Pigs Foot Barbecue

Ntylions wrote:

> Everyday I drive to work on Penn Ave. thru Garfield/E.Liberty and I
> see this
> place,
> Pigs Foot Barbecue, located on Penn near the circle.  Has anyone tried
> it?
> It looks like a very small, take out joint.
>
>                        Barb D.

      Hi!
        I''ve been meaning to write a review of Pigs Foot for a while
now, but I wanted to wait till I could say something about the (bbq)ribs (which I have yet to try). Everything else I've had there is extremely good. My favorite item is the eponymous Pigs Foot ($3.75 whole).  I have to warn people ,though, that it's probably not for everyone. With the first bite I was a little bit put off by the texture, which is fatty, gelatinous, and very bony, but the flavor, rich and smoky with an excellent, somewhat spicy, barbecue sauce, was enough to keep me eating. By about the fifth bite, I was addicted and now even appreciate the texture (not to mention all the tiny little bones).
    If fatty, gelatinous, and bony is a deal breaker though, their
barbecued chicken is also very good. Their side dishes are spectacular, particularly the candied yams . The greens have quite a bit of pork, and a nice smoky flavor, and the macaroni and cheese is made with real cheese (as opposed to yellow cheese flavored wax). They also serve a pretty good fried chicken, almost as good as Family Pride down the road in East Liberty. Their sweet potato pie is the best I've ever had, by a long shot. We've taken to ordering whole pies to take with us to family gatherings.
    There is a chinese woman that works there (the wife of one of the
partners I believe), and they have added a few chinese items to the menu. The only ribs I've tried there are Chinese spare ribs with black bean sauce and scallions. They were as good as, or better than, any ribs I've had in any of the local dim sum places.
    The people who run the restaurant are exceptionally friendly, and
the restaurant is as clean as a dentists office, perhaps because the partners running the place are retired dentists. When I can tear myself away from ordering Pigs feet long enough to try the ribs, I'll report back. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to give them a try, even if you take a pass on the pigs feet.
    They are located on Penn, between Negley and Penn Circle( a block up
from the apartment building that straddles Penn Ave.)

Ralph