Guest Blog: Housemate Joe: The Oinkster, a review

As featured on Foodgawker.com

My house mate Joe decided to try his hand at food blogging. For awhile, everyone around him had one, and he had considered starting an anti-food blog, the problem was he likes to eat everyday. Anyhow, here is his review of the Eagle Rock restaurant, The Oinkster.

Hello internet –

If you didn’t already know, it was the Food Monsters’ birthday on Sunday, and after spending the previous evening in a monster-mandated cyclone of Ethiopian food, Persian ice cream, and long-winded, occasionally disturbing party games, the monster and I gathered ourselves together on his birthday afternoon and embarked on a late day lunch quest.

I had heard stories of a hamburger renaissance in Eagle Rock and thought Sunday would be just the time to see what all the nonsense was really all about. A message board on Chow.com recommended The Oinkster, a “slow fast food” restaurant on Colorado Blvd. and, with the help of the monster’s trusty GPS device and my hastily scrawled directions, we took off in search of a delicious burger.

[Photo Courtesy of Flickr]

However, once there, we decided to blow off our original hamburger idea and try some of the other, more interesting items on the menu. First, we got the Oinkster pastrami sandwich,

which came topped with Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and red cabbage slaw. While it was a little pricey for your typical fast food meal ($8.99 for the sandwich, $11.99 if you want the combo meal), the meat was so perfectly tender and flavorful that the sandwich would not have been out of place if served at a much “fancier-style” restaurant. You know, the kind where men have to wear tuxedos, women have to wear ball gowns, and all of the waiters have chandeliers instead of hands. Everybody knows those kinds of restaurants, right? Anyway, moving on…

Next, we got the pulled pork sandwich ($6.99), which the menu described as being “brined with soy and honey then slowly roasted and smoked” and topped with red cabbage slaw, caramelized onions and Carolina BBQ sauce. It was exceptionally tasty with the pork itself being very high quality and well prepared. The monster pointed out that he didn’t think it measured up very well to authentic Eastern North Carolina-style BBQ. I told him to shut up and we proceeded to slap fight in the restaurant for the next forty-five minutes. It was really embarrassing. Anyway, in the end, I think we both agreed it was still a good choice considering how rare good, carefully made BBQ is to find in Los Angeles. [The Food Monster: I meant, in a comparison with Eastern NC BBQ it would be considered terrible. If you put it up against a normal sandwich, exceptional]

Both sandwiches came with a side of Belgian fries, which were fresh, crispy, and -- if the Food Monster is to be believed -- authentically Belgian. Oinkster also apparently makes all of their own sauces, including a couple different variations of ketchup and mustard, which were good for dipping the fries. [From top to bottom: A combination of honey mustard and The Oinkster mustard, BBQ Sauce, The Oinkster Ketchup]

The menu also lists a garlic aioli sauce and a lime mayonnaise but we didn’t get a chance to try either of those. [The Food Monster: Having the lime Mayonnaise would have helped the Belgian fries in there authenticity, still, they tasted like how I remember them.]

The “slow fast food” slogan made me think that we could be waiting a while for our meal, but it arrived about only 5 or 10 minutes after we ordered, though I’m sure the wait time can be longer if the place is crowded. Also, I wish we could’ve tried the angus beef burger (which is seems to be a signature item), or the Oinksterade (their combination of lemonade and orange juice), or any of the several beers they had on tap (including one of my favorites, Arrogant Bastard), but I needed to keep the F.M. out of a food coma so that he could drive us back home.

Overall -- and I don’t know if this counts as official “Food Monster” opinion -- I thought it was a great meal and definitely worth the trek over to Eagle Rock if you’re in the mood for a good sandwich. Consider The Oinkster Food Monster roommate approved! [The Food Monster: As well as TFM approved!]

The Oinkster

2005 Colorado Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90041

http://www.theoinkster.com

I hope you enjoyed Housemate Joe's approach to food blogging. I did, almost as much as the meal itself. I would like to try one of their Milkshakes next time, but the Ice Cream maker I got for my birthday, from Housemate Joe, Von Scrumptious and her little brother, should keep me at home for awhile.