After a long weekend away from Seattle, camping on the Oregon coast, I found myself Monday evening confronted with the task of unpacking my camp bag. As I pulled back the zipper on my dirty laundry I was confronted with the aromatic evidence of two nights of outdoor fires - wood smoke. While some may have immediately rushed said articles of clothing off to the washing machine, I inhaled deeply and drifted back to those cool evenings out of doors, with fragrant smoke wafting up from a burning hardwood fire. At once I started drooling. “Why”, you might ask? Well, to me, that smoky aroma reminds of nothing as sublime as barbeque and that fact that my clothes smelled like tasty barbeque made me want to drizzle on some sauce and stack them between two buns and go to town. But no, I held back for I was going to turn this smoky longing into a review of Steel Pig BBQ on Aurora Avenue in Queen Anne.

While I haven’t dared to venture far for barbeque in Seattle, having found one shop that does it well, there was no need to look further, I decided to expand my horizons and try the shop I saw so many times on my way into downtown. Having waited out Monday night and all day Tuesday I decided to head straight for the Steel Pig BBQ restaurant right after work. The restaurant of course was deserted as it was only 5pm upon my arrival. They have a walk up counter where one places their order. With two guys behind the counter, one on the phone, you’d expect an order to be placed quickly, not so much. Turns out the second guy had to wait for the first one to finish taking a call-in order before taking my order - strike one. Once my order had been placed my dinner was served up very quickly and I walked over to one of a few available tables.

It was a pig plate I ordered, the regular Killer Ribs meal (Regular - $8.50, Large - $12.00). In addition to two ribs of the regular meal I also received corn bread and a choice of side. My decision was for the black eyed peas and rice, strike two. The peas were over-cooked, mushy and flavorless. More like brown bean paste, while it wasn’t great, it was actually a highlight of the meal. The rice was tough and chewy, like it had sat out all afternoon and the corn bread was sweet and sticky. For those of you not from the south, corn bread should not have the texture and taste of sweet cake. It should be crumbly, slightly dry and savory. But of course let’s not forget what I came here for - smoky pork BBQ. Good barbeque is a subtle dance between dry, fat rendered rib meat and succulent, juicy, porky goodness. With just the right amount of smoking and slow cooking ribs should be fall off the bone tender but have the toothsomeness of morning cooked bacon. Steel Pig BBQ had none of that. What they had was fall off the bone, fatty pork spare ribs. They were juicy alright but from the unrendered fat of these near meatless rib bones. As for the smoky aroma and flavor that urged me to get barbeque in the first place? Missing in action. In my opinion these ribs had never seen a smoky chamber but had instead been cooked in a medium range oven. How this passes for barbeque is anyone’s guess - strike three!

After picking at my plate, taking a bite or two of corn bread and finishing off my bean mush I shuffled out of the restaurant, head hanging low and hunger still gnawing at my belly. My smoky clothes had teased me into wanting tasty ‘que but instead I was left bland pork and sides. It’s no wonder they are located next to one of Seattle’s tourist destinations, they are the only ones who’d eat this and think it was good (With the exception of Southerners). The Steel Pig can be sure of one thing, I will never be back but you shouldn’t feel bad for me; because on my way home I stopped off at Bourbon & Barbeque Grill for a tasty, smoky pork sandwich and boy was it good.