Hawg Heaven — Restaurant in Kokomo

So many of these reviews are amazing and I had the best intentions to write one...until I went here. Story time: we'll start on that cold, Saturday morning in February. We planned our arrival to give us an hour to sit down and eat, so when we arrived at 11:30am, an hour after the posted opening time, we were greeted with a locked door. Upon calling to see when they open, we were rudely told 12pm. So, we decided to go to the gas station nearby to get gas, use the restroom, proceeded to find the house of where the creator of Clifford the big red dog grew up (separate review on that at a different time), then arrived back at 11:55am. One of the people in my party walked to the door, stood outside and saw someone inside, so she asked if she can come inside, but she said she needed to wait outside until 12pm. Once we finally walked through the doors at 12:00:01pm, we sat down, looked at the menu for 5 minutes, then proceeded to order, indicating to the server we needed to be gone by 12:30pm. While we were waiting, the restaurant began filling up with people coming to pick up "to go" orders. There was one gentleman who (I'm not even elaborating) began taking about 30+ to-go boxes out to his car, 6-8 at a time. We waited for 20 minutes for our food, asked how long it would be, was told it would be about 5-10 minutes, then waited another 20 minutes, asked how long it would be again, was told it would be about 10-15 minutes, then we decided to simply leave. I understand there was a large to-go order, I really do. I also understand that there were about 24 plates sitting in that man's car getting cold, when 3 plates could have been served to the people dining in. I really wanted to like this place, but based on how the business was ran from our first experience, I will never be able to rate them...

Overall, this was a good restaurant, if you don't compare it to other places. The staff was very friendly and attentive, the place was very clean, and the price was reasonable. I had a brisket sandwich, and baked beans. The sandwich had plenty of meat on it, almost too much, if that is a thing, and it was moist and flavorful.

Unfortunately, I have to compare this to other barbecue. While the meat was cooked perfectly, as far as texture goes, it had no barbecue flavor. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if it were revealed that they cook the brisket in the oven, with no smoke. I didn't detect even a hint of smoke flavor. On top of that, I couldn't detect any rub used on the bark. Sadly, it was just beef I could taste. If they didn't advertise that their meat is smoked, it was an excellent brisket sandwich. They do say it's smoked though, so I can't give them credit.

The baked beans were odd too. I swear they used pinto beans and white sugar, and not much else. Who uses pinto beans for baked beans? Anyway, while they didn't taste anything like any baked beans I've ever had, they were okay for what they were.

If want something to eat, and don't care that it doesn't taste like barbecue, this is a great place. Otherwise, they are just okay.

Edit: I don't know why this says it was made a month ago. I left this review spring of 2022. It was the Kokomo location in all the pictures.

As for how the reply says the food was smoked, I don't know what to say. I stand behind what I said. It has no discernable flavor other than the meat itself. Maybe it was a bad day, but it was...

I decided to drive over to Kokomo for dinner to give Hawg Heaven a try. I was greeted and was told that I could sit anywhere. I decided to sit up front near the entrance. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich, potato salad, and iced tea. I'm always leery of places that serve "soda fountain" tea, so I asked. The waitress explained theirs wasn't brewed on site but was still quite good. I also wasn't sure which side to order with my sandwich, but the waitress was helpful and suggested potato salad. The food was prepared very quickly. The pork was done perfectly. I'm not sure there was a single piece of unrendered fat anywhere. Other BBQ places need to take note. The homemade "hot" BBQ sauce was fantastic and really went well with the pork. The potato salad was good, if not just a little bland. I may spring for mac and cheese next time. The tea, for being store-bought, was quite good still. After my meal, they suggested I try the homemade peanut butter pie. It was delicious, having peanut brittle hiding under the chocolate drizzle and whip cream. The crust was a chocolate cookie crust. The manager and waitress were both very friendly and both explained how Hawg Heaven came to be. Overall a great dinner for around $12. I can't recommend it enough. If in Kokomo, you must stop by and try...