I have been here a few times with varying service and quality, some days it has been bad and sometimes very good, but the most recent time will probably be last, as it may have very well been the worst dining experience of my life.
I want to add, before I get into this, we came here to celebrate our courthouse wedding and my wife's birthday - which was stated in the notes
firstly - we were sat in, what I would say, is the worst seat in the house, totally separated from everyone else where we could stare at all the empty, and better, seats while being stuck between the speak-easy door and kitchen entrance having strangers and waiters walk around us every five seconds. essentially we had a secluded spot with none of the benefits of a secluded spot.
Then as the waiter took our drinks order he inadvertently insulted us when he asked for our ids and then said "we should feel complimented because they ask everyone who looks under 40 for their IDs" - Mind you we are 22 and 24 and it was literally her birthday. After that we waited 18 minutes for just the drink, not even having our order taken. Mind you we justify eating here with repeated bad service because we love the cocktails, but the drinks we got were not as advertised and did not contain the accoutrement that we have come to expect and enjoy - no fruit at the bottom like usual, not the advertised garnishes. We also ordered the duck frites, another reason we come here, and it took them 36 minutes (we kept track) to bring us a cold plate of undercooked fries that was about half the serving size as the last time we were here, I am talking McDonalds Medium serving for a $12 order of fries.
As for the entrees she got the pot roast, which was not bad, but the carrots and potatoes that came with were not just undercooked but straight up raw, "like cannot cut quartered potato with butterknife level raw" and also cold. As for my order, the kitchen was out of everything I wanted to order and I was stuck getting "The Duke" which I ordered rare. Not only was the steak not rare, but I am confident a skilled veterinarian could have revived it, If I had to guess it could have been considered blue rare and the meat still had that gel-like and tough consistency.
Did I bring up any of this to the waiter? No. I have worked food service and I know that this is a top down issue and those can only be solved by leaving reviews, and I did not want to spend the rest of my already ruined evening trying to convince a college student to comp my order. Instead I just spent Michelin star prices for Bob Evans level quality and I will never ever go there again... actually the last Michelin restaurant I went to cost half the price...
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Alessa Yin
Food was ok, service was lacking. We waited half an hour to get a waitress to order our food. During the wait, nobody even brought us water. Then another hour to get our food. We couldn’t eat because we had no utensils. I hope this was just a weird night because it looks like a really nice restaurant.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
jill hartman
Great atmosphere, cozy, nice ambiance and decor. The duck fat fries were good not great, I didn't care for the olive aioli, the olive flavor was a bit overpowering. The Izzy Einstein grilled cheese was fabulous, one of the best grilled cheeses I've ever had. The Hidden Library burger also a big winner. Great flavor and the toppings were on point and a perfect accompaniment to the burger. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. We were really happy to find a new place to eat in Oxford. We will definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Frites
Elizabeth L.
Everything was perfect. I love the espresso martini the best. Thank you Andrew!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brittany Carpenter
I will not be returning to The Pickle & Pig. I sat alone at the bar where the atmosphere was nice and the bartenders were very kind. I ordered a Legal Loophole which is a mocktail. About 1/3 through my drink, I realized that this wasn't just a great mocktail but likely had alcohol in it. I asked the bartender to confirm and while they said the order had been put in correctly, he accidentally made an Illegal Loophole which does contain alcohol. I then waited on my food for over 45 minutes. When I reminded the bartender, he went to the kitchen and told me that I would be "moved to the front of the line." I asked for my food to be boxed up to go. When I got home, my food was terrible. The side of brussel sprouts contained bacon (I do not eat pork) but that is not described in the menu. I also ordered The Angry Italian without pork and it looked like someone's sad leftovers - there wasn't even chopped tomatoes or basil on top. The entire dish also smelled and tasted like fish - it was clear that someone had not cleaned out the pan before preparing my food. I threw most of the dish away.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
Michael Fry
It’s a very unique restaurant with a speakeasy theme. Great food and great service!
Thomas Lowery
I would have given this place 5 stars, however, the bass that I ordered had a piece of plastic in it. The manager took it off my bill. The crab and shrimp dip was delicious. And the Bourbon Manhattan drink will give you a good buzz.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pickle & Pig
Rommond McDonald
The Pickle and Pig is a wonderful experience resting peacefully inside the Elms Hotel on South Main Street in Oxford, Ohio. The atmosphere is a throwback to simpler times during the prohibition era. We chose this surprisingly fun venue for our Brother Bob’s 70th birthday. We quickly got to know Ben the bartender and Kate our waitress. The entire staff was super friendly and helpful. I never saw a staff member without a smile on their face. They were engaging and ready to talk about the history of the area, and evolution of the restaurant. Make sure to take a look at the “Secret Room”. We were a party of 12 and everyone remarked about how delicious their meal was. The appetizers tingle many taste buds, but my favorite was the pickle and pig appetizer. I had the filet, cooked to perfection; but almost every menu item was sampled by our party.
Parking: Like almost all of Oxford, metered parking surrounds the pickle and pig. The parking garage across the street was closed during our visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken and Waffles, The Majestic Bison, The Fishermans Catch, The Fat Duck Fries, Pickle & Pig, The Pickle & Pig, Duck Fat Frites Side, The Hot Caesar & the Hen Salad, The Southern Gump, The Rooster and the Hen Boot Leggerd Onion Rings and the Return of Mr Limpet
Mary Anne Hazlett
They were down to 1 cook, so we wait in the bar and that was wonderful! The expresso martinis were delightful! I tried the new Einstein grilled cheese and tomato bisque. Delish! Grant and Sam provided wonderful service!!
A very unique style restaurant, speakeasy atmosphere . Kate was our server. Very attentive and offered good service. She even took us on a little tour and some history of the current restaurant. The steak was great and Pasta was very good with a creamy sauce. Classy looking restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michelle Olsen
This was our second time there. First experience was better this one not to much. Food was ok, chicken was really dry. My drink I ordered was terrible. Plus they were out of pickles!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Corey Watt
The atmosphere and food are really good! Prices and portions are a tad mismatched and there's no beer on tap. Kegs were popular during Prohibition, so that would be a welcome change. ?
Kid-friendliness: The atmosphere isn't great for active kids. If they're older and quiet, it would be fine.
Wheelchair accessibility: It's on the second floor and you have to use the adjoining hotel elevator.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck Fat Frites Side
Paul Cee
Swanky little restaurant on the second floor. Felt like an old school speakeasy vibe. Lots of leather and such. Great atmosphere and ambiance
Wait staff was superb. Didn’t lack anything didn’t want for anything. On point
Food was top notch. Well prepared with a super nice selection
Highly recommend a visit here.
4 stars you ask? After such high praise…
Crappy beer selection. NO TAPS!!!! What??? Bottles only and really poor selection.
But don’t let that stop you bc their cocktail menu was extensive.
If you’re in Oxford. DEFINITELY visit this establishment. You’ll be super happy you did.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken and Waffles, Pickle & Pig, Duck Fat Frites Side
Amy Kerr
We had the best time here with friends. Food and drinks were excellent, and the atmosphere is so fun!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pickle & Pig, The Rooster and the Hen Boot Leggerd Onion Rings and the Return of Mr Limpet
Get the steak. Trust me on this one.
I have been here a few times with varying service and quality, some days it has been bad and sometimes very good, but the most recent time will probably be last, as it may have very well been the worst dining experience of my life.
I want to add, before I get into this, we came here to celebrate our courthouse wedding and my wife's birthday - which was stated in the notes
firstly - we were sat in, what I would say, is the worst seat in the house, totally separated from everyone else where we could stare at all the empty, and better, seats while being stuck between the speak-easy door and kitchen entrance having strangers and waiters walk around us every five seconds. essentially we had a secluded spot with none of the benefits of a secluded spot.
Then as the waiter took our drinks order he inadvertently insulted us when he asked for our ids and then said "we should feel complimented because they ask everyone who looks under 40 for their IDs" - Mind you we are 22 and 24 and it was literally her birthday. After that we waited 18 minutes for just the drink, not even having our order taken. Mind you we justify eating here with repeated bad service because we love the cocktails, but the drinks we got were not as advertised and did not contain the accoutrement that we have come to expect and enjoy - no fruit at the bottom like usual, not the advertised garnishes. We also ordered the duck frites, another reason we come here, and it took them 36 minutes (we kept track) to bring us a cold plate of undercooked fries that was about half the serving size as the last time we were here, I am talking McDonalds Medium serving for a $12 order of fries.
As for the entrees she got the pot roast, which was not bad, but the carrots and potatoes that came with were not just undercooked but straight up raw, "like cannot cut quartered potato with butterknife level raw" and also cold. As for my order, the kitchen was out of everything I wanted to order and I was stuck getting "The Duke" which I ordered rare. Not only was the steak not rare, but I am confident a skilled veterinarian could have revived it, If I had to guess it could have been considered blue rare and the meat still had that gel-like and tough consistency.
Did I bring up any of this to the waiter? No. I have worked food service and I know that this is a top down issue and those can only be solved by leaving reviews, and I did not want to spend the rest of my already ruined evening trying to convince a college student to comp my order. Instead I just spent Michelin star prices for Bob Evans level quality and I will never ever go there again... actually the last Michelin restaurant I went to cost half the price...
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Food was ok, service was lacking. We waited half an hour to get a waitress to order our food. During the wait, nobody even brought us water. Then another hour to get our food. We couldn’t eat because we had no utensils. I hope this was just a weird night because it looks like a really nice restaurant.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
Great atmosphere, cozy, nice ambiance and decor. The duck fat fries were good not great, I didn't care for the olive aioli, the olive flavor was a bit overpowering. The Izzy Einstein grilled cheese was fabulous, one of the best grilled cheeses I've ever had. The Hidden Library burger also a big winner. Great flavor and the toppings were on point and a perfect accompaniment to the burger. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. We were really happy to find a new place to eat in Oxford. We will definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Frites
Everything was perfect. I love the espresso martini the best. Thank you Andrew!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I will not be returning to The Pickle & Pig. I sat alone at the bar where the atmosphere was nice and the bartenders were very kind. I ordered a Legal Loophole which is a mocktail. About 1/3 through my drink, I realized that this wasn't just a great mocktail but likely had alcohol in it. I asked the bartender to confirm and while they said the order had been put in correctly, he accidentally made an Illegal Loophole which does contain alcohol. I then waited on my food for over 45 minutes. When I reminded the bartender, he went to the kitchen and told me that I would be "moved to the front of the line." I asked for my food to be boxed up to go. When I got home, my food was terrible. The side of brussel sprouts contained bacon (I do not eat pork) but that is not described in the menu. I also ordered The Angry Italian without pork and it looked like someone's sad leftovers - there wasn't even chopped tomatoes or basil on top. The entire dish also smelled and tasted like fish - it was clear that someone had not cleaned out the pan before preparing my food. I threw most of the dish away.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
It’s a very unique restaurant with a speakeasy theme. Great food and great service!
I would have given this place 5 stars, however, the bass that I ordered had a piece of plastic in it. The manager took it off my bill. The crab and shrimp dip was delicious. And the Bourbon Manhattan drink will give you a good buzz.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pickle & Pig
The Pickle and Pig is a wonderful experience resting peacefully inside the Elms Hotel on South Main Street in Oxford, Ohio. The atmosphere is a throwback to simpler times during the prohibition era. We chose this surprisingly fun venue for our Brother Bob’s 70th birthday. We quickly got to know Ben the bartender and Kate our waitress. The entire staff was super friendly and helpful. I never saw a staff member without a smile on their face. They were engaging and ready to talk about the history of the area, and evolution of the restaurant. Make sure to take a look at the “Secret Room”. We were a party of 12 and everyone remarked about how delicious their meal was. The appetizers tingle many taste buds, but my favorite was the pickle and pig appetizer. I had the filet, cooked to perfection; but almost every menu item was sampled by our party.
Parking: Like almost all of Oxford, metered parking surrounds the pickle and pig. The parking garage across the street was closed during our visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken and Waffles, The Majestic Bison, The Fishermans Catch, The Fat Duck Fries, Pickle & Pig, The Pickle & Pig, Duck Fat Frites Side, The Hot Caesar & the Hen Salad, The Southern Gump, The Rooster and the Hen Boot Leggerd Onion Rings and the Return of Mr Limpet
They were down to 1 cook, so we wait in the bar and that was wonderful! The expresso martinis were delightful! I tried the new Einstein grilled cheese and tomato bisque. Delish! Grant and Sam provided wonderful service!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
A very unique style restaurant, speakeasy atmosphere . Kate was our server. Very attentive and offered good service. She even took us on a little tour and some history of the current restaurant. The steak was great and Pasta was very good with a creamy sauce. Classy looking restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was our second time there. First experience was better this one not to much. Food was ok, chicken was really dry. My drink I ordered was terrible. Plus they were out of pickles!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
The atmosphere and food are really good! Prices and portions are a tad mismatched and there's no beer on tap. Kegs were popular during Prohibition, so that would be a welcome change. ?
Kid-friendliness: The atmosphere isn't great for active kids. If they're older and quiet, it would be fine.
Wheelchair accessibility: It's on the second floor and you have to use the adjoining hotel elevator.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck Fat Frites Side
Swanky little restaurant on the second floor. Felt like an old school speakeasy vibe.
Lots of leather and such. Great atmosphere and ambiance
Wait staff was superb. Didn’t lack anything didn’t want for anything. On point
Food was top notch. Well prepared with a super nice selection
Highly recommend a visit here.
4 stars you ask? After such high praise…
Crappy beer selection. NO TAPS!!!! What??? Bottles only and really poor selection.
But don’t let that stop you bc their cocktail menu was extensive.
If you’re in Oxford. DEFINITELY visit this establishment. You’ll be super happy you did.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken and Waffles, Pickle & Pig, Duck Fat Frites Side
We had the best time here with friends. Food and drinks were excellent, and the atmosphere is so fun!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pickle & Pig, The Rooster and the Hen Boot Leggerd Onion Rings and the Return of Mr Limpet
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