The Black Pig

Holy smokes!!!! Have been craving brisket for sometime now, also needed something new and different compared to all the other places around. Found this nice spot and will be back for sure. Awesome ppl too.

Easily my favorite BBQ in Cleveland. They recently added a full bar to their main restaurant. You can find their food truck around the city at most major events. They also stock up on Texas beer that is hard to find in Ohio. They keep their menu fresh with seasonal smoked options. I highly recommend checking them out and grabbing a bottle of their BBQ sauce to take home.

I enjoyed our visit to the Proper Pig. My wife and I stopped here for dinner. They have a relatively small dining room and counter service found at most traditional barbecue places. The menu is straightforward - a selection of the standard barbecue meats, plus one or two unique sandwiches. They also have a good selection of beers as well. I ended up getting the brisket, the pork ribs, and the turkey breast, in addition to potato salad and the smokehouse beans. My wife had the brisket sandwich and cole slaw, both of which she enjoyed. I enjoyed the flavor and bark of the brisket, but I think it might have been cut with the grain, rather than against the grain, which made cutting it somewhat difficult. Otherwise it was good brisket. The pork ribs were fairly simple - I think the rub is mostly salt and pepper and they don’t put any perceptible amount of sauce on them prior to them being served. Instead, a sweet-tangy sauce is available which is quite good. I think the ribs are cooked to the proper amount of tenderness so that they are tender, yet don’t quite fall off the bone. Finally the turkey was very good. Again, it seems like it’s probably a simple salt and pepper rub and the turkey ends up being very peppery. If you like pepper, it’s great, but if not, it won’t be your cup of tea. The turkey is moist and tender. I liked the smokehouse beans a lot. They had a lot of flavor. I was not as big of a fan of the potato salad, which didn’t really seem like a cohesive dish instead of just some chopped potatoes in dressing. Overall, I think this is some of the better BBQ in Cleveland. The value is good - we got all of the food pictured for under $40. I’d rate this as better quality than Mabel’s. There are a couple things to improve on (brisket slicing, sides), however I would definitely come here again and would recommend it to BBQ fans.

Everything was delicious (except the Mac and cheese) and the service was great. I don't drink alcohol but if you like Moonshine this is the place. Overall nice environment and the staff is friendly.

Such a satisfying meal. Amazing brisket. Amazing sauce. Amazing moonshine margaritas. And the moonshine milkshake was out of this world. Highly recommend!

The Proper Pig Smokehouse. First pass at Proper Pig. Bacon on a stick ! Brisket , links , coleslaw and pickles.... Every bit as good as it looks. Did i say “bacon on a stick”!?!

Best bbq in Cleveland for the price. Brisket is perfectly cooked, turkey is the best I have ever had. The candy bacon is a must. The proper sloper is their signature sandwich and lives up to its reputation of one of the best in Cleveland.

Enjoyed my Mother's day meal at Proper Pig yesterday...service was great, drinks were yummy and the food was delicious as usual!!

We ordered the "Proper Slopper" and the "2 meat dinner" tonight and all I can say is YEEEEHAAAA! it was some amazing BBQ! do your taste buds a favor and order from them NOW!

The food was absolutely incredible!!! Started with the brisket nachos, side of local pickles then moved on the the Mac and cheese and potato salad, then finished off with the bacon on a stick and ribs with extra sauce… unreal delicious food, fast service in a clean fun environment. Our bartender James makes awesome cocktails too

Been there, done that, went back. A friend from Texas and I had food there the other day cuz he's from Texas and he likes barbecue and I figured out why I don't go there more often. Sometimes I don't even go out to eat until well after they're closed. Next time I'm looking for food earlier in the evening I'm going to go back. Not much on side dishes, not the cheapest place in town to drink but damn their smoked chicken breast is so tender. And I will say I've never been a fan of corned beef but if theirs is anything like the pictures on the monitor. I have to go back on a Thursday. Oh, duh, my friend from Texas likes their brisket.

Been to The Proper Pig several times and it's always excellent!

The atmosphere is always a hundred, food absolutely delicious and serves can not be beat! I would suggest this spot for a chill afternoon drink and food or a family gathering of the evening, don't forget to spin the moonshine wheel! Additionally try their shakes! They love to mix things up on that end!

I don't know if this is the best in Cleveland since it's the only place I've been in Cleveland, but it was awesome. Easy to get to, nice menu, delicious smoke. We had ribs, brisket, smoked turkey, sausage potato salad, coleslaw and pickles.... and beer. I'd say the star for me was the turkey. I was really impressed, I'd love to go again.

I wanted BBQ for Father's Day and the Proper Pig was fantastic. I had brisket, pork spareribs, and Texas Sausage. They have a great drink menu of moonshine drinks and lots of quality bourbons. I will definitely be putting this restaurant into my monthly rotation. Great experience!

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!

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.

It's like Cheers, but working man Cleveland edition. Dine in specials every day! The smoked cheeseburger is theee best burger I have had in my life! Please add to the menu for carryout. Very good service. Adult beverages are on point! Worth the Wednesday Commute!

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.

Went for the first time today and enjoyed the barbecue! Looking forward to coming back for more of that pulled pork, smoked turkey, and potato salad. The in-house sauce tasted great on everything. Would love to see larger water cups and a tidier men’s room.

I tried all the meats including ribs and all the sides. The potato salad was good, Beans we're good, slaw was ok, all the meats we're good but the brisket was dry. Better then Mable's in my opinion. Sauce was good too. I would go back

Food was pretty good. Potato salad was a bit salty. Meat was all really good. Pickles covered a good amount of meat and my fiance wouldnt eat..to her defense it did make the meat taste like pickles. The beans were real good. The service was A++....overall recommend and will be back.

Been to the Pig, always have enjoyed their barbeque ribs and brisket. Thought I might try the Lenten special to avoid another conversation with St. Peter. Would have been an abosulte 5 if they would've given me two more shrimp. Corn might have been a little over done but everything was spot on. God Bless. ( Hey, I'm trying here....please.)

I went for the Proper Slopper sandwich and it was an All In meat option which was really good, but something was still missing, sides and/or sauce options..I've had BBQ in Texas and Kansas City and felt this place was better than most local places but not in the same company of good KCity BBQ joints..

Food was pretty good. Wish they had more sauces. Mac and cheese wasn’t that great but the brisket and pulled pork were good

I've always enjoyed eating here. The meat is usually pretty damn good quality. I just got some brisket delivered and it was juicy and delicious. My only issue is with the portions for the sides and the cost. I feel like the banana pudding could be bigger for example for the $4 they charge for it.

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.

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. :(

I had heard the Proper Pig Smokehouse was the best barbecue in Cleveland! I was with 2 friends and we were starving! The restaurant was in a great location on Detroit Ave, parking was fine. Upon entering is smelled Heavenly and was greeted by our server who was excellent in explaining the choices on the menu. Started off with their awesome Iced Tea and a plate of Nachos, the jalapeno peppers were good and fresh while the cheese sauce & Pico were off the hook ( Good )! I had ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich, chips & a side of Cole Slaw. The Cole Slaw was definitely tasty not soupy at all "the way I like it" the sandwich was alright the bottle of barbecue sauce was the secret weapon! The sandwich as l said was alright, not the best pork I've ever eaten although tender, the sandwich without the sauce was kinda bland. My buddies with me agreed that their pork was alright not the spectacular pork we were lead to believe.

I was hungry and thought these nachos would be a good intro to the Proper Pig, but was not impressed. It was a weird time of day so you'd think they'd take a minute to let me know they don't provide bbq with the take out. Maybe I was supposed to get it in a little cup to go? No idea, just know I know have these dry nachos. For all the hype, I think I'd avoid this place in there future.

The brisket slaps, it's very good. The ribs were only okay, a bit dry. The mac and cheese, however, was gluey, and the bbq sauce was runny. I personally do not feel that the portions are worth the price. If you don't have the time to make pulled pork, etc., at home, then maybe it is worth the cost.

So I hesitated to write this but I just have to. I've eaten a lot of bbq at different places in Cleveland and different states. I'm almost never disappointed, honestly. But I've been eating here since about 2019 when I first lived by it and still to this day cannot say I've enjoyed the food here once. Most recently I got brisket, turkey, the sausage and mac and cheese and their beans as a side in a combo. The turkey was cut 1/2 inch thick and was not juicy or tender, sausage didn't even lolol or taste smoked let alone anything special from store bought, and the brisket was mainly mushy. The mac and cheese was basically noodles and soupy heavy whipping cream-literally tasted no cheese. Beans were the saving grace but that's kind of it. 6 years and this been my opinion the whole time. End rant.

guys at the front were real nice. but the food just unfortunately completely missed the mark. i like barbecue to be made with soul, from the heart, and with some nice big portions. i feel like the $12 for the sandwich just wasn’t worth it for me.

Door dash delivery. Brisket tough cold and dry(overcooked) Mac cheese- noodles overcooked cold barely no cheese and fake banana pudding absolutely not one banana was included and stale wafers on top. The portion for the amount spent not worth a penny. Highly disappointed for first time customer. Definitely would not recommend, pictures presented is deceptive, food received total opposite.

Ordered a half slab of ribs, Mac and cheese and banana pudding via Door Dash You people should be ashamed of yourselves ! Ribs were half cooked, and hardly any meat on them! You should be arrested for changing $5.00 for the TINIEST side of Mac and cheese I have ever seen in my life! Banana pudding portions also VERY TINY for the price. The great $31.00 RIP OFF!!

So I ordered thru Uber eats, probably another reason they showed that they gave 0 care about the food they were serving. Briskett was old and my guess is day before old. Mac n cheese was boiled noodles with maybe a dab of cheese sauce. Potato salad is def the worst i have ever had in my life. Beans na miss me with those to. Aside from the food being disgusting the obvious was more so that they didnt care and thats why it was disgusting. Do better proper pig. U might be making money now if u are lucky but my guess is u wont even be around in next couple to few years. Not even sure how u have made it this long. I would have complained to Uber about ur food but it wasnt even worth disputing at the time. Wasnt worth disputing because i was busy making my toddler dinner because i def was not feeding that food to her. Absolute 🗑

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,

To me/us the food was not worth the money!!!!! We sauced our food ourselves and it was barely even warm and we were the only ones in there…then we did the moonshine flight…I’m a moonshine drinker that was juice not moonshine…. We didn’t eat even half our food and he could tell we weren’t happy we weren’t be back….

I have tried most of the stuff on the menu through DoorDash a few times to make sure I wasn’t getting it wrong and either the reviews that they have up here that are positive or fake or the people just don’t know good food because it is got to be the worst barbecue I’ve ever tasted in my entire life The sauce is terrible. The ribs are terrible. The baked beans are awful, and the potato salad has got to be the worst potato salad I’ve ever tasted. They would be better off buying it from the grocery store and just putting it in containers. I can’t say much for the atmosphere or the service because I’ve never actually been in the restaurant all the DoorDash

9/20 catered wedding event. Food truck. Only was there 1 Hour 15 mins. Never got a chance to try their food. Guest said they ran out of food!! What!!