Near the shores of Lake Tobesofkee sits a restaurant made through the combined effort of two Macon staples: Jim Shaw’s Seafood Restaurant and Scatterfield BBQ. I guess the name just made sense — Fish N’ Pig. The eatery is just a 15-minute trip down Mercer University Drive, plus a couple of turns.
Peter Garcia
Fish 'N Pig sign.
The Good
The Location
The lakeside restaurant has an array of seating options. Guests can sit inside the cozy dining area decorated with eclectic fishing knick-knacks, or they can sit outside at picnic tables with a nice view of the water.
Though the weather now is not conducive to sitting outside, in the spring, this spot would be great for a nice outdoor lunch or dinner.
The Seafood
I ordered crawfish and fried oysters. They were cooked well and minimally seasoned. Caroline Kittrell, a freshman pre-med student who went with us, ordered grilled grouper, which she said was good but not outstanding.
As far as seafood goes, it’s worth mentioning that the hushpuppies were excellent: crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside.
The Sides
Across the board, the sides were good. There was a good variety of sides, with some uncommon items like the Brunswick stew or sweet potato souffle. I also ordered a fried alligator appetizer — a delicious change-up from the usual meats.
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The Questionable
The BBQ pulled pork, a.k.a. The Meat Pile
Fish N’ Pig is supposed to be equal parts fish and pig; however, their BBQ was not superb. The pulled pork was served in what can only be described as a meat pile. The BBQ sauce was heavily vinegar-based, and it had a slightly strange pickle taste.
Freshmen Vickram Lokasundaram and Matthew Boldan both ordered the BBQ, and were not satisfied.
“I did not finish it, I did not want to,” Lokasundaram said.
“Just not a good experience. I also did not finish,” Boldan said.
The Service
Our server was a new employee. She told us this, but it was also very apparent by the lack of drink refills and lack of knowledge about the menu. She was not able to answer my questions about how the crayfish was prepared.
The Bad
The Price
The prices would be reasonable if the food was great, but given the overall average experience, the price seemed too high.
Unfortunately for the efforts of the Fish N’ Pig, it seems that trying to combine two different types of food in one menu resulted in an overall lack of quality in both. What is redeemable, though, is a great atmosphere and social experience. Though I cannot say I would go back for the food, I might would go back for a nice little picnic — once it gets warmer again.
Rating
Will 3/5
Peter 3/5
