407 BBQ serves meals priced by the plate with various options for barbecued meat. Some of their most popular options include the brisket, pulled pork and ribs. They also offer full-service or drop-off barbecue catering.McLarty said his team and the concept are what makes 407 BBQ so successful.
“The restaurant is about our team and the food we put out,” McLarty said. “We’re just flattered that everyone likes it.”
Before 407 BBQ opened, McLarty’s father taught him how to barbecue early in his life, because they always had a barbecue pit running at family gatherings. He said his father was always heading outside to check on what was cooking.
“I think he got wise at one point that if I stayed out there and checked on it, he could stay inside,” McLarty said. “He taught me when I was about 10 and had me running from the barbecue pit back [inside].”
However, even with barbecue being a huge part of his life, McLarty never saw himself owning his own restaurant.
McLarty worked in the corporate world until 2013, and for the past 22 years he had a catering business as well, he said. In addition, he participated in barbecue contests.
“I’ve catered when I want to, and I could go fishing when I wanted to,” McLarty said. “And then somebody convinced me to open up a food trailer, and all that fun stuff went away.”McLarty opened his food trailer in October 2016, and it eventually led to the opening of his restaurant in February 2019. He found an enjoyment for the restaurant business that he never expected to have, he said.
With catering, he found he was the center of attention when people were eating, and he was able to interact with various people during events, he said.
“I didn’t think I’d get that experience in a restaurant, and I was really wrong,” McLarty said. “It’s a lot of work behind the scenes, but once we open up, I’ve got a great team who drives this [restaurant]. I get to still talk to all the customers and walk around, so I get more enjoyment out of it than I thought I ever would.”
407 BBQ
831 FM 407 W., Argyle
Hours: Tue.-Thu. 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
682-224-9225
http://407bbq.com
