Having suffered their first league defeat this season against Liverpool last weekend, Brentford were determined to start fast and immediately worked Konstantinos Tzolakis when Michael Kayode’s trademark long throw was flicked on by Sepp van den Berg.
Hull threatened down the other end though and Mohamed Belloumi, one of the standout performers in the first half, curled a free-kick over.
Tzolakis was then needed again to stop Aaron Hickey’s strike from the edge of the box, but the Scot’s next meaningful action was to give away a penalty at the other end.
In fairness to him, Caoimhin Kelleher sold him short with a terrible pass that was pounced on by Tim Iroegbunam.
Oli McBurnie took the resulting spotkick and slotted his first goal of the campaign into the bottom corner, giving Hull the advantage heading into the second half.
The match had been quiet in its early stages, but it sparked into life after the hour mark as Brentford found an equaliser.
Ryan Giles failed to clear a cross, and the ball fell straight to Igor Thiago, whose miskick fortunately found Dango Ouattara, who opened his account for the season from close range.
Hull almost responded immediately through Belloumi, who danced his way past a couple of defenders before striking the side-netting from a tight angle.
The match was in the balance in the final stages, with Jaidon Anthony firing just wide from range, before Mohamed-Ali Cho saw his effort palmed away by Kelleher.
Brentford looked most likely to find the winner, and Anthony and Ouattara would have felt they should have done better with a couple of headers.
Both sides had to settle for a point though in their first-ever top-flight meeting as their patchy forms continue.
Brentford have now won just once in seven league matches (D5, L1), but Hull at least remain unbeaten on home soil (W1, D3).
Flashscore Man of the Match: Mohamed Belloumi (Hull City)