The Oinkster

It was pretty good in the beg. but the last 2 times I have gone the service was bad and the food (Burger and Pulled pork) was not as tasty as before. The pulled pork barely had any well pulled pork and the burger was bland and over cooked when it should of ben med rare.

Hope the restaurant picks up its act as no one wants to pay their prices if the foods quality is not going to match.

We've been there 3 times in the past 2 years. The "kids" behind the counter could care less. The pastrami, which has a great flavor is very fatty. When you ask if they can trim it, they just say no because it's all been sliced and is in a steam table behind the counter. Most places trim that huge hunk of fat off the brisket before slicing it, but not here. The ketchup containers were almost empty, so my son encountered an air pocket and got covered with ketchup when trying to get some out. The crew behind the counter were too busy talking to notice the ketchup mess, or that the iced tea container was empty.

I read good reviews for the roasted chicken so I figured the chicken salad sandwich would be a good bet, but I was SO wrong. The chicken was tiny cubes and shreds of chicken. My sandwich also had a dime sized small bone, some gristle, and some skin in it. It was served on a dry crumbly roll with a large nest of strong onion, old tomato and mayo. The chicken had no way of staying on the roll since there was nothing holding the chunks together. It didn't help that the chicken tasted like the fridge. 3 of us, $32.00 later and never again.

it's funky, which is fine, but the lack of consistent quality coupled with the attitude of the kids working there takes it over the top. I know somebody tried very hard to do something different here, which it admirable, but they only got 30% of the concept and then gave up. You need to establish the quality, train the cooks and train the counter help. Somebody needs to ask the customers how the experience was. Nobody wants to ask that question of the customers leaving. Sorry.

it's not that cheap and the bbq is far below pat and oscars (which i consider pretty bad). did someone pay for this review? there is never a crowd there for a reason...it's just not that good compared to the selection you have all around that area.

I have to admit, when Oinkster first opened, we were somewhat disappointed, but over the last 6 months or so, the food has just gotten better and better. The pastrami is made from high quality meat and is moist and very spicy. The cheese burgers are fabulous and you can even choose from a variety of cheeses. While I'd prefer thicker-cut french fries, the garlic-mayonaise dip is wonderful. They also have added a selection of beers on tap. And, if you even have room, their desserts are fun. It's one of our favorite "special-treat" places.

Pastrami was not all that. (very dry) The Hat is much better for pastrami. Fries were like In-n-out fries, nothing too special.
Place is okay but not worth the steap prices for a city search "Cheap Eats" pick. The Chef has a restaurant called Max that's in the Valley. That's an upscale restaurant that is pricey however worth every penny. Not so much with the Oinkster.