Restaurant Review: Peggy Sue BBQ

Going strong for more than two decades, this stalwart of Snider Plaza has a pleasant ’50s vibe and a meat selection that would cause any barbecue fan to drool. The all-wood-fired smoker out back will also make the snobbiest of ’cue connoisseurs take note. They use both well. Smoky, moist, and cheesy chopped brisket quesadillas quickly disappeared off the Lonestar Roundup appetizer plate, as did the peppery sliced kielbasa from a local sausage company. Frozen jalapeño poppers paled in comparison. All of the protein standards are available, but the dry and overtrimmed sliced brisket is not the restaurant’s strong suit. The smoky chunks of lusciously moist pulled pork on a bed of hoppin’ John and topped with thinly sliced smoked onions fared better. The thick and meaty spare ribs were too tough to cleanly gnaw from the bone, but the sweet glazed baby backs were tender. Sliced turkey, though admirably cut from whole breasts rather than compressed balls of reconstituted deli meat, was halfway to jerky on the dryness scale. The sauces are house-made and bold with flavor. The tomato-based sauce has a vinegar kick, while the robust spicy sauce is presented to the table in a small, warm pitcher. Rich with meat drippings and ground spices, it is one of the more complex sauces in town. Beans, slaw, and potato salad can be found here, for sure, but so can spinach, broccoli, and squash casserole. After all that savory and smoky goodness, a made-to-order fried pie is a much-needed sweet note. Get it a la mode to cool the pie and quench any residual heat from that spicy sauce.

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