Southwest of Houston, Missouri City is a weeknight town that still finds time to eat well. The mix of neighborhoods means you can go from errands to a full plate fast.

Boogies Chicago Style BBQ brings a different accent to a barbecue restaurant meal, which can be fun when you want to break the routine. Brookstreet Bar-B-Q is a steadier lane for brisket and ribs, the kind of order you can repeat. Old Hickory Inn Barbecue rounds it out when you want a sit down feel and plenty of smoked sausage on the menu.

Go hungry and share. Gulf Coast humidity makes cold drinks part of the deal, and the best barbecue nights here usually start simple and end with good leftovers.