Las Vegas Valley residents have never tasted barbecue like this before—unless they’ve been to Utah.
Hog & Tradition BBQ opened last month in Henderson, an expansion from the unique restaurant’s HallPass food hall spot in Salt Lake City. The local company behind SkinnyFats and other concepts is also involved in HallPass, and that Nevada-Utah connection paved the way for this barbecue arrival.
Chef and owner Geoff Patmides was cooking and serving classic American barbecue well before Hog & Tradition’s debut a few years ago, but this eatery brings together his substantial and disparate influences with delicious results.
“Initially it was a traditional, Texas-style barbecue spot, but after a few weeks, I just felt like, this is boring,” Patmides says. “I was not going to be like the other guys, so it was, what can we do to switch it up?”
The obvious answer was to turn to his wife and her family food culture. “My wife is Dominican and I’ve always loved the food her mom cooks on a regular basis. I always wanted to incorporate that into a restaurant.”
Married for 16 years, Patmides had spent at least that long learning about Dominican cuisine and trying to impress his mother-in-law with his cooking. “[She] only started eating my food about six months ago,” he says with a laugh. “I love her and she loves me, but it’s a cultural thing.”
He started at the restaurant by cooking a full menu of traditional Dominican dishes on Sundays, and it took off quickly “because there’s nothing else like thatin Salt Lake.”
The evolution of that blend is evident at the Hog & Tradition here in Henderson, where you can get a smoked Cuban sandwich ($15) with chipotle mayo and chimichurri, or a standard two-meat combo plate ($23) with your choice of brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken or pork belly chicharron. (Insider tip: The mother-in-law loves the chicharron.)
“We’ve implemented it so it’s not fully Dominican, you can sit down and get the same barbecue experience you know, but you’re going to taste the seasonings, taste the difference,” Patmides says.
The best-seller in Utah, a brisket grilled cheese sandwich ($22), is also available here, but so far guests are trying everything via custom combos, taking home meats by the pound, and rounding out the meal with versatile side dishes ($5) like mac and cheese, rice and beans, collard greens, sweet plantains and ube cornbread. And don’t forget the tres leches cake ($7) for dessert.
HOG & TRADITION BBQ 221 N. Stephanie St., 702-577-3229, hogandtradition.com. Daily, 5-10 p.m.
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