I’m a sucker for Houston restaurant lore. Sometimes, it’s a framed poster of old restaurant matchbooks. And other times, it’s an old guide to the Italian restaurants of yesteryear. One thing that piqued my curiosity the other day was a theme park-esque mural at the critically acclaimed J-Bar-M Barbecue in Houston’s East End.
BBQ World is a perky wall illustration out on the patio of J-Bar-M and is as old as the restaurant itself. According to a representative, owner John Toomey commissioned the piece as part of J-Bar-M’s big opening in 2022. Houston Chronicle barbecue columnist J.C. Reid, who also served as a consultant for the restaurant, was also involved in the mural concept..
“Reid and the J-Bar-M team brought the concept to local artist Jose Cordova, creating a nostalgic throwback to Astroworld called ‘BBQ World,'” J-Bar-M’s representative said…