villarreal was pitmaster and Barela was executive chef. In April of the following year, a month after my favorable review, they left the restaurant after a disagreement with the ownership. Thus began a years-long journey to open their own place.
Willow’s Smokehouse & Tavern finally opened in the EaDo neighborhood of Houston in August. I say “finally” because Villarreal and Barela first shared an image of their leased 1922 building 31 months ago on Facebook. What followed was a lengthy permit review, which included a disputed deed restriction and a parking variance that resulted in at least a nine-month delay. “It was kinda scary for a minute,” Villarreal said. “A lot of people thought we were trying to build up anticipation” with the photo, he joked, but, in reality, they were itching to get open.
One benefit of the deferment was the additional time Barela had to sift through thrift shops, antiques fairs, and estate sales to find the art that lines the walls and the stained glass centerpiece behind the well-stocked bar. Antique beer and whiskey signs and patinated mirrors hang near an Iron Maiden pinball machine. A stuffed raccoon looks down at the photo booth just inside the door. “I had a vision board going,” Barela said, adding that she preferred repurposed goods. “I wanted to give them a second life.” She credited local Moon Papas Art collaborative with arranging the artwork she collected. “Even though there was that huge setback, it felt like it was meant to be,” she said.
One decorative relic that hangs just inside the front door found Barela—not the other way around. The wooden “Eastwood Barbecue Cafe” sign was being used as a door leading to the building’s closet under the stairs, the couple’s landlord said. They’re not sure whether the structure ever housed such a business, but “it was a sign within a sign that we were in the right place,” Villarreal said. They know the building was first a market run by the Greco family, and it eventually became a Mexican meat market. The place sat empty and boarded up for thirty years before they looked into leasing it.
I did some light research into the era when the building first opened. A story about the new Eastwood Cafe ran in the Houston Post-Dispatch on January 18, 1925. Mrs. Verlie Droddy was the proprietor of the restaurant, which specialized in home cooking (no mention of barbecue), at 3802 McKinney, which at the time was considered “suburban.” The address is just a few blocks from Willow’s Smokehouse. I couldn’t find any reference to “Eastwood Barbecue Cafe,” but the old sign on display touts barbecued beef and pork and promises “We barbecue chicken for parties.”
Willow Villarreal and Jasmine Barela.Photograph by Daniel Vaughn
Villarreal’s smoked chicken is certainly cause for celebration. He dry brines the half birds, smokes them, and then deep-fries them to order. The skin comes out crackling crisp, though you have to let it cool down a bit before indulging. The smoked turkey is also no poultry slouch. Villarreal uses Fiesta’s Uncle Chris’ seasoning on the turkey breasts and dips the incredibly juicy slices in a seasoned-butter-and-broth mixture before serving.
When I saw a brisket burnt end on the corner of my tray, I braced myself for an eruption of salt. Overly salty brisket has become more common in barbecue, but this one showed restraint. The salt, pepper, and smoke flavors were present but didn’t overshadow the beef and buttery fat. A slice of fatty brisket had the ideal tenderness, with an excellent bark and well-rendered fat.
“I say I don’t like sweet [barbecue], but anytime I try a rib with a glaze, I always love it,” Villarreal said, and as someone with a deep appreciation for savory ribs, I see what he means when taking a bite from his spareribs. The bark is set well before the thin, sweet glaze goes on. The meat comes easily away from the bone, and the savory rub still finds its way through the sweetness.
Villarreal collects some of the brisket trimmings for burgers and mixes the rest with the pork trimmings and additional pork belly for the house-made smoked sausage. I admired the tanned hue of the taut casing. The link I had was densely packed and incredibly juicy. The burger was also an instant classic. Villarreal was inspired by Champ Burger, located a few blocks away, and wanted to serve a simple cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, and sautéed onions. He considered smoking the patties, but he knew it would require a larger patty than he wanted, and he’d have to sell whatever he smoked. With the fresh, thin burger patties, he can cook them to order, topped with melted American cheese, and griddle the soft buns next to them on the flattop. It costs $4 extra to add bacon, but the cooks pile on several house-made slices that have been crisped in the deep fryer.
By offering a bar menu, the couple wanted to make sure they would always have something substantial to serve patrons, even when the standard smoked meats run low. The burger is included on a menu that also features smoked and fried chicken wings and Big Red Belly Bites. The last are cubes of pork belly that have been smoked and chilled. When an order comes in, the cooks reheat them in the deep fryer, giving them crunchy edges. Then they toss the pork belly in Big Red barbecue sauce. The meat and fat were incredibly tender beneath the crust, and I could see myself eating a dozen with a few beers at the bar. “It’s something that we won’t run out of,” Villarreal promised.
Barela has always been gifted in cooking sides and desserts, but this time around, she took on developing unique appetizers for her barbecue joint. She smokes all of the cheesy and creamy ingredients that go into the base of her crab dip. It’s served in a shallow dish, and the surface is well browned under a broiler. Use a house-fried tortilla chip to scoop up the lump crabmeat for a memorable start at Willow’s.
I’ve enjoyed every iteration of Barela’s marinated tomato salad thus far, and the latest is just as refreshing and delicious. The pinto beans are simple and homey, and the potato salad is a classic recipe with a little mustard and mayo. The star of the sides is her newest addition: pan de elote. She keeps the corn cake a little less sweet than other versions I’ve had, and she tops the slab with tallow honey butter. I savored every forkful.
Banana pudding can seem like an afterthought at plenty of barbecue joints, but here it’s carefully presented as layer upon layer of custard, bananas, and whipped cream. A slice of dark chocolate pie is dense and rich, with whipped cream and chocolate shavings on top. It was hard to pick a favorite dessert.
Before leaving, I snapped a photo of the couple, who were happy about the new restaurant but a little discouraged by the light lunch traffic on a Friday. They’re right to wonder where the crowds are—Willow’s has already become one of my top barbecue destinations in Houston. The barbecue and sides are impeccably prepared, as I’ve come to expect from Villarreal and Barela, but they’re also armed with a few unexpected twists.
“It feels like we finally got our place,” Villarreal said over the phone a few days later. They live in the neighborhood and are excited to serve it. They’re also happy to show off their unique personalities through their art, design choices, and music selection. (Expect anything from Al Green to Slayer over the speakers.) “We just want to have good food and have a spot that makes people happy,” Villarreal said. I’m happy to report that their mission is accomplished.
Willow’s Smokehouse & Tavern
4109 McKinney, Houston
Phone: 832-649-3114
Hours: Wednesday–Saturday 11–9, Sunday 11–6
Pitmasters: Jasmine Barela, Jaron Sayers, and Willow Villarreal
Method: Post oak in a rotisserie smoker
Year opened: 2026
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