Pho beef belly chow fun on the Thursday night happy "nhau"-er at Blood Bros BBQ.
Every Friday, Chron's food team shares a standout dish from their experiences dining out during the week. Follow along to see why we love these Houston eats.
As is common with barbecue joints, Blood Bros. BBQ in Bellaire offers daytime hours only, slinging their 'cue and sides into the afternoon, calling it quits by 3 p.m. (or until they sell out). But for those in the know, the lauded restaurant—helmed by brothers Robin and Terry Wong and longtime bestie Quy Hoang—remains open one night a week, during which it serves some recurring specials you won't likely see on the regular barbecue menu.
Blood Bros BBQ in Bellaire touts a full bar.
The Thursday night "happy nhau-er" ("nhau" means "together" in Vietnamese) is open to the public, but not widely publicized. In fact, Google hours displaying that the restaurant was closed on Thursday nights had me confused before my first visit this week. Robin, who was manning the bar around 8 p.m. on Thursday evening, explained that they have an "IYKYK" attitude about it. The regular barbecue menu is not offered at all at this time, so he notes it's important for guests to be open-minded to the week's features. Those who want to partake must have a reservation—and they fill up fast.
Upon experiencing Thursdays at Blood Bros for the first time, I was impressed with the meat-heavy menu complemented by Asian flavors. I'm a noodle girl through and through, so I jumped on the chow fun with smoked beef belly. At $7, it was a no-brainer, but I was also intrigued by the preparation of the meat. Robin shared that they grind up spices, typically used to make pho, for a rub for the beef belly. It's then smoked and tossed with rice noodles, bean sprouts and fried onions. The result is a mess of noodles packed with smoky flavor and large chunks of meat.
Gochujang smoked wings are one of Blood Bros BBQ Thursday night happy "nhau"-er specials.
Despite needing a reservation, the Thursday night happy nhau-er is casual as can be. The menu features small and large plates that change each week, drink specials like a $9 512 tequila-fueled Mommarita, and (if they're playing) Astros games shown on all the TVs with spirited fans applauding from time to time at the bar.
Items like brisket fried rice (a fan favorite), smoked chicken wings and fried Brussels sprouts are always offered, but as far as what else may appear on the exclusive menu, that's anyone's guess.
Find it: 5425 Bellaire Blvd, Bellaire, TX 77401; (713) 664-7776 Hours: Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m (pssst: and Thursday evenings)
- A French transplant's search for Houston's best croissant
- Eat of the Week: Rice so good it's a country's national dish
- Summer of Sweat: 8 places for ice-cold eats in Sugar Land
- Houston pitmaster's chicken and seafood restaurant opens today
For the latest and best from Chron, sign up for our daily newsletter here.
Megha McSwain is a food writer for Chron.
Prior to joining the Chron team in May 2022, Megha worked as a freelance journalist, contributing to Eater Houston, Houstonia Magazine, CultureMap and The Daily Meal. She previously served as the food editor for luxury lifestyle magazine Houston CityBook for three years, and hosted the food and drink podcast Sip & Savor.
Megha is an Indian-born American who migrated with her parents to Houston in the late '80s and has lived here ever since. She currently lives in Garden Oaks with her husband and rescue pup, and in addition to her work at Chron, she contributes nationally to foodnetwork.com.