“From snout to tail” was the sign hanging in the window for months as we anxiously awaited the opening of The Pig, brought to us from the folks of EatWell DC. I’ll be the first to admit that I am not the biggest fan of their other restaurants which include Commissary, Logan Tavern, Grillfish, and The Heights, so I did not have the highest hopes for their newest establishment on 14th Street in the Logan Circle neighborhood. At the last minute a friend and I decided to stumble in on a Saturday night to see if we might be able to get lucky and grab a table. The Pig was packed– every table was full, the bar was hopping, and the wait time was over an hour. However, the host let us know he was about to seat a couple who was sitting at the bar and encouraged us to follow him over there so we could snag their seats. I was a big fan of this move. Thanks to him we were able to cozy up at the bar and order the Farmhouse Smash cocktail which is made of crop organic vodka, strawberry, basil, lemon cordial, and clover honey. This drink was fantastic. Super refreshing and light, and the perfect cocktail on a hot summer evening. It was a great base for our pork-centric meal that we were about to dig into.
I was pleasantly surprised with the decor in The Pig as soon as I entered. It was hard to tell what the space was going to look like from 14th Street, but it has a very laid back vibe with subway tile on the wall, comfortable booths, and cool canvas artwork on the walls. It’s definitely a nice “in-between” that isn’t too fancy, and also could fit the bill for a date as well as a fun night out with a group of friends. I also found the price point to be very reasonable with most shared plates falling in the $10 range and the “supper” dishes (entree sized) in the $15-$20 range.
The Pig designs their plates for sharing and also emphasizes their interest in local ingredients as most of their vegetables come from their own farm in La Plata, Maryland. While The Pig does pork best, they also offer a good variety of dishes under the “less pig” category and additionally they provide many options for greens and starches as well. The decision of what to order proved to be tough because the menu included so many interesting preparations and flavor profiles, but we decided we had to go with the classic Carolina smoked BBQ pulled pork and macaroni and cheese. We also ordered the burger which was served with pancetta, charred arugula, fontina, tomato jam, and smashed potatoes. Finally, we added in the chickpea hash with mushrooms, chard, and salsa verde. We wanted to have some sort of vegetable, and I think we were curious to see if the vegetarian centric dishes could hold a candle to the porky ones. Overall, we were really pleased with the dishes that we ordered. The chickpea hash was a tad bit salty, but had a ton of flavor and actually ended up being just as memorable as the other dishes. The pulled BBQ pork was really tender with a slight kick to it, and served with a homestyle macaroni and cheese in a small cast iron pan topped with crunchy breadcrumbs, it was hard to not enjoy. I also loved the tomato jam served with the burger and those smashed potatoes were a great alternative to your traditional french fries.
Chickpea Hash at The Pig
Carolina BBQ Pork and Mac and Cheese at The Pig
Burger at The Pig
I wouldn’t say I was blown away by the food at The Pig, but I would say it exceeded my expectations and I will absolutely be going back. I think they have some interesting and thoughtful dishes on the menu that are worth a try, and I enjoy the casual atmosphere that definitely sets the scene for a fun night out (with great cocktails). Brunch begins on June 3oth and I can imagine they will feature some delicious porky options with eggs and other breakfast items. If you like pork, I think you will likely enjoy The Pig.
The Pig
1320 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
www.thepigdc.com
@ThePigDC
