Random commentary and photos about food, wine, cocktails, and restaurants in and around the Richmond, Virginia area and beyond.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Digging the Pig
On the way home last night after a day exchanging/returning kitchen cabinet pieces/parts at Ikea, we stopped for dinner at The Smokey Pig in Ashland. It had been several years since our last visit. The prodigious pig paraphernalia still overwhelms the place. We were sullenly guided to our country bench booth by some high schooler. Thank goodness this guy did not serve us. Our waitress, Bobbie Jo, had a winning smile and pleasant demeanor. Our spirits rose further upon discovering that the Pig now served chopped North Carolina BBQ in full ($8.95) and half plates ($6.95). Both came with two sides and hush puppies. The pork barbecue was smoked to our satisfaction and featured a cruet of eye-twitching vinegary, peppery sauce to season the pork to our satisfaction. Sides included a selection of the usuals - mashed potatoes and gravy, baked beans, collard greens, pickled beets, fries, etc. The Pig also features apple puppies. I tried the pups which looked like hush puppies, but was more like apple spiced fried dough in a sweet sauce. Not my favorite. Overall, however, a cheap dinner with decent BBQ.
The Pig has always been a disappointment. Their ribs are often fatty/greasy, and the sides bland. The chopped BBQ is a decent highlight, though. Too bad, since they have so much potential with their location. Living relatively close to them, I was always hopefuly they would be a great "go to" spot for BBQ...sadly not so.
ReplyDeleteA few better options nearby are Virginia BBQ Company and Phat Boys BBQ. I had VA BBQ recently and it was good enough. Hope to stop in Phat Boys soon.
Holy crap! I was at the Pig the same day! I opted for the Virginia chopped sandwich, and I'm always disappointed their 'cue is never smokey enough. And I had to pour on plenty of sauce (also somewhat tasteless) to combat the dryness of the meat.
ReplyDeleteI think the best part of my experience was the waittress' hospitality and the perfectly sweet tea.