You’re going to be tempted to try something with a fancy name… don’t do it. Stick to the tried and true. The pulled pork sandwich was out of this world… The burnt ends, not so much.
Deviled Pig in South Tampa
If you’re into the BBQ world at all or if you just so happen to catch Lee Ann Whippen on the BBQ Showdown show, then you’ve probably come across the Deviled Pig off Dale Mabry in South Tampa. It’s a location thats notoriety stock is climbing as they become known for being really good at a modern take on classic BBQ.
The location is right on the road and a pretty neat little place. They have limited indoor seating and 2 separate outdoor areas. It feels like an ideal to-go joint.
They have a pretty large menu with their spin on classic sandwiches but with a kicked up BBQ style. Something new they just recently introduced is their Pit Master Pizzas. We didn’t try one but the pictures make it look delicious for sure.
I’ll be honest though, I am struggling to write this review, here’s why…
My wife had a pulled pork sandwich with a side of baked beans and Mac’n cheese. Her sandwich was out of this world amazing. The pork was good but whatever they put on the bun before they toasted it was like crack. It was a party in your mouth. The beans were also good, more smokey with just a touch of sweetness and the panko crusted mac’n cheese was delicious too. So by all accounts, her order was an absolute home run. The price was good too.
My order on the other hand, was a flop. I ordered the platter with Burnt ends and chopped chicken for my meats, and pirate fries and potato salad as my sides. Now, Burnt Ends are SUPPOSED to be juicy and delectable morsels of meat that almost melt in your mouth. What I got instead was beef jerky, just super dried out and tough. Epic fail there.
The chicken was good, no complaints there and the pirate fries (basically just seasoned french fries) and potato salad were good as well. I will say I thought the style of potato salad was interesting. They weren’t the southern mustard based type, they were the red-skinned potatoes with a lot of dill seasoning. They were solid just not my favorite.
So without further adieu, lets get into the ratings:
The Meat
The pork was delicious. The chicken was solid. The Burnt Ends were…. no good. Quite literally BBQ Blasphemy.
The Sides
The baked beans were delicious with what looked like 3 different kinds of beans. They had more of that Texas smokey flavor with just a hint of brown sugar. I’d eat them again for sure. The panko crusted mac’n cheese was also super good made with gruyere I think??? I don’t know but it was good. The potato salad was a little heavy on the dill but still good if you like that style and last the pirate fries were fine.
The Sweet Tea Factor
They nailed it. The sweet tea here is delicious and worth the price of admission.
The Cost
It’s a South Tampa prime location so it’s bound to be a touch on the expensive side. All together we paid ~$30 with my Burnt Ends upgrade 🙂 and for the most part we definitely feel like we go our moneys worth.
BBQ Bay Rating: 3.8
I need a 2nd pass to try something different. I would suggest this place for a good BBQ lunch with co-workers or with the family.