The Room
Grant Pinkerton opened the Heights barbecue counter in 2017 — Pinkerton bringing central-Texas technique back to his hometown after working through the central-Texas barbecue institutions. The pit is post-oak fired, the brisket programme runs a fourteen-hour smoke, and the operation has earned Texas Monthly's Top 50 Texas BBQ designation.
The format is intentionally casual: counter ordering, picnic-table seating, paper trays, no reservations. The line forms by 10:30am on weekends. The Heights neighbourhood has made Pinkerton's a regular Saturday-morning ritual since opening.
The Food
The brisket is the order on every visit — fourteen-hour smoke, sliced to specification. The jalapeño-cheese-and-bacon sausage, the pulled pork, and the smoked turkey run as the menu's centre. The pit-smoked beans, the slaw, and the mac-and-cheese round out the standard order.
Beer programme runs Texas craft. The dessert programme runs Pinkerton family recipes. Service is counter-and-runner, in the central-Texas barbecue counter register.
Best Occasion Fit
Team Dinner: Pinkerton's handles Heights team lunches better than most barbecue counters. The picnic-table format scales naturally, the by-the-pound ordering is honest, and the central-Texas barbecue ambient is the conversation.
Solo Dining: The picnic-table format welcomes the solo diner — order half a pound of brisket, a sausage, a Texas pale ale, and stay until the line clears.
First Date: Pinkerton's is a casual first-date alternative for the diner who wants the night to register as Texas-Saturday rather than fine-dining.