(Credit: Dan Piepenbring)
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He wanted to make sandwiches out of pig.
Andy Nelson's BBQ was borne of an urge to pull pork into succulent morsels, an urge that's been genetically passed from one generation of Nelsons to the next since time immemorial. Driving past this porcine shrine, you can imagine Nelson's ancestors as primitive boar hunters, armed to the teeth with spears, knives and charcoaling supplies.
At least Andy gives the little pink porkers the respect they deserve. The roof of the restaurant boasts a plastic pig of immense proportions -- think Babe, stoic and on steroids. Various statuettes, punny signage and countless images pay homage to Nelson's mammal of choice both outside and in. Seriously, there's a lot of pigs hanging on these walls, friendly, anthropomorphic pigs that give rise to second thoughts about eating that famous pulled pork sandwich.
But then you'll smell it, douse it in any number of tangy sauces and find yourself unable to resist. Having tried the genuine North Carolinian article and a few Virginian rip-offs, I can say with at least a modicum of authority that Mr. Nelson knows his BBQ.
The sandwich trades structural integrity for uncompromising tenderness. It falls apart in your hands, yes, but you must allow yourself to get dirty. Snort and grunt as you eat, like the hog your sandwich came from -- all is full circle. Besides, these ain't yo' momma's Sunday night pork chops, friend, these are flavor-stuffed heaps of Americana.
Dish: Andy serves up just about any kind of BBQ product you can think of, with all the necessary fixins'. Beef brisket, chicken barbecue, turkey barbecue, pit beef, baked beans, coleslaw, ribs, home fries, ham, you name it. It's probably all very good, but in my ventures to the land of Nelson -- and there have been many, I assure you -- I've never managed to stray outside the famous combo of pulled pork sandwich and regular soda. Pulled pork is what they're most popular for, and it's not hard to see why.
Damage: The sandwich set me back five bucks, and the drink was another $1.10. The sandwich is sizeable, and it's unlike anything you'll taste at a chain. Face it: you've spent much more for much less.
Decision: I'd love to be ironic and quote, say, Porky Pig, but nothing relevant comes to mind. For all it's social import, I don't think "Looney Tunes" ever tackled cannibalism. Andy Nelson's location makes it a trek for many Baltimoreans, but it's worth the drive for anyone eager to pig out.
