Barbecue is a part of American culture, especially in the South. I would gladly trade a plate of caesar salad for a bucket of buffalo wings any day. Unfortunately, I cannot say that Holy Hog Barbecue satisfied my finger-lickin’ craving. In fact, everything else about the restaurant besides the actual meal was excellent.
Holy Hog Barbecue, located on 3501 North Armenia Avenue in Tampa, is open Monday to Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Ever since the place first opened two years ago, it has been known for its succulent ribs and beef brisket. The menu has a wide variety of meats and sides. Other meat items that they offer are pulled pork, smoked pork sausage and chicken.
All meats are served dry rubbed, but there are three different sauces available so the customer can season it to their liking. There are a lot of sides to choose from as well including cowboy baked beans, fresh cut fries, roasted corn and much more. For those in the mood for something a little more out of the ordinary, there are some non-traditional items like the BBQ Quesadilla and the BBQ COBB Salad.
As I pulled into the parking lot of Holy Hog, I could not help but notice that the area did not seem like a prime location for a more upscale restaurant, but it was the perfect spot for a barbecue joint, if you ask me. The outside of the restaurant resembled a barnyard, which was enough to make me curious. The first thing I noticed upon entering Holy Hog was the enticing, smoky smell of barbecue that hit my face.
Also, an upbeat country song played in the background which added to the southern-homey vibe. Despite the fact that deer and boar heads covered the walls, the restaurant was quite inviting, unless you’re a vegetarian of course.
Holy Hog was crowded with families. I saw children’s hands covered in barbecue sauce. The whole atmosphere reminded me of home, especially since I grew up in a house full of barbecue lovers.
Prices ranged from eight to nine dollars for majority of the meals, a relatively inexpensive meal ticket. After finally dissecting the menu for a good 20 minutes, I decided to order the chicken dinner that comes with the choice of two sides and a piece of Texas toast all for eight dollars. I ended up choosing collard greens and macaroni and cheese for my sides. The cashiers and cooks were very friendly when taking my order, and the food came out in a timely manner.
Excited to dive right in, I found a seat at a wooden bench and started with the collard greens. I’ve only had collard greens once before, but these were by far inferior. They had no flavor whatsoever and they were too soggy.
Next, I tried the Texas toast. To my disappointment, the bread wasn’t crispy. It was just as soggy and chewy as the collard greens. I was a bit relieved after trying the macaroni and cheese, which was extremely cheesy (just the way I like it). Then again, it is pretty difficult to mess up macaroni and cheese. Although, I suppose it’s possible.
I hoped that the chicken would make up for the side dishes. Unfortunately, the chicken was the worst part for me. Despite the savory and well-seasoned skin on top, the actual chicken was dry. It was hard to believe that what I had was dark meat. It definitely called for some sauce because it lacked absorbed flavor of any kind. I needed sweet and sour sauces to make it edible. What a disappointment; I was hoping it would at least be decent by itself.
If it wasn’t for the mediocre food, I would definitely consider going back to Holy Hog.
Critic’s Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Madison Irwin can be reached at xoxomaddie2@aim.com
You couldn’t be more wrong. Next time don’t get chicken and try some pulled pork sandwiches. Get the baked beans and fries not collared greens which you don’t even know what they are supposed to taste like anyway. No offense, but you clearly don’t know BBQ.