Elite Event: Whole Hog BBQ’n at Bantam+Biddy

BIG Thank You to Bantam+Biddy, Ben, and Unilocal Atlanta for hosting this GREAT event! B+B went all out for us #YelpElite and spent 4 hours roasting a whole hog just for us! That doesn’t include the DELICIOUS side items; the warm potato salad was OUT OF THIS WORD!!!
One of my favorite things about this event was that it was held on the lovely patio, with twinkling lights above our heads, overlooking the shopping area court yard. Really just a fun, relaxing evening with the Unilocal Crew and incredible/​genuine B+B staff! Can’t wait to see you all again soon.

This was my first Unilocal event ever! And what a great inaugural experience.
This was also my first whole hog event, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But they really did bring out a whole bbq hog and served us directly from it. As if that wasn’t enough of a treat, the sides were pretty good too: mac and cheese, potato salad, and slaw.
And the bourbon cocktail! Oh, the bourbon cocktail. I basically love anything that has muddled fruit and/​or bourbon in it, so a muddled strawberry, ginger beer, lime, and bourbon cocktail was right up my alley.
Finally, I must confess that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the banana pudding.
Well done, Bantam and Biddy, Unilocal,and Buffalo Trace!

One thing is for sure… Bantam+Biddy sure does know how to throw a pig pickin’. I was happy as a lark to be Ashley N.‘s plus one this intimate southern roots Unilocal event. I knew as I approached the door with smoky piggy aroma that I was in for a treat. I instantly got a warm welcome from Ben and Lance at the door as the pig was sprawled out crisping for just a few more minutes — the heat, the beautiful smells – hmmm, hmmm. I checked in with JJ and popped over to the bar with my drink ticket. Now, I don’t consider myself to be much of a bourbon girl but the Buffalo Trace was smooth. The drink of the night was the Midnight Rumble. As the bartender muddled the fresh strawberries for it, he made note that it was surely their best drink. I tend to love anything with ginger beer in it — as a non-​bourbonite, I am wondering how even more tempting the vodka version of the midnight rumble would be – oh boy! Like a fresh berry-​laced moscow mule!
We ventured out to the patio on simply a beautiful evening. Within minutes, the piggy wiggy had made it’s centerpiece debut. Gilly was ready to serve us with pride, as he had been cooking this fine swine for us for about 4.5 hours. I was more than happy to be served the first plate. Huge hunks of tender BBQ! I grabbed both sauces – BBQ and wasakaka sauce – honestly, I ended up mixing the two and it was the perfect compliment. My favorite side was the warm potato salad – Gilly told us that it is one of the waitresses secret family recipe – boy, I want that recipe! Once I packed everything in, I had to make room to scarf down that delish Nana Puddin’. Kurt, our server, was über friendly and took great care of us.
I want to thank Bantam+Biddy for making this feel like a cozy cookout amongst friends/​family. This was my first meal here but most certainly won’t be the last.

My very first Elite event and being a noob to the Atlanta area, I managed to get lost. (Aka late). But anywho, when walking into the restaurant, they were super friendly! Pointed right to the patio and told me to have a great time. at first, it was obviously nerve-​raking but thanks, fellow Unilocalers, for showing me the way.
To get to the nitty-​gritty, the hog was delicious!!! My favorite part of it was the skin; sometimes when whole hogs are roasted, I get this filmy (back in Charlotte) but Bantam+Biddy did it just right. All of the pig stayed consistent with flavor… such patience they have (4+ hours of having that smell entice you? Oh jeez, an ultimate tease). My favorite sides was the potato salad. I love potato salad. I love mashed potatoes. And B+B was a mixture of both (mashed potato herbing in potato salad style) YES. ALL KINDS OF YES!
My final note: I’m a lover of bourbon so I was ecstatic to try Buffalo Trace (out of Franklin, KY)! This mixed in with muddled strawberries and ginger beer. Mmmm.
Thank you, guys, for planning such an awesome event!!!

It feels like an eternity since I went to a Unilocal event, and I’m glad this one worked out! I went to the CMYE at the other Bantam+Biddy location, but hadn’t been to the Ansley Mall location until this event.
The patio was a really nice area to sit in, especially with the cooler weather. I was glad we sat in the back near the roasted hog because it was warm!
Yes, you read the above correctly: they roasted a whole hog for us on their «front stoop», for lack of a better word. They’d been roasting it for about 5 hours before we ate it. And, it was a good pig! Not the best I’ve ever had, but good nonetheless (and way better than me cooking something at home!).
The sides were my favorite: all of them! I used the local bread and slaw to make a little pork sandwich with BBQ sauce. Could have used some pickles, though. I didn’t get to try the green wasaka (sp?)sauce, but everyone else seemed to like it. My favorite was the macaroni and cheese!
And, we got to have some banana pudding with cake inside instead of vanilla wafers. It was okay, my boyfriend thought his tasted a little sour. The whipped cream was my favorite part, though, but that’s because I’m not a huge banana pudding fan.
My only complaint was that we were restricted to bourbon for the complimentary cocktail. I detest bourbon in all forms, and no amount of mixers can mask the taste from my sensitive palette. Thankfully, I was able to get the delicious Bee Keeper from the bar so all was well. And we did get coffee at the end as part of the Elite package!
After the craziness that was Unilocal LIVE, it was so refreshing to attend a low-​key, smaller Unilocal event where you could sit and make friends over good food.

Round of applause to Ben and Bantam+Biddy! Amazing event! Bantam+Biddy created a spectacular meal for Unilocal.And, this couldn’t have been a better planned newbie event. Unilocalers were encouraged to bring along a new friend. I had brought along my roommate, Julia, who’s never been to a Unilocal event. She enjoyed every bit of it from the food, side activities to the people.
The outside patio was reserved for this Unilocal event. As we walked in, we were given a complementary cocktail, Midnight rumble. Similar in notes to an old fashion but without the citrus. Table by table, we all lined up to be served. And, you can smell the amazing hog that Bantam+Biddy roasted for us. It was delectable. Juicy on the inside and crispy skin on the outside. They served it with the regular bbq sauce and an interesting green sauce, started with a W. I don’t know what it was but it was amazing with the pork. The acidity almost kinda help break down the protein further and the sourness enhanced its flavour. I def went up for seconds.
Cant forget about the sides. I loved the mac n cheese. It had a great seasoning. And i was a little iffy about the jalapeño salad. Scared it was going to be too spicy but it had just the right amount of kick to it. I, again, had seconds of that.
And, last but not least, I cannot forget about the amazing ‘nanner pudding. Ohh myy! It was great. I wanted to ask for one on the go.
Overall, a great great Unilocal event. I’ve been to the other Bantam+Biddy in Midtown and I can really say that there is really a quality that they uphold in both locations. I was glad that the co-​owner and the chef, Gilly, were there to host the event. Again, HUGE thanks to Bantam+Biddy and to Ben for getting this event together for everyone. Paz.

I’d never been to Bantam+Biddy before but passed it a couple of times on Monroe Dr so I was eager to try their food — especially since they usually don’t do BBQ.
That being said, I said «try» not «stuff my face with» so I was also pleasantly surprised by the amount of food at this event. We were served an entire hog (no really, an ENTIRE hog) that had been roasting for 4 hours in preparation for us, potato salad, mac & cheese, jalapeño slaw + one complimentary bourbon cocktail.
So obviously I ate everything on my plate. And felt fantastic (ally full).
And as a special surprise at the end, they brought out banana pudding which was super delicious too (what is it with southern restaurants and banana pudding?).
Given that I met and hung out with some new and old Unilocalers, this was a total success, especially for a newbie!

Simply amazing.
I’ve been wanting to check our Bantam+Biddy for ages and never had the opportunity. This event proves I will definitely be a repeat customer. Unilocal was able to take over their patio area with seating for about 20 — 25 people. Tons of Unilocal stickers, crafts, and schwag were on our seats with a nifty reusable bag (talk about awesome!).
As soon as you walked in the door, you can see (and smell) the WHOLE HOG they were cooking for us. It was like bacon on steroids. I think I speak for everyone when I say my mouth was watering beyond belief. We were seated and had time to catch up with the other Unilocalers while they plated up the pig and brought out the sides. Cierra with Buffalo Trace was also on hand to give away some awesome goodies and provide us with the complimentary cocktail for the evening — the Midnight Bramble. I’m a big bourbon fan and this drink was delicious. So much so — my roommate and I bought a few more for ourselves to enjoy!
Now on to the spread — Bantam+Biddy pulled out all the stops to treat us to some down home BBQ. The pig was so succulent and juicy! I had a great time talking to Gilly the chef who let us know they do a whole hog EVERY SATURDAY. What?! Who does that?! The best BBQ team on the planet — that’s who. The skin was crunchy and crackly and the sweet sauce they make in-​house was the perfect compliment. Their sides included macaroni and cheese, mashed potato salad (which was warm and my new favorite version of potato salad), and a jalapeño slaw that was crunchy and lightly dressed.
Unilocalers were sent up in groups so we never overwhelmed the line and it was super simple to get our plates and head back to the table. To finish it all off they gave us banana pudding cups for dessert! They weren’t too sweet and had whole nilla wafers and banana slices inside.
Our server was fantastic and always made sure we were taken care of. Lance and Gilly put on an amazing spread for us and really took the time to explain their love of food and of Unilocal!Turns out they recognized some faces from reading our reviews previously! They truly went above and beyond and even made us all take-​home containers for lunch the next day.
HUGE thank you to Ben, JJ, Keaton, Cierra, Lance, Gilly, and everyone else who made the event possible. I had a great time and I can’t wait to come back to sample more of Bantam+Biddy’s southern creations!

This event was a treat. Bantam+Biddy, an Ansley restaurant best known for its chicken and seasonal sides, barbecued an entire hog for us at the Elite event last night! The event was geared towards newbies: new Elites and veteran Elites who brought a new guest. I invited one of my coworkers who had never been to a Unilocal event before.
It was a small event. I estimate attendance was about 25 – 30 Elites including any +1s. Bantam+Biddy set aside their patio just for our private party. According to Ben, the chefs had cooked the pig for five hours. The pig was cooked outside on the sidewalk in the afternoon/​early evening, next to the restaurant entrance. Lots of folks in the Ansley Mall vicinity could smell the mouthwatering BBQ wafting through the air. The entrance to Bantam+Biddy was actually quite hot from the heat of all the charcoal.
Bantam+Biddy chef and co-​owner Lance Gummere and chef/​manager Gilly were on-​hand to speak to us and personally serve us the BBQ’d hog and sides. There was plenty of food to go around and we got to take home a good bit of leftovers. Here’s a picture of the hog we ate:
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Along with cutting us nice hunks of pork, Gilly made sure we got pieces of crispy and savory pig skin too, all freshly cooked. The pork was served with a couple of Bantam+Biddy’s sauces: their sweet BBQ sauce and their spicy and warm Dominican wasakaka sauce made with garlic and parsley. The BBQ pork was delicious. So delicious, I got seconds.
Sides included local bread, potato salad, mac and cheese, and jalapeño coleslaw. It was a well rounded Southern-​style BBQ meal and everything was quite good. To top it all off, we each received a cup of the restaurant’s rich and smooth banana pudding. It was magnificent and rivaled that of the banana pudding we had at the Sweet Auburn BBQ event in July.
Each guest received one drink ticket good for an alcoholic beverage. Non-​alcoholic beverages were on the house. Service was terrific. Everyone, from Lance on down, was incredibly friendly.
I had a fantastic time at this event getting to know some new Elites, Samantha H. and Scarlett W., better as well as meeting some new Elites in person for the first time, such as Kin N. and Randy T. I really like how the Unilocal Atlanta community is growing.
I also spotted some new Unilocal swag at this event: Unilocal bags that fold up into a compact pouch. Photo:
. Neat.
Many thanks to the Unilocal Atlanta ITP crew, Ben, JJ, and Keaton, for making this event happen. It was a success. Also, a big thank you to Lance, Gilly, and the rest of the team at Bantam+Biddy Ansley for their generosity and hospitality. Until next time, SYOY!

This was a great first Elite event! Thank you Ben! The BBQ pig was very good, our server Kurt was wonderful and my table accepted me and my tardy attendance! I haven’t eaten here before but would definitely bring my husband back for another go!

Great event. Had a great experience here with the people, the food and the great weather. The server, owners and the Unilocal crew were all awesome! Loved meeting some new people. The whole hog was amazing and I especially enjoyed the mashed potatoes. And of course have to thank our server who was absolutely great!

Bantam+Biddy has been on my watch list for awhile. I’ve heard the name thrown around, but never actually got around to coming myself. If this event was supposed to convince me that the food wasn’t all hype… it definitely worked.
Upon arrival, I was greeted with the aroma of a roasted pig. So distracting! Especially when you’re 10 minutes early and waiting outside, twiddling your thumbs. The pig can be intimidating, considering it looks very much like a pig. I know some people don’t like to eat food that resembles the animal it is.
JJ checked everyone in, handed us a drink ticket (Midnight Bramble, courtesy of Buffalo Trace), and pointed us to the patio which was reserved for the Unilocalies. The patio was not that large (maybe 10 tables?), and the event itself was pretty intimate. I think this setup is nice for new elites because it really allows everyone to socialize instead of keeping to themselves or their plus ones.
The tables were littered with Unilocal stickers, cootie-​catcher templates, chap sticks, and some never-​before-​seen (at least to me) schwag — the Unilocal reusable bag! Actually, I thought this was a bib, going along with the barbecue theme.
Lance (one of the owners) and Chef Gilly brought out the whole hog and other menu items — potato salad with dill, jalapeño slaw, and macaroni and cheese. There were two sauces accompanying the pork, waka… we’ll just call it waka-​WOW. Man, this was a REALLY good sauce. It was almost like a habanero jam to me, without the gelatinous consistency. Chef Gilly said it was jalapeño, oregano, olive oil, garlic, and some other herbs that he couldn’t remember exactly. Whatever it was, it was AMAZING and went really well with the pork. The other sauce was a BBQ sauce. Actually, the two mixed together made for a rather suave concoction of sweetness and pepper. Macaroni and cheese is the best comfort food, and this did not disappoint. I also really liked the jalapeño slaw. It didn’t pack as much heat as I would have expected but… was it just me, or was there broccoli in there?! The stalks added a great crunch and was a really nice, light addition to an otherwise very comforting meal. As if we could have eaten more, we ended the meal with a banana pudding. YUM! I loved the vanilla pudding and nilla wafers. This was a tried and true Southern meal.
Great big shoutout to our server, Curt who was very attentive and entertaining. Also to Buffalo Trace, which until tonight, I did not know was a distillery. The bourbon in the Midnight Bramble is theirs and is really smooth. It also helped that there were a bunch of muddled berries, but that’s besides the point.
Thank you again to Lance, Chef Gilly, Buffalo Trace, and Ben for putting on an awesome event (and for leftovers/​lunch tomorrow). It was funny because I felt like I had such a difficult time coming up with adjectives for my Unilocal Words Cootie-​Catcher, but shouldn’t we all be great at coming up with descriptive words for food?!

Whew — I’m full and happy! Ben, the Unilocal crew, and the guys at Bantam & Biddy put on a great event! The patio was the perfect spot to enjoy the evening, some good food, and great company!
This was my first time eating a whole hog (well, I didn’t eat the whole thing), and it was delicious! The meat was tender and flavorful, but definitely different than your average smoked BBQ. The sides served were out of this world — warm potato salad and jalapeño slaw! Yum! We even were served some down home style banana pudding for dessert — man that was a lot of food!
On the cocktail front, Buffalo Trace provided the bourbon for a refreshing cocktail filled with muddled strawberries, blackberries and crushed ice — such an unusual but tasty mix!
Overall, I had a wonderful time, & I can’t wait to return to Bantam & Biddy to try some of their regular menu offerings!

Before entering, one can smell the aroma of something cooking. Before the entrance, there is a display of the pig being roasted for our group…
What a great event hosted by Ben G! We were checked in by the pretty JJ and had the whole patio reserved for our group.
It was a pleasant surprise to see the tables decorated with Unilocal schwag: origami, stickers, lip balm, a bag within a bag, etc.
There were tables for 2, 4, and a bar type seating area.
Members of each table took turns coming up to the counter where one of the owners and chef served the food. We got pork, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and salad. There were 2 different sauces to go with our bbq: a sweet bbq sauce and a wasabi flavored sauce.
The pork was tender and went well with the sauces provided (I personally prefer the sweet bbq sauce). The mashed potatoes rendered our table speechless. The mac and cheese is better with sriracha (which they have). The salad was a perfect light addition to the meal.
The server brought a sweet iced tea with blueberries. It was refreshing and not too sweet.
The meal ended with banana bread pudding. I was pleased to find actual bananas in there.
Our servers were so friendly and prompt.
I left stuffed, happy, and ready to collapse into a food coma. Thank you Bantam+Biddy and Unilocal for the leftovers!