**** Iron Pig has closed
This post really underlines why I like to make multiple visits to places when possible. It's not always practical. But if a place shows promise, I try to visit more than once if possible. Iron Pig is a good example, though sometimes it takes a while.
Back in November, Iron Pig Alehouse opened in PB; you can read Kirbie's post on the place. soon after opening, I visited with a friend of mine…..
And while the service was nice and the beer selection decent; I thought the meal left a lot to be desired.
From the nicely flavored but rubbery skinned smoked wings, to the baby backs with a decent rub, but quite dry and mealy texture, to the mushy brisket. The sauce seemed what my friends would call "competition sauce"…..tasting like a doctored up base. Not bad mind you, just quite generic.
And yet, there seemed some potential here; the flavor of the wings were quite good……..
So it took me six months to convince my biggest BBQ critic, the Missus ("your rubs is too bitter"…."the ribs you made are too dry"……."that pork butt needs to be smoked a bit longer") to check out Iron Pig. And we're glad we did.
Take a look at this version of the smoked wings ($9.99).
Nice and crisp, smoky, perhaps edging on being too salty, but I'll never complain about anything being too smoky. The wings were also moist and tender….just about perfect for us.
Of course the Missus "needed" a salad….sigh…..but, She made the right choice in ordering the "Man Salad" ($12.99).
Our Server/bartender was awesome…..she actually warned us that the "salad has French fries on it….and some folks take exception to that!" Really? It's ok to have fries in the burrito, but not in a salad? This was a huge salad. The blue cheese, brisket (much better than previously encountered), and arugula worked really well for us.
The only item we both didn't care for were the rib tips. I'm a big rib tip fan….I love maneuvering around the chewy cartilage, through all that rich fatty tissue, and the burnt crust for that perfect bite. This was too mushy, mild, and frankly ruined by all that sauce. You really didn't get the joy of having a nice rib tip. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but crunchy, crusty, fatty, rib tips just do well on their own with sauce on the side.
Overall, we had a nice meal. The service was very friendly….actually, I wish I got the name of our bartender/server. She was awesome. I'm sure we'll be back…especially since most draft beers are half price during Happy Hour. I need to have those wings again…..just to see….which version is the norm.
Iron Pig Alehouse
1520 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109