Mystery Diner: Pig Dog Pub in Montgomery offers lengthy drink menu, tempting food options

The Mystery Diner's mission this day – which he gladly decided to accept – was to visit the new Pig Dog Pub in Montgomery for a Thursday noontime business lunch.

The Pig Dog opened last fall in the former Elmer’s Dog House at 1250 S. Broadway Ave. (Route 25) at Sherman Avenue. But patrons of the building’s former tenant would likely not recognize the old place. Before opening Pig Dog, the owners completed an extensive remodeling and updating of the building, both inside and out. Walking in the front door off the parking lot we were charmed by the four framed photos of the establishment’s namesake, the now legendary Pig Dog, a determined yet playful looking English bulldog.

Stepping into the spacious dining area, we were greeted with a friendly hello from a bartender wearing a bright orange Pig Dog Pub polo who invited us to find a table. We picked a raised table along the wall with cushioned, tall black metal stools – perfect for viewing the numerous flat-screen televisions that hang above the bar area and on the adjoining walls. Since this was a Thursday afternoon in February, the sports choices on TV were limited. But the Pig Dog’s comfortable bar area would make a perfect venue for viewing all sports, including this month’s NCAA Men’s basketball tournament and the Cubs and White Sox baseball games that will soon follow.

A bright yet cozy dining room is located off the bar area and we took note of a group of senior citizens enjoying lunch at a table near a window while another, larger group of younger folks – also apparently out for a business lunch – dined at a larger table. The room itself looks out over South Broadway Avenue and the scenic park land along the east bank of the Fox River.

Settling in at our table, we were presented by our waitress with separate drinking and dining menus.

The lengthy drink menu features a wide variety of specialty cocktails and craft and traditional beers. Being of a certain age, the Mystery Diner was pleased to see some vintage, classic American lagers like Blatz (ask your grandfather) interspersed on the beer menu along with such craft brewer creations as 4 Hands Chocolate Milk Stout and Bells’ Two Hearted Ale. For those who like to enjoy a cocktail with their meal, Pig Dog offers some unique and tempting-sounding creations, including a Cosmo Kramer Martini, described on the menu as a “homage to one of the all-time greatest sitcoms of our generation.”

The Pig Dog features a variety of tempting dining options, beginning with unique appetizers like “Pretzel Bones” (pretzels served with beer cheese and stoneground beer mustard) and “A Wing & A Prayer” (bone-in chicken wings with house dry rub and choice of traditional buffalo, St. Louis BBQ or spicy Asian Cilantro BBQ sauces). As tempting as these sounded, we couldn’t resist the cheese curds, made from fresh Wisconsin cheddar cheese and breaded in a rich beer batter. The curds soon arrived at our table, fresh, warm and delicious, providing the perfect start to our lunch.

For the main course, the Pig Dog menu features “Dog House Specialties,” including The Pig Dog, a beer-braised Duroc pork belly with barbecue sauce, provolone and Swiss cheese and spicy Dijon served with an apple fennel slaw, and hand-cut fries; and “The Doris,” the Pig Dog’s own version of the classic Sloppy Joe made of a distinctive blend of ground beef and pulled pork on a Kaiser role with onion strings and those hand-cut fries.

A Friday Fish Fry is also on the menu, which invites hungry diners to enjoy two 4-ounce cuts of beer-battered domestic cod with a distinctive house-made tarter sauce, slaw and hand-cut fries.

The Pig Dog pays homage to the great American burger with its own hand-packed 8-ounce certified black Angus beef burger on a toasted Brioche bun, served with hand-cut fries. Diners can add lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle at no charge. For just a tad more they can have their choice of cheese – including blue – and other extras like grilled onions, mushrooms, bacon and jalapenos.

But it wasn’t the specialty items or the burgers that caught the eyes of the Mystery Diner and his co-worker. We both focused on the “Sammies and Wraps” portion of the menu with the Mystery Diner’s co-worker opting for a “3 Little Pig Dogs” sandwich, while the Mystery Diner chose the Chicken Pesto Wrap.

The 3 Little Pig Dogs sandwich easily lived up to the Mystery Diner’s co-worker’s expectations. The sandwich is a rich, favorable blend of pulled pork, smoked bacon and ham, covered by a warm layer of Wisconsin cheddar cheese on grilled sourdough bread.

Meanwhile, the Chicken Pesto Wrap proved a tasty and enjoyable lunch for the Mystery Diner. The wrap consisted of grilled chicken, basil pesto aioli, fresh mozzarella, and red peppers and tomato, all wrapped together in a light spinach tortilla. As a side, the Mystery Diner enjoyed a large bowl of chilled pineapple and fresh cantaloupe.

During our meal, the waitress was attentive and helpful, while a manager stopped by our table to make sure we were enjoying our lunches – that’s always a nice touch.

The Pig Dog proved a perfect place for a mid-day meal on a weekday and the Mystery Diner found himself making plans to return after work sometime this spring to enjoy dinner and a Sox game on one of those big flat-screen, HD TVs.

• The Mystery Diner is a newsroom employee at the Record Newspapers. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. The Mystery Diner visits a different restaurant and then reports on the experience. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a review.

If you go

What: Pig Dog Pub

Where: 1250 S. Broadway Ave. (Route 25), Montgomery

Hours: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily

Information: Call 630-340-5221