On my second day, my hosts wanted to go out to eat. They of course asked what I would want to eat. And I said I wanted something quintessentially Winston-Salem. So after much talk, it was decided on bbq. For those of you who like bbq and know of it, there are many different kinds, along with much debate about what is best. To me, it’s a matter of personal preference. I just like it all. I’ve lived in Texas so I know texas style, I’ve been to Kansas City, so I know that too. There’s also Memphis style, and of course there’s North Carolina style. They’re all different, but all good in their own different ways.

We ended up at the Pig N Out, which is a fairly new place. It had been a different bbq joint before that. As to not freak out my dining companions with my photo taking, I did not take any. So apologies for the lack of visual proof. When you’re in NC, it’s all about chopped and pulled meats. They’re not really into the ribs or the briskets and what not. It’s all about pork, and it’s about chopping it up or pulling it to bits. I’m not typically into that kind of stuff, so I got a sliced sandwich. I expected it to be like brisket, but it’s actually much more just like roast pork slices. There’s no crust on it, there’s no ring of smoke, it just looks like roast pork slices. And the bbq sauces here are the vinegar kind.

But what they do put on their sandwiches is slaw. Not cole slaw mind you, of the white variety. This is north carolina bbq slaw. It’s ketchup or bbq sauce based. And I’m in LOVE with it. Now I’m a fan of cole slaw in general, so I knew I would like it. But this is so much better than the white slaw! It’s much zestier. And it tastes amazing on a sandwich. That extra crunch and zing of flavor add to the meat. Holy moly. I am a newly crowned bbq slaw nut. And it’s also hush puppy country down here. But they aren’t the round ones. These look like little strips / squirts. To me, they looked like fried clam strips! But no, they’re hush puppies.

This place is absolutely no frills. You order your food and you sit yourself down with your tray. In fact, it kind of looks like it used to be a really old wendy’s or another fast food joint in a previous incarnation. They have sweet tea here too, along with banana pudding. It’s definitely the South!

Pig N Out
5954 University Pkwy
Winston Salem, NC 27105
336-377-3215

After consulting my trusty yelp recommendations, I had my one dinner in Winston-Salem at Ombu Wood Fired Grill. I had a near mishap because this place is fairly new and on a new street, and when you try to get directions here, it takes you some where else. I didn’t realize that until I followed my directions to a residential area. There was not a restaurant in sight. But one call to the restaurant and I got there fairly easily.
The place opened in October and it’s quite beautiful. I loved the decor of this place, it was incredibly warm. The open kitchen’s half wall had the most amazing tile, I was totally in love with it. And they had these beautiful wine racks. There are several dining areas as well, it’s a sizeable place.
Since I’m a total lightweight, I stuck with my pink lemonade. The bartender was amazingly sweet and was a total pro.
Some complimentary bread. They just switched breads so the bartender had never tasted it. It was warm and delicious, with just a hint of some herbs. And paired with olive oil and balsamic for dipping, it was great. I told her she had to try it. With bread this good, I knew I’d be in for a great meal.
I had to get the lobster bisque. But it wasn’t just any lobster bisque, it was velvety lobster saffron bisque garnished with blistered sweet corn, crème fraich, and bits of lobster. Whoo! This was excellent bisque. What’s not to like about this soup? Everything in it was good. And I only ordered a cup but it was a very sizeable portion, for just a cup. It was nearly a bowl.
For my entree, I had the wood oven seared grouper with sweet potato-plantain hash, haricot verts, and a sweet chili gastrique. Again, amazing. This was a huge hunk of grouper, which is a thick and meaty fish. It was seared with a nice crust and cooked to perfection. The hash was also amazing, especially with the sweet chili sauce. And you know I love green beans of all kind.

This is an excellent restaurant, and would be an excellent restaurant in any city. Even if it were in a large city, let’s say NYC or San Francisco, this would be an excellent restaurant. Winston-Salem is lucky to have a gem like this in their town. So for you locals, go and support them!

The booze aisle at a Target in Winston-Salem. I’m not in Pennsy anymore!