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Moneyhun's a great place to 'pig' out

Brad Nettles
The Post and Courier

Moneyhun's Oink

Richard Moneyhun invites us to "pig in or pig out" at his "que" restaurant located in the Cainhoy area of Berkeley County. It's a quick 2.5 miles from the Clements Ferry exit off Interstate 526 and, if you are driving with your windows open, you smell it before you see it. Of late, the approach to Moneyhun's is peppered with small roadside signs leading the way to your personal hog heaven.

The space is attractive, a far cry from the shacks, stands and street corner carry-outs that are the usual home to barbecue. The walls are painted the colors of ketchup and mustard; guardian pig sculptures stand as sentinels at the front door and porcine statuary decorates the space.

Crisp black-and-white tiles on the floor, a variety of table heights (tall tops and standard) along with a wall of windows fronting on a wooded expanse of greenery provide a comfortable setting if you plan to pig in.

A large wall is painted in homage to the pig and the black T-shirt uniforms of the staff sport "oink" across the front.

This is a self-service operation. You place your order and wait your turn.

In our beloved pork-crazed South, pig is the menu star. Ribs are available as Baby Backs ($14, $22) and St. Louis Style ($12, $20). Bar-B-Que Pork ($8) can be had sliced, chopped or pulled. You can easily create a combination platter by adding on a 1/4 rack of ribs, a 1/4 pound of pork barbeque, 1/4 chicken or a 1/4 pound pulled chicken for $3-$5.

The Lil' Piglet menu ($4) for children under 12 can be ordered by adults for a reasonable up-charge of $1.50.

Moneyhun's avoids the "que" controversy of sauces by offering mustard, vinegar, sweet, ketchup-based and creamy white. The vinegar is tart, the mustard is tangy, and they all pack enough heat to awaken your taste buds to the beauty of smoke.

Hickory is the wood of choice and if you park in the rear, you will see the logs stacked ready to get to work on the delicate balance of what is the culinary equivalent of braising with smoke. The mystery of blue smoke and fire transform the sturdy cuts of bony ribs, hardy shoulders and whole chickens into succulent morsels. The smoke jockey is truly the keeper of the barbecue flame, timing the melting of that tough connective tissue into slippery, edible heaven.

The baby back ribs picked up the smoke essence more so than the chopped pork. Possibly because they have a nice cap of fat and as it melts away in cooking, the smoke flavor is left behind. Shiny, with a crust the color of aged mahogany, they needed no sauce for enhancement.

Their flavor rub tasted a little like coffee and in the land of red-eye gravy, coffee in the 'que comes as no surprise.

The dinners are all served with two sides and the warhorses of barbecue companions are there — mac and cheese, collard greens, red rice, pork rice, green beans, okra and tomatoes and BBQ beans. The latter are changed each day, and can be lima beans, pinto beans or crowders. Flavored with the trimmings and drippings of the pork, they are a meal in themselves.

The coleslaw (additional sides can be had for $1.50) was snappy, sweet-tart and a crisp contrast to the rib meat.

Do try the onion slaw. The onion is sliced paper thin, nearly translucent and topped with a creamy dressing resembling the base of the white barbecue sauce, with a bit of celery seed.

It's the perfect "condiment" on the hillock of meat that is the pork sandwich. The mac and cheese did not fare as well. Somewhat dry, overcooked and rubbery, it overstayed its welcome in the oven.

You can start your meal with a bowl of Brunswick Stew ($3, $5), a half-dozen wings ($6) or a mini rack of ribs ($5). But don't. Save your appetite for those ribs.

The Bar-B-Q Chicken dinner is available as either white or dark, 1/4 chicken, 1/2 chicken or 8 ounces pulled ($7, $10, $9). Stick with the dark meat.

The only tea is sweet tea, and teeth-itching sweet it is. Dessert is Banana Pudding ($1.50) topped with whipped cream. Nothing remarkable about it, but it is creamy, cold and sweet — the natural salve after pepper and smoke.

Moneyhun's has many things going for it: prices, menu assortment, variety and a neat, clean spot to hunker down with some bones. So enjoy this primal pleasure and make a pig out of your self at the Oink!

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