This wasn't my side of town. I just found this place couple days ago because I was looking for take out place as I was picking up takeout for family members. And they love it. So I came back couple days later to get myself one. And let me tell you, I love it so much I have to order another one right after I finish the first one. Because this place still new to me, I didn't realize they close at 8:00. I called at 7:50 to order.... The front desk kindly told me that they'll be closing in 10 minutes and ask if I can make it. Luckily I'm just around the corner. So I got there, Leah; and another girl that I didn't catch her name, were very sweet. Hand me my food, telling me it's ok as I apologize for barely made it at closing time. And there you go, this place just takes a seat in my heart just like that. And yes, the space look bright and charming. Totally a great space to hang out for a minute. read more

The ambience is nice, real plants at tables, nice country music playing, sturdy tables and very friendly staff. I got the brisket platter with Mac & cheese. First time eating here. The Mac & cheese was creamy, had a nice little spice to it. The noodles were maybe a little overcooked. The cheese sauce was cheesy (thing melted strings as you take a scoop). The brisket was not very good. Little to no bark, smoke flavor on the outer edges, pot roast texture for the rest. The fat was rendered nicely. It looked like it'd been cut and put into water to keep it warm - definitely detracted. The sauces were good. I particularly liked the Gold - don't see a lot of it around and I liked how thick it was. Next time will try the pork. It is called Pig Candy, after all. read more

I went here before a concert and the place was packed! They have indoor and outdoor seating as well as carry out! There is parking on site for free. When you walk in, you are greeted and immediately explained the menu along with the ordering process and some suggestions were mentioned as well. I ordered the brisket grilled cheese with a side of mac and cheese and a can of Dr Pepper. They offered ice to go along with the cans if you wanted it. The total came to 19 and some change with tax. The grilled cheese was heavenly, it was so meaty, rich and filling. The brisket was so buttery - it melts in your mouth literally crumbling. The BBQ sauce it was served with was a tad sweet but more on the vinegar side for me. I was not a fan of the mac and cheese which is why this is rated 4 stars - the cheese sauce just wasn't a good texture to me and I am a huge texture person, but the noodles were cooked and seasoned well. The inside was clean and your normal BBQ joint setup - The outside has fans to help accommodate the heat. read more

Pig Candy BBQ - Brisket grilled cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I hit this location pretty often. Today we're trying the Chicken Chilli, Beef brisket and of course the 1/2 slab ribs. ( Mondays only for the ribs). The place is nice and clean and well kept The lady who waited on me "Nateraid". convinced me the ribs are the "best in town". "Fall off the bone, meaty and tasty. Probably the best in Cincinnati. She wasn't lying. Past me more napkins..... read more

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First of all, watch their Facebook because you're going to see what they make daily and give you a chance to run there before they run out. Ran there yesterday to try the brisket and elite bbq sandwich which was delicious! I didn't eat in so I can only speak of the one sandwich I tried but I can say that I will be going back! read more

Pig Candy BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Got a little bit of everything here. Ribs, pork, brisket, Mac and cheese, other sides. All the food was really good. It was really filling too. The food came out quickly and the service was good. I think it was a little more expensive than I would want it to be, but it's some of the better BBQ around so maybe the cost is justified. It's pretty small inside, so I could see it being a problem eating there if there's more than a couple people, but I guess this might just be primarily a takeout place anyway. read more

This place did not disappoint at all. I came in during lunch and got the special, St. Louis ribs (half rack) that were pretty dang good. I also order the smash burger. I thought the burger would've been good without the pulled pork in it but still pretty good. And for the last I got the brisket w/o the bun. The sides I had were the coleslaw and cornbread that were amazing. The service was fast and the people taking the orders were nice and welcoming . Ambiance made it feel like you were at home. read more

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WOW! Pig Candy is the Bomb! The variety of BBQ menu items was awesome. It is a smaller place, but they have outside seating. I had the brisket and it was delicious I also had the cowboy beans and cornbread. The cornbread was also yummy. Their "gold sauce" is a big hit as well. read more

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There are many BBQ restaurants in the Cincinnati area, and Pig Candy BBQ is near the top of my list. Located in the California neighborhood, out by Riverbend Music Center, sits this cozy restaurant that occupies a former jail. All meats are smoked on site and served fresh with a wonderful selection of sides and some fun specialty items like a waffle sandwich or quesadilla. I think their Bama Turkey sandwich is top of the menu for me. It combines thick-sliced turkey, layered with tomato, onion, and dill pickles, with white sauce on the side ($10). The turkey is really good, and I like having some additional toppings on the sandwich rather than just coleslaw. Sides can be added for $4 and include the pickled onion and peppers, which are awesome. Another unique item is the Pig Mac Bowl, a bowl of mac and cheese, topped with pulled pork, red sauce, and slaw ($10). This is a full meal in a bowl, and there is no need to add a side to it. It's a really good option. The pulled pork sandwich is topped with white and gold sauces plus slaw on the side ($8). Plenty of meat is piled high on the butter toasted bun, and it's full of smoke plus very tender. A full kids' menu is available, plus local craft beer, hard seltzers, wine, and mimosas. It's a wonderful place to stop before a concert or even for Sunday brunch. read more

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1000000/10 experience! When you enter the restaurant, you order at the front and they bring the food to your table. They have indoor and outdoor seating (enclosed and heated in the cold). And their patio is dog friendly! The food was phenomenal and the service was very good. read more

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I'm still thinking about the Bowl of Grits with protein. I forget what I picked but the grits were the best frame for what ever incredible "pig candy" you decide to feature in your bowl. I love the dining experience inside. We were treated to a lunchtime crew of "regulars" and the two young men working helped the coffee flow and the stories with it. Love this place. We will be back! read more

Pig Candy BBQ - It looks like ham but I remembered it all being SO GOOD. I couldn't finish and I took home the grits. They were amazing! - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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The service staff was very nice and attentive. It's a small space inside but they have more seating on a patio off the main dining room and on ground level out back. Plenty of parking also. Now for the food. The brisket was moist but lacked any real smoke flavor or bark which was disappointing. The sausage was good. I had beans for my side and I wish it had more bits of bacon. read more

The food here was really good and affordable. The outdoor area was nice to sit in also, and the staff are VERY friendly! read more

Pig Candy BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Update! Had Friday night to myself and was thinking about dinner. Almost settled on pizza but then it hit me, " I haven't been back to Pig Candy in a long time". I recalled my son and I trying it and having both the pulled pork sandwich as well as the brisket. Mmmmm! Decision made! Yeh it's a 30 min drive from just south of Fairfield, but well worth it! Had the brisket sandwich and green beans. The brisket is probably the best in Cincinnati. So, if you've got an itch for great pulled pork or brisket, Pig Candy is the place and well worth any drive. Definitely not going to wait so long next time!! read more

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Top notch BBQ. Been in a handful of times and I have yet to be disppointed with the flavor and range of sauces. The staff is friendly and its an easy spot to get to on the east side. Plenty of parking behind the building in the lot and in front of the houses along the road. Somewhat limited seating inside, but head out back to the covered porch (they had outdoor heaters going on one of my visits in the late fall). read more

Pig Candy BBQ - Pulled Pork Potato Bomb - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Awesome food! Everything we tried was delicious. Staff was super friendly. Nice spot to grab a bite before a show at Riverbend.

Blown away by customer service here! I'm here from out of state and had issues with fraud alerts so my credit card. I have no other way to pay at the moment so my family and I were about to leave when the owner came out and told me just to give him cell phone number and we could settle up later. This is unheard of! I'll definitely be back and tipping big! By the way, the barbecue was absolutely outstanding. The spicy sauce is to die for. read more

Loved this place!!! The service was amazing - kind, helpful, and fast. The inside and outside were clean and spacious. The food was really great! Meat was tender and flavorful. I really enjoyed the green beans and beans as a side. The red sauce was sweet and slightly spicy... and good on everything! read more

Pig Candy BBQ - No smoking outside - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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One of the best BBQ places in Cincinnati.. the brisket sandwich was so good. Have had the pulled pork, brisket grilled cheese which were also very good. Love the mustard sauce as well as the hot sauces. They also have the best bbq chips (grippos) to go along. Plus they have the nicest staff around and good local beers. Love the cowboy beans too. Going to try the sausage next, probably get the brisket sandwich again. read more

First time going. Went for lunch. Very charming place. Kinda hard to find, even tho we were actually looking for it. Need better signage coming from 275. Nice outside patio and it had heaters but that day was a bit too chilly for me so we ate inside. The guy at the counter was so sweet and helpful with the choice of sauces. Even gave us a couple of his favorites to try. The brisket sandwich was so moist and flavorful. I was super impressed. Cheese grits and Mac salad were excellent as well! Bathrooms were very clean. Parking seemed to be good. But I don't know what it looks like on a busy day. We went during the week on an off time. But there were still customers in and out the whole time. Highly recommend this place! read more

The establishment offers high-quality food at reasonable prices, providing a dining experience that surpasses that of City BBQ. The positive impression will ensure a return visit in the future. read more

I just love this spot. The employees are so nice and the atmosphere is great. This time I had the Mac bowl with the hottest hot sauce they have, it was delicious! read more

Good pulled pork and sausages, and the sauces are really great. I particularly like the Alabama white sauce and the Carolina mustard, but they're all good! Other folks in my group enjoyed the brisket quesadilla and a two-sausage special that was running that day. The mac and cheese was highly recommended to us a friend, but it wasn't my favorite. Noodles a bit too soggy and sauce was a little runny for my taste. Not bad, but I'd try a different side next time. Which I feel like is what I say about every Cincinnati BBQ joint. (So many good meats, but who has the sides game cornered??) Service was fast and friendly. We ordered as 4-5 different groups and all the food came out approximately at the same time, which was great. The location is cool as well, and would be a lot of fun to sit out on the deck in the summer. It is enclosed for the winter, and pretty cozy, which makes the restaurant bigger than it looks when you immediately walk in. read more

First let me say the building is wonderful. Decor, stained glass, super clean bathrooms, the whole nine yards. Service was above and beyond. The staff took pride in their service. I got the three meat combo. All the meat was great. Now for the side. The beans were not at all what I expected and were not good (to me, my wife liked the). We will definitely return. read more

Great BBQ! I ordered the pulled pork sandwich. Both sauces that it came with were delicious and flavorful. I ordered the side of Baked beans and really enjoyed the smoky flavor. Great ambiance and history. read more

If you are out of town and attending a concert at Riverbend, this little gem is for you!!! BBQ done right!!!!! Fresh food, friendly service, and a cool vibe! Don't miss out! read more

Pig Candy BBQ - Pig Candy BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

WOW! This bbq joint truly blew me away. I got the pulled pork sandwich and the meat was soooo good tender and had 2 great sauces to choose from-- Carolina gold BBQ and Alabama White BBQ. I'm a big fan of Carolina gold and this was a good one but I've never tried Alabama white BBQ before this and it was insanely good! This place is up there for best BBQ in the city, definitely give it a try. read more

Pig Candy BBQ As part of Cincinnati's BBQ renaissance that kicked off with Eli's, Pig Candy BBQ earns its spot as as a unique and tasty bbq joint on the east side. Located on Kellogg Ave near Dead Low Brewing, Pig Candy confidently opened its doors mere miles from the aforementioned Eli's and a little bit further down from the old guard of Montgomery Inn. And that confidence paid off. Pig Candy comes up often when talking about tasty BBQ and rightly so. This was my first trip to Pig Candy and I wasn't disappointed. I tried their smash burger, topped with a generous mound of their signature pulled pork. It was delicious! The sides I tried, baked beans, mac n cheese, green beans, and chicken dip were all also excellent! Everything did have just a touch of heat, giving a satisfactory spicy edition to the entire affair. We're living in a true golden era of barbecue in Cincinnati. We may not be Kansas City or Carolina, but we've got a lot of great options and I can't recommend pig candy enough. read more

Pig Candy BBQ - Burger, sides. - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Solid BBQ within crew car distance of LUK. I went with the brisket sandwich. Nice smoke ring and loads of flavor. Think meat jelly tender. Cool vibe and great service yum! read more

Pig Candy BBQ - Yum - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This is a nice shop at a good location. Upon entering the decor was very relaxing with the dim lighting, use of natural lighting, dark wood accents, comfortable seating and plants. As someone who doesn't eat pork, I was happy to see that there was a turkey sandwich on the menu and I was surprised by the portions. I had several slices of turkey on that bun. It wasn't too dry and it didn't have that distinct turkey taste you get when you go over somewhere new on Thanksgiving. I will say that my only critique would be the mac and cheese. I think it would go far with a sharp cheese whether it is Vermont or a classic sharp, it was a bit bland but I did appreciate that the elbow macaroni wasn't overcooked. If they ever expand their poultry options, I'd love to swing by and give this place a try again. I also want to add that the customer service was amazing! Everyone I encountered was extremely polite while I was navigating through ordering for 2 people. read more

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Thanks to Yelp, I was able to find and experience this gem! The place is spacious and gives you all the feels of a litigimate barbecue joint. My experience was awesome! Despite the fact that I arrived only 10 minutes prior to close, the waitresses were ultra friendly and welcoming. They allowed me to decide dine-in or carry out. I opted to carry out, but wanted to check-in with a photo that did them justice, so they partially plated for me. I ordered the brisket along with cheese grits and green beans. Everything was awesome! I especially loved the mustard based sauce and the "fire sauce". I could tell both sauces were made from scratch, with love. The fire sauce is definitely an ode to us real spicy food lovers. My job is only a short drive away, and my son has baseball games nearby in the summer. I will definitely spread the word about this place (insert heart emoji). read more

Pig Candy BBQ - Brisket with Cheese Grits and Green Beans. Soooooo good. - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Nice local place, good brisket and pulled pork, had the red sauce nice sweet with a good flavor, corn bread warm, soft and full of flavor, only had ribs on Mondays, nice outdoor area read more

Pig Candy BBQ - Brisket, pulled pork and corn bread - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Oct 6,2024 .This is my second review of this restaurant. I visited last night along with 3 others. Every item excellent. Prepared quickly and presented properly. I had the smoked turkey sandwich. I included their stock photo because, unlike the fast food places, my food looked exactly like the photo! I will order this again next visit. Try their slaw for sure and though I'm not a big fan of grits the cheese grits are well worth ordering. Everyone ordered something different and our 2 guests ( their first visit here) absolutely loved the place. Restrooms were very clean and well stocked. Glass on entry doors were spotless ( dirty doors and window are a pet peeve of mine). Service was attentive and friendly. Servers and kitchen staff were all clean and dressed appropriately. This is my new best ' go to' place for casual dining. Best BBQ I've had in Cincinnati. Kudos to Paul for putting together a great place. Looking forward to visiting the new location in Loveland! read more

Pig Candy BBQ - Smoked Turkey sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

We were seriously impressed with both the BBQ and the sides. The pulled pork was incredibly tender and juicy, and the brisket was just as flavorful. One standout was the pickled pepper and onion "slaw"--it had bits of pickled garlic that gave it a bold kick. It was amazing layered over the pulled pork with the spicy BBQ sauce. The chicken chili was creamy, rich, and unique--loaded with corn and topped with cheese, which made it extra thick and satisfying. My son loved the sweeter red BBQ sauce (less spicy, more kid-friendly), and I appreciated that we could each customize our plates. The green beans were a surprise hit--savory and slow-cooked with sausage instead of the usual ham or bacon. Definitely something different in the best way. We also grabbed dessert and weren't disappointed. The gluten-free pumpkin bar was moist and flavorful with just the right amount of sweetness in the frosting. And my son devoured the banana cream pudding. We'll absolutely be back. This place nailed it. read more

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I don't know if this review would be really fair. Because to be honest I am not a huge American barbecue fan, but my husband is. We came here because my husband wanted some barbecue and he saw some good reviews here therefore we ended up here. The establishment is actually pretty cute, kind of off the beaten path in my opinion which is pretty neat (I'm not originally from Cincinnati, I'm fairly new here lol). I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and I thought that was pretty good, although I do think it needed more barbecue sauce. I've had better in Texas and a specific place in San Diego California. My husband ordered the brisket sandwich and he enjoyed it, but he also thought that it needed some more barbecue sauce. Only because I don't think the rub had enough flavor. We ordered a side of mac and cheese, and that surprising was pretty good. I'm pretty snobby on my mac and cheese lol so I was fairly impressed that their mac and cheese is good. Overall this place is pretty good, I would come back here. Oh! And their service was really nice. read more

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Great place for barbecue. Tuesday special Ruben is excellent. Cole slaw really good too! Service was outstanding for lunch. read more

inedible cartilage from poor quality meat or undercooking? The manager told me this is normal... in 50 yrs I've never eaten ribs like this! NOT normal. read more

Pig Candy BBQ - inedible, undercooked , cartilaginous, poor quality ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Barbecue was cooked perfectly. Service was spot on and attentive It's a Barbecue Joint. read more

Brisket tender and good flavor. Barbecue sauce a little too much vinegar. Good service read more

Pig Candy BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Amazing. What can I say about Pig Candy BBQ? I can say that the food is awesome. We got the pulled pork and brisket. Cole slaw. Kids cheeseburger. Candied Jalapeño. Banana Pudding for dessert. Everything was great. Especially the candied Jalapeño and thier sauces. Banana Pudding was homemade also. Very friendly service. Cool atmosphere in an old building. Prices are really reasonable for how great the food and service is. I shall return. read more