Iron Pig Alehouse recently opened in Pacific Beach, offering a modern approach to Texas-style barbecue.
They offer several beers on tap and the menu has bbq favorites like brisket, baby back ribs and beef ribs, which are all brined and smoked.
Hickory Smoked Chicken Wings
We’ve heard really good things about these wings and they did not disappoint. The wings were meaty, juicy, with a delicious smoky flavor. The fat had been completely rendered off the skin of the wings, leaving them super crispy. I was also amazed at how beautiful each wing was. We’ve made wings on our bbq grill at home and they always end up charring. These are some of the best wings I’ve tasted this year, and I can just imagine how good these would be to munch on during game day.
Brisket Plate
We decided to share a brisket plate, which came with the choice of two sides and buttered Texas toast. Our plate came with three large slices of brisket. The plate overall looked a bit small, but this may be influenced by the fact that we just came back from Nashville where the portions were bigger and prices cheaper.
The brisket was tender and had a good smoky flavor to it. I actually felt though, that it was a bit too tender. The meat fell apart easily, a characteristic I love in ribs, but I like my brisket to be a little firmer. It was also on the greasy side and I felt like it could have used a tad more seasoning because other than the smoky flavor, it was a little bland.
While it was a decent brisket, I still prefer Coop’s version.
For our sides, we chose the Baked Cheesy Smash and Corn Relish
The Baked Cheesy Smash was quite tasty, with its mix of creamy potato with melted cheddar cheese and crunchy bacon crumbles on top.
The corn relish was light and refreshing.
Overall, we really loved the smoked chicken wings, but found the bbq to be just okay. For Texas bbq in San Diego, we still prefer Coop’s, but we’d love to come back here for beer and wings.
Iron Pig Alehouse
1520 GARNET AVE
SAN DIEGO, CA 92109
Hi Kirbie – I’ve heard good things about this place. Thanks for the post.
I really enjoyed the wings. I thought of you when I ordered them since I know you love your wings! I wasn’t as moved by the BBQ, but I did just come back from Nashville where we had some really great bbq.
Those wings look awesome. They look so crispy and delicious! Did they give you BBQ on the side for dipping (that’s what it looks like from your photo).
yes! you have a choice of spicy and regular and they also have a housemade bbq sauce on the table for all your food.
Strange – when we ordered the brisket, we got 4 slices. I agree it was almost too soft, but I thought the fatty pieces were well-rendered.
Those wings look really good – I want to try them next time.
Oh that is interesting. The wings are really well done. loved them!