Texas-Style Barbecue Restaurant Opening This Month In Lahaska

LAHASKA, PA - A self-described transplant from New Jersey hopes to bring the true taste of Texas barbecue to the area.

After a 22-year career in real estate, Tom Peters is returning to his first love of food with the opening of Holy ’Que Smokehouse — a fast-casual, Texas barbecue restaurant. It will open next to Peddler's Village at 5788 Lower York Road, the former home of Chive Cafe.

Peters plans to utilize the backyard area for outdoor seating, which he says can accommodate as many as 80 people for socially distanced dining. He plans to seat a maximum of 20 people inside as long as dining restrictions remain in place.

Since moving to Bucks County last year, Peters says he’s found the residents to be welcoming. He started experimenting with a pop-up barbecue stand earlier this year at the GreenHouse New Hope on South Main Street, sometimes finding himself selling out of product within 30 minutes of opening.

Peters swore he would never get into the restaurant business again after running his own bar in Scotsdale, Arizona, in his twenties. But it only took one trip to a Texas barbecue joint for him to fall in love with the smell of their food. Since then, he’s spent the past six or seven years learning how to smoke meats and meeting the pitmasters of Texas barbecue.

“The barbecue community is really special out there,” Peters said. “They really stick together and help each other out.”

What sets his style apart from his competitors, he says, is his dedication to true Texas-style smoked barbecue. That means using only a few seasonings, laying off the smothered sauces and importing oak wood from the Lone Star State, which he’ll use to burn his meats “low and slow.” He’ll also offer Big Red soda, a Texas staple.

“The only ingredients I’m putting on my meat is salt and pepper,” Peters said, and he’s only offering two sauces on the side: one sweeter, the other with a little kick to it.

Holy ’Que has a planned opening date of November 3 and will be open Tuesday-Saturday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m, though they will close earlier if food sells out.

You can find their menu on Facebook, Instagram or go to https://www.holyque.com/.