Two waffles piled with more protein than I’ve eaten all week are placed on my table at Sloppy Hoggs Roed Hus in the form of a dish called The Cure. Pulled pork and two sunny-side-up eggs cover the surface of the waffles, the tender and crisp textures pairing perfectly. It’s breakfast for dinner, though you’ve probably never eaten that much in the morning, unless you’re a body builder. Rather than syrup, the sauce is chipotle cream with a sweet and spicy kick to the taste buds.
But there’s a little irony mixed with the indulgence at Sloppy Hoggs. Prior to being a southern barbecue joint, the location housed Absolutely Edibles, a restaurant and catering business, which still exists just a little further down 118th Avenue and focuses on healthy food with many vegetarian options. Couple Brenda Dutton and Bjorn Cochran own both Absolutely Edibles and Sloppy Hoggs, which are essentially polar opposites.
Cochran values healthy food as well as a little healthy indulgence – it’s all about balance. Keep that in mind when you order My Ridiculous Fat Ass. It’s a sandwich with a house-made waffle bun, which tastes more like a kaiser, holding together beef brisket, bacon, cheddar, onion rings, a burger and even more bacon and mozzarella, plus southern-style pit beans, meaning they’re cooked in the smoker and finished in the oven, and fries on the side.
The menu also includes more down-to-Earth options like the pulled pork, beef brisket or chicken sandwiches, with all the meat slow smoked with maple wood, and a choice of mixed berry, Sloppy Hogg or mustard barbecue sauce. New menu items like pulled-pork nachos and brisket-stuffed ravioli will likely become hits with guests. But one thing is for certain – you’ll leave with your eyes wide and your stomach bulging.
(10406 118 Ave., 780-477-2408)
