The Humble Hog's 'quirky' menu will bring more barbecue to downtown Knoxville

The Humble Hog is nearly ready to smoke out Gay Street.

The barbecue restaurant is coming to 312 S. Gay St. in the Century Building next to Chivo. Owner Benjamin Grice has been renovating the space for over a year, and he's finalizing the menu and the furniture now.

The restaurant will host a few private events in the beginning of February and will open to the public soon after, but there's no official date yet while Grice waits on a liquor license.

Grice first opened The Humble Hog in Illinois in 2014, which he closed to focus on opening and running the Knoxville restaurant. He and his family moved here to be closer to relatives.

"I feel like this timed out right for the market with the growth that Gay Street is experiencing right now," Grice told Knox News. "It's different than it was even a year ago, even six months ago. The closer we get to the stadium being built, like there's just a surge of momentum, this feeling downtown that we're happy to embrace that. We'll see where this goes, where this takes us."

The Humble Hog's barbeque menu

Grice is still putting the finishing touches on the menu, but The Humble Hog will feature traditional barbeque items like brisket, pulled pork and ribs. However, he said the chefs will experiment with different dishes, including fish and even pork jowls.

"I kind of feel like our quirky menu fits our space and fits us," Grice said. "That's our approach. It's not coming straight out the chute trying to say what barbecue is or isn't. It's going back to that humble approach of let's just get some really good ingredients and put some love into them."

His approach is to "under promise, over deliver" on a unique meal made from scratch using simple ingredients. Grice is particularly excited for the smoked trout, which he said is "going to be a star on the menu." The menu will also feature vegetarian options.

The menu will include a family-style option so everyone at the table can pick their portions and stack their plates.

Grice didn't share menu prices yet.

As for drinks, The Humble Hog will focus on beer from Knoxville breweries and spirits from regional distilleries. Grice is excited to start serving classic cocktails with rendered-fat-infused bourbon.

Crafting the Gay Street restaurant with local hands

Grice made the copper wire sign above the front door.

"Probably one of my most favorite (design choices) is actually the sign ... because I wanted a way to communicate to the guests as they're approaching that this is more of a bespoke experience," Grice said.

Inside, everything is handmade or refurbished, from the tables to the shelves. The copper bar features repurposed 100-year-old wood from a barn, and one table is made from a 120-year-old cast iron work bench previously used by Grice's father.

Grice rescued a refurbished bar top with a checkered pattern and "TENNESSEE" embedded in it from the former Ruby Tuesday on Cumberland Avenue. Customers will be able to sit at the bar and peer into the kitchen.

He's working on sourcing local artwork throughout and is planning a mural on a large concrete wall.

"There's a reason it's called the Maker City. It's full of craftsmen," Grice said. "We're a little bit spoiled being able to have so much talent surround us, and I'm really thankful for all the help we've had."

When it opens, The Humble Hog will operate from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Sunday.

Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Humble Hog BBQ restaurant coming to downtown Knoxville Gay Street