Oink Victoria Street — Restaurant in City of Edinburgh

The ultimate question: would you eat from a venue again? It's the question that really says everything. The food itself, the service, the atmosphere, a lot can be praised or criticised, but ultimately the seal of approval or disapproval comes down to, would you go again?

Visiting Oink during a cold, wet and bleak lunch break in late March, the line was long, the windows steamed up from the hot roasted joints (seen through misty windows from the street), with a mouth-watering aroma wafting along the street in every direction. Who could possibly resist?

Ordering the largest of their meaty buns, with a coffee and packet of crisps to round out the meal deal for around £10, the acclaimed pulled pork sandwich was eagerly anticipated.

Was it as expected? Not exactly. It was pulled pork, and it was in a bun, as pictured. However, it was a tad cool, as in lukewarm, the only thing that was hot was the coffee, which was the perfect antidote to the cold weather. But as for the sandwich, that was a bit of a let down. Given the boasting and bragging around how full the bun would be, by weight, more was expected. The bun was a standard burger type, nothing special or remarkable in any way. The mustard mayo... shockingly average, and the crackle on the distinctly mean side of servings (and cold to boot!).

The saving grace, the service. The staff were bright and friendly, as opposed to the classically drecht Scottish weather. Taking and serving orders with seamless efficiency, the team exchanged conversation with customers old and new alike. The venue itself, cramped and crammed with patrons, was clean, no left plates or wrappers laying around, and smelled of freshly roasted meats. Everything you'd expect of a bustling bbq joint.

So, does Oink deserve a second visit? Sure, just maybe when they first open and the meats are fresh...

It’s a fast food restaurant served pulled pork. They have 2 locations in Edinburgh, we went to the one on Victoria street while we were in the area. They have a very tiny dining area. It’s very crowded inside so I noticed people didn’t really sit down to eat. The line was very long but it moved pretty quickly. They have menu on the wall in English, French, Spanish and Italian showing how to order food here. Basically, you can order Hog in a box ( 250gm meat without bread) OR with freshly baked roll comes in 3 size - piglet (80gm small), Oink (160gm medium) and grunter (250gm large). Both options come with 1 stuffing and sauce. Besides that you can also get their combo with crips or drink. Service was fast and super friendly. We ordered the hog in the box with apple sauce, haggis, and a Grunter with homemade BBQ sauce. I honestly didn’t get the hype of this place. Pull pork was dry and not flavorful. Apple sauce and haggis made the taste a bit different/unique. I had pull pork better else, especially in Asia. Overall, good portion for under 10 GBP but I...

I hiked Arthur's Seat early in the morning, and had worked up quite an appetite! I entered at the bottom end of The Royal Mile to walk up and find somewhere to grab some lunch. Much to my pleasure, there on the left I saw a magnificently large roast pig in the window of a place called 'Oink'. The name alone would have brought me in, but that pig in the window looked delicious. The inside was cute, clean, and the staff was very friendly! But the food... holy hell the food! It is what dreams are made of! I quite literally will dream about those pulled pork sandwiches for the rest of my life! I ordered mine without the haggis, and instead had the chutney jam; LIFE CHANGING! I don't think I even breathed while I ate that sandwich. And when it was gone I literally wanted to go order another one. I did... but I waited until the next day! I could eat there everyday if I lived in Edinburgh. The price was fantastic, and the food is amazing! Do yourself a favor and go Oink yourself the next time you're in Edinburgh. Recommend this pace and you did’nt...