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| - I was raised on fried chicken and BBQ in the south and take this food very seriously. So much so that I feel a tear form when I hear someone mention BBQ chicken (get real people, its grilled chicken with BBQ sauce on it and has nothing to do with the slow cooked delicacy other than a dip in some spicy ketchup) or a chicken nugget (one of the greatest scams ever orchestrated: no bones, no dark meat, no grease, no taste; can you say fried waste product). I am thus highly skeptical when confronted with an establishment located north of the Mason-Dixon purporting to specialize in the cuisine of my homeland. Union Pig & Chicken demands respect for absolutely amazing fried chicken and a pork BBQ that provides a moment of sweet southern comfort in a world gone mad.
The fried chicken is served in whole or 1/2 chickens, as the lord intended, and for the uninitiated this can be a bit daunting. To clarify: There are eight pieces of fried chicken in a bird. This means that more health conscious consumer may wish to split a 1/2 chicken with another person. The fried chicken is perfect by all metrics of the southern palate and deserves to be eaten with your hands.
The pork BBQ sandwich is a very respectable rendition of the classic. The BBQ is true to form having been cooked for an obscene amount of time under low heat and smoke to produce a melt-in-your-mouth wonder. Although I found the sauce on the table a bit weak, the pork stood on its own (the hallmark of good BBQ) and required no such amendment. I haven't tried the beef BBQ offerings or the ribs but will do so on my next visit. If the rest of their fare is any indication, I will not be disappointed.
Sides were enjoyable standards with no surprises. The draft beer list provides a rotating selection of a half-dozen great beers in differing style rather than seeking to overwhelm, something I appreciate. The cocktail menu piqued my interest in the lounge upstairs, Harvard & Highland, and I was impressed to find a whiskey list that lends as much respect to a good bourbon or rye as to a good scotch. Cheerwine, the sickly sweet soda pop from the Carolinas, makes an appearance on the menu and pairs perfectly with fried chicken and BBQ for the nostalgic. The decor is interesting but not remarkable or unique in terms of a BBQ joint as most of those I patronized in my youth had similar communal seating arrangements.
Union Pig & Chicken is an asset to the Pittsburgh restaurant scene. Unlike one of Sousa's more refined intentions (Salt of the Earth) which tend to underwhelm-efforts to create something new misguided by following the trends of America's culinary capitals- the Union focuses on perfecting well-worn territory. These are dishes that many make and very few make well. The Union is firmly in the latter camp; well worth a visit.
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