Whole Hog Cafe

OMG, how did I not know about this place? I’m almost as embarrassed as the time, the way back before time, that I was not aware of Franks Soul Food! Just think about it, the name tells the story and you’re not left wanting!
Pork! The supreme meat! Unless you’re religiously opposed, is pork not the best meat on Earth? If you say no, thems is fighten words!
The ambiance is fresh & clean, very inviting and the menu is simple. Six different sauces to choose from and I opted for #6, which is on the mustard vinegar side. I had a pulled pork sandwich and it was amazing! Seemingly fresh creamy coleslaw to top the succulent pulled pork… wow, it was a sight to see and even more of a taste to taste.
My wife ordered the pork nachos and those were pretty dang good, as well. My daughter’s Mac & Cheese was even worthy of note. We liked everything here & we’ll be coming back quite often. Take it from a fat man who knows his pork (I’m sure there’s an innuendo there somewhere), this place is really good!
You need to try it!

Whole Hog Café is a good restaurant when you have that craving for BBQ. I always enjoy a plate of their nachos for lunch.

I’m with Charles K on this one. Whole Hog is my go-​to for BBQ in ABQ. It has a clean, sizable space that can handle large groups and a friendly staff to match.
I don’t fiddlestick around with a bunch of sides so I can’t really comment on that. Let’s talk PROTEIN though! Usually I come in and nail down the Smoked Whole Chicken and get some Beef Brisket by the pound, choose a couple sauces (#2 and #6 are very nice) and roll out. Now I’m set for several meals.
There is a trophy room in Whole Hog proving that alot of time has been spent successfully babying different cuts of meat for competition. All I care about is if MY food is on point. One time I wasn’t pleased with the results but they made things right. Whole Hog really is a winner.

Love the food, but sour cream in the potato salad? Why???

Full disclosure — I am a Rudy’s fan. So that’s my measure for places like this.
This place is okay, and I have no objections to eating their BBQ — but that isn’t exactly the best criteria for deciding to go to a restaurant — yeah, it’s fine, I don’t object. Just — no.
It is conveniently located by one of our favorite breweries (Lizard Tail) so it’s an easy drop-​by for some food on the way there. Their sauce is okay, not fantastic. They do have multiple kinds of sauces, so you can probably find one you enjoy.
We have ordered some of their sides in the past, nothing stands out as phenomenal. We generally now just get the smoked chicken and leave it at that.
Overall — not anything particularly objectionable about the food, but nothing to write home about either.
A rare ambivalence from me for this one.

Damn good bbq!!! I have eaten here several times and its always good.
Their sides are fantastic, i love the potato salad. They have several sauces to try, all of which are good. They have an extra hot volcano sauce behind the counter which is super spicy and flavorful.
The service is fast. Come hungry!

I think the Whole Hog has to be my personal favorite for BBQ in the ABQ. The location is super easy to get too, lots of parking, and the menu and ordering is easy breezy. The service is very helpful and polite. I’m also always happy with how clean the restaurant and bathrooms are.
The food is really awesome. They offer standard BBQ items and sides. I love the brisket especially here and the hubs is a big fan of the ribs. I like the coleslaw as my go-​to side which is less mayo and more vinegar! Yum-​O! My husband is a dedicated mac and cheese guy. We’ve tried just about all the meat options and really like the pulled pork and hot links as well. This is a fantastic place to get for catering if you’re hosting an event and want easy food to share and not prepare! (Honest Abe in me… I bring Whole Hog to potlucks.)
Our very favorite is the BBQ sauce. Unlike other places in town, they offer 6 choices so there is something for everyone. I’m a #2 gal, spicy traditional, while my husband likes the sweeter molasses BBQ sauce. I like him cause he’s sweet too!
Don’t miss this casual place to eat in or take away. Great for families and bigger groups too. Enjoy!

I love the pulled pork here and the brisket is hit or miss. The green chili mac & cheese is my absolute favorite side dish. Sometimes I want to go there just for the mac & cheese! It’s been a while since I got ribs, but my in-​laws had them recently and thought they were delicious. Love that they have cucumber salad as a side. Now that I’m thinking about it I love all their side dishes!

Delicious BBQ! In Albuquerque for labor day weekend and looking to try new places to eat, came across this one on Unilocal and gave it a try. Not disappointed! Service was helpful and fast. Ordered a regular and jumbo sized plate, brisket and pulled pork, for 2 adults and a 5yr old. Each plate came with 2 sides so we tried 4 different sides, all were about an ice cream scoop sized portion. Beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and cucumber salad, good sides, and they tasted fresh. Oh and bread. We definitely plan to return! Great job!

I’ve never had a bad experience at this place. I absolutely love the baked beans and pulled pork. The prices aren’t bad an the staff is very nice. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone.

Being from Texas — I am ALWAYS up for brisket! After hearing a lot of people say this is the place to go, the wife (aka Vicki S) and I decided tonight is the night.
I liked the décor/​set-​up and was greeted by the friendly woman behind the counter. She was helpful in assisting us with our order and it went downhill from there…
Yes — this is not Texas, and maybe I set my brisket/​sausage and BBQ standards too high — but this missed the mark. The brisket was not very warm, the potato salad was too warm (and too creamy/​mayo), and the baked beans tasted like they were warmed up out of a can. I will not even get started on the stale slice of bread that was served with my meal. On a positive note — the sausage was pretty darn good.
I was not a fan of the 7 choices of BBQ sauce at the table either (almost made it seem like a chore trying to decide which number to go with).
Sorry to say I will not be returning, as there are better places in town to get my BBQ fix at.

Well once again I tried another BBQ place that made me question… Why didn’t you just go to Rudys! I wanted to try the Volcano sauce. We went around 4:45 and were the only people in the place, should have been a clue. I will say that the place smelled pretty good, I love the smell of BBQ. I ordered the beef brisket plate with a side of potato salad and cucumber salad. My hubby ordered the sausage and brisket combo plate with baked beans and potato salad. Our food came out before we even filled up our tea glasses and grabbed silverware… clue #2…My brisket was barely room temperature, my bread was stale, potato salad bland and cucumbers were awesome. My husband was definitely not a fan of the potato salad. By the time we left there were a few more tables full. Sticking to Rudy’s.
Volcano sauce… meh.

Fun atmosphere and delicious food! The high cost does not reflect the small portions but the food abs sweet tea are really good. I found it interesting when I asked for ketchup for my daughter’s fries, they indicated they didn’t have it in the restaurant. Overall, good customer service and yummy food!

I’m a fan! Delicious meats and sauces; they’re pretty much rockstars at it. Which is good, since that’s what they’re selling :)
I had the pulled chicken which wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, but I liked that I could add different sauces and flavor it how I wanted. Not too sweet, not too spicy.
A friend of mine got the nachos which were good, but again, not the best I’ve ever had.
Prices are reasonable, and with it so close to my house, I’ll definitely be venturing back for dinner again!

I have thought of doing this review for awhile and have considered that 2 stars is not enough, and I would rather give it a 2.5 (but that’s not really an option). However, after last nights meal and seeing how the food and service has consistently gone downhill and the prices have gone up, I thought 2 stars seemed fair.
Last night we decided to go there because we wanted some of the barbecue nachos. The nachos in theory taste great, but they are never ever hot. The are either mediocrely warm or cold, but usually when we go we don’t complain because we are pretty hungry. Although last night was different, our nachos came to us (the chicken and pork) and they were so cold, and the cheese was so old and immovable. The meat was very dry especially the pork, and it seemed as though it had been sitting under the heat lamp all day! The worst part was that it was not one bit warm. Since we had worked 12 hours without a meal, we decided to eat the chicken nachos and send the pork back. We were comped with a quarter pound of pork. Although, the staff was a bit hesitant and didn’t seem to really care. I guess you can’t expect too much when the place is run by several teens who stand up at the front holding conversations instead of checking on the customers. However, you would think that the staff would at least look at the food when they bring it to you and notice that the side of nacho cheese is so hard and dry that when you flip the bowl over the cheese doesn’t move!
I cannot deeply express my disappointment in this restaurant. It has so much potential to be good; however, in at least the past few times we have eaten there it’s only gone downhill. I would like to call the manager and inform him or her about our experience last night. With the amount they charge for their food they need to keep their standards higher and at least send you good hot food.

Been here twice. First time, ok meal slightly disappointed, usually the case in Albuquerque. Second visit, went in to take out ribs, they had no ribs… said thanks, walked out headed to Golden Pride drive through for my usual disappointing Albuquerque barbecue.
No ribs?! Fire your inventory clerk before you have to fire your entire staff!

Soo, just a little back ground on me.. I am a Cali-​Washington-​Oregon-​Back to Cali-​to Okla-​Ark-​NMex gal. yep, you get that?!?
I have eaten BBQ from many venues, have tasted some I like.. Some that were ahh, and some that were ohh, man. is there seconds?!?
Now when I lived in Ft Smith, there were hole-​in-​the-​walls that could compete closely with Whole Hog, in flavor with a bit more economical way.. I mean when an old house gets Health certified with the smoker & grill in back.. over head is a cheaper.. but they mainly did deals on Pulled Pork, on a bun… with a small 1 oz cup of BBQ Sauce… and you were good to go.. for $ 5 and add for sides and any other fixings… You get the idea. .
Well having eaten at the Little Rock, AR Whole Hog Café, I knew in general what to expect, and this didn’t disappoint.
The WHC honestly was not much more than that hole in the wall from 6 or 7 yrs ago… I wasn’t too happy to be told they were out of Ribs & Sausage… but gave them a pass and didn’t dock forit.. totally full credit knowing it was less than 40 min to closing. .
for the Pulled Pork (Single meat Plate, 2 sides & a slice of bread) at $ 8.9? + tax both my kids had.. now my kids are teens… so picky is the description… they loved that they could mix & match sauces.. Combine & chomp. 3.5
The Beef Brisket Plate, I had, now mind you it was almost closing.. .was tender, and moist… 4
The guy chose the Pork Tenderloin. can cut it with a fork or table knife. . Yep & still moist. was very tasty! 4
As far as sauces go, personally I liked 1 & a combo of 5&6 together. The baked beans weren’t my usual homemade southern mustard & MEGA Molasses mix, tons of bacon & onions… it was good, but it wasn’t the dream recipe for me.. 3.5 stars. I added a bit of BBQ Sauces of my liking & it came close. .
Potato Salad was Delish for being mayo based.. I prefer a combo mayo & Mustard. . but that’s OK. a solid 4.
We have friends who recommended this place 4 yrs ago to us.. finally getting around to eating there with a bit of Unilocal help & encouragement. . and things near home is good :)

Pretty good. Store front is clean and with a fun layout.
I had the beef brisket, beans and potato salad. Brisket was cooked well and flavorful. Beams could have used some salt. Potato salad was by far one of the best I’ve had. Smooth texture and full of flavors.
I have had better bbq– but must say– for albuquerque it is a solid contender.

Of course, nothing less than superb here at the Whole Hog Café. I’ve been to a few in and around Little Rock, AR, where I can only assume they started, and this one is just like it. I hate to call this a «chain» because its so much more than that, so can we settle on calling it a «franchise»? Can we please?
For those of you who have yet to partake in this fine establishment let me brake it down. When you first walk in your olfactory system is slammed with the smell of BBQ. You know this is going to be good. Then you order from a variety of brisket, pulled pork, sausage, ribs etc. When in doubt, get the ribs. It’s my personal go to every time.
Grab your drink and utensils and heres the best part: sauce. Not just one, but six! From savory to smokey to a tad spicy. And then there’s the #4 and you just leave that one alone and right where it is. Vinegar does not belong on bbq. NC keep that stuff in your own state! I digress…
So in conclusion, BBQ… ribs…‘Merica

You know what? ABQ just keeps on surprising me. I thought Rudy’s and Powdrell’s were the only place with the best BBQ in town. Well I was proven wrong today folks!
Today was my first of many, I mean MANY, visits to Whole Hog! I’m a BBQ fan and I’ve eaten BBQ all over the country and the food at this place rates up there with the best of them.
I had the meat combo, I’m a meatatrian– that’s how I roll, which had pulled pork and beef brisket. With a side salad and baked beans. My wife just had the pulled pork, side salad and potato salad. The meat doesn’t come with BBQ sauce on them. The joy of saucing your meat is left to you as they have an assortment of 6 different BBQ sauces waiting for you at your table.
My wife and I tried all the BBQ sauces and my personal favorites were the #6 sauce on the beef and the sweeter #5 sauce on the pork. The meat had that fantastic pit grilled smoked flavor that true lovers of BBQ love. Well done BBQ masters, well done!
I highly recommend this place! My wife and I walked in, ordered our food and no more than 5 minutes our food was at the table. Quick service, friendly staff, great food. Lightning highly approved!