We're finally enjoying a much needed break from the triple digit heat here in Nashville, which meant today was pleasant enough for a picnic-style lunch at our "H" location: Hog Heaven.
The group covered a large portion of the menu this time, with orders ranging from pulled pork plates and sandwiches to a pulled brisket plate and a pulled turkey plate. Sides sampled included: mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, turnip greens, coleslaw, and green beans. Michael was also able to substitute a bag of chips for one of his sides.
The pulled pork was modestly received with reviews ranging from "just barbecue" (Michael), to "standard barbecue" (Jeremy). Garrick felt that the best thing on his plate was the mac & cheese.
Ethan's brisket was a little tough. I suppose it was fortunate, then, that he ordered the plate lunch instead of a sandwich-- tough BBQ, regardless of what animal it came from, is the bane of buns everywhere. He also opted for the "hot" BBQ sauce, which was, as advertised, very hot. Proceed with caution if you prefer your BBQ spicy.
As for sides, the mac & cheese was tasty, although potentially not made from scratch. It had the distinctly pre-made softness characteristic of a popular, if unnamed, frozen dinner brand. The mashed potatoes were also well-received, although the jury is still out on whether they were entirely made from scratch, or just well-seasoned instant potatoes with a real potato or two thrown in for authenticity (we were able to find a tiny fragment or two of potato skin in there). I recognize that this is doubtful, but the texture was characteristic instant-potato, even if the flavor was not.
The turnip greens were just okay, although I did appreciate the addition of a side of spicy vinegar, and the green beans were bland and canned.
Of final note, all of the plates were served with "pancake style cornbread." Confused? So was I. But the item served was just that-- or close-- a savory pancake with cornmeal added to the batter. Of the four plates we ordered, only one came with butter for the pancake (major bummer, I love butter on my cornbread), an oversight made doubly unfortunate by the fact that the pancakes were dry. While I will give credit to Hog Heaven for giving a Southern standard their own twist, I can't say the outcome was a success.
The JOPA was consistently underwhelmed by lunch today. Underlining the overall "blah-ness" of the meal was the disproportionate price. Sandwiches will run you from $3.09 for a regular sized pulled pork (pictured above) to $6.49 for a rib sandwich-- all sandwiches are served without sides. Based on the size of the "regular" sandwiches and the a la carte sides, we would recommend ordering a large sandwich or more than one side if you're planning to make a real meal of your order. The plates, with the cornbread pancake and two sides, will cost you between $7.89 (pulled pork again) and $11.19 (1/2 chicken). While these prices are comparable to Edley's (and other BBQ establishments like it), Hog Heaven does not offer true indoor seating or table service. I would expect a restaurant with such low overhead to pass those savings along to the customer.
On the upside, our service was very quick, and we had no trouble getting a seat. The other customers were also friendly, chatting with us about their meals while we stood in line.
All in all, Hog Heaven earned a 3.0, our lowest score so far. Not a bad lunch, especially if you'd like to take your to-go box and sit in the park, but there are tastier barbecue joints out there offering their meals at a much better value.
On the plate next week: International Market and Restaurant.
~B
Unfortunately, the trade-off for the cooler temps is an abundance of intermittent rain, so we took advantage of the covered picnic table seating they offer. This screened patio also doubles as the walk-up order counter and waiting area. With the exception of the small kitchen/prep area at the back, the patio pretty much is the restaurant. Located on the southwestern end of Centennial Park, Hog Heaven's no-frills, almost shack-like location coincides with its equally simple menu. Like Edley's, they offer a variety of smoked meats served on either a sandwich with sides a la carte, or as a plate lunch with two sides. You can also order larger portions (by the pound for meats, by the 1/2 pint, pint, or quart for sides) of anything on the menu for take-away.
It's not bad, but it's not "Music City's Best" either.
Pulled Turkey Plate with White BBQ Sauce, Turnip Greens, and Mac & Cheese
I was immediately intrigued by the pulled turkey on Hog Heaven's menu. It is one of two entrees offered with their "unique white BBQ sauce" (the pulled chicken also comes with the white sauce). Having never encountered a sauce like this one, I figured today was the day to step out of my sweet and smoky pulled pork comfort zone and try something new. I was very pleasantly surprised... by the sauce. The turkey was nothing particularly special, just a roasted and pulled bird, not too dry, but not juicy and delicious either. The sauce was what made the plate-- creamy and spicy with a bit of smoke, I recommend giving it a try if you ever stop at HH.
Pulled Pork Plate with Cole Slaw and Mac & Cheese.
And yes, that's a pancake. We'll get to that in a minute.
Pulled Pork Sandwich with Cole Slaw on the side
Pulled Pork Plate with Green Beans and Chips (not pictured)
The pulled pork was modestly received with reviews ranging from "just barbecue" (Michael), to "standard barbecue" (Jeremy). Garrick felt that the best thing on his plate was the mac & cheese.
Pulled Beef Brisket with Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes
Ethan's brisket was a little tough. I suppose it was fortunate, then, that he ordered the plate lunch instead of a sandwich-- tough BBQ, regardless of what animal it came from, is the bane of buns everywhere. He also opted for the "hot" BBQ sauce, which was, as advertised, very hot. Proceed with caution if you prefer your BBQ spicy.
As for sides, the mac & cheese was tasty, although potentially not made from scratch. It had the distinctly pre-made softness characteristic of a popular, if unnamed, frozen dinner brand. The mashed potatoes were also well-received, although the jury is still out on whether they were entirely made from scratch, or just well-seasoned instant potatoes with a real potato or two thrown in for authenticity (we were able to find a tiny fragment or two of potato skin in there). I recognize that this is doubtful, but the texture was characteristic instant-potato, even if the flavor was not.
The turnip greens were just okay, although I did appreciate the addition of a side of spicy vinegar, and the green beans were bland and canned.
Of final note, all of the plates were served with "pancake style cornbread." Confused? So was I. But the item served was just that-- or close-- a savory pancake with cornmeal added to the batter. Of the four plates we ordered, only one came with butter for the pancake (major bummer, I love butter on my cornbread), an oversight made doubly unfortunate by the fact that the pancakes were dry. While I will give credit to Hog Heaven for giving a Southern standard their own twist, I can't say the outcome was a success.
The JOPA was consistently underwhelmed by lunch today. Underlining the overall "blah-ness" of the meal was the disproportionate price. Sandwiches will run you from $3.09 for a regular sized pulled pork (pictured above) to $6.49 for a rib sandwich-- all sandwiches are served without sides. Based on the size of the "regular" sandwiches and the a la carte sides, we would recommend ordering a large sandwich or more than one side if you're planning to make a real meal of your order. The plates, with the cornbread pancake and two sides, will cost you between $7.89 (pulled pork again) and $11.19 (1/2 chicken). While these prices are comparable to Edley's (and other BBQ establishments like it), Hog Heaven does not offer true indoor seating or table service. I would expect a restaurant with such low overhead to pass those savings along to the customer.
On the upside, our service was very quick, and we had no trouble getting a seat. The other customers were also friendly, chatting with us about their meals while we stood in line.
All in all, Hog Heaven earned a 3.0, our lowest score so far. Not a bad lunch, especially if you'd like to take your to-go box and sit in the park, but there are tastier barbecue joints out there offering their meals at a much better value.
On the plate next week: International Market and Restaurant.
~B
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