Phat Girlz BBQ: The Smoke Show in Cedar Hill You Can't Miss

On Saturdays, sometimes we like to go on a little foodie road trip. It usually starts by scrolling through Google Maps and repeatedly adjusting the search function. Recently, Phat Girlz BBQ popped up, and since it's too hot to do anything else, we headed out to Cedar Hill just south of Dallas. The AC cranked, naturally.
Phat Girlz is off of West Belt Line Road (it really does go on forever) and Main Street in the historic downtown Cedar Hill, about 20 minutes south of downtown Dallas. The neighborhood gives small-town vibes and has yet to be overrun with industrial-style apartments and Starbucks. Yet. There's a Babe's Chicken Dinner House around the corner, Mija Barbecue around another corner, and a cafe down the street; a few places to check out should you just feel like wandering. The restaurant's parking lot can get tight (it's in a courtyard-like area), so a spot along the street might be easier.

We reached out to Phat Girlz, but didn't hear back, which is understandable in the restaurant business. After a bit of sleuthing, we've gathered that Phat Girlz BBQ and Catering has been around (in Facebook land at least) since 2015, and moved into its current location at 107 S. Main St. in Cedar Hill in 2018.

The tagline at Phat Girlz is "barbecue so good you don't need sauce," a concept I've given up trying to explain to my family from Kansas.

The menu is a beautiful and indulgent mix of soul food and barbecue. It starts with stuffed potatoes, meat plates, sandwiches, sweets and drinks. Meat options, which you can get on just about anything (potatoes, plates or sandwiches), include brisket (sliced or chopped), ribs, rib tips, sausage, chicken breast, links and shrimp. The four sides on offer are mac and cheese, potato salad, baked beans and green beans with smoked turkey. You can also get potatoes as a side. 

Spicy Chicken Salad

Let's get straight to one of the highlights here: The house-made spicy chicken salad is core to the Phat Girlz' identity and Cedar Hill should name a street after it.

We've tried many chicken salads, especially the various options at H-E-B, and this one is superior to all. The chicken is decidedly smoky, but the other ingredients add a light sweetness. Fresh jalapenos on top and mixed throughout bite back, creating a moist, smoky, sweet and spicy chicken salad that can be a side, a whole meal or something you eat in the car on the way home. We understand why so many of their social media posts are about the status of the chicken salad.

We ate ours so fast that we tossed the container before reading the ingredients label, so I can't really say what else is in it exactly, but I don't need to know. A 12-ounce container is $10 for the regular and $12 for the spicy.

The Stuffed Potato

For a main, I went for a brisket-loaded baked potato ($14) that was enough for three people. This five-pound tater has finely chopped brisket, a liberal amount of cheddar cheese, butter, fresh chives and thick chunks of bacon with sour cream and barbecue sauce on the side.

The brisket alone is moist, has a nice bark, and has the smoky flavor you look for in a brisket. It's hard to give a full review of it since it was chopped up in a potato, but I have zero hesitation ordering it on a two-meat plate the next time I'm back.

It's hard to imagine the size of the Infamous Potato loaded with chicken, shrimp and Alfredo sauce ($20). Or the Man Man with chicken or brisket and mac and cheese.

Other menu highlights that make one really ponder more day trips to Cedar Hill include the Big Girl Sandwich (no other explanation offered) and a rib tip plate with a side of mac and cheese and potato salad ($18).

Here's better or worse news: the banana pudding is on point as well. This is like the classic that mom or grandma used to make. Nothing fancy, just a perfectly basic banana pudding with lots of Nilla Wafers.

There's no indoor seating; Phat Girlz is to go only, but there are a few shaded picnic tables next to the restaurant.

There are also a few rules you might want to know before ordering. First of all, no dogs. And when you go to the window to order, make sure you know what you want; no lollygagging around while ordering. Fair enough.

Everything is made to order, so be prepared to wait just a bit, especially when they get busy. We waited about 10 minutes for the tater. 
In more news, right next to Phat Girlz is the snow cone shop I've been looking for since Aunt Stelle's closed in Oak Cliff. Sneaux Nola, a New Orleans-themed shaved-ice spot, is next door in a small building bathed in gold and purple Big Easy regalia. We didn't know about this spot, and didn't plan things correctly, so we can't report on what is involved in Creole cream topping, but we promise to report back. In case you go, there are several picnic tables to sit at, along with some space for kids to play around.

Note that Phat Girlz is closed Sunday through Tuesday.

Phat Girlz BBQ and Catering, 107 S. Main St., Cedar Hill, Wednesday - Saturday 12 - 6 p.m.; Closed Sunday - Tuesday

Prices are as of July 22, 2025.