A Family Affair
Inspired by their father’s home-cooked BBQ, siblings Mark and Rita Bryan opened The Pink Pig on Labor Day weekend, 1993. Mark created original sauces, sides and desserts for the family business. His three sauces, Original Honey Mustard, Traditional Gullah Spice, and Lowcountry Fire are hard to keep on the shelves! Mark’s idea was to establish a not-so-typical BBQ restaurant. Absent from the scenery is the common, rustic wood look of so many other BBQ hot spots across the south. In its place are bright pink walls and cherub-like piglets with golden wings that hover over patrons as they eat.
After Mark’s passing in 1999, Rita took over as full owner. She would nurse the little nondescript shack along and help to bring it, and her family, through the difficult loss of their beloved Pit Master. In 2005, she was able to pass the family business on to her son Bryan Thomas. His brother Leonard introduced his own sauce called Sweet Vermont Style, and it has quickly developed a cult following. Keeping in mind Mark’s concept of an atypical smokehouse, Bryan has injected the ears of the general public with an eclectic sampling of music ranging from Sam Cooke, Bobby Womack, Rick James, Jack Johnson, and various reggae and island artists including Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. And what would the Pink Pig be without Rita’s ever colorful mother Wilma? Greeting newcomers with her southern drawl and regulars by name, Wilma adds a certain old school characteristic to an already off the cuff environment. Her quick witted quips will either leave you with an enduring admiration for a sweet old lady or completely shocked by a tough old broad. Either way it’s hard not to like her!
In a time dominated by large corporate restaurants, we are proud to keep alive the dying tradition of a small, family owned and operated business. We welcome everybody into our “second home,” and we hope that you have as much fun dining with us as we have
working with each other.
media history
Television Spots: The Food Network
publishings
Southern Living
BarBeQue Across the South
The Sandlapper
Abercrombie & Fitch
American Heritage
Travel & Leisure
The South Magazine
Savannah Magazine
testimonials
“The Pink Pig is beyond a reasonable doubt my favorite barbeque restaurant! It has a wonderfully charming and unique atmosphere with great service… Who would have thought that you could find such delicious barbeque just over the Savannah River without country music playing in the background?”
-Travis MacMillan
“Four great original sauces, the best Brunswick Stew, and a friendly staff… I love this place. I feel deeply about the 1/2 BBQ chicken. You should definitely order that.”
-Chris McCormick
“I travel over the bridge from downtown Savannah to Levy, SC at least once a week to go grab a bite to eat at the Pink Pig. Most of the time I’ll make a trip over with friends and end up hanging out at the pig for a while just relaxing while enjoying the great food, music, and decor. Definitely a must if you live in the low country or are just passing through.”
-Sam Broderson