top 10

The Swinging Door

Claim
marker

3818 Fm 359 Rd (at McCrary Road)
Richmond, TX 77469

marker
(281) 342-4758
Incorrect info? Correct your listing
Photos
The Swinging Door - Richmond, TX
The Swinging Door - Richmond, TX
The Swinging Door - Richmond, TX
Reviews
( 24 )
( 14 )
( 3 )
( 2 )
( 2 )

Best

I have been going to The Swinging Door for years. I always feel welcomed by the staff, managers, and by the owner. The owner is super friendly. I love all of the meats, but the sm...

Worst

I have been there three times and I am dissappointed everytime.Owner is rude,plates are dirty,menus stained.The wait staff is friendly though and it it is not their fault the foo...

Average Brisket 1/18/2004

Great atmosphere and decor, but the brisket was dried out. I would rather eat brisket with no sauce but I had to dump a ton of sauce to make it good. I paid 13 dollars for my meal which is too much for a BBQ joint. Not anywhere near the upper echelon of Texas BBQ places. Though the potato salad is amazing. Pros: atmosphere Cons: waiters, pricey more
Reply | Report abuse |

The Very Best in Town 12/23/2003

The Swinging Door has the very best Bar B Q available in the Houston area. No if's, and's or but's about it. It has always been woth the short and scenic drive. Pros: Best Bar B Q, Great atmosphere, Perfect dining more
Reply | Report abuse |

BEST RIBS 8/7/2003

The ribs are excellent! We tried the famous Dreamland in Alabama and they were laughable compared to Swinging Door. Baked Potato is great, too. And the potato salad alone is worth the trip. Pros: Country Ambiance, Friendly Staff, Reasonably Priced more
Reply | Report abuse |

good food GREAT SERVICE! 6/4/2003

to those of you who have had bad service, all i can say to you is do you talk to a manager, or address this problem in anyway before you left, so that the situation could be taken care of. I have always had great service, but maybe that is because I understand that people can have a bad day. After all they are only human and not robots humans show feelings. it is only natural to express them sometimes unaware that you are expressing them. OTHER THAN THAT THE SWINGING DOOR IS SOME OF THE BEST BARBEQUE I HAVE HAD, THE OLNY BARBEQUE BESIDES MY DADS THAT I WILL EVEN COME CLOSE TO EATTING. REMINDS ME OF HOME SWEET HOME! Pros: good food, great desert, good band on saturday Cons: parking lot has holes, reservations needed, on friday-sunday more
Reply | Report abuse |

Best BBQ in Texas 6/4/2003

This is the best bbq I've found in Texas. I love the lean sliced beef they serve. The sauce is unbelievable and the service is great. I usually drive 13 miles, twice a week to have lunch. The service is quick and I can be back to work within an hour. The place has an old-fashion country feeling and it's a pleasure to get out of Houston's rat-race. They also have a great blackberry cobbler served with vanilla ice cream. The only bad thing is they close on Monday and Tuesday. Pros: slice beef & sauce, blackberry cobbler, great service Cons: closed mon/tuesday more
Reply | Report abuse |

Excellent Barbeque 5/27/2003

I originally came from Chicago and in the past 5+ years I have been all over the south trying barbeque and the Swinging Door is the best barbeque by far. more
Reply | Report abuse |

Delicious barbecue 5/15/2003

I've been going to The Swinging Door since I was a kid, and it is still the best. Great country atmosphere, food, service, and great promptness on food. I don't think I could go anywhere else. Pros: atmosphere, service, food Cons: none, none, none more
Reply | Report abuse |

too good for my shirt 5/1/2003

Condescending service:Too good for the customer. They should show appreciation for the buyer. Pros: Taste, Servings, Flavor Cons: Service, Service, Service more
Reply | Report abuse |

Best in Houston,#1 1/31/2003

Swinging Door BBQ is the very best BBQ in the Houston area.Goode and Co. doesn't even come close. Pros: I love the place, inexpensive, fair parking Cons: too far more
Reply | Report abuse |

Food-good, service-SUCKS 1/29/2003

Yes, I agree the food is great. But, the service is HORRIBLE. They act like you are totally bothering them - like, what are you you doing here!! If you order take-out, make sure you check it before you leave. You may ask why I go back? Not alot of selection in the Richmond area, and the food is good. South Texas BBQ on 1st Street is GREAT, too. Pros: taste, close to home Cons: service, service, service!! more
Reply | Report abuse |

Best BBQ in Texas 1/9/2003

The meats are very tender and the flavor is out of this world. more
Reply | Report abuse |

Superb 1/9/2003

This is THE best barbeque I've ever tasted. The menu is short and sweet but everything is delicious. Another good sign was that they are always busy. The next time I visit my children in Houston, we'll be back! Pros: great food Cons: crowded, need more parking, slow service more
Reply | Report abuse |

Swingingest 1/3/2003

We have eaten at the Swinging Door on numerous occasions. The food has always been good. It is in a quaint setting and well worth the drive. more
Reply | Report abuse |

SwInGiNg DoOr Is AwEsOmE!! 11/11/2002

ok her i go.. swinging door is so cool and the food is great. i recomend the turkey. its juicy and yes cooked very good. Pros: great food, nice employees, inexpensive Cons: crowded sumtimes more
Reply | Report abuse |

Worth the drive 11/10/2002

The Swinging Door is one of those places that is not on our 'normal' paths. We enjoy taking a short drive through the countryside, then stopping for lunch at an authentic barbeque/dance hall. The atmosphere is the great, the food's even better. Pros: No waiting, Great Food, Reasonable Price Cons: None more
Reply | Report abuse |

true country cooking 9/2/2002

The Swinging Doors barbecue and real country atmosphere is the best barbecue resturant I have ever been.Steve Onstead takes great pride in preparing the food daily.From the barbecue,to the beans, potatoe salad and coleslaw thats made from scatch.They make sure every customer is waiting on is satisfied before leaving.Steve makes you feel like family and the food and atmosphere comes from the heart. Its the only place I've ever been that the brisket is the tenderest,the ribs melt in your mouth,the turkey is the most moist and the chicken has the best flavor I have ever had. I think everyone should come out and try the little country resturant on hwy 359 in Richmond Texas. Pros: good parking, best food, no waiting Cons: none, none, none more
Reply | Report abuse |

Family owned and good for the family : ) 9/1/2002

The Swinging Door's choice of meet are to die for. Their sausage is tender and not dried out, and has a good flavor. Their Turkey and Chicken, both moist and delicious. Their Ribs, Brisket, and Chop are both very tender and very hard to peel yourself away. People leave with shirts and belts just about to burst, they also leave very happy. Their staff is well trained, the boys on the board are talented, and the hostess are fast as possible and very sweet. The buss girls are quick to clean as well. Pros: food, prices, atmosphere Cons: small parking, not enough AC more
Reply | Report abuse |

A nice drive to a great destination. 9/1/2002

A rambling "country" looking place full of friendly folks and really excellent barbeque. The dance hall in the rear is open weekends with country western or big band swing. This place is a landmark. If you haven't been there you don't like barbeque or you haven't been paying attention. Pros: Great food, Easy to find, Easy parking more
Reply | Report abuse |

Rib Ticklin' good! 8/31/2002

Just because a lot of you don't get out to Richmond, and maybe can't find this place if you do, doesn't mean it isn't the best dang BBQ south of the North pole! They have the Best Turkey, Chicken, and Ribs on the planet. Okay their sausage is only good and their brisket is only real good. But please dont even say Luthers in the same breath as Swingin' Door. And Pappas never saw the day they could beat these guys. Same goes for Ex Pres Bush's Favorite...Otto's ain't in the same class. And when it comes to value, everyone else costs more, and arent as good! And that includes Goode company Pros: excellent value, very friendly staff, awesome sauce Cons: no french fries, no salads more
Reply | Report abuse |

The Bar-B-Q -- Bar none! 8/21/2002

It's a bit of a haul, but well worth the drive. Great brisket and sausage. The sauce absolutely caps everything off! Pros: Sauce, Flavor of the meat Cons: Hard to find parking more
Reply | Report abuse |
< Previous 1 2 3 Next >
Menu for The Swinging Door


Summer SALE!!!:
15% OFF all yearly plans
Use year15 at checkout. Expires 1/1/2021

Take a short road trip to Fort Bend County for Texas-famous barbecue with deep smoke flavor.

Owner Message

  • Established in 1973 by Steve and Ward Onstad. The restaurant had seating for 12 and Bar-B-Q on weekends. The "original" burns to the ground in 1974...
    1974 -- The "New Original" was rebuild, bigger, better, seating expands to 75 or so. In 1979, we entered the Bar-B-Q cook-off at The Houston Live Stock and Rodeo Show. We Won!! The rest is history. People started coming to us from all over the whole wide world to taste our wonderful Texas Bar-B-Q. Now people ask us to ship our great-tasting BBQ all over. And you know what, we ship it to them! The Swinging Door is a family owned restaurant serving the finest quality 100%, pecan smoked Bar-B-Q at reasonable prices in a pleasant, rural, family atmosphere.

Editorial

  • The Scene
    Smart city slickers steer to Richmond to escape the grind and chew on some of the best 'cue in the county. Creaky, country and family-friendly, the Door is the quintessential...

  • 7/1/2007 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Wed-Thu 11am-9pm; Fri-Sat 11am-10pm; Sun 11am-9pm
  • Payments: Discover, Master Card, American Express, Visa
badge