|
FOODIE
Time For BBQ At Wild Hog
By Pete & Will/ foodie@longislandernews.com
We weren’t sure what to expect from a place with a name
like Wild Hog, but our radar is finely tuned for finding Southern
style barbecue joints and from the name alone, this was clearly
one.
Outside, Wild Hog is nondescript at best. Inside is an eclectic
interior best described at American Roadhouse meets Ed Hardy.
(For those who don’t know, Hardy is a popular graphic
artist and clothing designer; the Peter Max of the hip-hop
generation).
Wild Hog occupies the former City Lounge on Route 110. Before
opening late last spring, brothers Mike and Chris Maou transformed
the space with roadside eatery in mind. Virtually every surface
in the room is touched by paint, from the painted faux barn
board floors to the wood paneled walls decorated with whimsical
graphic images: a pair of winged red Converse high tops fill
one panel; a painted greenback another; and in a windowside
panel, there’s a famous image of a Britney Spears wardrobe
malfunction. That’s the most popular one for photographs
among visitors to Wild Hog. Where there’s not paint,
there are odd artifacts: galvanized steel washtubs, chrome
wheel rims, road cones and, oddly, more than a few pairs of
handcuffs nailed to the walls.
The eccentric décor makes for plenty to look at. The
menu follows through on the roadhouse theme. Southern style
barbecue is the house specialty. The menu’s affordably
priced selections include sandwiches, burgers, wraps and fajitas,
as well as a limited number of platters, most featuring barbecue
sauce in some form.
One exception – the house chili ($3.95/cup, $6.95 bowl)
is hot and hearty with a rich tomato flavor and topped with
creamy jack cheese.
Hog’s version of the pulled pork sandwich ($9.95) features
tender shredded pork in a smoky sauce topped with slaw on
a crisp bun. Served with the eatery’s signature thin-sliced
potato fries, it makes a hearty meal.
A chicken wrap ($9.95), similarly served with fries and slaw,
is a flavorful mix of barbecued or grilled chicken with lettuce,
tomato and onion, all wrapped in an oversized flour tortilla
with a sweet honey mustard or barbecue sauce.
No trip to a Southern style barbecue house would be complete
without someone trying the ribs. Wild Hog’s baby back
ribs ($14.95 half-slab, $19.95 full-slab) are fall-off-the-bone
tender and slathered with the barbecue sauce of your choice:
original, Sweet Talkin’ or Wild Hog. We tried them with
the hottest house sauce, a not-too-fiery tomato-based concoction.
Other platters – all are served with the signature potato
fries and coleslaw – are shrimp and chicken, a skewer
of grilled marinated shrimp and hibachi chicken breast with
roasted peppers ($12.95) and BBQ Chicken Tenders ($8.95) in
barbecue sauce.
We’ll head back to try the Hog Burger ($8.95), or maybe
the house BBQ Burger ($9.95), featuring the addition of barbecue
sauce, American cheese and bacon.
The menu also includes a selection of salads, a half-dozen
appetizer selections (suitable for noshing with a beer at
the bar) ranging from $3.95 for a basket of fries, to $9.95
for the hibachi shrimp. We’ll also get back to try the
wings ($8.95).
Families are welcome at Wild Hog, and a kids menu includes
mini burgers or chicken tenders ($5.95), or grilled cheese
($3.95) all with fries.
Wild Hog is open seven days, serving lunchtime through 11
p.m. or later. The comfortable bar that fills the center of
the dining room is a popular neighborhood watering hole and
Monday night football spot, and an outdoor patio beckons us
to return in warmer months.
Wild Hog is a must-stop for barbecue fans.
Tell the boys the Foodies sent you.
Wild
Hog Bar & Grill
508 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110)
Melville, NY 11747
631-629-4674
www.wildhogbarandgrill.com
Cuisine: Southern style barbecue
Atmosphere: Ultra-casual roadhouse
Price range: Affordable
Hours: Open 7 days for lunch,
dinner and late night snacks
Main
Menu
|
