Hog & Hominy

I have been wanting to go here for ages and finally some colleagues visiting from out of town were up for it too (Although when I sent them the link, there were a lot of raised eyebrows and questions about the Southern-​Italian food fusion). But I’d read thru enough of the previous Unilocal reviews to calm their fears!
So I made a reservation — which I would recommend as even tho’ it was a Thursday night, this place was packed! We were seated very quickly and then a lovely server explained the tapas like concept of small plates to share before the pizza.
We ended up splitting 4 tapas plates:
— Chicken romain: great way to start and the texture of the perfectly doused cheesy and cool romain leaf with the warm chicken skin was an explosion of flavour that had us all anticipating the next plates
— Grits with vegetables: AMAZING! I could just eat these all day. Perfectly cheesy. The okra and potatoes and tomatoes melded beautifully with the grits. Loved the presentation in a cast-​iron skillet too!
— Octopus: so tender! The texture of the potatoes in this dish took me back to the potatoes Bravas that were a meal staple when I was in Barcelona. The olives were super-​salty however so that was the only drawback if you have a palate that is sensitive to salt.
— Gnocchi: just total melt in the mouth perfection. The peas/​beans combo with the tender meat was just fantastic! As good as anything that I have eaten while traveling thru Italy.
After sharing these tapas plates, we had super high expectations for the pizza and it didn’t disappoint! We got the ‘shroom and Chicken of the sea pizza. Loved, loved, loved the ‘shroom! It was a beautiful medley of mushrooms and great quantity — their blend of cheese just really enhanced the mushroom flavour. For the chicken of the sea, to be honest the green pesto layer looked a bit questionable but after a bite, all of us loved the tastes (lemon, garlic, olive, and just a hint of the sea), but wished there had been more quantity of clams. Everything tasted so good and I absolutely want to come back again to try their other pizzas.
I wasn’t planning on getting dessert, but someone on our table asked to see the menu and when I saw an item called Carole’s chocolate smile, knew I had to have it! Now I am not a fan of Oreo’s, but this pie made it work. Frothy and light as air, this chocolate pudding pie was perfect to end the meal. I also had a bite of the Lemon Meringue that another diner ordered and it was good too (but nothing beats chocolate!)
Almost forget to mention drinks! I had the cucumber drink, which is made in house and was superb. This is food totally cooked with love and attention to detail y’all! I so plan to return!
Note: #153 of Unilocal 100 challenge for 2016

This place is worth going to Memphis for !
We had the crab claws, the grits, octopus and something else. All were very very good. The peanut butter pie was fantastic. If in Memphis, do not miss !

I’ve visited Hog & Hominy several times now and what started off as an unimpressive start has, overtime, become a steady and deep love.
The décor is adorable and the bar (and bartenders… Aka drink artists) are fantastic! I’ve always had great service here as well. The noise level inside is really my only gripe. It could be a sweet romantic or business meeting sport but it always seems unreasonably loud like a sports bar inside.
What’s interesting is I never think to come here, nor do I crave the food however every time I visit I am blown away by the goodness in my belly! It’s all the wonders a gal like me never knew she needed. Most recently I was blown away by the head cheese dish, the braised sprouts and the grits. Seriously the grits here are the best I’ve had in Memphis!!!
I may now crave the grits… But this isn’t my first go to spot because of the noise and because I never know I want the food they have until I get there. This the reason I chose four instead of five stars. If the noise were resolved… Maybe then I’d come more, fall more passionately in love and then give it a five star!

Had a fantastic meal here last night. New menu items are on point. Cheddar Grits with veggies, biscuit gnocchi, and carrots were all delicious. We also had a new pizza (Down to the Shine) with corn and leeks. Equally fantastic. Loved this place before. Now love it even more

I had been scoping out ‘Hog & Hominy’ for quite some time, but the southern/​Italian fusion concept never really rang a bell with me. However, on my latest trip to Memphis, H&H came up on my restaurant research and decided it was finally time. Was pleasantly surprised to find one of my new favorite spots in Memphis.
Overall ratings by dish:
Red Eye Pizza: A-​, loved the complex flavor profile of the pork belly, fontina, and egg. So good! Has to be one of my Top 10 favorite pizzas
Biscuit Gnochi: D-​, really missed the mark hear. Was not a fan.
Brussels Sprouts: B+, definitely worth trying, even if you’re not a huge brussels sprouts fan.
Poutine: C+
Meatballs: B+, I find meatballs typically to be lacking flavor, but the meatball itself was quite flavorful, with a standard tomato sauce.
Dates: B-​, gorgonzola, bacon, celery root, yogurt, apple-​fennel sofrito. Yum!

This place is always on point; brunch is killer but tonight we had dinner for our last meal in Memphis (for a while). Lots of great choices but this was the winner and no regrets — as always. Portland is home now, with tons of great options, but nothing quite like H&H (hint hint fellas). Keep it up & see ya next year.

I had this placed bookmarked on Unilocal for months before we made it out to Memphis. I’m so glad we made it here for dinner on our weekend trip. Started off with wine for me and a speciality bourbon cocktail for my husband. Loved both our drinks. We had the crab claws for starter and they were delicious. Buttery garlic sauce with the baked breadcrumbs on the meat was divine. Next we had their Brussel sprouts. I believe they are part of the winter menu and may be going away soon, BUT THEY WERE AMAZING! Probably one of the top 5 things I’ve eaten in my life. I don’t say that often. For our pizza we ordered the La Flama Blanca. It was so delicious. We also splurged and got coffee and peanut butter pie for dessert. I can’t even begin to tell you how phenomenal the PB pie was.
The reason this place gets 4 and not 5 was the fact that they don’t extend the toppings of the pizza to the edge of the pizza. They leave probably 3 inches of crust, and it’s already a smaller pizza. Don’t get me wrong, it was great! They just need to utilize more of the dough.
Would come back here in an instant!

Loved it!!!
Really enjoyed everything. But our favorite was the oyster. (Ended up ordering another order of it)
Oyster: baked with spicy seasoning and Parmesan. (I usually like my oysters raw but this was very good). Highly recommend this.
Dates: with wrapped bacon. Very yum.
Octopus: with lentil. This was ok. I would not order it again. Octopus texture was a little mushy.
We also got a pizza to share. It was good.

It’s been a while since I’d been to Hog & Hominy for no reason other than it is out of my normal wheelhouse. I rectified that with brunch on Sunday. I discovered that they now accept (and recommend) reservations. My friend and I just got lucky with a table for two.
We started with Bloody Marys and poutine. The drink was nicely spiced though I do wish it had come with a pickled something other than just an olive as garnish. The poutine was as good as I remembered. The regular drink menu is a little pricey though inventive.
I finally got to try the John T. Edge burger which lived up to advance billing. On the outside it seems like a traditional burger. The interesting thing is the pickled iceberg lettuce. I love pickles, and this was a great way to get the pickle flavor throughout the burger. Their fries are nice and crispy. I asked for both ketchup and hot sauce because I find most ketchup too sweet for me. I was brought small metal containers for both allowing me to mix just the right amounts of both for my fries. My friend got the Hot Brown which was a huge portion of turkey and gravy on toast with a little bit of Porcellino’s bacon and a fried egg. She managed to plow through about ¾ of her plate.
The pizzas all about us smelled and looked delicious. I’ve had them previously and can highly recommend them.
Service is attentive with several waiters helping us and offering refills, clearing of plates, etc. throughout the meal. Ambience is loud and convivial, so not a place for an intimate meal. It certainly has become more kid friendly since I was there last. We were surrounded by families.
I definitely recommend Hog and Hominy.

I love and support all of the Hudman/​Ticer establishments. Yet, Hog & Hominy seems to be the favorite I keep coming back to over and over again. I took my mom here for the first time last Friday night and we weren’t disappointed. We split an order of the poutine (yum!). She ordered the Margherita, while I opted for the Red Eye (double yum!). As the waitress put it when she brought the food, «Y’all are doing it right!» And I couldn’t agree more.
My one big suggestion? Make sure you make a reservation. It’s always crowded in the evenings, so you want to make sure you can sit at a table, and take your time to enjoy, savor, and chat.

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG. I LOVE THIS PLACE.
So, after driving through Snowmageddon 2016, I was stoked to finally get to Memphis to try this place out. I was starving. We were late for our reservations but they still saved us a table, on a busy Friday night. It made me so happy.
Our group of 5 decided to order A LOT of food off this menu. For appetizers we had: wood fired oysters, crab claws, sweetbreads, collard greens, and brussels sprouts. For dinner we had: thunderbird pizza and the red eye. For dessert we had: the parmesan gelato, birthday cake gelato, carol’s delightful smile, and peanut butter pie. Wow, my mouth is watering writing all of that out.
First of all, the service is SUPERB! Our drinks were never empty, our waiter was very helpful with suggestions. I even dropped a fork and immediately, the hostess was at my side with a new one. I was very impressed with their service.
The food… swoon. My favorite’s were the brussels sprouts/​crab claws, thunderbird pizza, and the peanut butter pie. Everything was perfect. We also ordered cocktails, I can’t remember the exact name of mine but it was a gin-​based drink. It was yummy.
Not one person in our group of 5 had a complaint about H&H. We left the restaurant with happy bellies and happy hearts. I just wish H&H was in Nashville but I will gladly drive the 3.5 hours to eat here again!

I love Hog and Hominy. I love the casual atmosphere. They make the best cocktails ever. And there pizzas, yummmmmmmm. All my visits, I have loved their food and drinks. Great service always. Nothing to complain, everything to love.

Poutine was disappointing nothing special
Red Eye Pizza meh didn’t get the big deal I wouldn’t get it again it was gamey.
Dates were ok nothing amazing that I remember but I may get again to remember how they were
Cannelloni was AMAZING! Omg I could eat it all day. went back the next day after I picked a friend up from airport she thought it was good too!
It is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO loud in here at peak time, I almost got up and left. I couldn’t hear myself think or the person in front of me.

We’ve been here a few times and it has been delicious every time, but last night was the first time we ordered everything on the menu and ate family-​style with friends. We even stayed until after 10pm for the burger.
Not to sound like a Lego, but: EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!
We had it all — oysters, pancreas, poutine, crab claws, octopus, sunchokes, several different pizzas, several different cocktails, smile pie, peanut butter pie, pecan pie. All. Awesome.
My favorites are the poutine (best poutine I’ve ever had, though I’ve only had it in Canada once), the thunderbird (honey and pepperoni pizza is like magic in your mouth), and the peanut butter pie was so good, it’s making me salivate 12hrs later!
The service is always top notch. Our server last night was great — she could’ve smiled a little more, but I suppose they were slammed so she was probably just in TCB mode. The stand out for me is Josh. He’s waited on us a few times in the past; he’s congenial in addition to being knowledgable AND on top of his service game. If I could give this place 10 stars, I would. It’s a food lovers dream and will keep us coming back to Memphis monthly for sure! xoxo

Don’t be confused people. All you need is a body of water and you would think you were driving up to a fine crab and lobster shack while in the Hamptons. You can blame that imagery on my vivid imagination (smile).
I was prompted to visit Hog & Hominy because they were named the best pizza in the state of Tennessee, (via Thrillist). For starters, we have the poutine. It consisted of twice cooked French fries, cheese curds and neck bone gravy. Mehhhhhhh. This dish didn’t take my breath away. Perhaps it was missing this notable ingredient: green onions.
As for pizza, we tried the Thunderbird! Forty Twice! Side Note: If anyone finds out what this name means, let me know! Anyways this was some damn good pizza. The creaminess of the fontina, the saltiness of the mozzarella and calabrese and lastly, the honey added the perfect amount of sweetness to the pie.
Overall, this place is super clean and they have an impeccable wine list to match. You won’t regret stopping by!

Unfortunately I don’t get the hype :(I thought the pizza was tasty but everything else was just okay.

You have messed up. I arrive early and tell the hostess that I have a party of 3, but I’m early by about 10 minutes, so I can wait for my companions to arrive. The girl says ok. Less than 10 minutes go by, the rest of my party arrives, she sat other people that arrived after us, the turns to my group and tells us it will be a 30 – 35 minute wait? Unprofessional and stupid move hostess. I will be hard pressed to visit your place again.

I finally got to try this place! The first time I travelled to memphis it was suggested by some locals but when we got there for lunch they were closing! Bummer! Next time I visited memphis I told my coworkers we should try this place and it was also recommended to us again.
Finally we got there on a wednesday evening with no reservations. Of course there was no seat for us. We decided to sit at the bar. Here’s the summary of our visit:
Drinks: my friends ordered cocktails but they were not impressed.
Food: we ordered pizza, biscuit gnocchi, and pork belly. They were all great. I absolutely loved my gnocchi. Very tasty and flavorful. The portion is enough for a person with small appetite.
Service: unfortunately the service was on the downside. The bar tender was overly busy and not very attentive to us. He was not also very friendly but I blame it on their under-​staffed situation.
Overall, we liked hug and hominy. We even suggested to other people to try it. I’d suggest to make a reservation so that u might get a better service. ij

I’ve eaten here several times, and the foodie husband and I adore that they often use unconventional ingredients (sweetbreads, chicken skins, etc.) in classic presentations. We all know the pizza here is phenomenal, with the wood-​burning brick oven hosting not just one or two, but 4 chefs working constantly. Try the Red Eye if you like breakfast foods.
For brunch, which goes ALL day and into the evening on Sundays, my family loves the poutine.
My favorite is the Romaine Salad, whcih is really just a caesar with fried chicken skins, or a GREAT excuse to eat chicken skins and call it diet food. Most recently, I was there for lunch, and treated myself to a trio of gelatos. Captain crunch had that captain crunch flavor, but was gummy and not crunchy, so it lost some lustre. The oreo tasted just like a bite of oreo, with maybe double-​stuff filling. Finally, inspired by another’s Unilocal tip, I tried the parmesan gelato.
I have not used the phrase «Oh my God!» so much since I dated that Marine back in the 1990s (sorry, honey). Somehow this parm gelato works both sides of the brain, and every part of the tongue all at once. It is a must-​try, bucket list food for all Memphians!
My only negative is that the seating is the most uncomfortable of any restaurant in town, save maybe Acre. Hard, narrow seats that do not accommodate even my very regular-​sized booty. I have to sit forward, or try to get a bench seat! Parking can be a challenge as well.
P. S. If you want to fit in here, wear a plaid shirt and jeans.

Our story begins early evening on 5−17−15. My wife and I were destined to see the artist Beck at Mud Island. We were giddy to begin with…
As usual, we were hungry and decided to embark on our first visit to the famed «Andrew Michael» trio on Brookhaven Circle. I know, I’m really late getting here, whatever…
We arrived about 6:00 pm and were quote a 45 to 60 minute wait for two (Adam looks around puzzled as to why). We were informed they had a full service bar and we could eat there if we wanted. Chilled for a second waiting for a seat at the bar. No sooner than we are handed drinks she comes to seat us. Wait time was less than 20 minutes. I shouldn’t be annoyed by this but I am. You either don’t know how to run a hostess stand or you are trying to get people to leave. We were almost the latter because of the 8:00 show downtown.
We are sat and after about 8 – 10 minutes of men with beards whizzing by we wondered if our bearded food fairy would ever arrive. He did eventually arrive and the visit got considerably better when finally served.
Food:
Crab Claws
Eggplant
Poutine
Red Eye Pizza
Verdict:
Amazing!
I could have sat and ate the same 4 dishes until I died a glutinous death! I kid you not!
Who could have know that French Fries and Gravy could be that damn good? The Crab claws were as beautiful as they were tasty. Awesome Pizza! It was perfectly cooked with a light bite and excellent crispness yet soft and omg just, I’m done, can’t express it. The flavors were fantastic! Best Eggplant I’ve ever had. Powerful dish!
I’m in love with the memories of this meal. I hope it’s able to be recreated on subsequent visits and the first half hour is a bit smoother introduction next time.
Solid 4 stars! Food was 6!