February 27, 2012

Union Pig & Chicken

          I have been waiting for Kevin Sousa to open this restaurant for months now and it finally opened this past weekend.  They do not take reservations here so we got to the restaurant exactly when the doors opened at 5 PM.  The first thing I noticed was the fresh cut wood smell when you walked in, I am guessing this was from the reclaimed barn wood all over the walls.  The wood is everywhere and it makes you feel like you are eating in an old country setting.  The restaurant isn't all that big, it has four communal tables seating 12 people at each table.  The seating is unique being that the benches seat two people each with a space between them so you are not sitting directly next to a stranger.  I am not a fan of communal table but this wasn't that bad.
          We placed our orders and sat looking around at the uniqueness of this place.  Our food came out about 20 minutes later on silver trays and the sides were in little paper food trays, very simple.  My wife got the full fried chicken, cornbread and mac and cheese.  I got the full St. Louis rack of ribs, cornbread and coleslaw.  A full serving of anything here can feed two people, just a heads up for when you go.  The fried chicken had a nice crispy skin and the meat was so tender and juicy it just fell off the bone.  There is house made BBQ sauce on the table if you want it but this chicken didn't need it.  The cornbread was sweet, buttery and very dense, everything you look for in a good corn bread.  The mac and cheese came out in its own little ramekin and was creamy and rich with a crispy crust on top.  Homemade all the way, nothing out of a box here.  Also the full chicken was just that two of each, breasts, thighs, wings and drumsticks.  We took over half of this home.
          My ribs were super smokey and had a lovely smoke ring all around the ribs.  The full slab of ribs were at least 16 inches long and 6 or 7 inches wide, it was a lot of ribs.  There was a rub on the ribs but the smoke is what really came through.  Like I said if you want more BBQ taste there is BBQ sauce on the table.  I told my wife after we ate that if they made hand cream that smelled like my hands smelt after we ate I would buy it and use it every day.  The coleslaw was great and very simple.  All it was, was red cabbage and red onion with apple cider vinegar.  I have never had coleslaw without the mayo but it was really good and crunchy.
          Overall we spent $60 here but when we go back we will only get one full entree or two half portions and probably only spend $40-$50.  Very limited choices here but that is what makes them so good, the chef can perfect the few things on his menu rather than have 30 okay items.  I will be back for sure, I love BBQ and this is some of the best I have had around here.  Its messy, it isn't fancy but isn't that what BBQ is?  I was wondering what direction Kevin Sousa would go with here and he did it right, he didn't try to make BBQ fancy he just showed it for what it is.  It was definitely worth the wait for this restaurant to open.

Overall 9 of 10
Price 9 of 10
Food 9 of 10
Service 9 of 10

220 N. Highland Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15206


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3 comments:

  1. You must have been high, or completely clueless in regards to good BBQ. Calling the food at Union Pig & Chicken mediocre is a gross over-rating. Sousa set standards for himself at Salt of the Earth, and has made it clear that he doesn't plan on adhering to those standards ever again.

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  2. To put the same expectations on BBQ compared to his fine dining is like comparing apples to a steak. They are completely different. Salt you are looking to be wowed at Union you are just looking for good messy and simple food which is what he delivered. To go to Union and expect the same kind of food that Salt offers is crazy. You knew what kind of food Union is serving. There is no place in pittsburgh that is serving quality BBQ like Union. If you want BBQ sauce out of a can you can go to Smokey Bones. Union is quality home made BBQ food. You have your opinion and while I disagree I always welcome others opinions.
    Nathan

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  3. this place was great!! if you like hometown cooking its deff a place you would want to try.

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