Restraunt in Houston being sued for excessive wood smoke
- Thread starter pitchingcoach
- Start date
pjtexas1
somebody shut me the fark up.
It sucks but if I had a baby and lived near there I might have an issue if the smoke came in my house 24/7. Hopefully there's a compromise. It's not like the restaurant is trying to hurt people on purpose.
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long haired hippie
Full Fledged Farker
I dunno PJ. Where would it stop? Are your neighbors going to be able to keep you from an all night smoke?
pjtexas1
somebody shut me the fark up.
I know but am I supposed to move out of my house I've been in for 20 years because I can't breathe after a new bbq joint opens? It's complicated for sure.
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sleebus.jones
is Blowin Smoke!
So if they move their cookers indoors, they're good to go?
Pocchampion
Full Fledged Farker
Residents suing businesses within HOUSTON city limits is not that uncommon. The city is not zoned and that places residences in mixed use areas where it becomes difficult to coexist. Bars tend to get the bulk of the suit for parking litter and noise.
This is a poor urban planning issue and not a bbq issue. We are overrun by bbq restaurants that are figuring out how to work within neighbourhoods.
This is a poor urban planning issue and not a bbq issue. We are overrun by bbq restaurants that are figuring out how to work within neighbourhoods.
Mikhail
Babbling Farker
That's clearly a smoke all day operation in a heavily residential neighborhood. I can see their point. There's a big difference between a neighbor's twelve hour smoke once a week and commercial smokers running day in and day out next door. Poor planning on the part of the business.
chingador
is Blowin Smoke!
That area has been a predominantly low income, minority community for many years, but since it is close to downtown, it has been "gentrified" in the most recent years. Most of the old low income houses have been replaced by 3-4 story town homes.
Turkey Leg Hut has been open for 3 years, but it is possible those houses have been there for less than that. A majority of the houses down there are new construction these days. I wouldn't assume that the houses were there before TLH showed up and started puffing smoke. It is more likely the other way around.
Houston is a no zoning city as well. You can buy a house that for some reason has an auto repair shop right next to it or something similar. Really random at times. We are kind of funny like that and it drives out of towners and new residents nuts.
Also, a lot of these people that are buying these new homes seem to have a strong sense of instant entitlement that their perfect environment should not be infringed upon in any way. I live in a different inner city area of Houston. There is a new development a couple miles from me with a bunch of 3 story town homes (really nice too) right next to a train track. Well these home owners are blowing up the local Nextdoor board complaining about the train horn. Hello, you bought a house next to a train track!!
All that said, if you are running a fire that is billowing out that much smoke, maybe you can learn better how to run a clean burning fire? Maybe a brethren could drop by and preach the gospel of thin blue smoke. But maybe any smoke smell at all is too much in the eyes and noses of the residents. Some people just like to complain. But that is a huge amount of smoke coming out of those pits so something should be done to run cleaner by the pitmaster. At least it should be possible.
The thing that surprises me is that this guy is allowed to operate at all. The city of Houston is notoriously strict on restaurants. It is extremely difficult to open a restaurant in Houston without a ton of headaches and red tape. Houston is very left leaning and has tons of government types ready to dip in your pockets.
If I am rambling here, apologies. just trying to lend some insight into my home town.
Turkey Leg Hut has been open for 3 years, but it is possible those houses have been there for less than that. A majority of the houses down there are new construction these days. I wouldn't assume that the houses were there before TLH showed up and started puffing smoke. It is more likely the other way around.
Houston is a no zoning city as well. You can buy a house that for some reason has an auto repair shop right next to it or something similar. Really random at times. We are kind of funny like that and it drives out of towners and new residents nuts.
Also, a lot of these people that are buying these new homes seem to have a strong sense of instant entitlement that their perfect environment should not be infringed upon in any way. I live in a different inner city area of Houston. There is a new development a couple miles from me with a bunch of 3 story town homes (really nice too) right next to a train track. Well these home owners are blowing up the local Nextdoor board complaining about the train horn. Hello, you bought a house next to a train track!!
All that said, if you are running a fire that is billowing out that much smoke, maybe you can learn better how to run a clean burning fire? Maybe a brethren could drop by and preach the gospel of thin blue smoke. But maybe any smoke smell at all is too much in the eyes and noses of the residents. Some people just like to complain. But that is a huge amount of smoke coming out of those pits so something should be done to run cleaner by the pitmaster. At least it should be possible.
The thing that surprises me is that this guy is allowed to operate at all. The city of Houston is notoriously strict on restaurants. It is extremely difficult to open a restaurant in Houston without a ton of headaches and red tape. Houston is very left leaning and has tons of government types ready to dip in your pockets.
If I am rambling here, apologies. just trying to lend some insight into my home town.
Last edited:
bschoen
Babbling Farker
How long has the business been there? Whoever was there first should win the argument.
Mikhail
Babbling Farker
Chingador makes a very good point. I google mapped it and the buildings behind are multi family and look quite new. There is also a lot of other business in the area, and while it is residential it is not exclusively so. I guess the idea of whoever was there first should win out.
We have a lot of folks near me that bought in brand new subdivisions that adjoin farms and nurseries. Then they complain about dust, fertilizer smell, etc.
We have a lot of folks near me that bought in brand new subdivisions that adjoin farms and nurseries. Then they complain about dust, fertilizer smell, etc.
SweetHeatBBQnSC
is One Chatty Farker
and this ladies and gentlemen is why I live out in the COUNTRY! Wide open spaces for the dogs to run around and I can smoke and grill to my hearts pleasure without having to worry about bothering anyone!
Bacchus2b
is Blowin Smoke!
I grew up in Houston and your post really made me smile because you are EXACTLY RIGHT!
EricD
is Blowin Smoke!
Exactly what I was going to say!
Tannhauser42
Full Fledged Farker
Yep, as long as they're up to code and aren't violating any regulations, first come, first served. Certainly, there could be an argument made if they're putting out excessive amounts of smoke that do present a verifiable health risk, but that should still be a regulatory issue.
I also got curious, so I looked up the public parcel information on the Harris County website.
Restaurant Info
It looks like there was some remodeling done in 2015 to the property, and the restaurant website indicates that they've been open for 3 years. This seems to line up. The original structure was built in 1945.
Property To The Southwest Info
One house on this property was built in 1930, the other in 1950.
Townhome 1 Info
Townhome 2 Info
The townhomes that seem to appear in the video in the article were built in 2012, 3 to 4 years prior to the restaurant opening.
Shadowdog500
is One Chatty Farker
Unfortunately it don’t always work that way. We had a development go up under the approach end of an international airport. Every buyer had to sign a disclosure that they knew they were under the approach path. They started complaining immediately, and the local government caved quickly and changed procedures at the airport because a lot of voters live in those homes. Same thing at a drag strip I used to go to. It was out in the middle of nowhere and someone decided to put up a development right next to it. The racetrack was in a constant battles on noise complaints for years until it closed.
I like BBQ, but I wouldn’t want that smell coming in my house 24/7. Wonder if they can rig up some sort of chimney system to get that smoke to at least clear the houses.
SmittyJonz
somebody shut me the fark up.
Seems like Zoning Screwed up letting the Joint Open where it is (says it Opened 2 years Ago)........... But if Outdoor cooking is banned at resturaunt - Grilling/Smoking in neighborhood should be too........
Rockinar
is Blowin Smoke!
I saw a video before where they had the turkey legs wrapped in foil and packed in the smoker like sardines. No reason to have foil wrapped legs in the smoker since they wont be getting anymore smoke. They could put the cooked and wrapped legs in an Alto Shaam and reduce the amount of smoke.
Get them a 1000 gallon pit with a smoker scrubber like Terry Black's had to do.
Get them a 1000 gallon pit with a smoker scrubber like Terry Black's had to do.
Rockinar
is Blowin Smoke!
There is no zoning in Houston. Its the wild west. Build whatever you want wherever you want.
SmittyJonz
somebody shut me the fark up.
Ya I know - Why it's Such a Chit Hole and Congested and Floods so bad. I Hated going to Houston for a previous job.......sometimes 2 days, sometimes 1-2 weeks......
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