RESTAURANT: Riverside’s The Salted Pig reveals new menu and operating hours.
By Joey Vangsness, Staff Writer
Nestled somewhere in the depths of Downtown Riverside lies The Salted Pig, a trendy restaurant and bar, known for its massive selection of craft beers and carnivore-pleasing dishes. While its array of alcoholic drinks is of no use to me, I do happen to be an avid consumer of meat, making The Salted Pig at least half interesting to review.
Marketed as a “gastropub,” (a pub specializing in high-quality food), The Salted Pig serves variations of traditional American fare, with menu changes multiple times a year. The fall/winter menu debuted November 12, showcasing seasonal dishes including a Persimmon Salad and a Wild Boar Tamale.
Over the past months, the restaurant began opening for lunch seven days a week at 11 am; previously, it had only been open for dinner. This caused the creation of an independent lunch menu. The lunch entrees are cheaper than dinner entrees and feature sandwiches with elements like pork belly, brisket and marinated vegetables. Thankfully, the “House Burgers” are available for both lunch and dinner.
Upon my arrival on a Tuesday night, my date and I were seated promptly in their dimly-lit dining space highlighted by a wraparound bar. The restaurant had a surprisingly relaxed and quiet atmosphere, whereas on weekends, it becomes cramped and filled with large groups of raucous adult patrons. But that night, it was pleasantly empty, and we were promptly greeted by our waiter. Both my date and I ordered burgers—a “Pig 22” for me and a “Black&Tan” for her—with fries and sodas to match. Our food arrived shortly after we ordered, and the burgers were stacked six inches high, accompanied by a literal bucket of fries. The baked-in-house buns are delicious brioches, sandwiching together massive patties of beef with your respective toppings. The “Pig 22” features a bacon marmalade, a brilliant topping just sweet enough to counter the taste of the patty and mixture of fresh greens. For the more unadventurous eaters, the “Black&Tan” is a simple cheeseburger with gourmet tomatoes and mustard. The fries, in their impressive quantity, were tasty and crispy, but chances are, you won’t have much room for them after finishing your main entree.
Despite its delicious dishes, the only problem I have with The Salted Pig is its prices. Most of their entrees cost about $18, with the burgers averaging at $15. When you factor in the cost of drinks, appetizers, deserts and a tip, things get way too expensive. But costs aside, The Salted Pig is a pleasant and tasty spot to eat both dinner and lunch. Eating at a local restaurant is always a better alternative to some corporate conglomerate chain. So if you can muster the funds for a night out, head downtown and get some meat in your stomach.