Pig Out Inn, Natchez, MS

Pig Out Inn

Natchez, Mississippi

June 13, 2005 

We went to Natchez, Mississippi to eat in the world’s most politically incorrect restaurant, Mammy’s Cupboard, a restaurant built in the shape of a large, Aunt Jemima-like “mammy”.  Unbeknownst to us, however, Mammy’s Cupboard is closed on Mondays.  So we went to the very impressive Natchez visitor’s center and asked if there were any barbeque joints in town.  We were told that there was only one, but that it was quite good.  Thus informed, we made our way down the approximately 4 blocks to the Pig Out Inn.

The Pig Out Inn has a fun, funky appearance on the outside which continues on the inside.  One whole wall is given over to a large mural stating, “What I like about the South”, including such things as catfish, Huck Finn, bayous, coon dogs, and about 30 other things.  Other walls contained posters advertising concerts by old blues and rock and roll artists such as Howlin’ Wolf and Little Richard.  The dining room is small, but there are seats on the patio.  This was not an option on the hot and humid day that we were there, as far as I was concerned.

The service is counter service and is very speedy.  By the time you pay, your food is ready.  The food was, in a word, outstanding.  Dawn had a combo plate with chicken and ribs and I had pork and turkey.  All the meats had a good, smoky taste, more so than any other place we went to on this trip.  The turkey was buttery-tender.  The ribs were a little stringy, but had great flavor.  The chicken was firm, but tender.

The sauce was thin and peppery.  It had just enough bite to warm the tongue.  It went well with everything.

As if the barbeque wasn’t good enough, the baked beans were probably the best I’ve ever eaten.  I believe that if they eat baked beans in heaven, they are probably take-out from the Pig Out Inn.   They were very smoky and contained quite a bit of pork.  Also notable was a cold black bean and corn salad which also included jalapenos, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro.  The potato salad was okay, but I’m not big on potato salad, anyway.

Dawn had one of their small pecan “pie” – actually, more of a tart.  She thought it was average.  I had a bite (I’m not a big pecan pie fan, either) and thought it was fairly dry and crumbly.

The Pig Out Inn is not especially cheap.  It cost $28 for the two of us.

In summary, the Pig Out Inn is superb.  The meats and sauce are very good and the baked beans are out of this world.  It is a little pricier than most barbeque joints, but well worth the small added cost.

Pros:  Great barbeque – both meats and sauce; fantastic baked beans; interesting and very good corn and black bean salad; funky restaurant.

Cons:  Little pricey; pecan pie is only average.

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