Editor’s note: This article has been updated to clarify the name of the Wild Boar Bar.
Picture a deli paired with a full-service bar and plenty of outside seating—not to mention an oyster grill and bloody marys topped with bacon and wings.
This is the new City Pork at Highland Park Marketplace, and it’s a little bit of everything you’ve come to know about the brand, plus more.
When the restaurant opens (tentatively set for tomorrow, June 9), loyal City Pork fans will be pleased to find all the regular favorites, like the pork spring rolls, the glazed ribs and the barbecue platter on the menu.
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Owner Stephen Hightower says there will also be a few surprises, like the new “Wild Boar Bar,”-nicknamed cocktail bar, inspired by the oyster bar setup leftover from when the venue was home to the now-closed Adrian’s.
“They had a great bar, and we thought, ‘Hey, this could be its own little destination and enhance what City Pork is,’” Hightower says.
The revamped bar area offers an elegant, dimly lit ambiance to contrast with the bright, bustling energy of the main dining area. Guests can enjoy the extensive cocktail selection along with the room’s one-of-a-kind decor created by local artists. And of course, a visit to the Wild Boar Bar isn’t complete without one of City Pork’s world-class bloody marys. The meat-topped beverage is thirst quenching and satisfies pork cravings.
“It’s not your average bloody mary,” Hightower says.
This marks the fourth operating location for City Pork, which is also open on Jefferson Highway, Government Street and LSU’s campus, plus the City Slice pizza and City Taco concepts that share a space on Chimes Street. Each venue features scratch-made meats, bold flavors and rustic-chic decor along with its own unique elements. Choosing the new location for the franchise’s expansion, Hightower says, was a “no-brainer.”
“This was already a well-established restaurant zone, so this was a facility we had our eyes on. This is really going to be a great test to see how our food can move throughout the city,” Hightower says.
Bringing back items like pies and smoked chicken fried steak, this newest location nods to now shuttered City Pork concepts including the Deli & Charcuterie underneath the Perkins Road overpass and the Kitchen & Pie restaurant.
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“The beauty of City Pork is that each restaurant has its own nuances along with the old favorites people have loved over the years,” Hightower says.
A few lucky passerbys have gotten to sample the new menu during soft opening events while the staff undergoes training. When the restaurant opens to to the public this week, it will be temporarily restricted to dinner hours. Hightower hopes to hire more staff and expand to offer lunch service by July 4.
You can keep up with the latest City Pork updates here. City Pork Highland @ Perkins is at 18143 Perkins Road.