Where Republic Once Stood, Now There is The Pig and Pearl

The Pig and Pearl opened its doors at 2053 W. Broad St. back in November of 2013.  I think I visited it for the first time the first few days it was open, and I've been back many times since.

There are two main lures of Pig and Pearl.  One is their spirits.  They have over 100 bottles of whiskey, bourbon, and scotch.  I tried Prichard’s Double Barrel Bourbon for $14 for a 1.5 oz pour (versus the heavy pour at $16).  My friend was very excited to try their Yamazaki, a Japanese blended whiskey.  And he said it was really good and he liked it.  I think he even got it again the next time we visited. #proof!  They also have beer and wine, of course.  But for a full list of their spirits, check out their drink menu here.

The second main lure is they are one of the few (possibly only?) city bars to also boast a smoking section with a “cigar bar” (i.e. a cigar menu).  I don’t know much about cigars (yet) so I went for the cheapy and got a Shockoe Valley Flavor for $7, and I really liked it.  I can’t go into dissecting it since I don’t know what I’m talking about yet lol, but it’s described on their cigar menu as "a petite corona featuring the flavor of vodka and cranberry. Mild and sweet this is a perfect after dinner aperitif."  Their cigars range from $7 for my little Shockoe Valley Flavor to $22 for the Samuel Adams Utopia and Cohiba Robusto.  Their full cigar menu can be found here. 

But of course, it is a restaurant after all.  So let's talk about the food.  Several times, I've tried the Rocket Tost, which are tater tots, Sriracha, jalapeños, Monterey jack, house bacon bits for $10.

I’ve also tried the Spinach Artichoke Dip, which is panko crusted and served with crostini, for $9.  Long story short, I wasn’t impressed.  Just run-of-the-mill.

Wanna try something neat (i.e. different and delicious)?  Try the Southern Gentleman’s Burger.  It's a ground beef patty, pimento cheese, fried green tomatoes, bacon, bourbon and blackstrap molasses BBQ sauce on a Brioche roll for $12.

(Sorry! Really wish I took a pic but I was too excited and scarfed it down!)

Finally, I have for words for you:  Salted Chocolate Caramel Cake.  As The Pig and Pearl website puts it, it's "five inches of salty-sweet heaven!" It's layers of rich chocolate cake with chocolate icing, Shyndigz caramel sauce and "a sprinkling of flour de sel sea salt between each layer", and it's your's for just $7.  You'll notice the emphasis on the Shyndigz sauce.  For anyone who's been there, you know that place knows how to do sweets right!

So overall, the liquor selection and cigar bar are the only two things setting this place apart from any other bar in Richmond (and McCormack's Whiskey Grill on Robinson St. provides a more expansive overall liquor selection, so they have some competition nearby on that front).  The food is mediocre.  Some things are really good, don't get me wrong.  But overall, nothing special.  I like the place though.  I hope that it has better luck staying open that its previous tennants.  

Check out the official Pig and Pearl website here.  They're open from 4:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. Monday through Wednesday, and then from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. Thursday through Sunday.  They often host events (like for the NCAA tournaments, the Richmond Flying Squirrels, and other relevant local sporting events) so be sure to check out the events section of the site, too.