Best Whole Roasted Suckling Pigs
Forget Thanksgiving, it may be time for a new favorite food holiday. Today, December 18th, is National Roast Suckling Pig Day. When I hear those words my salivary glands go into overdrive. I'm transported to the side of a highway between Santo Domingo and Santiago in the Dominican Republic where whole roasted sucklings are laid out on handmade barbeques and cooked to the height of golden, crispiness. It's difficult for any driver to resist pulling over for a bite and una Presidente fria.
Stateside, whole roasted pig isn't as accessible. And snout-to-tail eating may intimidate some. But once you've felt the snap of crackling pigskin, it's tough to find other food quite as exciting. Check out these restaurants, caterers, and hole-in-the-walls in The Daily Meal's 12 featured cities. They all do the whole beast feast. But order in advance, or you might find yourself hog-tied.
Austin
First Chinese Barbeque
10901 N Lamar Blvd. — (512) 835-8889
Whole roasted pigs cooked to order. Call a few days in advance.
Boston
Citizen Public House and Oyster Bar
1310 Boylston St.— (617) 450-9000
Whole roasted pig (order it 72 hours in advance) right behind Fenway. Trade your ballgame dog for this pre-game treat.
Hong Kong Eatery
79 Harrison Ave. — (617) 423-0838
Special-orderd whole roasted pigs at a traditional Chinese eatery.
Las Vegas
Aliante Casino and Hotel
7300 Aliante Parkway North
— (702) 692-7315
The "Feast Buffet" includes a whole roast pig. If you're looking for an alternative hotel off the strip, stay here and indulge in any part of the pig you choose.
Los Angeles
Eva's Lechon and Deli
4252 West 3rd St. — (213) 383-3179
Eva's only sells one specialty—lechon. Order it four days in advance.
Animal
435 N. Fairfax Ave. — (323) 782-9225
They'll roast a whole pig, however many pounds, whenever you want. Just call in advance.
Out Back Catering
14731 Keswick St., Van Nuys, CA
— (818) 909-4949
Out Back will supply a whole roasted hog, complete with cowboy hats and boots.
Miami
La Esquina Del Lechon
8601 NW 58th St.
— (305) 640-3041
serves Venezuelan specialties and caters hogs for special events at modest prices.
OLA
1745 James St.
— (305) 695-9125
At Ola they like to party with their pigs. One of their packages is a Latin barbeque and Mojito making 101, which includes roasting a whole pig and salsa dancing.
New Orleans
Cochon
930 Tchoupitoulas St. — (504) 588-2123
With their own butcher right next door, Cochon's (French for pig) hogs start out whole and end up delicately mastered onto small plates.
New York
The Breslin
16 West 29th St. — (212) 679-1939
Chef Bloomfield accommodates up to twelve guests with a whole roasted sucking pig, salad and four sides for $65 per person. For $75 per person she'll throw in dessert too.
Daisy May's
632 11th Ave. — (212) 977-1500
Roasted whole pigs, half pigs, pork butts, and more in a down home, comfort-food setting.
Fatty 'Cue
91 South 6th St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn — (718) 599-3090
Williamsburg's Fatty outpost smokes a whole pig Southeast Asian barbeque style each weekend and sells it off in pieces. Not exactly the whole pig, but if you're craving an ear you just might luck out.
Sweik
2027 Emmons Ave, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn (718) 332-0330
This German restaurant in deep Brooklyn does half and whole smoked sucklings for $50 and $100.
Philadelphia
Amada
217 Chestnut St.
— (215) 625-2450
Jose Garces serves a whole roasted suckling pig dinner at $50 per person for more than five people. You can even get one to-go.
San Francisco
Incanto
1550 Church St.
— (415) 641-4500
Incanto offers a "whole beast" dining experience with a roast suckling pig served in their private dining room carved tableside.
Wing Lee BBQ
501 Clement St.
— (415) 831-7883
Wing Lee offers authentic Cantonese barbeque in a fast paced cafeteria-style joint, where you can pick up a cheap tasty lunch combo, or a 40-pound whole roasted porker (order in advance).
Seattle
King's Barbeque House
518 6th Avenue South
— (206) 622-2828
King's displays an array of whole roasted meats in the front window, but if you're looking for a suckling pig order about a week in advance.
Kau Kau Barbeque Restaurant
656 South Kings St. — (206) 682-4006
One of Seattle's largest retailers of whole roasted pigs.
Other Cities
Flatirons Barbeque
Boulder, CO
— (303) 449 4021
Flatirons supplies whole roasted pigs for catering, or drop-off, and even offers a "Roast your own" option where they'll provide a pig and rent you a roasting box. Doesn't get more convenient.
Cucharamama
233 Clinton St., Hoboken, NJ
— (201) 420-1700
Cucharamama specializes in whole suckling pigs marinated Cuban and Peruvian-style.
DJ's Texas Style Barbeque
1051 Main St.,
Lewiston, ME
— (207) 577-7522
DJ's will cater "the whole hog!" Texan-style in an unexpected town: Lewiston, ME.
Know a place doing whole roasted suckling pigs that we missed? Let us know!