The Snazzy Pig

February 28, 2009

Roswell, New Mexico – Just south of downtown Roswell sits The Snazzy Pig. I saw this joint on my first trip to Roswell and immediately put it on my list of ‘must visit’ restaurants. Fortunately, on this particular trip someone else mentioned it while we were deciding where to eat. Obviously it was a very short discussion.

To get you in the mood, turn on your speakers, then follow the link to The Snazzy Pig BBQ Joint. Okay, you can turn the speakers off now.

From the parking lot you can smell the aroma of the meat smoking. A good sign so far. Another good sign, literally, was that the southern exterior wall is painted with the words “Dig the pig.” Now I’m really looking forward to the real barbecue that will be served inside.

Once you are inside, you’ll find a large dining area. Continue looking around and you start to notice all the humorous signs throughout the place. Some of them had me chuckling to myself. The women’s restroom is identified by a sign that says (ahem) “Sows”. The men’s room says, “Hogs”. The lamps were very interesting and presumably unique to The Snazzy Pig. Corrugated tin lends even more authenticity to the eatery. I was starting to get a good vibe from the place. The only thing missing was peanut shells on the floor.

Over toward the back of the restaurant in front of the kitchen area is where the Condiments area is found. Featured here is a huge selection of “all the pickled stuff and onions ya want.” You like dill pickles? Got ’em. Sweet pickles? Got them, too. Relish? Jalapenos?

Going into sampler mode, I looked over the menu trying to figure out how to get the largest variety of meats. I narrowed it down to the 3-meat combo plate with pulled pork, brisket, and St. Louis-style ribs. I added a side of smoked sausage. The meal comes with a cornbread muffin and two sides. They have something called Snazzy Pintos, which are pinto beans with jalapenos and onions for roommates. I’ll try this next time. But today I had Uncle Porky’s Baked Beans and Bernie Ma’s Potato Salad.

If you order one of the meats, i.e., not a combo, they’ll bring it to you on a sheet of butcher block paper, sans plate. I guess if you’re serious about your ‘cue, the plate just gets in the way. So they dispense with it. We didn’t get to see if that was true because all eight of us ordered a combo plate. Too bad. I’dve loved to try that.

It took two waitresses to bring our meal and after everything was sorted out, we dug in. I rotated through the meats to see which one Snazzy Pig does best. When it comes to barbecue, I am a tough customer. If you’ve seen my other reviews, you know this. With that said, none of them really stood out. I did like the brisket the best of all 4 meats, though. The ribs were good but a bit short on flavor. The sauce was good and didn’t overpower the taste of the ribs. It didn’t have to. But maybe a bit more of a rub or marinade would help. Just my opinion.

As far as the sausage goes, it was good also. I was expecting the hot, hot links but these were not they. The menu specifically says ‘sausage’, so that one is my fault. I made a sandwich with mine using the slice of bread that came with it. The pulled pork was good and tender. The sauce was not heavy on the vinegar, so that’s a plus.

This is indeed real smoked barbecue so it wins points with me there. But it just didn’t get me all that excited about it. It’s like hitting a bases-empty double in baseball; not a home run, but still a solid hit. 

They have a selection of desserts listed in the (ahem) sooo-weets section. (I didn’t make that up. It says that right on the menu.) We were kind of full after our meal so I passed on dessert this time.

If you have group of hungry people, this is a good place to come eat. I imagine a little league baseball team or high school football team descending on this restaurant after a victory. Or the family meeting out-of-town guests here for an indoor barbecue. With a group, you can sample something from each other’s plate. At least until they slap your hand away. Be sure you read the signs on the walls. Should be a fun time for all.

The Snazzy Pig – 3.5 forks. Recommended. They also cater.

Update December 28, 2018: Just learned that The Snazzy Pig closed down September 10, 2011. Details here in this Roswell Daily Record article.