Life > April 12, 2007

By Amy Smerdzinski

Staff writer

We have all seen the building on the way to the football games, or going out to Freddie B’s or Pure Chrome, but have you ever taken notice of it?

I had never given Pig Pickin’s a second glance. I come from a family that must try every back-alley, shack restaurant on the side of the road to find what my dad calls “real southern barbecue” and Pig Pickin’s seemed too well put together to serve good barbecue.

So, I had no intention of dining there, especially because when I think of authentic North Carolinian barbecue, University Parkway is not the first place I would go looking. But I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.

Pig Pickin’s is better put together than any fast-food restaurant I’ve been to. The interior of the restaurant is well-decorated to the theme of “Pig-Pickin’s” and is well designed for a nice, casual sit-down meal with family and friends.

The atmosphere is cozy, with pig decor all around and a fireplace that gives the restaurant a home-like feeling.

It also has televisions that usually feature sporting events. The service is friendly and quick.

The prices at Pig Pickin’s are extremely affordable for the quality and amount of food you receive.

I ordered the chopped barbecue plate, which included baked beans (upon my request over cole slaw), french fries and hush puppies.

This entire meal was under $7. Most other meals are under $10, with the most expensive meal being the large barbecues ribs plate for $14.99.

Pig Pickin’s also does a great job in catering to lovers of both eastern-style barbecue (with a vinegar based sauce) and western, or “Lexington,” style barbecue (with a ketchup based sauce). Now, I am not from North Carolina, but I can say I’ve had my fair share of barbecue, so I feel safe in saying that Pig Pickin’s knows what they are doing, at least for “city” barbecue. Their baked beans are just like home-cooked beans, but the hush puppies are mediocre and the sweet tea was not the best.

The menu included a variety of dishes, but I was also informed that as of April 5, Pig Pickin’s has expanded their menu to offer an even larger variety that will contain more food for the same prices.

I am a firm believer that you cannot come to North Carolina and not try the barbecue. I would not recommend Pig Pickin’s as the first choice to take someone who wants authentic southern barbecue, but for a college student, the prices, convenience and food quality of Pig Pickin’s makes it the perfect choice.

And hey, if you don’t have time to sit down and eat there — even though it only takes about 40 minutes to eat-in — you can also take advantage of Pig Pickin’s carry-out and take it back to the dorms for some barbecue and TV. What could be better than that?