Whole Hog Café — Restaurant in Santa Fe

I have eaten here before and it was great. But today I tried calling to place an order to go, since ten till 6 (pm) And stayed calling back to back until I got to the restaurant 45 minutes later at 6:35pm with no answer. (They close at 7:30pm according to everything I have seen online and in person). Then the parking area is blocked off, so I had to drive around the block. To get into the parking area, going into a space that said do not enter, but that was the only way I could find to enter. I walked in to order, and the only thing they have is pulled pork. So I get a plate, and pay, then they have no change to give back. Thank goodness I had almost the exact payment amount so I didn't have to worry about getting change back. It was literally like pennies so I was okay with that. But what if I didn't have exact change? The time was no where near closing time. I was also not the only customer there or the only customer waiting to order. Very disappointed. I don't understand why places close down way earlier then they advertise. Why not change the advertisement, or stay open until they say so. The food is normally great, I haven't gotten my order yet, waiting for it to be made still. But that's why I'm disappointed. Because the food is so good here and I wanted to eat more than pulled pork for dinner tonight, and thought I had gone in way before closing so didn't...

Had to try this little out of the way BBQ place called Whole Hog Cafe! And let me tell you, well worth the trip from ABQ! We ordered two things, the BBQ brisket nachos and the ultimate whole hog platter.

BBQ brisket nachos: tortilla chips covered with beans that had a smokey sweet flavor, nacho cheese was a buttery flavored cheese dip that tasted so creamy i wanted to go back for more in every bite and the brisket nearly melted in my mouth. I would highly suggest their #6 Rich mustard blended sauce for the nachos!

The ultimate whole hog BBQ platter came out exactly how you would think, it had everything you'd want in a BBQ platter! Slaw, potato salad, ribs, brisket and pulled chicken with two rolls! The chicken on the platter was so moist and paired well with the traditional southern tangy sauce. The beans were a smokey sweet with a slight heat on the back of the mouth that made me want to eat it all! The slaw surprised me as I am not a good fan of slaw at all, sweet yet tangy I enjoyed the slaw for once in my life it wasn't just a garnish. The pulled pork had a moistness to it that is just unheard of, paired well with the mustard blend sauce. And last but certainly not least the brisket, my gosh the brisket, if you come here that is a have to! All in all the best BBQ I've tasted outside of Kansas...

Parking is limited, so the free parking attracted us. We checked reviews online, and the majority were excellent. As we entered, the heavenly smell wafted through the place. That clinched the deal.

The gentleman who took our order was friendly and efficient. When he asked if we wanted to go cups or glasses for our drinks, we opted for to go cups. The drink machine was in the dining area, and refills were complimentary. We also got our sandwiches with the Coleslaw to the side, not on the meat, in the bun.

By the time we got our drinks, and found a place to park our butts, we got our sandwiches. Husband had the pulled pork and I had the pulled chicken. Both were moist and tasty - even without sauce. Husband said the beans were spicy. They had a kick. The coleslaw was dry, sweet, and very good. We had 6 sauces from which to choose - our favorites were the sweet ones - #1 and #5.

We savored every delicious bite. I ate half of mine without the bun, to get the full chicken flavor. It was pleasant eating inside. Frank Sinatra serenaded us over the sound system. Other diners were in our area, & we were all spread out.

Note: If you are looking for a job, they’re hiring as of 5/26/21. But you wouldn’t know they were short staffed. Service was exceptional! And so...