Traditional barbecue, hearty sides & beer are dished out in a contemporary, compact setting.
The Proper Pig Smokehouse
Award-winning BBQ in Lakewood, OH! Brisket, ribs, pulled pork, full bar, happy hour, catering & food truck. Bold flavor, smoked to perfection.
Alpha Hino
Despite being a very midwestern city, Cleveland has some excellent BBQ that is worth talking about. It just isn’t found at the Proper Pig. Absolutely abysmal food experience. Award winning? Maybe if the award was for how quickly they can have you part ways with your money and be left disappointed. If you hate value for money and love bland offerings then please, come to the proper pig.
I expect restaurant BBQ to be expensive. That cost is usually worth it with some combination of portion size and flavorful foods. The Proper Pig is certainly priced at what I come to expect from a homestyle BBQ restaurant. The quality of the food was not. I’ve had better experiences from chain BBQ places, which is just embarrassing. The portion sizes are just enough to make you angry and be hungry for more food twenty minutes later. A “generous” two ounce scoop of pale, sad, dry pork and a few thin slices of stringy, grey brisket. The beans were merely “okay” and the potato salad tasted like it came from Giant Eagle. Not a drop of sauce in the house either to add some moisture or flavour to the meat. I had to drown my food in Sweet Baby Rays – love Ray, but he needs to be kept for home and not restaurant BBQ! Those boozy shakes must convince people the food is good because even a gardening gummy couldn’t.
But perhaps the issue is that my expectations are too high having come from parts of the US where we take pride in our BBQ. If this is also you, then pass up on the Proper Pig,
… moreRobin Williams
The proper pig is my favorite resturant in Lakewood and the owner Shane is wonderful and provided a meal in my time of financial hardship and unemployment.
The food was amazing and will be back with a friend for her birthday in April!
Thanks Shane and Proper Pig!
Robin
… moreBeth Cuson
We went through the proper pig for our wedding reception food and they did not disappoint. We got the brisket, pulled chicken, and pulled pork with Mac and cheese and coleslaw on the side. They made the ordering process easy, answered all of our questions, and it was ready to go as soon as our pick up crew arrived. Our guests kept asking who did the food and talked about how tasty it all was. The total for the food blew everyone else out of the water too, we were not expecting it to be as reasonable as it was to feed the entire crowd. We will be going through them again!
… moreJoe
Great food. Ribs were literally fall off the bone. Super tender and staff was super nice and friendly. Though the house BBQ sauce was very OK, nothing mind blowing. The bread on the sandwich were quite weak, when sauce was added or you start eating they disintegrated super quick. And there was very limited seating, roughly 5 tables and then the bar. Would go back again and try more of the menu.
… moreAja Lake
If you’re looking for good eats and you like meat the proper pig is the place for you to go. It is a small quaint place and most people would call it a dive bar. There’s a bar that you can sit at to eat your meal, but there are also tables. Now There are only about seven or eight tables in the restaurant total so this is definitely not for your large groups. I ordered the three combo platter. The combo came with coleslaw, mac & cheese, and pickles beef brisket, turkey, and pulled pork. I also ordered the pulled pork nachos. Although I’m not a big pork eater, I did taste them and they were absolutely delicious. However, the smoked beef brisket and smoked turkey deserve more than just a mention. We were given the food on a metal platter with plastic ware to utilize. When you can cut beef brisket with a plastic knife, it tells you you are in for a treat. Each of the meat products that I had was full of flavor and was tender. The sides were meh. This restaurant deserves a visit and if you love meat, go ahead and try it out. Honorable mention goes to the moonshine in mason jars.
Now, don’t expect them to roll out the welcome mat for you. The service wasn’t bad but it was awkward.
… moreSar “Angel” Jones
As someone from Louisiana, our trip to Cleveland was lacking in the food department. Luckily we smelled the smokehouse and pulled in. Our total time there was 30 minutes, and we had food 5 minutes in. Everything was amazing, perfectly spiced, and filling. I’d recommend this place to anyone in the area. Especially with the kind service on top!
… moreKarina Pantoja
Good food and good vibe. The star of this restaurant was the smoked sausage. The brisket came in second, it was very good but a bit too fatty. The ribs were also very good. The pulled pork was a bit dry and didn’t pack much flavor, but it didn’t take away from the meal as a whole.
Sides: the potato salad my have been the best I have ever had!! Mac and cheese was good.
Pickles surprisingly amazing!!!
The service was good, its a friendly small divey place with almost diner vibes.
… moreDouglas Derda
Outstanding juicy brisket with kicking peppery bark. A little heat to the ribs with nice smoke ring and flavor plus it wasn’t falling off the bone. They nailed the ribs. Turkey was succulent and the pulled pork was modest. Sausage links were an added bonus and I wanted more. Baked beans are where it’s at for the sides. Slaw and potato salad were modest and filling. I brought home 2lbs of brisket and it was still warm after a 3 hours drive. Bring a cooler and stock up.
Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. They love to talk barbecue so take advantage of it because some places serve you and send you on your way. This is a must visit when in the Cleveland area!
… moremelissa sohyda
Very good bbq. Tender ribs, nice flavor. Brisket was banging. Not to heavy of a bark. Coleslaw was good, Mac and cheese was pretty good as well. I would definitely recommend if you like good bbq
… moreSketchowl
For what we paid, we felt pretty disappointed. Sort of a rip. Small portions, and the brisket was a bit dry. The 2-meat one side was $18, and the sandwich one was $12. Meh. 🙁
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