Dr. Hogly Wogly’s Tyler Texas BBQ has been a staple of the Valley since 1969. It was founded by Johnny Greene, who had been a Piggly Wiggly delivery boy in Texas. He was such a large man that his wife said he wasn’t a Piggly Wiggly, he was a Hogly Wogly. Later in life, he became a pharmacologist and thus the name “Dr. Hogly Wogly’s Tyler Texas BBQ” was born.

They keep their menu simple, but simple menus are often the best! I ordered the pulled pork sandwich, which is one of my favorite barbecue items. It was so good! It came served on home baked bread, with coleslaw in the sandwich, and your choice of one side, I went with potato salad. They also give you two choices of barbecue sauce, spicy or regular. Personally, I preferred the spicy barbecue sauce, it wasn’t overly spicy and I enjoyed the added flavor and kick, but the traditional was good too. The coleslaw in the sandwich was fresh and not overly drenched in mayo. It also added some nice crunch to the sandwich. The pork itself was well flavored, really well cooked, and not at all fatty. The homemade bread was deliciously fluffy and I think I might insist that all my barbecue sandwiches are served on homemade bread from now on. The potato salad was also wonderful. Again, it wasn’t inundated with mayonnaise. The potato salad also had a nice amount of crunch and a smooth texture that I really enjoyed.

Even though the barbecue is amazing, it’s really important that you don’t fill up before dessert. Dr. Hogly Wogly’s has a selection of pies, and I went with the Texas classic of sweet potato pie. You don’t find a lot of sweet potato pie in Los Angeles, so I don’t have much to compare it to, but I thoroughly enjoyed the pie I had at Dr. Hogly Wogly’s. I got mine with ice cream, and I think I preferred it without. The pie is a soft pie to begin with, and it got a little soggy under the ice cream. But by itself, the pie was amazing! Not overly sweet, and it tasted like a sweet potato version of pumpkin pie!

Dr. Hogly Wogly’s is a pretty small restaurant with an even smaller parking lot. I’ve never had a problem getting parking, but there is also a lot of street parking in the area if you happen to come at a peak hour. The restaurant itself is fairly old fashioned. There are a lot of dark brown colors, wood, leather, and Texas-themed posters. It may not be the most Instagram-able décor, but it feels very appropriate for a Texas barbecue joint.

Next time I go, I think I want to try the hot links and ribs with a side of macaroni salad and maybe some baked beans. Basically, I want to eat the whole menu!

hoglywogly.com

8136 Sepulveda Blvd.

Van Nuys, CA 91402