Smoking Pig BBQ Company
530 Newhall Drive
San Jose, CA 95110
http://smokingpigbbq.net/
Having visited Smoking Pig BBQ Co. on N. 4th St. in San Jose back in 2013, I decided it was about time to visit their newest outpost near San Jose International Airport and Avaya Stadium, home of the San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team.
The first thing you notice when pulling up to this location is the smokehouse behind the restaurant. Two big smokestacks connected to J&R Manufacturing Oyler Pits sitting in a semi-enclosed structure. It seems like a smart move so that if there's a pit fire, it will only affect the smokehouse, not the restaurant building itself.
The first thing you notice when stepping inside the restaurant is the full bar with an extensive selection of beer, wine, and stronger adult beverages. There are flat screen TVs scattered around the room for all your sport-watching needs. The Smoking Pig offers table service, so someone will get you seated, take your order, and bring your food to the table. Service was friendly and efficient on the day Mrs. TVWB and I visited.
I ordered a brisket sandwich (half fatty, half lean) with fries, Mrs. TVWB ordered a two meat plate with spareribs, burnt ends, mac & cheese, and a cornbread muffin, and we ordered banana pudding for dessert. No big complaints about anything we ate; the lean brisket was a bit tight, but it was fine in a sandwich mixed in with slices of fatty brisket. The spareribs had a good competition bite, not falling off the bone. The burnt ends could have been a bit more tender, but they were still tasty. The mac & cheese has not changed since my 2013 review; they still contain bits of meat that make it a really nice side dish and we ate all of it. The cornbread muffin wasn't too sweet, had a good crunchy cornmeal texture, and was accompanied by butter and honey. The banana pudding was exactly what you'd expect from a barbecue joint, simple but satisfying, and we gobbled it up to finish our meal.
Smoking Pig BBQ Co. has a good selection of appetizers, including their version of ABTs called "Wolf Turds", chicken lollipops, potato grenades (mac & cheese and a Wolf Turd stuffed inside a baked potato, wrapped in bacon, and served with a dipping sauce and an ambulance service phone number on the side), sliders, nachos, and other inventive shareable foods.
Barbecue meats include brisket lean and fatty, burnt ends (depending on availability), spareribs, pulled pork, 1/4 chicken, and Louisiana hot link; all are available as one-, two-, or three-meat plates or sammys or a la carte. One unusual menu item that you don't find here in California is Brunswick Stew served with cornbread. We didn't try it, but the menu says it's the real deal and I have no reason to doubt it.
Sides include cole slaw, potato salad, the aforementioned mac & cheese and cornbread muffin, garlic mashed potatoes, beans, rice, greens, and french fries regular or dusted with cajun spices. Desserts include peanut butter pie, banana pudding, key lime pie, and peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream.
I think we'll be going back to the Smoking Pig in the near future. If you're flying into San Jose on business or pleasure, the restaurant is conveniently located right next to the southwest end of the airport...you can watch the jets land from the parking lot!
Here are some photos...enjoy!
Continued...
530 Newhall Drive
San Jose, CA 95110
http://smokingpigbbq.net/
Having visited Smoking Pig BBQ Co. on N. 4th St. in San Jose back in 2013, I decided it was about time to visit their newest outpost near San Jose International Airport and Avaya Stadium, home of the San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team.
The first thing you notice when pulling up to this location is the smokehouse behind the restaurant. Two big smokestacks connected to J&R Manufacturing Oyler Pits sitting in a semi-enclosed structure. It seems like a smart move so that if there's a pit fire, it will only affect the smokehouse, not the restaurant building itself.
The first thing you notice when stepping inside the restaurant is the full bar with an extensive selection of beer, wine, and stronger adult beverages. There are flat screen TVs scattered around the room for all your sport-watching needs. The Smoking Pig offers table service, so someone will get you seated, take your order, and bring your food to the table. Service was friendly and efficient on the day Mrs. TVWB and I visited.
I ordered a brisket sandwich (half fatty, half lean) with fries, Mrs. TVWB ordered a two meat plate with spareribs, burnt ends, mac & cheese, and a cornbread muffin, and we ordered banana pudding for dessert. No big complaints about anything we ate; the lean brisket was a bit tight, but it was fine in a sandwich mixed in with slices of fatty brisket. The spareribs had a good competition bite, not falling off the bone. The burnt ends could have been a bit more tender, but they were still tasty. The mac & cheese has not changed since my 2013 review; they still contain bits of meat that make it a really nice side dish and we ate all of it. The cornbread muffin wasn't too sweet, had a good crunchy cornmeal texture, and was accompanied by butter and honey. The banana pudding was exactly what you'd expect from a barbecue joint, simple but satisfying, and we gobbled it up to finish our meal.
Smoking Pig BBQ Co. has a good selection of appetizers, including their version of ABTs called "Wolf Turds", chicken lollipops, potato grenades (mac & cheese and a Wolf Turd stuffed inside a baked potato, wrapped in bacon, and served with a dipping sauce and an ambulance service phone number on the side), sliders, nachos, and other inventive shareable foods.
Barbecue meats include brisket lean and fatty, burnt ends (depending on availability), spareribs, pulled pork, 1/4 chicken, and Louisiana hot link; all are available as one-, two-, or three-meat plates or sammys or a la carte. One unusual menu item that you don't find here in California is Brunswick Stew served with cornbread. We didn't try it, but the menu says it's the real deal and I have no reason to doubt it.
Sides include cole slaw, potato salad, the aforementioned mac & cheese and cornbread muffin, garlic mashed potatoes, beans, rice, greens, and french fries regular or dusted with cajun spices. Desserts include peanut butter pie, banana pudding, key lime pie, and peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream.
I think we'll be going back to the Smoking Pig in the near future. If you're flying into San Jose on business or pleasure, the restaurant is conveniently located right next to the southwest end of the airport...you can watch the jets land from the parking lot!
Here are some photos...enjoy!
Continued...
