The Pig On Beale

Reviews 7

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Bobbi T

Food 6 stars, Customer service 3, Cleanliness of restaurant 3. With that said upfront... We went to the Pig twice in three days- yes, the ribs were that good. The FOOD: The BBQ was so smoked, we could smell the smoke on our hands the rest of the night. The meat was tender, pull apart, but firm as smoked meat should be. The ribs were not cut, so the slab had a chance to rest and was very juicy. The BBQ sauce is homemade. You could taste the molasses. There were two choices, spicy and sweet. You could see spicy bubble on your plate- take the hint! The onion rings were really good, panko breading. The bread, was just bread... not buttered, not toasted. But thats what its supposed to be if the BBQ is that good. You use the bread to sop up the sauce and cushion the heat (Im from the south- I have a degree in BBQ!). The fries were good. Thats all we ordered. The lemonade was overly sweet for my taste and not enough lemons. THE PLACE: Hole in the wall on Beale. Definitely could use some cleaning. The floor was dirty... the window seal was dirty. There was ice melting and running on the floor by the table and not cleaned the whole time we were there. The table was clean, the seats were clean. The place is old, and whats expected. They could clean better- they know better! THE EXPERIENCE: There was a line the second day (dont be cute- just stand in the line). When they let you in, they give you a menu and a small white paper bag with plastic utensils in it. Take the damn utensils. You will be pointed to a seat and can seat yourself. Yup...an outdoor BBQ...inside type of deal. If you ate at your uncle Jimmys cook-out, you would fit right in. If you ask for something they give it to you. The people work hard and are very nice. You will get a "family" feel. They are not going to smile and check on you- Just come in and eat. COST: One slab was 25 with sides... half slab 20. Worth every penny. The Pig COMPARED: CENTRAL BBQ (Dont even go there if you are comparing- this place has baked BBQ with a one to two hour smoke to call it smoked) the mac and cheese is not the best- the onion rings were beer battered and the only good thing there. Very watery sauce. This one is hyped up due to location. I wanted a refund and was disappointed they passed the hard ribs I got off as BBQ. BLUES CITY CAFE (Taste like ham hocks or baked all day meat. Roasted flavor- very fatty so obviously not smoked). No smoke flavor at all. Good sauce. The vibe and atmosphere here in the back room with the stage and large screen was good. Not good BBQ. We were disappointed.

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Zora Avalon

My mom and I took a trip to Memphis recently, and went to Beale Street. It was 3 in the afternoon, and we hadnt eaten since 8 in the morning, so we were very hungry. As an international traveler, I am not too picky about portions, but I would hope that if I am paying $5 for two sides, Id be served more than 3 (yes 3) small onion rings, and an eighth cup of baked beans. The actual burger that I ordered tasted like the ones from my school cafeteria, and that is not a positive thing. The waitress who served us stared menacingly at us from across the room the entire time we were eating (which didnt take long since we had such little food for the price). Also, I must warn you that they dont use real plates. Its all disposable. The reason Im not giving it one star is because the ribs my mom ordered tasted pretty good, its just that they were toddler portions. Breakdown: Service-2 Price-2 Food (taste)-3 Food portions-1 Cleanliness-3

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Suzanne Black

Visited here during my travels around the states and it was hands down the worst restaurant experience Ive ever had. After a long questioning stare when I said I was a solo diner (guess what women do travel alone!) I was ushered to a seat and sat down where upon I was given a menu. I then sat for about 10 minutes watching the 2 waitresses bustling past me and no one even took my drink order. I was then given somebody elses nacho order and before I could even utter a single syllable the waitress quickly departed; again not even taking my drink order! After another 5 minutes of failing to get the attention of anyone who worked here I decided to leave. My advice to anyone thinking of eating here - dont waste your time! There are plenty of other places to choose from on Beale Street.

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Annie McDonald

Where do I began......we sat for 20 mins before being acknowledged. We actually had to stop waitress and ask if she was going to services us. She explained she was the only one who showed up to serve tables today. The ribs are good but everything else was horrible (chicken, baked beans, potatoe salad, pork nachos and slaw). Pulled pork the absolute worse!!!!! I must agree with previous reviewer that it taste like rubber/carpet. My 13 yr old 1st question was she wondered what the health score was since it was so filthy! Of you are a tourist looking for good Bar-B-Q do yourself a favor...if you dont mind not eating downtown go to interstate Bar-B-Q but if you want to eat downtown eat anywhere except here!!!!!!

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Todd Clune

After reading a bunch of other reviews, Im surprised there are so many bad reviews. Must be in the timing. I loved it. All six of us did. The bbq sampler for four was killer. Love the red hot legs, seem like a cross between buffalo and bbq. Super tender and delicious. Ribs were really good too. Not quite fall off the bone. Pulled pork is legit, though I had less of that than the other meats. Chicken thighs were real good too. All in all, a memorable meal. Sweet tea is perfect. Will be back. For reference, this was Friday June 9 in the afternoon. Pit masters got it going on there. Wish I was smelling that hickory smoke goodness right about now.

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A Private User

I’ve tried a few places in Memphis, and they all have excellent ribs. This place is no exception… the Ribs are AMAZING. There isn’t much on the menu, so you pretty much can only go there if you’re in the mood for Ribs. I had the Full Rack, and it was great. The meat slides off the bone and tastes amazing. The atmosphere inside isn’t anything special, but location is on Beale St., which is honorable. The service wasn’t anything great. The prices are on the high side, but seem worth it for the quality of the food. I would recommend giving this place a try if you are in the area.

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Jeb Hoge

My dad & I stopped in for lunch after touring Gibson Guitar Factory. We both love BBQ of all kinds & have long histories in Memphis. We sat on the Beale Street sidewalk at noon on a Friday; place wasnt busy at all. We both had pork sandwiches. The meat was smoky and in thick chunks. I tried all of the sauces & didnt have a favorite but they all tasted good. Decent onion rings. The service wasnt snap-snap-snappy but its a BBQ joint, so check your expectations at the door. Price was reasonable.

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