It’s the new place to see and be seen in Miami. Reservations are booked for months and already glowing reviews are being spread. So what’s this next trendy Miami hot spot? Swine, a BBQ restaurant from the creators of Yardbird and Khong River House.
Swine Southern Table and bar in Coral Gables
Now let’s get this straight—BBQ and Miami are not a great fit together. I hail from the great Atlanta, Georgia and went to school in gamecock country (South Carolina for all the college sports illiterate folk) so I’m fairly up to speed on the difference between great BBQ and imitation BBQ.
Moving down to Miami was a BBQ culture shock. When I first moved to Brickell and started walking around to get to know the area, I saw Brother Jimmy’s. I immediately was intrigued. How did this BBQ place get to Miami? Is it any good? Obviously, I tried it out that night. You know those movies that have the servers dressed up to please the tourists and their food is nothing like what they advertise? That was Brother Jimmy’s and an “Oh Brother” it was. I felt like Jennifer Anniston and her “flair” were going to come up behind me and bring the check. I was heartbroken. I figured if I ever wanted to have the BBQ I have grown accustomed to, it would have to be when I crossed the Georgia-Florida line. Luckily I was wrong.
14-Hour House Smoked Briske
The redneck-flannel-down-and-dirty-BBQ made its way down to Miami in the form of a posh and popular restaurant aptly named Swine. Despite our 10:30 reservation (all that was available on a Saturday night), the place was crowded and loud enough so that you knew people were there but quiet enough so you could carry a conversation. But really, enough about the place—let’s get to the food.
My favorite kind of BBQ has always been brisket, so we went with the Black Angus Burnt Ends as our appetizer. It. Was. Amazing. Perfectly tender and juicy with an authentic BBQ sauce. Add in the fried cornbread and dare I say they were the best burnt ends I’ve ever had.
Our main meal was the ribs. Now you may want to ask me, “Stephanie, if your favorite is brisket, why go with ribs as the main and brisket as the appetizer?” Well, let me answer that for you: the place is called Swine. How was I going to go with something other than pork the first time eating there? And people, I got it right. Next time, sure I’ll get the 14-hour smoked brisket; but this time the ribs were absolutely necessary. Again, cooked perfectly and full of flavor (And not that gross smoky flavor that tends to infiltrate the meat but a real made-in-my-backyard-next-to-the-moonshine flavor). It’s something you can’t describe but you feel. Trust me—it sounds crazy but go get you some ribs and brisket (and wash it down with some whiskey) and get for “y’all” to become a part of your vocabulary.
-Stephanie Wajsman
Danny Hertzberg 