DINING FEATURE Carl’s BBQ Cy-Fair restaurateur serves more than food to his community M ichael Reiland Sr. has been in the Cy-Fair area for a long time, but his restau-
BY JISHNU NAIR
Street. Reiland said he came up with his own sauce and spice blends, and he still has them locally made. Carl’s got a strong start thanks to catering the workforces at the nearby Cameron Iron Works and Compaq Computers plants as well as Cy-Fair ISD, Reiland said. These early customers in addition to Hwy. 290’s development saw Reiland record strong pro ts through the end of the 1990s. “People used to stop here when they went home to Fair eld, saying ‘May as well stop at Carl’s, cause there’s nothing else out there,’” Reiland said. Reiland said he became involved in community organizations in Cy-Fair, such as the Rotary Club, which hosts its meetings at Carl’s every week. He said nding a way to help his com- munity also helped bring customers into his restaurant. “When you save someone’s day, they remember you, and that little bit helps,” Reiland said. Now 75, Reiland leaves much of the day-to-day operation of Carl’s to his daughter and son-in-law, Stepha- nie and Pancho Cervantes. Carl’s sta has been with the restaurant for more than 10 years, according to Reiland, who praised their loyalty. With retirement approaching, Reiland says he is working on transi- tioning the restaurant’s nancials so Pancho and Stephanie can continue to keep the business running strong.
rant Carl’s BBQ has been around even longer. Reiland bought the restaurant from Houston-based meat supplier Wally Jones in 1986, who bought it from the original Carl Wilford. Wilford founded the restaurant in 1951 on Gessner Street. “It was a good little thing to get started,” Reiland said. “I rented it at rst, started o ering caterings [Jones] didn’t do [and] hired my [future] son-in-law.” Reiland moved the restaurant to its current location, a building that was once the First Baptist Church of Porter, before the neighboring Hwy. 290 was constructed. The move allowed Carl’s to upgrade in size from its initial 24-seat venue, helping Reiland record tripled pro ts by the end of his rst month. “It just gave us a huge operating area,” Reiland said. “We had to hire new sta , and things just started going from there.” To this day, the eatery continues to serve up brisket, burgers and sand- wiches, as well as unique dessert recipes including banana pudding. Reiland said he started out working in banking, but nancial turmoil caused him to lose his job. He decided to fall back on his childhood experiences selling food at Rice Stadium and on Shepherd
Michael Reiland has owned Carl’s BBQ since 1986. (Photos by Jishnu Nair/Community Impact Newspaper)
Carl’s BBQ 21920 Hwy. 290, Cypress Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. 281-890-2275 www.carlsbbq.com THERE’S NOTHING ELSE OUT THERE,’” MICHAEL REILAND SR., CARL’S BBQ OWNER “PEOPLE USED TO STOPHEREWHEN THEYWENT HOME TO FAIRFIELD, SAYING, ‘MAYAS WELL STOPAT CARL’S ‘CAUSE
THREE THINGS TO TRY
Carl Burger ($11.95): Carls’ signature burger is served with fries.
Ribs: Carl’s serves ribs by the rack or per pound. A ribs plate costs $14.95, while a pound costs $17.25.
WEISER ROAD
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Pulled pork sandwich ($7.75): Pulled pork is among the sandwiches served at Carl’s.
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CY FAIR EDITION • JANUARY 2022
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