Holy Hog Barbecue

Yeap 3 stars!
Located on N Dale Mabry, in a shopping plaza. Plenty of parking available. Inside looks very cozy, very spacious, woodsy cabin feel to the restaurant. The staff are super sweet, helped us narrow down our side dishes.
After much deliberation, I opted for the pulled pork dinner, comes with 2 sides and toast. They have about 10 different side dishes to choose from, I got the much sought out Jalapeño Mac and cheese and sweet potato casserole. Wow! Mac and cheese was my favorite. Soo good, definitely tasted the spice.
Unfortunately I didn’t care for the Pulled pork, felt dry. I love their BBQ sauces but not too keen on submerging the meats in sauce.
We also shared a cookie. Nothing too fancy, rather than chocolate chips, they added chunks of Chocolate which was amazing! They even warmed up cookie for us.
So, I am little torn now, awesome customer service but the food was ok. I was really hoping for great pork goodness.

Just went for the first time today, based on the rating I was expecting a lot less. But it was amazing. The staff was friendly and very accommodating, which made my experience all the better. The food, beef brisket and pulled/​chopped pork was fantastic! I’ve tried 4 rivers down the street before this, and the variety of sauces and the texture made it all the better.
Will always recommend

I attended an UYE hosted by Steve E. at this location. The most memorable impression I had was from their staffs. Since this was my very first visit at a BBQ restaurant in Tampa, their staffs took time to show me the variety food choices they serve. I was impressed of how they take pride of their work, and how much they wanted me feel welcome at their restaurant. A positive working attitude always guarantee a better quality food.
For that visit, I ordered a small portion beef brisket. The meat was lean and well seasoned. It is not the best BBQ I have tried, but it is on par with many BBQ restaurants I visited when I lived in Memphis TN. But overall, it is not a bad lunch place to take my friends for a quick casual BBQ treats.

I thought this was a great place for a New Year’s Day hangover lunch. The restaurant itself is clean (order and pay at the counter, clean table and place trays above trash bins… think Boston Market or Panera).
I agree with other reviewers that the menu is a bit pricey for the portions, but the Burnt Ends was delicious (I will come back for this, which gets 5 stars by itself), and the jalapeño Mac and cheese (very spicy) was yummy. I liked the sweet corn nuggets, but I have had better.
My friend had the beef brisket, which she said is typically fatty, but theirs was a little too fatty and not that great; neither were her back eyed peas and collard greens (they were both okay, but she’d had better).

Staff were friendly and helpful behind the counter explaining the menu. The half chicken was perfectly smoked and juicy as was the pulled pork. Three sauces were all very good and varied.
Corn fritters, okra, shrooms and onion, and sweet potato casserole were fine accompanying sides. The corn is a bit spicy and the Mac and cheese a bit dull. Very good size portions. Atmosphere is nice and relaxing. Nice sink to wash up afterwards.

I will start this review by saying this is our first experience having bbq since we moved from GA 5 months ago, so with that being said I can’t compare it (YET) with any other bbq restaurants in town. The interior is nice and clean and the staff is eager to help by pointing out how the menu works. it’s a counter service but they gladly bring your food to your table once it has been prepared.
We were hungry so we sampled lots of items lol. the Brunswick stew had a greasy later on tip but the flavor was awesome. The friend okra seemed to be hand breaded with the perfect amount of crunch and flavor. Burnt ends (covered in brown sugar) yummy! The brisket was very yummy and tender. it had the perfect amount of spice with a thin layer of fat for flavor. I was very happy with it. The sides were the star of the meal for me. Do yourself a favor and try the jalapeño Mac n cheese. The heat slowly creeps up more and more after each bite. The green bean casserole was exactly as it should be.
I am excited to try other bbq joints in the area but will definitely be revisiting this establishment soon.

Pulled pork was extremely dry. Almost as dry as the bun. Went in for brisket, but they were out. The only bright spot was the staff and a pretty good Mac and cheese.

I think a 4 star rating is more then fair for these guys. On my visit I had the brisket and spicy sausage along with two sides. I felt the brisket was very tender and I loved the BBQ sauce. I wasn’t a fan of their sausage can’t really explain why it just didn’t do it for me. Now the side of Mac & cheese with jalapeños was awesome a must try. I give their food a overall 3 but the fact the customer service was so good I bumped it up to a 4 star.
Inside was really clean and you can see all your food being prepared in front of you witch is a plus. The only thing I will complain about is that I felt the portions were kinda small for the price. If they could just maybe up that a bit I think it would go along way for them. Will I be back sure but is this my new go to BBQ restaurant no.

We got carry out. The food was great, service was fine. The side dishes are a little small, but they are good.

Why 4 stars? Because the sides were amazing, but the meat left a bit to be desired.
— — —
I’d absolutely rate my sides 5 stars (mac-​n-​cheese + loaded baked potato + fried okra.) But the meat (ribs + pulled pork + burnt ends + brisket) probably lands at about a 3 star. Hence, we meet in the middle at 4 overall stars.
We were told by the employees that the ribs actually won some sort of a competition recently, so we definitely wanted to try them out. And to be honest… they definitely were not memorable in the slightest. They reminded me of rubs from Sonny’s.
The other meats were of a similar quality. I wouldn’t say I outwardly disliked them, but none really stood out as something that I would definitely want to order again. I appreciate the uniqueness of the burnt ends, but I strongly prefer the taste of what I can find down the road at 4 Rivers.
I will say this — the Holy Hog mac-​n-​cheese is definitely superior to the 4Rivers variety. I also love the loaded baked potato. It’s smothered with all the fixins’ and is quite a delight. If you aren’t a sour cream fan, you might want to stay away.
If we could combine the meats from 4Rivers, and the sides at Holy Hog, we’d enter a black hole in the universe where pleasure is unlimited. It might be too dangerous.

This is my first visit to holy hog BBQ and I had high expectations from what my fellow Unilocalers had written. I went in to get a couple orders of food to go and was treated very well and everyone was very helpful.
The first dinner was chicken with macaroni and cheese and sweet potato soufflé. The second dinner was tips with baked beans and french fries.
To my surprise when I got home and was looking forward to diving into this food that smells so good I was totally disappointed. I have to say that the chicken was the best it was moist and it was flavorful. The macaroni and cheese was a bit dried out but it had a good flavor to it. Sweet potato soufflé was no soufflé it was just like mashed sweet potatoes I don’t know what happened there.
I was really really disappointed in the burnt tip as that’s exactly what they tasted like and were quite dry in their taste and texture. I found the baked beans to be quite good and enjoyed them. The French fries were very soggy and I believe if I had even eaten them in the restaurant there would have been no difference.
I’ve been surprised by lots of barbecue places in Tampa and usually my first visit is terrific in the second one is not so good but in this case it was the opposite. Even though I’ve yet to return for a second visit, I must admit it’s not high on my priority list of places to eat out at in the near future. I will give them another try due to the high ratings and great reviews I’ve read. Every restaurant can have a bad day but unfortunately we’re all remembered by your last meal prepared.
What’s a girl to do? There are too many options available in the Tampa Bay area for good BBQ to settle for anything less.

I got the brisket dinner with Mac and cheese and fries. I was disappointed they they no longer had sweet potato fries like some of the reviewers said. The brisket was average. I tried the burnt ends and they were tender but not very sweet and had little to no seasoning. Overall, very average bbq.

There’s nothing better than coming here for some burnt-​ends and sweet potato fries. Those are probably the best items on the menu.
Runner up, for me, is the Texas Turkey Stack. They seem rather conservative with their bacon on it… which sucks… because I freakin’ love bacon. Once they take care of that, I think it’ll be an amazing sandwich.
I’d love for them to add an food-​allegen guide on their website (*hint, hint*), but otherwise I have no complaints. It’s tasty stuff.

I’ve been to Holy Hog’s on Armenia and was so excited when I found out this one opened closer to home. The cashier was very friendly and helped me out on menu items. I want to like it but I can’t. I had the brisket and there was no life to it. i drowned it in sauce and that didn’t help either. The mac & cheese was lackluster and the greens sloppy. At least I can say I’ve been there. On the other hand if you can figure out what to get … always get Sausage at a BBQ joint … that was the only thing I tried to eat off someone else’s plate… sorry. I left hungrier than when I came in. =(

Meh. I’ve experienced better.
Left a little disappointed in this place when we tried because our party was really craving BBQ that day. I don’t consider myself a BBQ connoisseur nor do i claim to be one, however when we received our meat orders, it was not even hot … let alone warm. Seems like it was served to us just at room temperature — is this how BBQ is supposed to be served? if so then i guess really need to educate my self further on BBQ preparations.
On a good note they served Arnold Palmer sweet tea which was good. The sauce selection was also very flavorfull but the meat just killed the whole experience. The sides we ordered also just tasted like it was taken straight from the container and straight to our dish and did not taste fresh at all. Truth be told i nor my entire table wasnt too happy with our meals and left with sad faces.

I first had a taste of Holy Hog at an event at my gym. I was surprised and told my hubby was had to try a full dinner. I wasn’t sure what to expect since 4 Rivers is just down the road and is sooo good. But Holy Hog offers some different items and holds it’s own! I had the burnt ends. Very good soaked in a sweet sauce so there is no need for extra sauce. Very flavorful but a tad too fatty for me. The baked beans were very good. Not too sweet. I also had the corn fritters as a side. These were unique and my favorite of everything on my tray! There is corn inside a fritter and sprinkled with powdered sugar. They are fried but not soaked in oil. Loved them! My hubby had the beef rib which he really enjoyed and it was less expensive than up the street. I tasted it also and would consider getting it next time. This place has more intimate seating and you don’t have to yell for your date to hear you.

One star for the nice employees working on the Sunday afternoon that I visited for a late lunch.
Another star for the selection they offer in terms of meats, sides, Brunswick Stew and Mike’s Pies.
And that’s where the star distribution ends for me.
Other than a few items, I think this place is significantly overpriced.
I absolutely love Brunswick Stew, but couldn’t order it because both portions were way too small for the price.
Burnt Ends with two sides was also not worth their asking price.
Sides overall are way off in terms of value. They want $ 5.99 for a «large» side item? That’s more like an appetizer price… not a side dish.
I was challenged to keep my cost under $ 10, which I don’t feel I should for lunch in a place with no table service or bar.
In the end, I went with the HH Texas Turkey Stack. The sandwich was large and had thick lean cuts of ham and turkey, but I could not taste the bacon or swiss cheese at all. And if there was actually bacon on it, it wasn’t adding any crispness to the sandwich… which we all want and expect bacon to do.
Like all stack sandwiches, it comes with homemade potato chips. However, despite these same chips being listed as one of 18 sides, you are not allowed to substitute your chips for anything else like corn fritters, collards, fried okra, etc. All 18 sides are priced exactly the same, so why not? Even one of the employees shrugged her shoulders when I inquired about it as if she was «unofficially» agreeing with me.
Oh, and this location has been open for roughly six months. Yet, they’re advertising their «Grand Opening» on May 1^st complete with live music, face painting, giveaways and specials.
Who the hell waits six months after a store actually opens to do a «Grand Opening?» Why aren’t they just waiting another six months to do a «First Anniversary» celebration featuring the same things?
There are honestly too many BBQ places now in the Tampa Bay Area, and Holy Hog does not stand out for any of the right reasons.

After literally driving all over Tampa in search of good BBQ last weekend, my boyfriend gave up and sulked home in defeat. I had to run an errand and had recently passed Holy Hog’s Dale Mabry location, so I decided to surprise him with some takeout for dinner.
There was convenient parking for to-​go customers right in front of the building. I was the only person there so the staff was extremely helpful in explaining the menu as I browsed. Apparently they could all tell that it was my first time! I ordered the smoked turkey breast dinner with corn and macncheese for myself. For my boyfriend, I went with the half chicken dinner with baked beans and mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize until I was already home that they gave him sweet potato instead of his beans. Luckily they were good, so he didn’t mind, but it was strange since the guy making the order double checked that I asked for baked beans. He also said there was a ton of chicken and liked both the spicy and original barbeque sauces (although he couldn’t tell much of a difference between the two). The turkey was a little dry yet still good but my macaroni was the real winner! I would even go as far as saying it’s the best I’ve had at a BBQ joint ever. However, I wasn’t a big fan of the Southwestern corn. it just tasted like tomato sauce, which was a little weird for me. We both liked that the garlic bread was soft and not overdone like you’ll find at most places. Now that I know they serve sangria and craft beer, I’d like to dine in and sample some of Holy Hog’s other offerings.
Honestly, a 3.5 would be a more accurate representation of our meal. It was good but I can’t push it up to a 4 just yet. I’m sure I’ll be back the next time my boyfriend is craving BBQ and there’s always room for improvement!

I went to get some dinners for takeout as my 1^st experience with Holy Hog, and I will definitely be going back While they do have the option of calling ahead for takeout orders, the cafeteria style counter (left over from prior incarnations as Pipo’s and Burrito Brothers) makes things move really fast even if you just walk in.
The staff was very friendly, and as it was my 1^st time at Holy Hog, walked me through the options.
I ended up getting three meals with a six different sides to sample as many offerings as possible:
Pulled pork-​excellent, juicy, good smokey flavor even w/​o sauce (4 stars)
Burnt Ends-​fantastic, fall apart in your mouth tender (5 stars)
Smoked Ham-​Good, but nothing remarkable (3 stars)
Jalapeño Mac n’ Cheese-​Great flavor and just the right amount of heat (5 stars)
Mac n’ Cheese-​gooey and flavorful (5 stars)
Corn Fritters-​sweet and crunchy (4 stars)
Coleslaw-​Good, but nothing special (3 stars)
Southwestern Corn Medley-​looked great, average taste (3 stars)
Mushrooms and Onions-​tender and flavorful (4 stars)
The mustard and hot BBQ sauces were fine, but the regular red BBQ sauce was outstanding.
The prices were average for the portions served. They also have a nice dessert collection, an sangria, which we will try when we go there for a dining in meal.

Holy Hog Barbecue is a terrific local-​Tampa chain of smokehouses all around the city. This location in Carrollwood along N. Dale Mabry is the newest member of the family which includes restaurants on Armenia Avenue near Raymond James Stadium, Henderson Boulevard in South Tampa, Downtown on Kennedy Boulevard, and their food is also served on the Bud Light Party Deck at Section 124 of the Amalie Arena.
This newest location in Carrollwood opened on Monday, December 1^st in a space previously occupied by Pipo’s Cuban Café. You’ll find Holy Hog sandwiched (sorry, couldn’t resist) in between a Carrabba’s Italian Grill and a Pet Supermarket. This shopping center is about a mile north of Linebaugh Avenue, and very close to the AT&T store, Señor Tequila, and Sweet Treats cupcakes.
Unlike the other Holy Hog locations, this one has a long cafeteria-​style counter (left over from the Pipo’s Café days), and that gives you the opportunity to walk along and talk with the servers as their build your meal right in front of your eyes.
If you’re eating in then you choose from a sandwich or a full dinner. If you’re ordering carryout then you can also order meats by the pound. I would suppose that if you’re wanting to be a hog (sorry!) that you could also order meat by the pound and just stick your face into a trough and feed away within the restaurant. The meat options include pulled pork, country-​smoked ham, pork summer sausage, St. Louis-​style ribs, Angus beef ribs, Burnt Ends (trimmings from a beef brisket), Texas-​style brisket, smoked spicy beef sausage, smoked chicken dinner, or smoked turkey breast. Yes, you can also order more than one meat on your platter to make it a combo.
The sides include (deep breath here)…sweet potato soufflé, corn fritters, cole slaw, collard greens & ham, regular Mac n Cheese, Jalapeño Mac n Cheese, mushrooms and onions, French fries, homemade potato chips, fried okra, green beans & ham, black-​eyed peas, mashed taters, Southwestern corn medley, loaded potato salad, cowboy-​style baked beans, and a green bean casserole. Two sides come with a dinner platter, and you can buy a sides sampler if you’re feeling vegetarian.
I ordered a dinner platter of burnt ends (one of my very favorite smoked meat choices), and got collard greens and jalapeño mac n cheese for my sides. That came with a piece of Texas Toast. Toss in a fountain drink, and my bill was about $ 15 for a very delicious dinner.
The dining room has booths along one wall, high-​top stools along long counters, and a series of tables and chairs down the middle of the dining room. There are a number of flat-​screen TVs around the room, so you’ll have no problems seeing a screen no matter which way you’re facing. You’ll find several different homemade barbecue sauces at your table along with hot sauce and pepper vinegar. Drink refills are free.
All of the Holy Hog locations do an awesome carryout and catering business, so talk with them about your party plans to see what they can suggest. This is the same quality barbecue that many of us have enjoyed at their other locations, and I’m glad that they’ve chosen to open a new outlet in Carrollwood.
Oink away Unilocalers! The Hog has moved into Carrollwood.