the thirsty pig

love this spot. great sausage and sides, along with a tasty draft beer list at a nice price. the owner makes you feel welcomed as soon as you walk in the door, and isn't that the kind of place you want to spend your money? another plus? a spacious patio out back.

hello lilyonthelam.com readers! if you read yesterday's blog post, you will know that i have decided that this week is international pig week on lilyonthelam.com .  i started off this pork-themed week of blog posts with the fantastic divin porcello - friends of ham- restaurant in budapest, hungary.  it is now time to take this pig week to the united states - portland, maine to be exact. i love portland, maine.  it has this weird zen calming effect on me.   while walking down the streets of the historic downtown area, i saw a sign for " the thirsty pig ."  i looked it up online and saw that it was known for its quality, specialty sausages and great beer selection.  win-win!  i knew it was time to check this pig out! at the thirsty pig, you order your meal at the front counter.  if you like chatting with cute, male hipster counter staff while watching retro cartoons, this is your place! the decor is warm, homey and eclectic.  very pub-like.  very friendly.  the patrons and the staff are great.

great little place. brought 14 people to eat and the kitchen was stressed but it was great. excellent food, beer and atmosphere!

disappointed. we ordered three sausages on rolls. waitress was taking orders and cooking. humus platter never arrived? she brings the sausage and two were completely raw pink inside. then she takes them at our request to micro them. still comeback raw, wow! she then said, humus is on the way (starters). we left!!! the place blows......

had a fantastic chili cheese dog!

maybe we caught them on an off day? the food was fantastic! the cheese quesadilla with hot pepper relish was a great combination of crispy tortilla and melted cheese giving this appetizer textural contrast. the hot pepper relish was the perfect combination of sour, sweet and hot. pretzel was fresh from the oven. hot mustard was good. cheese sauce appeared to be cheese whiz, but it worked. good selection of beers and cider. customer service was not poor, it was just absent. their self serve style did not appear to be working, at least on this day anyways. one person was taking orders, cooking, pouring drinks, and serving tables. he was friendly and was an effective multi-tasker, but the customer service suffered and wait times were long. when another person arrived to help, she didn't appear to be much help. for this reason, i would not go back. good food, but a customer service fail.

highlight of my portland visit. this place has it all. great staff, very warm and inviting atmosphere. we spent 7 hours there on a sunday afternoon and were made to feel right at home. we tried the sausage sampler, which is great if you like to try new things. they're doing some amazing stuff in the kitchen! the blueberry chicken and spicy italian were my favorites, but all were really good. the beers on tap provide something for everyone.... we tried them all! allison and her guys have a truly special spot in downtown portland. you must check it out!

delish dogs!. finding this jewel of a spot on busy exchange st. makes me feel like we won the lotto- not a tourist trap at tourist prices, a foodie haven at blue collar prices. this is what american food is at it's best, amazing fresh homemade on the premises sausage, interesting sides, and all served with a smile. kinda nice to be greeted like a regular, makes me want to be a regular. this is going to be habit forming....a hot dog and cool drink on a comfy deck right in the heart of the city. it's gonna take a while to eat and drink through the fascinating selections of local products on offer...but it's sure gonna be fun to try!

if you like sausage then this is your place. if you choose to sit on the outdoor padio you have to go to the bar to order your food.

sidewalks sign outside the shipyard brewing company, reads homemade chili, it's hot. walking in the door it's a rustic looking place with hardwood floors. it was a warm place as it was cold out side. i sat down to adorn myself in the homemade chili. 4-sausage chili is a sweet, hot, blast of goodness with a touch of garlic. awesome place to catch a bowl of hot goodness on a cold day.

this place has made so many compounded good decisions (not just good beer, but allagash>not just allagash, but an allagash stout that most places wouldn't be able to sell) that i don't have room to discuss them all. this place understands sausage. makes every other fresh-stuffed sausage i've ever had look like garbage (with one exception 3,000 miles away). and i'll be honest, i've had a lot of sausages. like a loooooooot of sausages. anyways, try the kielbasa. there was also a sausage with ghost peppers that was amazing - most places can't sell anything that spicy, including any restaurant that issues a printed warning on their menu depicting a thermometer with red stuff bursting out the top. the starvin' hog is a gleaming pearl in the sea of superb restaurants in portland.

all in all, it was a good experience. i never should have ordered the italian sausage and the next time i go i think i will try the greek chicken (so many people have been raving about it).

beer and sausage.......perfect. the concept of offerring upscale sausages with great beer choices should not be taken lightly. the thirsty pig offers a plethora of ale options which nicely wash down the unique sausages and sides. the restaurant itself is very clean and trendy. we went on a day that allowed us to take advantage of the large deck out back. i would highly reccommend stopping by this watering trough.

this is unabashed beer-drinking food; eat a sausage, and you’ll want a pint, which will make you crave another sausage, and then another pint, until you lack the ability to get up out of the cozy booth you’re seated in.

friday happy hour at the pig has become a pretty standard way for my friend k. and i to start the evening. $2.50 shipyard draughts (they're probably out of the summer by now, sad) and a good layer of meat to lay down before your night of drinking. i am a sucker for a hot dog, especially one for $3.50 on a grilled bun with a side. the pig's other sausage offerings include sweet and hot italian, keilbasa, and chicken. each one comes with enticing toppings and condiments, although i customize my hot dog with a local combo: mayonna