These two brothers have brought consistently good BBQ to small towns in Texas for almost two decades.
If Greg Mallett wasn’t playing outside when he was a little boy, he was helping his mom in the kitchen. He grew up loving to cook; as an adult, he enjoyed having parties and feeding people. In 2006, Greg was working in sales and his brother Chad was an engineer, but that’s when they decided to take that love of feeding people and open Mallett Brothers Barbeque.
Greg’s banker didn’t have the most positive outlook on restaurant ownership, showing him the fail rate, but even that didn’t deter the brothers. He got the business loan and convinced Chad to quit engineering and come work in the restaurant. Now, 15 years and 3 locations later, they have some of the most consistently good, homemade food, casual atmosphere, and friendly service in Southeast Texas.
When they say homemade, they mean it. Everything from the fish and chicken fried steak being battered to order, all the way down to the cocktail and tartar sauces. They may have started this with no experience in the restaurant industry, but their love of their customers and dedication to quality has carried them through the years. Greg believes that if you, “want it to be good you have to buy quality, and not cut corners.” The quality is the same at every one of their locations; they pride themselves on their consistency and believe that it’s something that sets them apart from other restaurants.
Let me tell you, I was in heaven for lunch. Burgers, catfish, shrimp, chicken fried steak, and a big ‘ole platter of BBQ.
One of their best sellers, the Memphis Burger, came out first. A jalapeno cheese sourdough bun loaded up with a thick and juicy patty, pepper jack and cheddar cheese, sauteed onions, and crispy bacon. Then it’s all drizzled with their sweet house-crafted BBQ sauce. I can see why this is a popular item; sweet, savory, with a pop of spice. You’d better grab extra napkins because the bad boy is huge and messy.
The BBQ platter came out and was overflowing with delicious goodies; sausage, both regular and cheddar jalapeno, chicken, sliced turkey, marbled brisket, and ribs. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor I was so impressed with this spread. Greg told me about how his Dad had a heart attack at 55 and ate a lot of turkey after. He always complained about how dry it was when they would go to a BBQ joint and insisted that his boys make sure they had good turkey breast. He must be proud of them today because it was outstanding. Juicy, with a great texture and outstanding flavor.
The marbled brisket held its form well, not falling apart when I picked it up but melted like cotton candy in my mouth. The ribs were large and meaty. They don’t sauce their ribs, and it’s definitely not needed, they were so flavorful, smokey, and tender. If you’re like me and you like sauce on everything, their house-crafted BBQ sauce is perfect. Everything on the BBQ platter was fantastic.
They have a ton of sides; some of them are hand-cut french fries, green beans, green bean casserole, potato salad, pinto beans, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, corn casserole, fried okra, and cowboy potatoes. Cowboy potatoes are their #1 seller, it’s kind of like a twice-baked potato casserole, with a twist! Although, my favorite was the - drummmm rolll please - the Mac and Cheese!! I mean, who saw that one coming?! Coating the noodles was a super thick and creamy sauce with a rich cheesy flavor. The green beans were fresh, not canned, and well seasoned. I have to admit though, I really loved the hand-cut fries too. Give me a big ‘ole basket of those and some ranch, and I’m a happy girl!
The chicken fried steak was huge. Smothered in hot, homemade cream gravy; the breading was thin, so it fried up crispy, and the steak was fork tender. Flavorful steak, breading and gravy made an amazing dinner plate.
With a jalapeno cheese sourdough bun, topped with a thick, juicy beef patty, layered with pepper jack cheese, fried jalapenos, and fried onions, then drizzled with house-crafted jalapeno ranch dressing, the next burger was delicious. The creamy, cooling ranch, in contrast to the punch of the fried jalapenos and pepper jack cheese, was perfection. This burger was the Jalapeno Ranch burger, and it was incredible. A creation of Greg’s own, and another of their most popular items.
I always like to talk about my favorite dish last, I guess I’m just savoring it.
The fish and shrimp platter - battered to order catfish and shrimp, hush puppies, a stuffed crab, coleslaw, and a mound of french fries. The batter of the fish and shrimp was delicate and crisp, not greasy. Both were perfectly cooked and seasoned. Hushpuppies already have my heart, I just love ‘em, crispy outside and fluffy inside. Then a stuffed crab, this is the one that surprised me; delicate texture and excellently seasoned. The seafood was all fresh, the coleslaw a perfectly creamy flavor, and the house-crafted tartar and cocktail sauces were delightful.
If you’re looking for incredible BBQ, delicious burgers, or delectable seafood, you need to be takin’ the backroads over to Navasota, Texas to Mallet Brothers Barbeque, you’ll be glad you did! Tell ‘em I said hi, and then come back here and let me know what you got!
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