The Smoking Swine

This is stripped down BBW and comfort food. I’d say nothing special… but they do it really well. Even my co-​worker, who tends not to be adventurous, and was skeptical about the concept of food trucks, raved about it.
I’ve had brisket and ribs from here — but for me, the most amazing thing they have is the box. I can’t find it on the online menu, but if they offer it… wow. Its a chinese takeout box that weighs a ton, top layer is mac and cheese, followed by beans, followed by brisket. Its all great, its a lot of food, you will finish it, and good luck getting work done through your food coma.

Two words: amaze. Balls.
This is some legit bbq. I’d write more, but i want to get back to stuffing my face. I just had to tell someone how amazing this BBQ is.

I was best man at a wedding in Pasadena, MD yesterday. I had been told that there was going to be catered BBQ after the ceremony, and as a lover of the hog, I was looking forward to a good meal after the vows were said.
I was not disappointed. Superb food top to bottom! First trip through, I had the North Carolina pulled pork sandwich, collard greens and the mac and cheese. The sandwich was fantastic… huge portion of meat, fresh slaw, and just the right amount of vinegar to accent the meat. The greens were tasty and hot… most excellent. And the mac and cheese? Holy crap! Without a doubt, the best mac and cheese I’ve ever eaten. I kid you not. When I told my daughter that it was better than what my mom made (which was pretty much the gold standard), she threatened to disown me. Second trip through… another NC sandwich, and a DOUBLE order of the mac.
My understanding is that the truck was a person short, but everything was handled promptly and professionally, with large amounts of good humor thrown in.
I can’t recommend The Smoking Swine enough. Follow them on FB, Twitter, and Instagram. and WATCH FOR THEM! It’ll be well worth your time. Drew… first class operation, first class food (and that rack of ribs made for a great dinner tonight) !! My thanks, good sir!
Regards…
Ern

Every sandwich he has is top notch BBQ. This is one of the few food trucks where I’ve gone back for seconds. They sell out of items because of people like me. So damn good. I wasn’t really into BBQ until this food truck gave me BBQ boners. Thanks a lot jerk!

The pulled pork with vinegar bbq with slaw and pickles was RIDICULOUS! So freaking good! If I could follow the truck everyday I would!

(7÷25÷2014) Checked out Smoking Swine while they were at Beethoven and Brews outside of the Meyerhoff. Lines were ridiculous, theirs was impossible (over an hour wait). They were out of almost everything by the time we got there. Tried the Lonestar brisket sandwich, smokey, beefy, moist, some chew to it. Also had the St. Louis-​style Ribs with Mac ‘n’ Cheese (the baked kind, ordinary, tart-​cheesy, nice Goldfish touch) and Collards (stewed a while, sweet-​tart). Ribs were solidly stuck to the bone, smoked, spices in rub were nice, but could’ve used some salt. Hoping for another chance to try the Carolina Pulled Pork next time. Solid. FYI: City Paper 2014 Winner for «Best Brisket.»

My new favorite is the brisket. Drew is a really nice guy who knows how to cook some pig! The hush puppies were pretty amazing too.

Probably one of the best mac n cheese’s I’ve had. Did a grab-​and-​go of only one item, but had I known how good this place was I probably would’ve bought one of everything on the menu. Next time :)
Guys on the truck are super friendly too.

Best pulled pork I’ve ever had!!! soo delicious and i mixed the sauces, definitely got carolina but i forget the other. Juicy, tangy, tasty, and perfect.
the mac and cheese is great as well… huge portion and not only did they have goldfish crackers but it was seasoned with garlic chili sauce which gave it a delicious spike. very unique and yummy.

YES.
Pulled pork, the way God intended. I got the Carolina style, with vinegar sauce and devil coleslaw and the BEST. PICKLE. EVER. My only gripe was because of the weather and my lengthy walk, it was kinda lukewarm when I got to eat it. My fault — I’ll find a place to sit next time so I can enjoy it when it’s hot!
The collard greens were so tasty, and the sweet potato casserole tasted heavenly — positively loaded with pecans! Cornbread was moist and buttery.
Super friendly staff. No complaints.

Coworker had a takeout box from them. Smelled so good that I had to try it.
I ordered the pulled pork sandwich platter, with mac and cheese and collard greens. A drink is included in the cost of the platter. They delivered my bag in mere seconds. I think it took them 45 seconds to assemble, no joke.
I was hoping it was going to be doused in vinegary North Carolina barbecue sauce, but it was ketchup-​based. (I think I didn’t know I could order it Carolina-​style.) Not to worry – sauce was tangy and not that sweet – still a good outcome. The pork was incredibly smoky and mostly moist, which was a nice surprise.
Mac and cheese was EXCELLENT. I am on an unofficial hunt for the best mac and cheese in Baltimore, and so far, this is winning. Sure, the noodles are kind of mushy, but the cheese sauce is tangy and creamy and perfect. The butter-​toasted Goldfish on top were stale and started to get soggy, so those weren’t a plus, but the flavor of the cheese sauce trumped them. Next time, I’d order double mac, or all mac if I’m allowed to order it on its own.
Collards were bacon-​y and vinegary, but I didn’t finish them. I think I was too excited about the mac and cheese.

Pulled pork with a dabble of rootbeer BBQ sauce and crisp, slightly sweetened coleslaw.
Delicious!
My only complaint would be that the sandwich needed a LOT more sauce. It bordered on the bland side, although the meat itself was cooked well.
Get it with the coleslaw, because it really balances out the flavours.

I went here for the Gathering at McHenry row.
Got the pulled pork and brisket sandwich.
I gotta say the portions were huge so you do get your money’s worth.
However, the brisket sandwich barely had any sauce. And the flavor wasn’t as good as i hoped. So guys please, more sauce next time. It made the brisket kinda dry.
Pulled pork sandwich was also on the dry side. I got the vinegar sauce and could barely taste it. Even the cole slaw was dry! Pulled pork had chunks of tender meat and chunks of tougher dry meat.
This place has potential to be really good. Maybe it was the long lines so they had an off day. Please add more sauce and more kick next time.

Holy crap, you guys. The ribs. The ribs are so good.

These guys are serving up some seriously legit bbq in Baltimore. It’s clear that this is a labor of love for the duo as they have put in painstaking hours to create their sauces, sides and meats. To hear that it takes about 8 hours just to create a gallon of their homemade sauce makes it all the more mouthwatering-​ly good.
I had the perfectly smokey and tender brisket sandwich with the mac n cheese. The brisket was fall apart good ready to melt in your mouth. They don’t add any sauce so you can choose your own (good call). The mac n cheese is PERFECT. Its got the right amount of cheesy goodness with a bit of crunch (surprise — they use goldfish and corn flakes). I tried to pry some kitchen secrets from them about their mac but was not successful… understandably so as it is worth guarding. My husband had the carolina pulled pork and couldn’t get enough of it.
Each meal comes with a pink treat… a pig sugar cookie. So make sure you get out there and find the Smoking Swine.

Well, my review goes a little like this. I decided to grab some late night food from the Smoking S (food truck) they were at the Ottobar which is a stones throw from my abode. I got the brisket sandwich and a side of mac and cheese. In all fairness the brisket was pretty good, my main gripe about this is that for the price point it is kinda expensive for what you get, What i found a little bit funny was the two slices of bread that the brisket was on. I mean if you are going to charge said amount, please dont give the customer ordinary bread. The mac and cheese though good, was kinda plain in my opinion. It has potential i can see, but with me price wise, and the fact that it was just your typical ordinary sandwich meh.

Preliminary review: based on 1 visit. Will go back forsure to try new items!
I visited the Smoking Swine at the ottobar one night.
Check out their facebook page for updates on their schedule.
I had the pulled pork sandwich and mac and cheese.
The pulled pork was more like shredded pork. How was the flavor? It was decent. They didn’t overflavor it to ruin the natural pork tastiness, which I like… but it’s a little too shredded for me, and it seemed to dry out the meat. makes sense right?
The bun was just a normal white sesame seed bun, as far as I could tell. Wish they would invest in some nice buns. (My general complaint about most restaurants with regards to the bread they use)
The sauces were good. Just solid sauces. Not sure if they change it up once in awhile. But I had the normal bbq, the vinegar sauce, and the dr. pepper bbq.
All had their unique flare to them. Good stuff. Not too gloppy, not too sweet, not too vinagery, just right.
The pulled pork itself does their name justice. Smoking Swine. When people talk about smoked meats, I get it, and i’ve had decently smoked meats. This, though. The Smoke Flavor amazingly permeated every ounce of that pork. First time really tasting it like that. Now I know… other places don’t smoke em right.
The highlight actually was the Mac and Cheese.
According to their menu, 3 blended cheese topped with buttered corn flakes.
What they don’t tell you … colored Gold fish mixed in. Yep, you heard it right. Gold fish. That stuff you eat when you’re a kid ‚…maybe you still eat it.
The texture holds up just enough along side the as-​tender-​as-​baked-​pasta-​waiting-​for-​you can be. The nostalgia rushed over me. Brought back great memories. And that unique flavor (you call it processed. i call it amazing) blends well with the real cheeses.
Topped with buttered corn flakes? I couldn’t tell… which is good. I’m sure it’s supposed to blend well .and if they still do this .they did it right. Not really sweet at all… but it just works well together. Cheese, fairly thick, all around good Mac and Cheese.
Call to make sure they have what you want. We got there right as they opened and there ribs needed an hour longer to cook. What a tease.
Their brisket looks damn good too.

Let me start off by saying, I _​LOVE_​meat. I have made it a point in my life to taste as much fantastic food as possible. Last night when we stopped at The Smoking Swine food truck, I knew that I would be eating fantastic meat. What I didn’t expect; however, was how amazing the food really was. I ordered the brisket sandwich, meaty beans and mac & cheese. The each slice bread on the sandwich was an inch thick and amazing. It’s soaked up the juices of the meat and it made it even better! The meat itself was perfectly cooked and almost melted in my mouth. The beans were absolutely delicious! They were sweet and savory at the same time, with pieces of pork in almost every bite. The mac & cheese was heavenly and topped with Goldfish crackers.
Drew and Karen have a massive hit. I can’t wait to go back!!!

How the fuck did TWO people beat me out for the FTR?!? Clearly, I’m slipping in my old age… or could it be that I was too busy chompin’ down on the brisket to even bother reaching for my phone?!?
Now, I know that I say «amazeballs» and «OMG so good» a lot, but honestly, this is arguably one of the best BBQs I’ve had. I’m not saying this as a fatty, I’m saying this as someone who loves BBQ passionately, and really has to bow down to the magnificence that is the Smoking Swine.
To start with, the brisket is incredibly tender and moist! One of my main issues with brisket, is that most places overcook the tender so that it’s either a touch dry and stringy, or it just falls apart. The Smoking Swine does it just right… tender enough that you can’t believe it’s brisket, but it still holds together as a good peice of brisket should. The gentle smokey flavor compliments the meat; not overpower it like a hoodlum.
The pulled pork was another *huge* winner with me. The portions are huge, and the pork was tangy and succulent and rick with flavor. The surprise of the pickles added just the right amount of acid to balance out the rich fattiness and adds a delicious little surprise.
Although the Smoking Swine just opened their trailer doors a mere week ago, it tastes as if the owner (who is hilarious and awesome) has spent countless hours thinking through what people like about BBQ and how to elevate it to the next level, without making it pretentious. I normally hate going up to Baltimore on weeknights (I live in MoCo), but I am seriously thinking about making a regular Tuesday night run up to Ottobar, where I believe the Smoking Swine will be serving. YUUUUUUUUM!

I’m a native to the Tarheel State and barbeque is important to me, and anything but slow-​cooked pulled pork ain’t barbeque. I’ve been «chasing the dragon» ever since I moved north and it’s always been a let down. I’ll see «Carolina Style» on a menu and am torn with the pulling of hope and pessimism.
That is, until the other night when I was greeted with smiles and a heaping of fine pig on a bun. I had some of the mac and cheese and cole slaw as well, and enjoyed them thoroughly.
If you’re like me, and have been searching for a good pulled pork sandwich, hunt this truck down. Go out of your way. Find ‘em on facebook or twitter or wherever you «network» in order to know where they’ll be. I have, and I can’t wait for my next sandwich.