Iron Pig Alehouse

Went here to watch a warriors game during our stay in La Jolla.
Nice atmosphere and service with great food!
The chicken wings were some of the best I’ve ever had anywhere.
The riblets are also very good.
The brisket was very tender but a little too rich for me. Could only eat a few pieces.
Plenty of TVs so you have a good view regardless of where you sit.
They had a pretty extensive list of Beers on tap.
Overall I would for sure come back again just for their chicken wings alone!

Found this wonderful gem on Unilocal and decided to give it a shot. Wow, so glad we stopped in. We ordered the rib tips appetizer (happy hour price $ 4), beef brisket sandwich, and chicken wings. The wings had an amazing smoky flavor and were fried perfectly. The rib tips were extra meaty and were very tender. Last but not least, the brisket sandwich melted in my mouth. All in all, a very solid barbeque meal and fairly priced. The only gripe I have is lack of parking, but that seems to be a common problem San Diego.

The interior is very well done, spacious, adequate seating, indoor and outdoor seating options, lots of TVs. I ordered the beef brisket plate and it was okay, nothing out of the ordinary for me though especially when I had high expectations with their claim of it being award-​winning and all. Some pieces were relatively juicy and fatty and good flavor but then you get pieces that were overcooked/​lean/​chewy. Charging over $ 18 for this and with the amount of beef brisket served, you’d expect perfection and it just wasn’t there for me.
I also tried the full smoked baby back ribs and again similar issue I had to the beef brisket. There were good pieces but then the end pieces were overcooked/​lean/​dry.
There’s some inconsistency issues for me here and with the prices they asking for, I’d rather not want to gamble with overcooked meat/​end pieces. I expect the full meat portion to be cooked perfectly. I hate the taste of dry overcooked BBQ meat. I asked my friends to give it a try as well and they kind of mimicked similar reviews of it being overcooked/​dry. They need to work on getting the whole thing cooked right not just the middle pieces.

Decent beer list, but that’s about it.
Was in San Diego for the weekend, and stopped by here because we wanted a good selection of beer. Decent selection and our server was able to let us try a few tasters before we ordered. Problem was, we ordered our food, received our food and were still waiting our tasters… let alone, some actual drinks. The server was in way over his head, and had too many tables. I ended up having to walk up to the bar and order my own drinks from the bartender. All in all, food was decent, beer selection was solid, but service was poor. Probably wouldn’t go here again because there are just too many other options in the area, but if you have a craving for bbq, this place could get you your fix.

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$ 4 select craft beers… yes!
$ 4 for a ½ lb of tasty rib tips… yum! Delicious and an awesome deal.
$ 5 Taco Trio… 1 brisket, 1 pulled pork and 1 chicken… all were good and surprisingly meaty for such a low price!
They also got other Happy Hour specials, such as a $ 5 house salad, a $ 6.50 pulled pork sandwich (next time!), and chips and salsa.
My man-​date got the $ 10 mac n cheese, and $ 4 cheesy mash potatoes… both cheesy goodness. I also tried the $ 3 Southern Greens, because I wanted to be somewhat «healthy» and get my veggies and vitamins… luckily these were delicious too!
Get here before 6:00pm for all these great deals!

The Iron Pig gets 4 stars for the combination of Pros vs Cons. First with the only Con… the food. Not terrible but disappointing. I ordered the baby back ribs, beans and potato salad… Texas toast included. My ribs were dry and tough, I only ordered a half rack and didn’t finish them :/​Baby Back Ribs are one of my most favorite foods of all time, and I just wasn’t impressed. The beans were a little bland, the potato sale was yummy. We were starving and it was super late… considering this, the meal was ok. Oh and just a heads up, they don’t have a full bar– beer only.
The Pros defiantly out way the Cons.
–They’re open late and of all the late night PB dining, I think they’re a top pick.
–GREAT beer selection
–Menu is very reasonably priced
–Service was good
The Iron Pig gets 4 stars for being a great addition to the very lacking late night food selection in PB. I’d give the place another try in hopes that it was just a bad day for the kitchen.

Plenty of street parking, because it’s a bit farther away from the popular bars.
Seat yourself and the waitress will come by.
Happy Hour includes half priced drinks on selected beers/​wines and appetizers.
½ Rack Baby Back Pork Ribs
Ribs fell off the bone easy, but the texture seemed a bit hard, not tender. But it was still good. BBQ sauce was pretty good as well. LOVED the french fries. Crispy and perfectly fried. Potato salad is not bad either.
Smoked Taco Trio
(brisket, pulled pork and chicken, served with roasted corn relish, cabbage, cotija cheese, salsa verde)
The tacos were okay. We all liked the chicken one the best, and I rarely eat chicken. The other two were a bit dry. And mostly cabbage.
Overall, cool place to go for BBQ and drinks. They have a nice selection of craft beers and wines. A bit on the expensive side.

They have an insane number of beers on tap. I opted for lambic and my boyfriend got a wheat beer. Prices on the alcohol were very reasonable. $ 6 each, I think.
I got the baby back ribs with the special smashed potatoes and beans. The potatoes were good (after I put some bbq sauce on them) but the beans were bad. I always pick beans and they are nearly always a terrible choice. I still have to try them though. I’m an optimist.
The ribs were good, which surprised me. And the bbq sauce was pretty good too (even though it smelled a little off). However, the ribs didn’t blow me away. They were the best ribs that I’ve had in San Diego (so far), but they were just okay when compared to the different ribs I’ve had across the country.
My boyfriend got the taco trio. I thought it was a weird choice for a place like this. I was right.
This place is good. I didn’t leave disappointed but I didn’t leave impressed either.

So glad I finally crossed this place off my bucket list! Iron Pig Alehouse might possibly have the best wings in San Diego. Seriously; the pictures don’t lie! I loved the crispiness of the skin and the smoky flavor packed into each bite. Their BBQ sauce is very tasty as well, but it’s not absolutely needed on the wings.
I also added a side of baked cheesy smash to my meal. This one is okay to skip, as it wasn’t anything really special. They do use some quality bacon though.
The service was friendly and attentive; I can’t wait to come back and try some of their other BBQ offerings!

Nice change of pace for Garnet Ave. The industrial building inside and out is not the only thing that makes this place stand out. The BBQ is pretty great! I also love the fact that it’s part Pub as well. Only serving craft beers and wine.
They do a lot of the group table sharing. I’m not the hugest fan of that. Luckily there were still plenty of small high tops to share with my husband. I can’t remember the beers we got but I sure do remember the wings! Everything I like in a Chicken Wing. Large, Crunchy, and packed full of favor with out being covered in sauce. In fact, these are some of the first Dry Rubs I’ve ever had and they did not disappoint. Next we got the Pulled Pork Sammie but subbed for Texas Toast instead of the Brioche Bun. The Texas Toast was a good choice. Very thick, crispy, buttery, and light, paired perfectly with the charred pulled pork and bbq sauce. The Slaw on the sandwich was refreshing and the fries were nicely seasoned.
This place is well deserved of its 4 ½ stars. I’m sure we will be back.

Came here for dinner before my flight on a Sunday. There was a great YSB special for lunch, but not for dinner — boo :(- would’ve been great.
Cool set up inside, plenty of seating and lots of dark, mood lighting. It also smelled really gooood.
I was kinda lame and didn’t order any BBQ meat… BUT, I was really satisfied with my Grilled Cheese w/​added Avocado. The Texas Toast was soooooo fluffy and buttery and all the cheeses were melted together into one gooey, delicious mess. Ugh, such fluffy bread. The fries were pretty heavy in addition to the grilled cheese, so I had others help me finish them. Portions are pretty giant here. However, the price tags are also giant here… so beware of everything adding up.
Good beer selection here — there’s even $ 4 Mike Hess Solis! Probably the best deal here. I also noticed all the beer event posters! A lot of beer release /​keep the glass events happening here. Why is it that it’s always BBQ places that have the best beer events? I guess it’s because beer + BBQ is a classic pairing.

I was in the area and really felt the pang of hunger, Unilocal to the rescue! After reading a few reviews I knew I had to stop by and see just how good this place is. It didn’t disappoint. Hunt for parking because you’ll really want to try this place.
Onto the important stuff, the food review! I ordered an appetizer of Mac and cheese with bacon on top. This was so delicious! It’s large enough for two or three people to enjoy together. My main meal was the grilled cheese. This has a few different types of cheese layered all together with seasoned fries. I enjoyed my Mac and cheese but probably wouldn’t order it again. The goat cheese didn’t really melt and was just chunky, not my thing. The fries were oh-​so tasty though. My husband ordered the pulled pork sandwich (happy hour special) and a side of brussel sprouts. He gobbled up his sandwich so fast I think it’s safe to say he loved it! The brussel sprouts were cooked to perfection, not over cooked which happens easily. The Iron Pig doesn’t have a full bar, just beer and a few ciders. Their happy hour menu was pretty good, lots of options to chose from. We were so full we basically had to roll ourselves out to our car!
Don’t let the small look outside fool you, there’s tons of seating inside and outside. Friendly staff will greet and serve you quickly. I’m excited to go back and try even more BBQ sandwiches and possibly the ribs.

I can only speak for the pulled pork and the brisket. The brisket sandwich and pulled pork sandwich were tender and smoky. And I’m a fan of the Texas toast as the bread for the brisket sandwich. The seasoned fries were fresh and delicious.
The draft beer selection here is impressive and I’ve got no shame admitting I went with Lindeman’s framboise, which is very hard to find on tap.
Amanda was a great server and overall, I really like the décor here. Good vibes. Great service. Delicious food.

Happy hour and we didn’t know where to go. This came up in Unilocal and conveniently we were hungry when happy hour was happening. Service was fast– the food came out surprisingly quickly. Ordered the 4 dollar happy hour beers and three of the happy hour apps… All were so good… Be cautious when you are asked if you would want the regular or spicy barbecue sauce on the rib tips… My boyfriend– whose Mexican by the way– had tears in his eyes haha when he was eating it. But I thought it was a very good kinda spicy. We were stuffed –didn’t even order dinner… Coming back…

So this was our First stop for our «bar mid-​day crawl» and I do not regret it at all! We got there around lunch time so we were HANGRY but on a lowkey budget and prefer beer over food because yolo? So we shared the beef brisket sammich and guess what they did for us!!! They put it on two separate plates for us!!! I almost CRIED of Happiness. Seriously how thoughtful of them :’)
As for the beer they change their selection on a daily basis and have a bunch of options! I tried this nitro one and it was awesome. The smoothness was unbelievable and it was neat to see the bubble formation in the cup. S/​o got a couple sour/​wild ones and he loved them. I also tried this framboise one but was not a fan of it.
Service as I stated already was perfect besides the whole confusion when we first got there. We were not sure if we had to sit or order and then sit. Tad confusing so we sat at the bar. No biggie. They were really attentive at the bar anyways: D Can’t wait to go back!!!

Delicious food, great local craft brew selection, great atmosphere.
I sat at the bar, got the perfect amount of service. For food I got the grilled cheese with brisket, DEE-​LISH-​OUS. I got the mashed potatoes as a side, those were great too. I was nervous about eating barbecue, I’m from Texas and I know our stuff is some of the best. But I was not disappointed! Come to find out, the chef is from Austin and that’s where he learned his barbecuing skills! The grilled cheese was melt in your mouth, the brisket was juicy and cooked perfectly, the Texas toast was perfectly light and airy and buttery and just a little crisp… Just top notch.
The beer selection was also great! I was able to try a couple of nice local brews, a honey pale ale and a coconut pineapple IPA. Both far tastier than I expected.
Overall, this place far surpassed my expectations, and I walked out full and happy!

Another stellar, somewhat new BBQ place here in SD! I couldn’t be more excited with all the new BBQ places opening here and this place is no exception!
Chef Rick Daniels hails from TX, so this pit master knows his ‘Que! Not easy to keep up with smoked meats in a restaurant. Unlike most BBQ places in TX and other regions, when they run out, that’s it. He has to keep it going and a fine job he does.
The ribs here… and I’m the rib girl, are so damn good. They have spare and baby backs. Both are so tasty. Tender, sweet and smoky.
The smoked wings were a revelation! Gigantic and so meaty! The flavor will blow you away. Don’t you DARE put any ranch or blue cheese on those!!! They truly don’t need them.
His brisket has been very on point too. Sorry to keep harping on the fact that I’m a BBQ judge in all my BBQ Reviews, but I guess I’m just trying to show you that I’m not a pushover when it comes to ‘Que. Unlike most in this town, I know Phil’s is the most popular, but I also know he doesn’t smoke his meats… they are only grilled. This is the place to come to find what the rest of the country calls REAL BBQ!
His brisket sandwich on Texas toast is a not to be missed sando! The juices soak into the toast and… oh my it’s BBQ porn!
He also makes a man salad with tri tip! I usually don’t care for tri tip, but his is so tender.
And the sides here also shine like crazy! I’m not the biggest mac ‘n cheese fan, mostly because so many make it dried out and just not appealing. Not here. Chef Rick TRULY knows how to make a great mac ‘n cheese that I love!
But the biggest deal for me here besides mouth watering ‘Que​.is the best damn collard greens I’VE ever had. I don’t know about you… but this blow all others I’ve had out of the water! Loaded with spices and meat pcs… and cooked to perfection… my mouth waters just thinking about them and no visit would be complete without them!
We came here for St. Pattys Day. He had taken 10 briskets and brined them for 10 days and then braised them in stout! Corned beef never tasted this good! I don’t have to tell you, it was an amazing meal!
Fantastic craft beer selection and Batch sodas, which are so tasty.
Do yourself a favor and get over to PB and try some mean ass Texas BBQ!

Met two of my friends here during the week and really enjoyed it! We ordered the mac and cheese app and all opted for a smoked plate which is served with two sides. It was my first time having baby back ribs and I thought they were very flavorful and cooked perfectly. I also ordered the southern greens which I didn’t really touch, (was more focused on the ribs) and the slaw which was also pretty good. The ribs were huge so we all ended up taking home half of our plates. I would definitely eat here again!
TIP: We were told by our server not to park in Chipotle’s parking lot next door because they will tow you!

If you haven’t been to Iron Pig, run don’t walk! I’m serious! Some of the best BBQ in town at great prices. We had taco trio with a chicken, pulled pork and brisket tacos. The brisket was my fav, and so we ordered a side of brisket, so meaty and tender! The sides we ordered, collared greens and smashed potatoes, were amazing too! They have amazing beers on tap… I had the Ommegang amber ale! Service with Brandon at the bar was great!
I will definitely be back with friends!

After reading a glowing review of Iron Pig Alehouse on
, I just had to try it for myself! The author, Mercy Baron, is a certified BBQ judge and a great writer, so this lady knows what she’s talking about. Needless to say, it was some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had! We also had a fantastic server who was extremely friendly and knowledgeable.
This restaurant is larger than I expected, and I like the rustic nautical décor and large family-​style dining tables. Since my girlfriend and I had just returned from a walkabout around PB to burn some of the calories from indulging in Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream, we decided to share a plate instead of ordering a meal for each of us. It’s a good thing we did, because we were on the verge of being overly-​full after our shared meal.
We opted for the Brisket dinner with a side of coleslaw and a side of beans. It’s served with a nice slice of lightly-​buttered Texas toast, which was cooked perfectly. We both loved the beans as they had a wonderful sauce, large pieces of pork, and a great smoky flavor! As for the coleslaw, it was OK, but not memorable.
However, the brisket was the best brisket I’ve ever had! They served four large slices of brisket on a plate with no sauce, which was great because it didn’t need any. Each slice had a layer of fat on top that really added to the flavor! Whatever you do, don’t remove the fat because it melts in your mouth and adds a distinct richness to each bite. The brisket was very juicy and had a wonderful smoky flavor. I tried some with the BBQ sauce and some without. My verdict is that it’s great without sauce, but if you do use BBQ sauce, only use a few drops per bite because any more will hide the flavor of the meat.
The food here is rather pricey, but it’s unrealistic to expect such fantastic food at a low price. I can’t wait to return to try some of their other delicacies like: baby back ribs, rib tips, pulled pork, and the brisket sandwich.