The restaurant scene in Asheville, North Carolina, changes almost daily. But there has been one constant since 1963. Little Pigs BBQ, on McDowell Street, is — as best the owners can figure — the city’s oldest continuously operating restaurant in the same family.
kAm(96? y@6 2?5 !688J $H:468@@5 @A6?65 {:EE=6 !:8D 24C@DD 7C@> pD96G:==6 w:89 $49@@=[ :E H2D A2CE @7 2 492:? @7 C6DE2FC2?ED 24C@DD E96 $@FE9] (96? E92E 7C2?49:D6 5:DD@=G65[ E96 $H:468@@5D 3682? @A6C2E:?8 {:EE=6 !:8D 2D 2? :?56A6?56?E C6DE2FC2?E]k^Am
kAmy@6 925 H@C<65 7@C E96 E6=6A9@?6 4@>A2?J 2?5 925 5@?6 D@>6 DFCG6J:?8[ D@ 96 <?6H E96 AC:>6 DA@ED :? E96 4:EJ[ 2?5 bgc |4s@H6== H2D @?6] }@E @?=J :D :E ?62C E96 9:89 D49@@=[ :E D:ED 2=>@DE C:89E :? 7C@?E @7 |:DD:@? w@DA:E2=] $H:468@@5 D2:5 E92E =@42E:@? C6DF=E65 :? “2FE@>2E:4 =F?49[†2D 9@DA:E2= DE277 DE2CE65 =:?:?8 FA 7@C 32C364F6 EC2JD 2?5 A=2E6D]k^Am
kAm{:EE=6 !:8D >2?286C |2EE %9@>2D[ H9@ 92D 366? H@C<:?8 2E {:EE=6 !:8D D:?46 `hh`[ D2JD E96 4@@<:?8 >6E9@5 E96C6 :D D:>A=6]k^Am
kAm“(6 5@ 9:4<@CJ\D>@<65 A@C< D9@F=56CD[ H:E9 ?@ CF3 2?5 ?@ D2F46 FD65 :? E96 4@@<:?8]†w6 255D E92E E96 32C364F65 A@C< :D 49@AA65[ ?@E AF==65 @C D=:465]k^Am
kAm%96 D2F46 D6CG65 E@52J :D >256 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 $H:468@@5 72>:=J’D @C:8:?2= C64:A6] v6?6C2==J[ 2D J@F 9625 62DE 24C@DD }@CE9 r2C@=:?2[ E@>2E@ 4@?E6?E :? 32C364F6 D2F46D 5C@AD @77 2?5 6G6?EF2==J 5:D2AA62CD H:E9 E96 G:?682C\2?5\A6AA6C D2F46D @7 E96 72C 62DE6C? A2CE @7 E96 DE2E6] %96 {:EE=6 !:8D D2F46 :D 2 D:8?2= @7 E92E 492?86] xE’D 23@FE fdT G:?682C[ H:E9 D@>6 E@>2E@ D2F46 2?5 D@>6 >FDE2C5 D665D[ 2?5 2 76H D64C6ED]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 E@F49 2E {:EE=6 !:8D[ H9:49 364@>6D 6G6? >@C6 AC6G2=6?E :? E96 !:65>@?E D64E:@? @7 E96 DE2E6[ :D E96 9FD9AFAAJ 2D 2 32C364F6 D:56 5:D9]k^Am
kAm$=2H[ 9@H6G6C[ :D 2?@E96C DE@CJ] &?=:<6 !:65>@?E D=2HD D62D@?65 H:E9 <6E49FA[ G:?682C 2?5 9@E D2F46[ E96 {:EE=6 !:8D D=2H :D >2J@??2:D6\32D65[ D:>:=2C E@ D=2HD D6CG65 2E A=246D =:<6 t2DE %6??6DD66’D #:586H@@5] p?5 :E :D D6CG65 @? E96 32C364F6 D2?5H:49]k^Am
kAmpD 46?EC2= 2D A@C< 32C364F6 :D E@ E96 {:EE=6 !:8D 6IA6C:6?46[ E96C6 2C6 D@>6 52JD H96? 3C@2DE65 49:4<6? @FED6==D :E] %96 $H:468@@5D 25565 3C@2DE65 49:4<6? E@ E96 >6?F 2C@F?5 `heh[ 2?5 :E E@@< @77] %96 49:4<6? :D AC6DDFC6\7C:65 :? A62?FE @:= 7@C `_ >:?FE6D 2E bd_ 568C66D[ 4C62E:?8 2 >@:DE :?D:56 2?5 2 4C:DAJ @FED:56]k^Am
kAmp (@C=5 (2C xx G6E6C2?[ y@6 $H:468@@5[ H9@ 5:65 :? a_`g[ A=2J65 7@@E32== 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 :? r92A6= w:==[ 2?5 9:D =@G6 @7 DA@CED :D DE:== 6G:56?E :? 9:D 72>:=J’D C6DE2FC2?E] p>@?8 E96 A:4EFC6D @? E96 “$A@CED (2==†:D @?6 @7 32D<6E32== DE2C |:4926= y@C52?[ H9@ 42>6 E@ {:EE=6 !:8D 7@C 2 AC:G2E6 A2CEJ] w:D 4@==686 C@@>>2E6 2E &}r[ qFKK !6E6CD@?[ H9@ 8C25F2E65 7C@> pD96G:==6 w:89 $49@@=[ 3C@F89E 9:> E96C6]k^Am
kAm{:EE=6 !:8D DE:== @44FA:6D E96 @C:8:?2= 3F:=5:?8] p=E9@F89 :E DF776C65 ?@ 52>286 5FC:?8 wFCC:42?6 w6=6?6[ E96 C6DE2FC2?E H2D H:E9@FE A@H6C 2?5 H2E6C 7@C 2 >@?E9 2?5 2 92=7] %CF6 E@ :ED 9:DE@CJ[ E9@F89[ E96 3FD:?6DD DFCG:G65 2?5 92D C6EFC?65 E@ :ED AC:@C =6G6= @7 D6CG:46]k^Am
kAm{:EE=6 !:8D :D DE:== 5C:G6? 3J y@6 $H:468@@5’D (@C=5 (2C xx\6C2 H@C< 6E9:4] ~? E96 >6?F 2?5 @? E96 H2==[ 9:D H@C5D 2C6 :>>@CE2=:K65i “*@F 92G6 E@ 92G6 8@@5 7@@5[ 2 4=62? A=246[ 8@@5 96=A[ 2?5 J@F 92G6 E@ H@C< 92C5]â€k^Am
kAmk6>muC65 $2F46>2? 92D HC:EE6? H:56=J 23@FE 32C364F6[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 3@@< “%96 !C@77:EED @7 #:586H@@5i p? pAA2=249:2? u2>:=J’D {:76 :? q2C364F6]â€k^6>mk^Am
