3 Pigs serves up new locations in San Mateo and Half Moon Bay

“It was crazy, there was a line out the door,” Boyle said, adding that 120 orders were processed within the first hour of business. “It was shocking, which is awesome.”

The Half Moon Bay outpost will be at 408 Main St., previously occupied by restaurant Chez Shea.

Those who’ve dined at the original San Carlos location, which opened close to six years ago, will find the same menu offerings at the new restaurants, plus a few new additions.

North Carolina-style pulled pork, Texas-style brisket, St. Louis-style pork ribs and Santa Maria-style tri tip are all slow-smoked in a wood-fired pit daily and served dry.

The application of sauce is left to the customer, and every table is outfitted with a collection of house-made ones including traditional, mustard, spicy vinegar and spicy habanero barbecue sauces, to name a few. Unique to the San Mateo location is a horseradish barbecue sauce and an Alabama white sauce served on wings, another new menu item, and the popular fried chicken sandwich.

The meat is smoked specifically for lunch and dinner for a “substantial period of time” and is never reheated, which means the restaurant could run out of a given meat later in the day, though it’s rare, Boyle said.

“Most barbecue restaurants never run out and to us that’s a problem because it means they’re reheating,” Boyle said. “We feel it’s a better product right out of the smoker.”

Healthy, California sides, including a kale salad with watermelon and feta cheese, a tomato cucumber salad and blackbean corn salad are joined by classics including cornbread, mac and cheese, coleslaw and deviled eggs, among others.

What’s called pig candy, which is brown sugar and black pepper candied bacon, has become one of the restaurant’s most popular sides and will remain on the menu.

Also new to the menu is nachos, served with two layers of melted cheese, choice of slow-cooked meat, jalapenos, green onions, sour cream, salsa and pico de gallo. Entrée salads with barbecued meat, a smoked Portabello mushroom sandwich and vegetarian tacos are also new menu additions. 

“We make everything in house and from scratch daily,” Boyle said.

The interior maintains a similar vibe as the San Carlos location with the front of a 1950s truck on one wall and an American flag made out of Budweiser cans on another. There’s also an outdoor patio.

“Barbecue is underserved in the community and we really wanted to have this environment be a place where families can come, where there’s food kids like and something for everyone,” Boyle said. “That’s something we saw missing at other barbecue restaurants where it always seemed like a bunch of guys hanging out and eating.”

The three owners grew up and still live in San Mateo County. They’ve also opened other restaurants, including The Office bar and grill in San Carlos, Rustic House oyster bar and grill in San Carlos and Los Altos, and Mezzes, which will soon open in Redwood City.

3 Pigs BBQ in San Mateo is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Go to www.3pigbbq.com for more information.