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Hops and Hogs Country Smokehouse, located in Lincoln, CA, recently enjoyed their Grand Opening, endorsed by the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, local "foodies," and all those who enjoy fine "Americana cuisine" with the savory taste of smoke on the side. As with all of reviews that I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: It's a little past 08:00 in the morning, Thursday, July 18, 2024 and I've arrived at Hops and Hogs Country Smokehouse, located in downtown Lincoln, CA to enjoy an amazing barbecue breakfast.
Photo: A sign was placed on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant to draw attention. The restaurant is open every day of the week for breakfast and lunch, and soon will be expanding to serve dinner.
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll be greeted by the "mascot" complete with cowboy hat. Does the interior look familiar. Until the new owners took over, this was Red's Country Kitchen, which seemed to have closed this April. The new owners have made extensive changes to the decor, including removing all of the mounted animal heads and "country" artifacts, streamlining the decor to make it look more like a barbecue restaurant. There is also new furniture. The layout of the restaurant hasn't changed, including the counter, kitchen and television monitor. Another fixture that hasn't changed is long time patron Kenny, who sits at the same seat at the counter and enjoys multiple cups of coffee. In the coming weeks, the restaurant will be opening up a shaded patio, complete with a misting system, to make the hot summer weather in Lincoln more comfortable for outdoor dining.
Photo: The breakfast counter, the small bar and the soda machine haven't changed, and neither has Kenny, who sits at his favorite place at the counter through three different owners. I first met Kenny over 10 years ago when this fine restaurant was Kim's Country Kitchen.
Photo: Pitmaster and owner of the restaurant, Phil, took me outside to show me the pit. It's a big stainless steel box mounted on a trailer and heated by propane. There is a door on the side which Phil opened, which is where logs are burning to provide the smoke. Like most pitmasters in the area, Phil mostly uses oak - it grows in our area locally - but he also uses apple wood for other applications, such as when he's smoking fish.
Photo: Phil graciously opened up the pit so I could see the various types of meat he was smoking. The pit is fueled by propane from a large bottle mounted on the trailer. Propane is used to provide heat for cooking and to get the oak or apple logs going. Various cuts of meat are placed on large racks which revolve slowly so each rack gets equal treatment to the smoke and the heat. This is quite a pit!
Photo: The "Smokehouse Specialties" section from the breakfast menu. The photo is only a small portion of one page of the breakfast menu, as the menu is HUGE, as it's four pages and includes all of your smokehouse favorites. If you're not a fan of smoke, you'll find many items on the menu that you'd find in your average diner in the greater Sacramento area. Click on THIS LINK or the photo of the menu listing to see the complete menu, current as of July 18, 2024.
Photo: Meet Kenny, a Lincoln local, long-time diner, who arrives nearly every morning and occupies the same stool at the counter, and drinks coffee. Kenny is quite a survivor, as he's been through three ownerships of the restaurant - Kim's Country Kitchen, Red's Country Kitchen and now Hops and Hogs Country Smokehouse - and is a fixture at this fine restaurant. Years ago, Kenny worked here before he retired. I suppose old habits are difficult to break.
Photo: Meet my friendly hostess Sidra, who brought my breakfast to me with a genuine smile. She, like the rest of the staff are very efficient and friendly.
Photo: I raise my glass of beer to my hostess and toast the friendly staff at Hops and Hogs Country Smokehouse in anticipation of the amazing breakfast I'm about to enjoy.
Photo: From the "Smokehouse Specialties" section of the breakfast menu, I went with "Pulled Pork and Eggs," with a side of "Chili Verde" and a beer for dessert. In all of my years of eating, I'd never enjoyed pulled pork for breakfast, nor had I even dreamed of it. At Hops and Hogs, pulled pork for breakfast is a delicious reality! The breakfast started out with a generous helping of smoked, tender, juicy pulled pork, kissed by oak smoke from Phil's smoker, which really made this breakfast stand out from any other breakfast in the area. A little cup of in-house made barbecue sauce was on the side for dipping. You choose between hash browns or country potatoes and I went with hash browns, which were fried to a golden brown on the outside, with a lot of "crunch" and tender, juicy white on the inside. Eggs are cooked to order, and I went with my eggs fried sunnyside up, and sourdough as my toast of choice. I simply couldn't resist ordering a bowl of "Chili Verde" on the side, as I LOVE it! It really wasn't necessary as the "Pulled Pork and Eggs" is a very filling breakfast. Wow! This breakfast was simply amazing! The pork was tender, juicy and smoky, but not at all overpowering, as the talented pitmaster smoked it to perfection. The hash browns were perfectly grilled, the eggs were fried to perfection, and the toast was toasted and buttered just right. The small cup of barbecue sauce added extra flavor to the pulled pork. The "Chili Verde" started with a rich, thick green sauce, mildly spiced, with just enough "kick" to know you were eating something of Mexican origin. There were many chunks of smoked pork and the chili was topped with semi-melted shredded Mexican cheese. The chef has talent, as all of the flavors worked together to create a simply delicious "Chili Verde" experience!
Photo: My side dish of "Chili Verde" showing all the goodness this fine stew has to offer. It would truly make for a great main breakfast entree. The taste of wood smoke made for a delicious breakfast, and you won't find another restaurant in Placer County that offers such a wide variety of smoked meat for breakfast! Hops and Hogs Country Smokehouse has carved un unique, smoky niche into the area dining scene, for "foodies" who savor a delicious, barbecue breakfast. Hops and Hogs Country Smokehouse Copyright(c) 2024 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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