Smoke stars at Pig-Sty BBQ in Boynton Beach
Pastrami sandwich, slaw and Copperhead lager
THIS RESTAURANT IS UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
Kansas-style barbecue from Smoke’s ex-pitmaster is on the menu
Hours after eating at Pig-Sty BBQ in Boynton Beach my fingers still had the lingering aroma of the smokehouse in which pitmaster Bryan Tyrell produces some of fine tasting “que”.
Tyrell, formerly of the now-defunct Smoke BBQ in Delray Beach and before that at the award-winning Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ, imbues passion for his craft along with the smoke that punctuates his brisket, pulled pork bits and more, He’s a native Kansan (I had my first taste of genuine barbecue at Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City some 30 years ago) and the meats he’s turning out at Pig-sty trace back to those roots. I enjoyed his efforts at Smoke BBQ (owner Scott Kennedy still operates a Smoke BBQ in Fort Lauderdale and soon is planning to open in Boca Raton).
Pig-Sty’s owner is Elliot Harris, a financial consultant who has spent time has advising restaurants throughout the United States. He and Tyrell met by chance and hit it off, per the restaurant’s web site.
Pig-Sty replaced a kosher eatery on Boynton Beach Boulevard
Though just around two years old, Pig-Sty looks as it’s been around forever. Just some plastic signage on the white store front in an off-the-beaten-path shopping plaza at Boynton Beach Boulevard and Old Boynton Road to identify the place along with neon BBQ and Catering signs in the windows (well, there’s also the Pigsty delivery truck parked near the curb). Inside, walls of reclaimed wood and all sorts of bric-a-brac have completely transformed what was just years ago a strictly kosher restaurant called Golda’s (From glatt to train (unkosher), is that sacrilege?) into a rustic-style dining room. Flat screen TVs fill the walls and rock music blares. The restrooms are bizarrely decorated graffiti-stye.
Bric-a-brac filled walls in the dining room
Despite the music, it’s largely quiet during the lunch hour, but things pick up in the evening when live music (Thursday-Saturday) adds to the vibe.
Dining is cafeteria style. Order at the counter, pay and carry your tray into the dining room adjacent to the counter. There are a handful of tap beers available, Locally produced Copperpoint Lager is a good foil for the fare.
Pig-Sty’s menu covers most of the barbecue essentials, from pulled pork that’s been smoked for 14-hours to Kansas City-style burnt ends (the ends of the brisket) to beef ribs and pork ribs by the slab. There are a variety of traditional sides, including a moist cornbread sprinkled with cinnamon.
The Jakl
Carolina pulled port sandwich
Pastrami, available only on Mondays and Fridays, is one of the stars on the menu. It’s, of course, smoky, rosy inside and deeply colored at the end, thick sliced, tender and delicious. It’s not the kind of pastrami that you’ll nosh on in a Jewish-style deli. Same cut of beef, but different animal. Regular sandwiches go for $7.50; specialty sandwiches a dollar more. The meats are available by the pound for $17.
Another winner is a specialty sandwich known as the Jakl. It’s a toasted Kaiser roll filled with rosy hued meat imbued with that deep smoke flavor topped with melted provolone cheese and a pair of onion rings that add a bit of crunch. There’s also a nice tang to this concoction.
The plain brisket sandwich, served on a potato bun is tender with every smoky bite, but would benefit from some sauce, either sweet or spicy. There are sauce bottles on the tables along with rolls of paper towels.
A Carolina pulled-pork sandwich is a messy affair, with meat and coleslaw oozing from the sides of the soft and quickly soggy potato bun that envelops it. You’ll definitely need the moist towelettes found adjacent to the beer taps. The meat is tender and smoky, but could benefit from more vinegar character. The crispy cole slaw adds crunch. The cole slaw as a side dish, however, is dry.
Pig-Sty BBQ is a welcome respite from the chain eateries that line nearly Congress Avenue. I left Pigsty BBQ as they say, happy as a pig in mud, and I’m more than willing to return to get my fingers tinged again by that wonderful smokiness.
Pig-Sty BBQ
706 W Boynton Beach Blvd, Boynton Beach, FL 33426
(561) 810-5801
