In a topsy-turvy Dallas restaurant scene that seems to entertain a new food trend every week, Big Al’s Smokehouse BBQ “has barely changed” in 50 years, said owner Lauran Weiner.

Her father, Al Plaskoff, founded the barbecue restaurant near Dallas Love Field Airport 50 years ago.

No one in the family knows the exact date, so Weiner picked Sept. 30, 2024, as the day to celebrate her late father’s shop that sold brisket before brisket was cool.

Big Al was “somewhat of a folk hero,” Weiner said. If he could be in the restaurant today, he’d be wearing a Hawaiian shirt, working the room. His wife, Harriet, would be sitting cross-legged on a stool at the cash register, cigarette hanging out of her mouth.

“Hi, darlin’,” she’d say.

Big Al and Harriet died in 2018 and 2022, respectively, and Weiner is dedicated to making the family business thrive.

The restaurant is doing better than ever, she said, but still, the 50th anniversary feels like it should be counted in days, not years. Over the course of its more than 18,000 days, Big Al’s has sold the same smoked meat as Inwood Road grew up around it.

It’s one of the oldest barbecue joints in Dallas, with its 50th birthday moving it onto The Dallas Morning News’ list of D-FW’s oldest restaurants.

Dickey’s Barbecue, Sonny Bryan’s and Marshall’s Bar-B-Que are some of the only barbecue joints in Dallas that are older than Big Al’s.

The restaurant will mark its 50 years by selling chopped beef and pulled pork sliders for 50 cents on Sept. 30, 2024.

All in the family

Big Al’s remains owned by the family, but Pedro Garcia might as well be family. He has worked at the restaurant for 45 of its 50 years, starting as a busboy when he was a teenager.

Garcia is the first person customers see when they walk down the line and up to the cutting board, where he slices meat.

“This is his house,” Weiner said.

Garcia has a knack for remembering customers’ orders, and he’s become part of the welcoming culture of this long-time, steady restaurant. If Big Al can’t be there, it feels good that Garcia is, Weiner said.

Weiner and general manager Jonathan McZeal haven’t made very many changes to the menu. They want to, but Big Al wouldn’t like it, and customers wouldn’t either. So sides like creamed corn and pinto beans remain.

The restaurant specializes in an over-stuffed baked potato with meat.

As the story goes, Big Al watched an evening news special about “loose meat” on a baked potato, and he knew his restaurant needed it. A loaded barbecue baked potato was rare in Dallas at the time, and it remains a favorite among regulars.

Weiner said being a female owner of a barbecue business in Texas can be tough.

But it’s her dad’s name on the restaurant. It’s Garcia slicing the meat. It’s McZeal leading the staff.

She knows her dad would be proud of what Big Al’s has become, and it isn’t that much different from how he left it.

Big Al “talks” to his daughter in ways big and small.

“I can still hear his voice,” Weiner said.

His legacy lives on when customers talk about the larger-than-life Big Al. They do it “all the time,” his daughter said.

Big Al’s Smokehouse BBQ is at 3317 Inwood Road, Dallas. It’s closed Sundays.

The restaurant will sell 50-cent sandwiches chopped beef and pulled pork sliders on Sept. 30, 2024, the chosen date for the 50th anniversary. Limit two per person.

For more food news, follow Sarah Blaskovich on X at @sblaskovich.

The Miami Dolphins will look to even their record at 2-2 on the season when they face the Tennessee Titans at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday night.

Here’s a roundup of national predictions on this game.

Analysis: The Titans are 0-3 and the Dolphins have major issues at quarterback without Tua Tagovailoa. Tennessee went into Miami and rallied last year to beat the Dolphins behind Will Levis. He hasn’t been the same quarterback this year, turning it over too much, but I think he can have success in this one. The Titans will win it.

Prediction: Titans 25, Dolphins 21

Jarrett Bell: Dolphins 20, Titans 17

Chris Bumbaca: Titans 21, Dolphins 16

Nate Davis: Titans 20, Dolphins 13

Tyler Dragon: Dolphins 20, Titans 17

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: Titans 24, Dolphins 13

Lorenzo Reyes: Dolphins 17, Titans 13

Analysis: The Titans are in disaster-control mode. Tennessee has a -7 turnover ratio, and they have averaged just 16 points per game as a result. Skyler Thompson averaged 5.6 yards per attempt in his first start for Miami in Week 3, and, if his rib injury is healed, he will be asked to do more because the Titans have a tough run defense. It’s a true pick ’em, but we’ll favor the home team. Miami might be limited, but they are taking care of the football. 

Prediction: Dolphins 23, Titans 20

Analysis: I’m not sure the NFL had this in mind when they scheduled the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins to play a Week 4 Monday Night Football contest. The Titans might be the worst team in football, and the Dolphins can’t move the ball at all without Tua Tagovailoa. Tim Boyle could start for Miami at quarterback, and it’s hard to see the Dolphins scoring more than 17 points in this game. If it’s not Boyle, Tyler “Snoop” Huntley could start after joining the team a few weeks ago. This will be a really low-scoring contest where turnovers and field position decide the final outcome. Take the Titans to get their first win of the season, as they’ll likely lean on their rushing attack to “hide” Will Levis.

Prediction: Titans 18, Dolphins 13

Analysis: Nobody believes in Mike McDaniel anymore. No one is saying he’s cool anymore because he raps along to popular songs during pre-game stretches. Heck, his team is an underdog to a winless Titans team this week. Obviously, McDaniel lost quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, but there should be enough firepower on this offense to not be as terrible as it was last week. The Titans do have a good defense that was somehow embarrassed by former teammate Malik Willis last week, but Tyler Huntley or Skylar Thompson should still be able to get Tyreek Hill or De’Von Achane the ball in space. If the Dolphins start Tim Boyle, then McDaniel really has lost his fastball, and ignore the next sentence. We’re going with the home underdog, as Levis’ crazy turnovers (and bad pocket presence — he’s been sacked 15 times) make it really hard to predict a first Titans win. Even against that stiff of a coach.

Prediction (against the spread): Dolphins plus 1.5 (lines may vary depending on outlet)

Analysis: Yes, the Dolphins season is a definite crossroads, and while the loss at Seattle can be explained because it came against a quality opponent at one of the toughest venues in the NFL, there can be no excuse against one of the three winless teams in the league. That includes no excuses for injuries because while Miami will be without Tua Tagovailoa, Terron Armstead and Kendall Fuller, the Titans are dealing with injuries to their two best defensive players, Jeffery Simmons and Tyreek Hill nemesis L’Jarius Sneed. The Dolphins are not at a stage right now where they can be expected to blow out any team, no matter how bad that team, and we certainly don’t see that happening here. But we do expect the pass rush to take advantage of the error-prone Tennessee offense and for Huntley to be able to do just enough to get the offense moving at least better than it did last week. ESPN play-by-play man Chris Fowler said during his call of the thrilling Georgia-Alamaba game Saturday night he wasn’t expected these kind of fireworks Monday night, and he’s probably right. But at this point, all that matters is a Dolphins win.

Prediction: Dolphins 17, Titans 13

Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season finds the New Orleans Saints (2-1) on the road to face the Atlanta Falcons (1-2) in Mersades-Benz Stadium.

With kickoff just minutes away, let’s take a look at today’s inactives.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS:

• LB Demario Davis
• QB Spencer Rattler (Emergency 3rd QB)
• G Cesar Ruiz
• WR A.T. Perry
• DT John Ridgeway III
• TE Dallin Holker

ATLANTA FALCONS:

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