I am not much on BBQ pork or BBQ in general, but I had to try the Humble Hog located on Gay Street in Downtown Knoxville.
Upon stepping into Humble Hog, I was greeted by a relaxed atmosphere and minimalist decor. The absence of a fully stocked bar didn’t deter from the experience, with draft beer and locally canned beers and ciders available. The music selection, featuring blues tunes, was spot on and added to the laid-back vibe during the dining experience. There is a bar area, as well as a seated bar in front of the kitchen where you can watch your food being prepared.
Smoked Lobster Hush Puppies
I started with the Smoked Lobster Hush Puppies. They were definitely crunchy, almost a little too crunchy for me. I was a little disappointed with these because I didn’t taste any of the smoked lobster anywhere. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought they were just regular hushpuppies, and a little pricey for just regular hushpuppies. The housemade aioli that came on the side was good, but a little thick for my taste. But, who comes to a BBQ place to get smoked lobster anyways – right?
My companion this day went with the House-Made Pastrami on Rye without the thousand island dressing. I’ve never really been a Rueben person, but oh my goodness … this was amazing! The rye bread was a little grilled, the swiss cheese was perfectly melted, and the pastrami was out of this world flavor! It was juicy and literally fell apart, there was an occasional crunch from the burnt ends of the smoked pastrami which made it even better.
Let’s get to the good stuff, the actual BBQ. It is amazing!!! Probably the best pulled pork I have had anywhere. I ordered the Pulled Pork on Brioche Bun. The pork flavor alone was outstanding, very tender and moist. You have an option of sauces; the original, chipotle, and habanero. I tried the chipotle and habanero, my favorite being the habanero. The bun is a brioche bun …and a lot of bun. In fact, there needed to be more meat on the sandwich to keep up with the amount of bun.
Chipotle Mac and Cheese & French Fries
The sides are a’-la-carte’, so naturally I ordered french fries and couldn’t resist the chipotle mac and cheese. The portion of fries are generous, and my companion and I couldn’t finish them all. While the fries were generously portioned and seasoned well, they leaned towards a softer texture that reminded me of baked fries. Nothing wrong with that, but they aren’t the crispy, crunchy french fries some people prefer. The chipotle mac and cheese was good. I didn’t get a lot of the chipotle flavor, and the cheese isn’t real smooth and creamy. But for a side, it was good with the sandwich.
I did take notice of a lot of different food coming out of the kitchen and I’m excited to return very soon to try some more. They have a Sweet Potato Cake with Vietnamese Coffee Sauce that looked amazing, and I will definitely go back during dinner hours to try their burnt ends. The pulled pork and pastrami sandwich alone make this a place worth visiting. Whether you’re a BBQ aficionado or a skeptic like myself, Humble Hog BBQ is certainly worth a visit for its flavorful offerings and laid-back ambiance.
UPDATE: I did return to get another pastrami sandwich and fries with the aioli. I was also able to try a couple things on tap including the Ivory Lite and the Mint Condition Seltzer. Both of these are from the local brewery Ebony & Ivory. If you like mojitos, the Mint Condition Seltzer is a must. The flavor is that of a mojito served with a lime and it tasted like it was made with fresh mint.
Mint Condition Seltzer & Ivory Lite
Carrot Cake Sandwich
I did not try the Sweet Potato Cake with Vietnamese Coffee Sauce, instead I went with the Carrot Cake Sandwich. This thing was amazing! Served with cream cheese ice cream in the center of two pieces of carrot cake, topped with some charred dehydrated pineapple and drizzled with a smoky caramel sauce. It was moist, not too sweet, the cream cheese ice cream was a different touch and the pineapple on top was delicious by itself.
For another Downtown Knoxville restaurant review, click here!
-Tennessee Taster
