Baby back ribs. photo by Alison Fechtel

owner Marc Hall. photo by Alison Fechtel

The neighborhood has changed over the decades, but “Peggy” has always adorned the building at Hillcrest and Lovers — first as Peggy’s Beef Bar during the 1940s. It closed in the 1980s, and Marc Hall bought the space and reopened it as a barbecue house. The old sign was left on the roof, and “Peggy” was the only part still in perfect condition. So, Hall incorporated it into the new name, Peggy Sue BBQ (his wife’s name is Susan), becoming part of Snider Plaza history with old-fashioned décor and ’50s music on the stereo. “We want it to feel like you’ve stepped back in time,” Hall says. He owns two other restaurants in the shopping center—Cisco Grill and Amore Italian — but Hall knew nothing about barbecue before opening Peggy Sue. So, he and his family spent two weeks in Central Texas, eating nothing but barbecue for breakfast, lunch and dinner at all of the region’s best smokehouses. “We wanted our barbecue to taste like what you would find in the Hill Country,” Hall says. Susan developed the recipes, including side dishes made from scratch such as the black-eyed peas topped with pulled pork. And no meal is complete without the restaurant’s signature fried pie for dessert. Hall says one of the keys to a successful barbecue joint is the veteran staff. His managers and servers have worked there 20 years. “We’re all growing old together.”

Peggy Sue BBQ
660 Snider Plaza
214.987.9188

Three more spots for barbecue

1 Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen
Stop by for BBQ Monday, which features all-day specials of Kent Rathbun’s smoked meats and signature flavors, including his ancho chili barbecue sauce.
6130 Luther
214.890.1103

2 Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse
This Dallas-born chain uses a century-old barbecue recipe. Sonny Bryan’s has received national attention from notable chefs like Emeril Lagasse.
11661 Preston
214.234.0888

3 Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
The barbecue sandwiches are the best deal here, topped with pickles, onions and sauce. Grab a side of baked potato casserole and jalapeño beans.
7770 Forest
214.691.1494