Whole Hog Cafe

OK on my way out of Santa Fe I had to stop somewhere for a snack. This place was across the street from a thrift store. I walked in and noticed most of the employees were Latino and speaking Spanish. They were very good looking and polite. I asked the cashier if he could make a wrap with lettuce instead of a tortilla which I don’t think he understood, so I had one the traditional way. It was absolutely delicious, pork rib meat, sour cream, jalapenos, some processed (almost like pickled?) tomatoes. I can’t believe how good it was. It was a little expensive, hence the four stars instead of five. Oh and they were really fast too!

I was in SFA for 2.5 days for work and I stumbled across this place. As a result, I ate dinner here both nights. Clean, laid back, food came out quick, and the beer was cold. I loved the BBQ sauce sampler, I wish they packaged them differently so I could transport ‘em home.

Great BBQ and even better price! Also liked that is wasn’t slammed with people like other restaurants on Guadalupe. Beef brisket with sauce #3 is the way to go.

Awesome! That smooth pulled-​meat taste, with wonderful sauces… We chose two of the barbecue sauces — one described as «mild» and one described as «sweet» — and they were both rich and luscious, adding an amazing second flavor to the sandwiches. Even the baked beans had a smooth, rich sauce, for a deep and satisfying flavor.
The service was fast — and the place wasn’t too crowded. It seemed like they put a lot of thought into the whole barbecue experience, down to the super-​soft buns they served our sandwiches on. But from the meat to the sauces, you could tell extra care went into all the choices on the menu. In short, we loved this place! Highly recommended.

Tasty and tender brisket with 7 sweet to spicy sauces! Potato salad was a great side addition.

I went here instead of Cowgirls BBQ, which happened to be directly across the street. The reviews made it sound like a local joint and I think the majority of the people there were local. The building was nicely laid out and clean. There is a chalk board with the menu and a nice beer bottle selection. I asked the server for a recommendation but as he didn’t eat pork, it was limited. I went with the pork and brisket plate with baked beans and cucumber salad. I also had a beer that I’ve never had before.
The thing I like most about this place was the selection of BBQ sauce. There were 6 with varying styles and tastes. KC to N Carolina style of BBQ sauce. I preferred 3-​which was a spicy and sweet and tangy style that mixed them all. The baked beans were just like I liked them-​thick and rich, sweet and savory. The cucumber salad was a little sweet for my liking but refreshing. I don’t like mayo based sides so these were my options. The pork was moist and had a little bark on the outside and the brisket was sliced super thin (I like thick cut slices). The taste was good-​not enough smoke for me though. I think Texas-​ok-​KC-​Memphis-​n Carolina do BBQ better than anyone but this was surprisingly good and pretty basic. I’m glad I went here instead of cowgirls bc cowgirls has too large of a menu and I didn’t want to get distracted ;)
This place has won numerous BBQ awards and is solid. I really like the beer I had and have been told they don’t sell that specific beer in Oklahoma. It was nice and refreshing and one of the better Mexican beers I’ve had.

My husband and I love coming here. The bbq smell is so mouthwatering. The food is hot and yummy and the cashier guy (forgot his name) is always, ALWAYS friendly. He is what makes us coming back, besides the yummy food.
The parking lot is hard to see and there are not many places to park, though there is a parking garage down the street but you have to pay for it. That’s one of the drawbacks for the downtown location, but at least you can go downtown to the plaza to walk around for a bit.
Needless to say we are customers for life here.

Whole Hog has the very best bar-​b-​que in Santa Fe. There is a small parking lot and inside had numerous tables and three saying areas. Kids are welcome. Take-​out and catering are both offered. Restrooms are clean. The waitstaff is courteous, knowledgable and helpful.

Bbq nachos with beef brisket are so good and tasty. We added baked beens and jalapeños on top and it was superb. The beef brisket was very nice and smokey.

I had the pulled chicken and my husband had the baby back ribs… both were amazing!!! Better than any others we had in the area. Ambiance could use an uplift yet the food left nothing to be desired! If they added some live music and better seating, the place would be a ‘5’. We subsequently visited the Whole Hog Café in Albuquerque– not quite as good as the Santa Fe restaurant

After a quick Unilocal search for what looked good near the railyard in Santa Fe, we trekked over to the Whole Hog Café and were greeted by… a totally empty establishment. Okay… It had rave reviews. Where were all the people? We were kind of early at 4pm on a Sunday, so maybe it’s not prime BBQ time. We went for it anyway.
And man, what a good choice it was. Tried the brisket and the pulled pork, the texture was a perfect tenderness that was not tough to eat at all which I love. The baked beans were great, and the coleslaw wasn’t bad either. The nachos were totally worth it.
The only thing I wasn’t impressed with were the sauces, not a ton of variety in taste there but they also weren’t bad. I tried them all! Didn’t find a favorite. Also as a weird aside? There wasn’t a lot of staff interaction which is actually okay with me but a little odd at first. Again, it was a weird time on a Sunday.
Altogether, this will probably be a place that I’ll be bringing some family to and hitting again the next time I’m in Santa Fe!

Absolutely delicious, great sauces good music. Pulled pork, brisket, nachos are all must haves.

Delicious BBQ! The six sauces they have are all really well blended. None are very spicy except the «volcano» which is hot but still has great flavor! I had pulled pork and tried some of the sausage and baked beans. All was amazing! Very inexpensive and high quality!

It’s rare that a place qualifies as Best in the Nation. But the Whole Hog Café may warrant that status. I’ve eaten a lot of barbecue all over the US. And I certainly never expected to find this quality in New Mexico (sorry, Chamber of Commerce). But I did!
On my recent visit, I had the pulled pork and sausage combo plate, with baked beans and potato salad as my two sides. The pork was absolutely succulent — I wish I had ordered a double order of the pork — not that I didn’t like the sausage; it was great, too. Sauces were served in the traditional style — on the side. Each table was provided with a nice selection of six different choices. Plus, you can ask for the Volcano if you’re looking for something really hot. I tried a couple of the sides, including a little bit of the Volcano, and enjoyed all of them.
The Whole Hog has won numerous international awards. It’s pretty easy to see why.

Tender cuts of meat with little or no smoke. How in the world do you call yourselves a BBQ restaurant?
I am simply a big BBQ fan and have very high expectations. Especially from a joint that proudly displays trophies.
The baby back ribs I ordered were tender, juicy and the meat pulled off the bone relatively clean. Unfortunately, it was deprived from any smokey goodness.
The pull pork sandwich had a mixture of good cuts of meat, but needed more fat mixed in. It was not dry, but just lack smoke and more flavor.
Their side dishes are very good, and deserving of high marks. The six different kinds of sauces at the table for self serve is a very nice touch. I enjoyed this immensely.

Right across the street from Cowgirl, which also serves BBQ, but I was looking for food, not music or entertainment, so I chose the place where’s that’s the only focus. I biked here and there are no sidewalk racks, but there are perfectly usable beams on the driveway side of the place.
Standard, comprehensive BBQ menu. I wanted as much meat as possible with nothing else. The trick to doing that here is ordering from the To Go Menu (posted on the wall next to the regular one). I got a little over a quarter-​pound each of pulled pork, brisket, and pulled chicken for a grand total of ten bucks, which is a great deal for BBQ and also friendly for my protein-​focused eating régime.
All three meats were lean and delicious, with the pulled pork winning the show with a moist, deep flavor. The table features six of Whole Hog’s sauces and I found them all to match up with their descriptions

I’m not a big fan of BBQ… but these guys do it right! I can’t say much about the staff only because I’ve never actually eaten inside the restaurant, but my mom always orders a huge family takeout! (Which we love!)
The side dishes are pretty yummy too! I’d eat here over cowgirl any day of the week… and I like cowgirl, but these guys are a lot more consistent!

This place hits the spot every time even when I’m not sure what I want to eat. Can’t go wrong with bbq! The location is a bummer for me since they moved downtown. I don’t go here as much as I used to when they were located on cerillos. I usually get a bbq chicken sandwich and substitute baked beans for the slaw. They do this at no extra charge which is nice. If I’m feeling really hungry I get a combo plate and this leaves me with enough for left overs later. It’s a good value. Although since I first discovered them their prices have gone up a bit. Also im a huge sauce lover and I love that they have 6 different sauces to choose from, my faves are 3 and 6 cause I gotta have my spice.

Yummy yum yum!
I really really really loved the food here and I don’t do gluten or dairy so I pretty much could only eat the cucumber salad, potato and meat. Not the roll or other sides, etc. What I did try, and all different cuts and flavors, was fabulous.
I dug the low key vibe, the condiment fest on the tables, paper towels (cuz you need ‘em) for napkins. I absolutely HATED the twangy country playing in the background, but it’s a small price to pay for delicious ribs. I liked sauce #2 and #6.
Also, this place closes surprisingly early even on weekend nights, so you should get there early and maybe even take a bunch of yummy things to go.

As someone who literally just moved to Santa Fe from Atlanta a few weeks ago, I was pretty skeptical about a place around here claiming they’re doing southern barbeque. Whole Hog Café does a pretty darn good job of it though. My one complaint is that the meats themselves are good but not great until you add sauces to them, whereas when I think of true southern barbeque an external sauce is not really necessary. Whole Hog Café’s saving grace is that it has seven different sauces, all of which are very flavorful and quite good.
As good as the meats and sauces are, I find the sides they have on offer to be disappointing. No mac and cheese, and I really don’t find a bag of potato chips to be a fitting pairing with southern barbeque.
However, one very interesting pairing that works but you’d never find in the South are their BBQ Nachos. Your choice of barbeque served over tortilla chips with nacho cheese and sliced jalapenos. Add some sauce and you have a tasty if odd meal.

Number 3 sauce and volcano. Winning!