When you think of Coronado dining, especially the ferry landing, you picture fresh lobster, ceviche or street tacos eaten alongside sparkly water. With white sails undulating in the breeze, the island is a beach destination, after all, making a traditionally landlocked cuisine like barbeque an intriguing anomaly. Lil Piggy’s Bar-B-Q is just that: a West Coast twist on a Southern specialty.
And why would a five-foot-two, California girl choose a smokehouse as the inaugural subject of Mouthful? Well, what screams “mouthful” more than pull-apart ribs and smoked mac n’ cheese dripping from your chin?
To officially introduce myself, I’m Michelle, and I’ll be taking over Lilly’s food review column, “Fork First.” I don’t have a degree in culinary arts or food criticism — just curious taste buds and too many opinions. I’ve lived and eaten my way through two of the world’s food capitals, Tokyo and Paris, which has made me pretentiously picky about things like butter and properly fluffy rice. So I can promise you that my reviews, while not expert yet, will be honest. And I apologize in advance, I can be a mouthful.
Lil Piggy’s, once part of a national chain, now operates as a stand-alone spot owned by Luis Madrid, catering largely to hospitality workers, Navy personnel and tourists.
Madrid has been a Coronado local since 1984, originally from Mexico. In his early twenties, he opened Café Madrid, which he ran for 20 years before COVID hit. It was then that he took over Lil Piggy’s Bar-B-Q. His son works the front counter on Mondays and weekends. On Yelp, Madrid responds to every review with polite consideration. “First and foremost, we value customer service,” he said, noting their low turnover rate of employees and a reliance on repeat customers.
Madrid reopened in March 2020, right as the pandemic began. “It was a struggle,” he said. “But that year was our best year yet.” He said Lil Piggy’s needed some TLC when he first took it over, so he revamped the menu accordingly. Since his ownership, the restaurant has gained a San Diego flare, with huevos rancheros and rib “Tennessee Street Tacos” on the menu.
Lil Piggy’s and I have this in common: we’re not all American and we’re definitely not Southern. Upon entrance, the place reads more like a casual beach joint than a Memphis smokehouse, something between a burrito shop, sandwich counter or fish shack.
The interior leans vaguely coastal, not unlike Village Pizzeria next door: steel chairs, outdoor tables, nothing signaling Southern roots. Restaurants along the ferry landing seem to share a minimalist design, letting the sea, the coast and the ferries take center stage. The ambiance disappoints slightly, but the youthful staff is extremely friendly, answering questions and even taking me to the back to see the smoker.
When asked what was popular, the staff recommended the brisket without hesitation. So I inevitably tried the brisket, pulled pork, ribs, fried pickles, smoked mac n’ cheese and corn in the “Pig Out Platter.” Later, I learned they also serve a California rib burrito, but I decided to keep my heartbeat steady and admitted to myself this was already 10-times the amount I normally eat on any given day.
As an appetizer, I tried something light, fried pickles with ranch sauce. It arrived on a cardboard platter reminiscent of a food truck and felt like something you’d eat at a baseball game, a true American dish. A traditional sandwich pickle with a thin fried coating and a generous portion of ranch in a plastic cup. The first bite offered a subtle crunch followed by a juicy, salty brine. I wished the coating were a bit crispier, but the housemade ranch added a creamy, nostalgic touch.
The meats arrived on a metal tray lined with parchment paper: a heap of pulled pork, a rack of ribs, and a few slices of brisket, alongside plush-looking corn with prepackaged butter, a sectioned-off mac n’ cheese in a cardboard bowl and a slice of white bread resting on top. The portions were generous enough to make me feel like I was going to war.
The ribs were doused in barbecue sauce. They fell off the bone without requiring the grit of hands or teeth, surprisingly easy to eat, though their lack of resistance suggested slight overcooking. Smoked for four hours, they treaded near that sweet spot between tenderness and bite but could have used more tug on the inner meat and less toughness on the exterior. The apple wood smoke and sweeter sauces push the flavor profile toward a gentler style than traditional Southern BBQ.
As for the brisket, the texture was tender and yielding, but the seasoning felt muted compared to other briskets I’ve had. Their signature jalapeño-mango sauce — tangy, spicy, and distinctly SoCal — helped wake it up.
I tried the mac n’ cheese to break up the bites of meat, but despite the smoked noodles, I didn’t pick up much of the hickory flavor. It was finished with a Mexican-style blend of cheeses and a touch of Velveeta. The creamy thickness was intact, but my mac n cheese preferences have grown mature and I craved something sharper. Still, the Velveeta brought a familiar, childhood comfort.
The pulled pork rub, like the brisket, felt shy. Some strands bordered on stringy, suggesting it needed more of its natural juices. A more well-rendered fat and a bolder seasoning profile would have elevated it. The sauces helped zhuzh up what the meat lacked, but the backbone of southern cooking, butter and sugar, fell short.
While Lil Piggy’s isn’t trying to compete with the pitmasters of Texas, what it does offer is a familiar, affordable gathering place for Coronado’s military families, hospitality workers and tourists. The restaurant even runs a scholarship initiative, the Lil Piggy’s Coronado Coffee Company Scholarship Program, supporting young entrepreneurs in the Coronado community.
Lil Piggy’s is open Monday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday through Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. It’s at 1201 First St., Suite 5.
