Purple Pig Cafe (& Native American Grill)
19785 SH 155 S
Flint, TX. 75762
Phone: (903) 825-6800
Hours: Open seven days a week from 10:00am till 10:00 pm
My brother-in-law, a good judge of BBQ, told me that the best pulled pork he’d ever eaten was made at the Purple Pig Cafe. Well, I wanted to check this out for myself. So when he and his wife invited my family out to lunch recently, I told them I wanted to eat at the Purple Pig and try this pulled pork sandwich.
It turns out that the pulled pork sandwich, known as the Purple Pig, is part of the Purple Pig Cafe’s super sandwiches. Their are six sandwiches to choose from: the Super Sandwich, the Small Sandwich, the Purple Pig, the Small Purple Pig, the Purple Cow, and the Small Purple Cow. There is a great selection of tasty meats to choose from for your sandwich. They have beef brisket, pulled pork, ham, turkey, pig wing ribs, Pittsburg hot links, chicken breast, or sausage. Oh, and any sandwich you order “Purple”, the cafe tops it with coleslaw and barbeque sauce. Hey, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. It’s actually really good. You can order the Super Sandwich, the Purple Pig, or the Purple Cow A La Carte for $5.99 or as a plate with two sides for $8.49. The Small Sandwich, Small Purple Pig, and Small Purple Cow cost $4.49 A La Carte and $6.99 for a plate with two sides.
The side orders include the following options: potato salad, cowboy beans, corn off the cob, new potatoes, creamed potatoes, coleslaw, southwestern corn salad, Italian green beans, chuck wagon baked beans, broccoli rice casserole, fried okra, macaroni salad, sweet potatoes, barbeque rice, and Mac & Cheese. You can also order these sides in various sizes if you are so inclined. I stayed with my mission and ordered a Purple Pig Plate. I got pulled pork for the sandwich, of course, and for my two sides I ordered fried okra and broccoli rice casserole. The Purple Pig sandwich was stuffed with plenty of wonderfully smoked pulled pork. It was very big and very tasty. The meat was juicy and tender and the coleslaw and BBQ sauce really complimented both the flavor and the texture of the sandwich. The Purple Pig is very filling and very satisfying to your stomach and taste-buds. My wife and I agreed with our brother-in-law. It’s also the best pulled pork sandwich we have ever had. I have to be honest, I have not tried a lot of other pulled pork sandwiches. But I could still tell that this one was special. My wife almost always orders the pulled pork sandwich from Red, Hot & Blue which is one of our favorite BBQ restaurants in Dallas and she loves it, but she like the Purple Pig’s sandwich even better. The fried okra and broccoli rice casserole were both good, but there was nothing exceptional or noteworthy about them. You can get them just as good or better at a lot of other places.
On Mondays thru Fridays between 10:00am and 2:00pm the Purple Pig offers their Special Quickie Lunch for $7.99. The Special Quickie Lunch includes a small sandwich, your choice of two sides, and a drink. If you are a big fan of both BBQ and beer you will probably want to try the East Texas Super Duo which features a sliced beef sandwich and an ice cold Lonestar beer for $8.99.
If you are one of those sad people still clinging to the ghost of the Atkins Diet fad, or if you are just a straight-up carnivore, you can skip the sandwich bun and just go for the meat with one of the Purple Pig’s Super Plates. A one meat plate costs $9.99, a two meat plate goes for $10.99, and a three meat plate goes for $12.99. You can choose any of the following meats for your Super Plate: beef brisket, ham, hill country sausage, jalapeno cheese sausage, pulled pork, turkey breast, Pittsburgh hot links, or chicken breast.
I have also heard that the ribs are really good at the Purple Pig Cafe and I mean to try them next time I eat there. There are three kinds of rib plates offered at the Purple Pig and each is served with Texas Toast and your choice of two sides. The Pig Wing Rib Plate costs $11.99, the St. Louis Rib Plate is $13.99, and the Baby Back Rib Plate costs $15.99.
You might also want to consider the Purple Pig Favorites choices on their menu. The Hickory Smoked Baked Potato is a one pound potato stuffed with butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon bits, and topped with chopped beef or your choice of meat on top. Wow! That sounds both really tasty and really unhealthy. I saw an entire table of people all order the Hickory Smoked Baked Potato when I was at the Purple Pig Cafe so it must be pretty good. You can also get extra toppings on your potato (if you hate your heart) for $0.50 each. If you want something healthier than the Hickory Smoked Baked Potato you can try the Healthy Burger. The Healthy Burger is extra lean hickory smoked meat (your choice of beef, pork, ham, or turkey) on a five inch bun. It is seasoned with the Purple Pig’s “All the Difference” seasoning and topped with diced tomato, dill pickle, and onion, with your choice of mayo, mustard or the Purple Pig’s special dressing. The Healthy Burger costs $7.49. The Barbeque Super Salad is a nice blend of the healthy and the unhealthy. It is a garden salad topped with tomatoes, cheese, bacon bits, and your choice of turkey, ham, beef, or pork. It is served with a side of ranch, bleu cheese, or vinaigrette dressing. The normal size version of the Barbeque Super Salad costs $8.99 and the small salad goes for $5.99. Two more Purple Pig Favorites are the Salsa con Queso and Chips and the Pico de Gallo and chips. Both of them cost $3.99. The last, and most interesting of the Purple Pig Favorites is Posole. Posole is a Native American Indian dish made with hominy, meats, and spices. It comes in a cup for $3.99 or in a bowl for $7.99.
Speaking of Native Americans, that brings up another interesting point about the Purple Pig Cafe. It’s really like two restaurants in one. It has two menus, two kitchens, and two names. The other part of the Purple Pig Cafe is called the Native American Grill. Even the restaurants decor shows this blend of Texas BBQ and the Native American Theme. There were several portraits of famous Indian Chiefs on the wall near the table where we ate, as well as all the usual BBQ paraphernalia.
While the Purple Pig Cafe menu sticks to its BBQ theme, the Native American Grill has a little more variety. The Posole, however, is the only Native American dish on the menu. The rest seems to be American, Mexican, or Tex-Mex.
The appetizers at the Native American Grill include Fried Mac-n-Cheese (made with a crispy cheddar batter) for $4.99, Fried Dill Pickle Slices (deep fried in a crispy batter) for $3.99, Fried Cheese Sticks (mozzarella) for $5.99, Jalapeno Cheddar Poppers for $5.99, and Salsa Con Queso and Chips and Pico de Gallo chips for $3.99. All three of our boys had the Fried Mac-N-Cheese. I would have liked to try some but the little boogers ate it all up before I got a chance. That crispy cheddar batter sounds good. I would also like to try the Fried Dill Pickle Slices.
The Native American Grill has six kinds of burgers and sandwiches available. The Black Angus Beef Burger (topped with tomatoes, onions, dill pickles, and lettuce with your choice of mayo, mustard, or special sauce) and the Pork Burger (lean pork with the same toppings as the Angus Beef Burger) both come in three sizes. The small burger costs $3.99, the Super costs $5.99, and the Super Double costs $7.99. The Black Angus Beef Patty Melt is made with grilled onions and cheddar cheese for $6.99. The Grilled Cheese on Texas Toast costs cost $4.99. The Grilled Ham & Cheese on Texas Toast costs $5.99. You can add bacon to the Grilled Cheese on Texas Toast and the Grilled Ham & Cheese on Texas toast for an additional $0.99. Finally, the Southwestern Club Sandwich (served with ham, turkey, and bacon on Texas toast) costs $8.99.
Their are several side dishes to choose from to go with your sandwich or add to whatever else you order. The Native American Grill sides include: Golden Red Skin Potato Wheels ($3.99), Skillet Potatoes and Onions ($3.99), Marinated French Fries ($2.99), Anasazi Beans ($2.99), Half Breed Tortillas ($1.99), Onion Rings ($3.99), Fried Okra ($2.49), Broccoli Rice Casserole ($2.49), Indian Fry Bread ($0.50), and Fried Yeast Rolls ($0.50). I think it was the Golden Red Skin Potato Wheels that my sister-in-law ordered. She gave my wife and I some to try. They were was crispy, tender, and delicious. I definitely want to get a full order of them for myself next time (and I’m not sharing with anyone).
The Native American Grill has some great deals for you catfish lovers out there. A one fillet fried catfish fillet plate costs $8.99 and is a fairly generous portion. You can get a 2 or 3 fillet plate, or you can go the whole hog and get the “Pitch Till You Win” (all you can eat catfish) for $12.99. You can also get a whole fish plates for the same price as the fillet plates. All the catfish fillets come with coleslaw, those delicious potato wheels I told you about, beans, and hush puppies.
If you love catfish but you’re trying to eat a little healthier you can always order the Grilled Catfish Plate ($12.99) instead of a fried catfish plate. The grilled catfish comes with southwest salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, radishes, and fresh limes), Anasazi beans, Barbeque rice, and Half Breed Tortillas. As much as I love catfish, I’m trying to eat a lot less of those tasty bottom-feeders, so if I wanted fish I would go for the Grilled Tilapia Plate. The Grilled Tilapia costs the same as the grilled catfish and it comes with the same fixins.
Just like the Purple Pig, the Native American Grill has its own list of favorites. One is Chicken Tender Strips ($8.99) served with your choice of mashed potatoes or marinated French fries, and beans, Texas Toast or fried rolls. The Chicken Fried Ribeye Steak and Chopped Black Angus Steak both cost $9.99 and both have the same sides as the Chicken Tender Strips except the Chicken Tender Strips and Chicken Fried Ribeye Steak come with cream gravy and the Chopped Black Angus Steak comes with brown mushroom gravy. The Posole is listed as a favorite on both menus. Finally Chili Con Carne (Texas Chili with crackers) is $3.99 a cup and $7.99 for a bowl.
My sister-in-law told us that the tamales are decent at the Native American Grill. Unfortunately, when she and my brother-in-law ordered some they discovered that their were no tamales available. No one had made them that morning. I don’t know if that is a regular occurrence at the Native American Grill or if it was just a fluke. You will just have to try your own luck there. The waitress was apologetic about the situations and did a good job taking care of us. Still, it’s pretty lame when you try to order something off the menu and you can’t get it. Anyway, if you do happen to be able to get tamales there you can choose beef, pork, or turkey tamales. Super Tamales are $1.00 each and so are the Special Barbeque Tamales. Our waitress told us that the only difference between the two is that the Special Barbeque Tamales are served with barbeque sauce. You can also get a tamale plate which includes your choice of six tamales topped with Chili Con Carne, diced onions, and cheese. The Tamale Plate also comes with Anasazi beans, barbeque rice, and Half Breed Tortillas. It costs $8.99.
The Native American Grill also has fajitas for you fans of Mexican and Tex-Mex food, starting at $10.99. You can choose grilled beef fajitas, chicken fajitas, shrimp fajitas or a combination ($19.99). All fajitas are served with Pico de Gallo, sour cream, Half Breed Tortillas, and half of an avocado.
There is one pizza listed on the menu. I guess they were just trying give us a little more variety. The Barbeque Deluxe Pizza is a sixteen inch pizza topped with cheddar cheese, brisket, pork, ham, turkey, onion, green olives, black olives, dill pickles, jalapenos, and barbeque sauce. It costs $19.99. The toppings all sound really good. I like the idea of putting BBQ meats on a pizza. This pizza sounds like its worth a shot.
Last but not least, we have something for the steak-lovers. The Hickory Smoked Ribeye is served with a hickory smoked baked potato, garden salad, and fried rolls. It’s only available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so time your visit accordingly. There are three sizes of the Hickory Smoked Ribeye available. The Small Cut (8 oz.) is $15.99, the Regular cut (12 oz.) is $18.99, and the Super Cut (16 oz.) is $24.99.
If you are interested in the drinks and desserts at the Purple Pig Cafe/Native American Grill, here they are. Soft drinks, tea, coffee, and bottled water are $1.50. Root beer is $2.00. And you can also get wine, wine coolers, and a variety of beers. As for desserts, the Purple Pig has cobbler of the day, pie, cake or pudding for $3.99 and brownies or cookies for $1.59.
I really enjoyed my meal at the Purple Pig Cafe. I definitely want to try their ribs (if I could just figure out what kind to get) and get some more of those delicious Golden Red Skin Potato Wheels when I go back. I also want to try their fried pickles, Barbeque Deluxe Pizza, beef brisket, Hickory Smoked Baked Potato, Fried Mac-n-Cheese, and Chicken Fried Ribeye Steak, so I guess I’ll have to come back several more times. If you are a lover of good Barbeque I highly recommend you try the Purple Pig Cafe, especially their pulled pork, Purple Pig sandwich with coleslaw and BBQ sauce. Oh, and don’t forget to get some of those Potato Wheels. You will love them.
Maybe it’s the state of the economy, maybe it’s the tumultuous political goings on, or maybe I’m just getting older, but I’m having a hard time maintaining my sense of enthusiasm and patriotism this Independence day. But regardless of my personal misgivings, our community is preparing to go ahead with area celebrations. There are all the usual fourth, of July celebrations this year, Lindsey Field, Father Heart Ministries between Lindale and Van, the list is a long and familiar one. I’m not going to spend this article writing about all of them again this year. Instead I thought I’d play the publicist and help put the word out about an area musician I know, who’s performing in Edom over the fourth.