The barbecue entry from Houston’s own Goode Co. is full of boasts, from the self-congratulatory wall paraphernalia to the overuse of the Copperplate Gothic font to the larger-than-life banner of long-bearded Jim Goode, “still at the reins” since 1977.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it doesn’t really live up to the hype. The best options are the moist smoked duck (if it’s available) and jalapeño pork sausage, which is juicy and full flavored, if not the least bit spicy. But beef brisket—the pride of Texas barbecue—lacks flavor, even when ordered fatty. Nothing’s particularly smoky, and the sauce tastes more like a jarred pasta sauce than an acidic balance for the meat. It’s amazing that so many sides in one buffet could be undersalted, from overly eggy but okay potato salad to liquidy pinto beans to dry jambalaya to boring cole slaw. But pecan pie fans, rejoice: this one’s better than most.

Don’t expect basic politeness, or at least a willingness to tell you what is and is not available. We could dismiss this as quirky charm at a world-class destination joint, or at a dirt-cheap hole-in-the-wall, but not at a just-okay place whose marketing concessions include a line of (those same bland) barbecue sauces and a glossy catalog.