The Iron Pig Smokehouse

We stopped in on our way to the U.P. for Deer Camp, and loved not only our food, our Bloody Mary (made with bourbon, rather than Vodka), but also our food, and most importantly, the service! So much so, that we made it a point to stop in again on our way home, and we were once again so impressed with everything The Iron Pig Smokehouse had to offer! Trust me, this is worth the stop!

To begin with, I am honestly not a big fan of smoked food in general so I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed lunch at the Iron Pig. I had the smoked shrimp tacos and let me say that I had never heard of nor seen smoked shrimp before so I had to try them. They were by far the best shrimp tacos I have ever had and I have had them at more places than I can count! I live down state and now stop in anytime I have the opportunity. They are easy to get to and dont take forever which is nice if you are on the road.

We needed a place for 41 people to eat. With only an hours notice, The Iron Pig Smokehouse said they could accommodate us. When we pulled up to the restaurant, the owner held the door open for us and said he was glad we were there. How often does that happen! To say we were impressed with the food, the servers, and the timely service would be an understatement. It was truly the best! I wish I lived closer because I would eat there often! I will definitely go there again the next time I'm anywhere close.

Service was excellent as were the libations. I ordered the brisket bowl but should have gone with my 1st choice - pulled pork. The brisket was great but that's all I can say that's positive. It needed less green pepper and onion and more black beans and corn. In this case the "sticky" rice was over cooked and had less than a hint of lime. A good cilantro lime rice would really enhance this dish. But keep trying Iron Pig - you're close to having a good dish. On the other hand my partner had the half rack rib platter and had nothing but good things to say about it.

If there is two cultures foods that blend seamlessly together in holy matrimony it's Mexican and Korean. The Korean Street Tacos blend a Korean bbq spiced pulled pork with a more American style bbq coleslaw on top, while also throwing in a little jack cheese for good measure. The flour tortilla had the right amount of toast to the outside to give them a nice crunch. As for the pint I rolled the dice and picked a random tap that looked interesting. I had the Iron Pig Brew which is their in house beer. It's a little more bitter and hoppy than what I'd normally drink but it complemented the food choice nicely. If you're in Gaylord and want something different check this place out. Support local independent restaurants!