Many years ago a food historian, writing about techniques for identifying good barbecue joints, opined in an “Anthropomorphic Theory of Barbecue,” that the more human-appearing the animal on the sign, the better the food. So a simple pig on a sign wouldn’t indicate anything special, while a dancing pig dressed as a person, preferably swinging a lasso, maybe playing guitar, or (best of all) eating a plate of ribs, was a sure sign of good food. While I’ve found that to be true with older restaurants, many new places eschew fancy pigs on their signs.

Out on Louisville Road is one of the older barbecue spots in the area. The Smokey Pig BBQ (with an entirely normal-looking pig on the sign) has been in the same location since at least the early 1970s, serving locals and people passing through. I stopped in to see how the food is coming along in Smokey Pig’s fifth decade.

I started with a smoked chicken breast plate, which came as a boneless sandwich. In general, I’m not a big fan of barbecue chicken breast sandwiches unless they’re shredded – it’s too easy for the meat to dry out during cooking. That’s what seemed to happen here. The chicken was a tad on the dry side. However, the excellent sauce rescued it a bit and gave it some additional flavor.

Overall, the ribs disappointed me. On the positive side, the ribs themselves were large and meaty. The sauce itself – a tangy tomato-based affair that hugs the meat – was fine. There was a bit of tang there, but the flavor wasn’t anything bold. The meat, however, was dry and a bit stringy. Perhaps that’s the cooking style at Smokey Pig, or maybe the ribs had been cooked much earlier in the day. Either way, this wasn’t my favorite item.

A hot dog is pretty standard anywhere, and the dog at Smokey Pig is a thick, beefy thing, juicy and full of flavor.

I moved on to the shredded pork sandwich, “dipped” in hot sauce, which increases the spicy heat. While it is certainly hot, it also has a great deal of flavor that is not drowned out by the heat. The meat is well-smoked but wet with a vinegar-based sauce. In fact, the meat was downright juicy sitting on the bun. The balanced interplay of the smoky meat and the fiery sauce is exactly what I look for in a pulled pork sandwich. This preparation impressed me, and I raved about it to my fellow diners. This is one of the best pulled pork sandwiches I’ve had in Bowling Green.

The pork shoulder, with sauce, at Smokey Pig is also a real work of art. The meat is sliced just thick enough to retain some tenderness, and the black and cayenne pepper seasoning gives it some bite. The shoulder plate came piled high with six or seven big slices, which was more than I could finish in one sitting. I sure did try, though.

Smokey Pig offers a number of sides. The ’tater salad had a touch of mustard, and bits of roasted red pepper, some pickle, and chives. It had a good flavor, and helped cool the fire from the shredded pork. Mayo slaw was pretty standard. The red skin mashed potatoes were thick, fluffy and buttery, just like grandma makes them. I don’t usually like vinegar-based slaw, but Smokey Pig’s version was very tasty. The baked beans were full of brown sugar and tomato flavor. I liked all the sides, but I don’t think people go to Smokey Pig for the sides.

Smokey Pig BBQ is an old-school BBQ joint, with a substantial portion of the floor space devoted to the smokers, which billow waves of hardwood smoke out the windows and blowers. It’s one of the older BBQ houses in Bowling Green, and definitely harkens back to a different time in the city’s history. They no longer serve their famous milkshakes, but their barbecue – especially the shoulder and the pulled pork – is as good as ever.

— Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact Managing Editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com.

SMOKEY PIG BBQ

2520 Louisville Road

• 781-1712

Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

Price range: $1.99 to $8.99

Libation situation: Beer

Smoking: Yes