Chuckwagon BBQ & Burgers

There's something oddly comforting about eating in a replica of a chuckwagon.

Also comforting: that it’s located in a suburban shopping mall in Katy rather than on a dusty prairie in west Texas. And instead of eating a questionable bean stew from a cast iron pot, I’m eating great barbecue cooked by owner and pitmaster Waseem Hilal of Chuckwagon BBQ & Burgers.

Hilal, 33, grew up in the barbecue business. His dad, Michael, came to Houston from Syria in the 1970s and established Charlie’s BBQ in Greenway Plaza in 1978. Growing up, Waseem helped out at the family business during summers, usually manning the cash register.

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