Hoppy's Barbeque Peabody

Everytime BBQ on the North Shore is discussed, Hoppy's Barbeque in Peabody is always mentioned, and I was curious to see if you could get good BBQ on the North Shore. I had to go on a Thursday. Why?

They are easily accessible from Rte 128. Parking is up front or on the side street, both sides.

It's a small place, four tables and that's it. They filled up fast. You order at the counter, and the food is brought out to your table when it's ready. Only bottled water.

Hoppy himself in the spotless kitchen.

Thursdays special is the Pulled Pork Eggroll ($5.95). Only available on Thursdays and much talked about already. It was really good, crispy outside and tasty tender pulled pork on the inside with a few veggies added. They were big enough to almost make a meal alone.

To get to taste as much as possible, I went for the Little Squealer ($17.95). "Baby Back ribs (3), BBQ Chicken Thighs (2), 1/4 lbs Pulled Pork or 1/4 lbs Brisket with two sides". I went with the brisket and asked it to be cut from the fatty end, and I got that, so I was very happy. The brisket wasn't overly fatty, but nice and tender with a very tasty rub. The baby backs looked more like spare ribs but were very tender and tasty. I really liked the Chicken Thighs that was cooked well and had a tangy glaze, and of course they were on the bone. This was a lot of food for the price. But wait, there is more!

My first side was the potato salad and the second one was the Cajun Fries. I got a big heap of hand cut fries that were perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned. The fries and egg rolls would make a nice lunch on their own. Service was very friendly and so was Hoppy. So you can get a decent BBQ on the North Shore. Rumor has it that Smokin' Betty will start serving lunch on the weekends soon, so that will give me a chance to try them as well.

Address 38 Forest Street, Peabody MA 01960

Phone number (978) 278-5014