Dinner at the Black Hog
I finally got a chance to eat some vittles at Frederick’s new BBQ joint, Black Hog.The place is bigger than it looks from the outside, good atmosphere, walls adorned with TVs (even the bathrooms), and a little bar in the back.
It was Saturday night, there was a decent crowd dinning, and there seemed to be a good amount of people coming in for take-out. Our waiter was patient as we asked about the menu and my son decided what he wanted to eat (this can take some time when he is tired and grumpy like he was that night).
We ordered buffalo wings for an appetizer and they had a good flavor and were meaty, but if you like your wings spicy these wouldn’t be for you. The Carolina style pulled pork was yummy with a strong vinegar flavor and not too fatty. Someone else in our party got the beef brisket and said it was tasty, but the BBQ sauce needed some more kick.
The sides were small as many commenters mentioned, but they weren’t tiny. The corn bread was good, but needed to be sweeter. The mac and cheese was decent and the fries were good. Others in my dining party didn’t dig the pinto beans or sweet potatoes though.
All in all it was pretty good and I would like to venture back for a pulled pork sandwich soon.
~Guy~
When you say Carolina style … Do you mean Eastern NC or Western NC?
My problem with their so called BBQ is there is no smoke flavor. Did you ever notice no smoke coming from the building, no stack of wood outside, and where is the pit?
theres wood in the shed and a smoker in the back genious…the reason you dont see the smoke is because it takes hours to cook, so its loaded at 10 and taken out around 6 so i dont think your wandering around then
There is now but back in SEPT 2008 there wasn’t. By the way I lived near Lockhart, TX and the places smell like smoke no matter when you go!!!!
Oh my gosh, the sweet potatoes are to die for!!
I’m a big fan of the pork, and then one of the cooks suggested I try the brisket next time…that beef was falling apart so beautifully!
I’ll agree with you Gumby about the smoke. I guess it’s tough to get the real deal up here, but Black Hog is certainly closer than anything else I’ve tried in the area.
The East Carolina style pork is pretty good. My husband says it’s the closest to NC he’s had since his days in Chapel Hill. The brisket is alright, too, though I prefer Urban BBQ’s- more like the TX ‘que I miss. As for the sides, the corn bread is good (I don’t like corn bread that tastes like cake), the slaw is pretty good, the pinto beans are decent, the sweet potatoes are yummy, and the fries are awesome! I do wish that they were larger portions…but, I can’t say that I’ve ever left hungry, so I really can’t complain.
The “Sweet Taters” are to die for.. I agree!
Yup, where’s the smoke in the meat?
Enjoyable overall though….but $6 for a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale?? Ouch!
My review is elsewhere, but i wanted to touch on the smokiness.
Smoking BBQ is excellent, but its also a type of BBQ. It isn’t guaranteed everywhere as a BBQ type.
I don’t remember if Black Hog billed itself for smoke BBQ. If it did, then I understand the concern. However, if its billing itself solely as a BBQ joint, can you really yell at it for having no smoked BBQ? Different regions like different BBQ
Good bbq is smoked. I haven’t had Black Hog yet, so I can’t comment personally, but I’m a true believer that real bbq is smoked. At the least it can be cooked over charcoal, but if it’s out of an electric smoker- well lets just say that’s not a good thing. That said I’ll still try Black Hog.
I agree. The best barbecue is almost always smoked. Go to a national contest, and you’ll find the smoked pork and beef typically wins the day. Most restaurants today avoid smoking their BBQ because not doing it is faster and cheaper. Doug Tomlin’s old place, Mountaindale General Store, was a temple to smoked BBQ. The stuff you find at Fridays, Ruby Tuesdays, Famous Dave’s, etc., either isn’t smoked at all, or is exposed to smoke for a very short period. From what’s I’ve read–haven’t actually tasted it yet–the Black Hog isn’t all that impressive. Maybe Tauraso should stick to Italian cuisine, and leave BBQ to the professionals.
I went by the place Friday night and it looked packed. My favorite is still Tony tomas Carolina honeyes, but one has to go to Ownings Mills to get it. BUMMER!
My wife and I ate there last Friday. I ordered the Carolina Pork Platter. I couldn’t believe it when they brought it out. There was my BBQ on a plastic platter with 1 PIECE OF WHITE BREAD! I’m not kidding folks. Yep, the same old cheap white piece of bread that you would get from the grocery store which is where they most likely got it from. Wonder Bread white bread. Give me a break! On top of that the sides that I got were in these small cheap plastic cups. You know, the kind of plastic cups that you would fill up ketchup in a your local McDonalds. They did load me up with some decent fries and luckily there was some malt v on the table to tasty them up. This is on my list of places never to visit again. Decor was nice, but they need to put more effort into the food. All I can say is been there, done that, not going back anytime soon.
In some parts of North Carolina, BBQ comes on a slice of cheap white bread. You may not like it (I don’t), but it’s authentic.
I agree that white bread is “authentic,” but lots of authentic things in the food service world aren’t terribly impressive. I’ll take a delicious new twist (or “re-interpretation”) of a boring old American classic any day. Wouldn’t you? White bread does nothing to showcase great meats. That’s why New York delis serve great breads, because they know the importance of a great foundation.
Here’s my thinking: If you’re going to open a barbeque joint, do it right. Don’t give it the artistic treatment. Don’t give boutique portions. Go the extra mile–and that means smoke the meat for several hours. Don’t grill it and try to hide your cost-cutting haste with gobs of sauce. Anyone who knows anything about BBQ will see right through it.
Give generous portions and charge appropriately for them. Most red-blooded American men (and not a few women) want a filling serving. No, not a mountainside of beef or pork, but a realistic, filling portion. Is that asking too much? Especially when barbeque itself is fairly low in calories and fat. (If you’re worried about calories–empty or otherwise–avoid all that goopy sauce. It’s super-high in calories because it’s almost all sugar.)
Don’t be stingy with the sides. Don’t dole out your Cole slaw or potato salad with an ice cream scooper. It’s too small and it looks terrible. And regarding that potato salad, don’t drench it in cheap mayo, to make it go further. Potatoes are cheap enough. Go the extra mile.
Last, a barbeque joint should LOOK like an authentic roadside barbeque joint. The air should be woodsy and packed with BBQ aroma. There should be a jukebox playing country and western music, not Muzak.
You need an owner with an outsized personality (Texan, Carolinian, and Tennessean get extra points) who has a lifelong passion for barbeque, not an artiste-entrepreneur whose background is gourmet Italian and who probably doesn’t know Raleigh from Memphis from Fort Worth. As for the servers, they should be young hotties wearing white t-shirts, tight jeans, and warm smiles–and serving up ice-cold beers.
Now THAT’S a BBQ joint!
Make that young hotties of BOTH sexes!
I like smoky-flavored beans, too. Re the corn bread: My understanding is that Southerners insist on little-to-no sweetness, while Yankees (and, based on my experience, “tweeners” like Marylanders) look for a sweeter version.
I too miss Mountaindale- best bbq around for miles. Chubby’s is good, but Mountaindale was perfection. Does anyone know where Doug is these days? Did he open another restaurant? I thought I heard he went back to Texas or Mexico…not too sure?
Matthew, you paint a mighty fine picture. I want to eat there! (as long as the hotties are hired by Frederick Fan!!).
Lizfrog, the welcome mat is always out for you and yours!!
And yes, FrederickFan, hotties of BOTH sexes. wink! (Just keep the menfolk out of my line of sight. Ha!)
Hate to say it, but I wasn’t overly impressed when I visited Chubby’s on two occasions. Maybe I need to revisit. Or, maybe it’s because the owner was a former investment banker new to barbecuing at the time.
I’m not trying to be snarky here, but here’s another thought: Mike Tauraso is an accomplished chef of Italian and neoclassical American cuisines–and a startlingly successful restaurateur–but doing barbecue up right is really really hard. Ask a grandmaster and he/she will tell you that if you’re not using wood (hickory, oak, mesquite, etc.), you’re not barbecuing. You’re GRILLING and trying to hide that fact with sauces will go only so far.
Go to Friday’s or Ruby Tuesdays, and you’re getting grilled meats, not authentic backcountry barbeque. While there’s nothing wrong with grilled ribs–and, yes, sometimes they are mighty tasty–smoking the meat takes the experience to a whole different level.
Years ago, the best places to eat barbeque were roadside stands, the kind that looked like shacks and were run by an old guy who knew barbecue like Monet knew landscapes. The barbeque just knocked your socks off!
SHUDDER. I recently got back from Chicago, where I experienced some really awful barbeque. Up there, the natives proudly BOIL their meats before grilling them on a grill. Southerners who eat that stuff long ago coined a term for it: Meat Jell-O.
Yuck!
Here’s an expert’s opinion, courtesy of About.com:
“Smoke is a necessity of barbecue. Anyone who tells you otherwise probably puts steak sauce on a $20 filet mignon. What wood you use for smoke is up to you. What works best however, are the Southern traditional woods, hickory and oak, particularly white oak. Also, pecan, walnut, cherry, apple and peach are good choices. You should stay away from alder and mesquite because they then to add too strong a flavor. Despite how long the meat is cooked, it should be exposed to smoke for at least the first six hours.
“Wood: Purists will say that your fire should be made entirely from hardwood logs that have been burned down to coals and then added to the smoker. Of course, this isn’t practical for everyone. Whether limited by equipment or temperament many people find it difficult to burn hardwood logs for the kinds of coals used by diehard traditionalists. If you do go with charcoal, you will benefit most from hardwood charcoal, but you can, if need be, use regular charcoal. I always recommend staying away from charcoal with additives like lighter fluids. If you are using charcoal add hardwood chunks that have been soaked in water to the coals once you have a hot fire. Drain off all the water you can. The wood should be moist, not wet. During a long smoking period you will probably have to add additional burning coals to the fire to maintain the temperature. “
wayrea – last I heard the reason why he shut down was to move back to Texas where he was from originally. I am not sure where he ended up though. We live right down the road from the Mountaindale store and miss it dearly too. Best BBQ sandwiches ever in my opinion. Put some coleslaw on it and it was great!!
Sorry – not shut down – but sold.
Doug told me he was homesick for southeast Texas. (Not sure what he thinks of it now, considering Ike’s unwelcome visit.) He also confided that he thought people up these ways just weren’t very friendly. Doug was a born and raised Texan. He even flew a Texas flag outside his store.
I recently stopped by his old store to test the barbecue. The current owners–very nice women–told me they follow Doug’s time-tested barbecuing methods, but when they made my pulled pork sandwich, they pulled the meat from a oversized Ziploc bag stored inside a refrigerator, placed it on bread, and zapped it in the microwave. That’s about as authentic Texan BBQ as Stuckey’s is gourmet food.
Doug Tomlin would have sliced it fresh–right after reminding you why George Bush is a great president.
I dont know where to put this. There are so many new posts about food on here.
Has anybody or does anybody know about this restaurant in Boonsboro? Palettie – There is an article in the newspaper about it today. Looks good.
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/art_life/display_taste.htm?StoryID=80308
The Blues Co BBQ truck has the BBQ in Frederick. It is by Yamaha and the farm feed place on Grove Road. The Memphis pulled pork sandwich is to die for! I keep saying I will try something else, but…
There was mention of him trying to open a restaurant in town(finally). Has anyone else heard anything?
“Doug Tomlin would have sliced it fresh–right after reminding you why George Bush is a great president.”
Funny, but very true- while I didn’t agree with his politics(something he was never subtle about), Doug was a heck of a nice guy, quite an interesting character, and an expert smoker.
With 2 days to go, all you BBQ fans should visit Ribbits BBQ at the fair. They are located a short walk inside the front gate.It is fantastic! BBQ pork or chicken, outstanding sauce and all the smoke you can handle. If you get the chance nothing in Frederick compares. My 2 cents.
So my husband and I were on a BBQ mission of sorts this weekend. We had Black Hog Friday night- alright, but in retrospect the best part was the fries. The brisket is just missing “something”, not quite sure what. As for the white bread- in my experience, the cheaper the bread- the better the ‘que. The search for good BBQ continued Saturday at CarterQue in Mount Airy. We both had the pulled pork. The vinegar based sauce was a little too sweet for my liking, not quite enough vinegar. The pork was awesome! Tender and plenty on the plate. The mac ‘n cheese was good, the potato salad okay, the hushpuppies were tasty. My husband says he’s got a new fave.
My husband and I, along with another couple, dined at the Black Hog last night. We thought the food was pretty good. I had their half rack of baby back ribs (Memphis dry), which the ribs were placed on top of some sauce. There wasn’t much sauce and I liked it that way. I can’t stand getting ribs drenched in sauce. The rub was tasty with a slight sweet flavor and the meat easily fell off the bones. I actually enjoyed the beans and rice, although I spiced it up with some tobaco sauce. My husband ordered a 3-combo: smoked beef sausage, Carolina style pork, and the beef brisket. He enjoyed all of it along with the mac/cheese. I had a taste of the sausage. Good flavor. Our friends ordered the Carolina style port and the beef brisket, which they said they liked. They also ordered the fries, which was a large serving.
Service was friendly and quick. We were in and out of the place in under an hour. It did fill up quickly.
We felt the prices were reasonable. We’ll definitely go back again.
Warning: Best to avoid this thread when you’re already hungry. I made the mistake of reading through these posts–esp. Matthew’s mouthwatering descriptions of barbeque that really get hold of the soul of the thing–while waiting to go to a late dinner, and I dang near drooled all over my keyboard!
The Black Hog is not BBQ. NO smoke flavor, the sauce is worse than bottled store brands. The whole service is plastic and when your table is bussed the whole thing is tossed into a trash can right in front of your face. That is where it belongs. If you want good BBQ keep looking, The Black Hog isn’t it. They need to start over, get the smoking right, get the sauce right, stop using plastic for everything. I get the rustic thing they are going for but it’s too down market and just doesn’t work. I gave it two tries but now I’m done, won’t go back. It’s a shame because I was so looking forward to good BBQ in town.
Well just got home from trying the black hog. Big let down. Small, very small portions. White bread is traditional but a nice, moist, sweet corn bread would be better. They had greens colard greens but no apple cider vinegar, coming from the south is a must have. Portions were small and my guiness was 6 bucks! Wow! Check out “big Nates” barbque by the Yamaha shop at evergreen point off 355 and grove rd
Sorry mike, nice atmosphere, nice smiling good looking girls, good service but getsomeone to get the food right. Join up with big nate!
Not great, but not bad ‘cue. I do think they use an electric smoker, which usually isn’t a good thing. I prefer my meat slow cooked over hickory, oak, or mesquite. That said I think this restaurant puts forth a nice effort. It’s not Mountaindale, but what is? I think the sides are fine- maybe a little small as some have stated, but most of them only cost $1.95. As for the all important meat- my pulled pork sandwich was good, and I actually thought the house bbq sauce was really good.
I saw a few mentions of Big Nate’s, havent tried the Black Hog yet, but I may never need to. Big Nate has the best BBQ around.
For Frederick Maryland we are soooo lucky. Black Hog to the West and Carter Que to the East. I’ve eaten at Dinosaur BBQ(Rochester NY) and Angelo’s(Ft. Worth, Tejas) and this is damn good for Mid Mayland. Take what you can get folks. Again we are soooo lucky.
Went to Black Hog again the other day and it was fantastic. First time I went there I had one of their pulled pork sandwiches which was good, but not great. Today I had the Memphis dry ribs, and they were great…Wow! I had the plate which comes with one side. I had the beans and rice, which was also good, though a little more soupy than I prefer. That said though, the ribs kicked butt…I’ll be back.
If it’s Texas BBQ you want head down to O’Briens on East Gude Drive in Rockville.
To JMacGenome
RE: Carolina Pork Platter
I know you posted this months ago and you probably won’t see this, but I lived near Lexington, NC for 9 years and I have to clear up a thing or two. About the white bread, no self-respecting barbecue place would serve anything else with pulled or sliced pork. Black Hog was following tradition there. I agree that BH’s fries are really good and that their sides are a little small, but don’t knock the white bread.
Yes, white bread is traditional in barbeque joints across the Deep South, and for one big reason: Not because white bread is so delicious, but because it’s dirt cheap and the masses don’t know better.
Sad but true: Until the artisan bread revival about 10 years ago, all most Americans knew was white bread. It has little taste, boring texture, and has been stripped of most nutrients.
Sticking with a dumb tradition isn’t impressive to me at all.