Briny Swine Smokehouse & Oyster Bar Opens in Chicago

Chef/Owner Brandon Rushing has announced the opening of Briny Swine Smokehouse & Oyster Bar in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood (2577 N. Clark St.). Opened June 1, Briny Swine is a seaside-inspired smokehouse and oyster bar featuring Carolina-style barbeque, seafood from the Carolina coast and Lowcountry favorites – served with wine, whiskey, beer and cocktails and live music from the Briny stage.

At Briny Swine, guests can select Carolina-style barbeque which centers on slow-cooked whole hog and other meats smoked between 12-24 hours. In addition to pork, guests find St. Louis ribs, chicken and turkey at Briny. Brandon softens firm portions of every cut using his signature mop, a vinegar-based sauce slathered onto the meat while cooking it slow and low. Meats at Briny Swine are served with five varieties made in-house, including:

• Alabama White: mayo, vinegar, water, mustard, horseradish and a ton of black pepper. It is served primarily with chicken but also with beef.
• Carolina Gold: mustard-based BBQ sauce with mustard, vinegar, sugar and ketchup. 
• Pepper Vinegar: Served mostly with pork, this sauce is laden with pepper, vinegar pepper flakes and sugar combined.
• Red: This tomato-based sauce is an accompaniment to all meats and is made up of ketchup, vinegar and brown sugar.
• Spicy Red: A variation on the red sauce, with added chipotle for heat.

Brandon uses two, 108” Lang Smokers, made especially for Briny Swine out of Georgia. “These babies are the real deal,” he says, noting that his is one of the few restaurants in the country using them. 

Other Lowcountry goods include selections such as Jimmy Red Corn Bread with sorghum butter; Collard Greens, one of the first recipes Brandon honed as a young chef; Boiled Peanuts, boiled shell-on in salt water for 8 hours with garlic and onions; Deviled Oysters, crispy fried oysters served on top of a deviled egg and drizzled with hot honey; She-Crab Soup, cream-based with crab roe, lump crab, topped with fresh chives and a drizzle of sherry; Grit Fritters featuring Marsh Hen Mills grits (milled in Edisto Island), mixed with pimento cheese, chopped up brisket and deep fried before drizzled with tomato pepper jam; and Hash and Marsh Hen Carolina Gold Rice, made with pulled pork butt and served with potatoes, onions, and BBQ sauce smoothed into a chili consistency and served over Carolina Gold rice stewed with garlic and onions. A host of sandwiches range from Shrimp and Lobster Rolls to a double-stack Smash Burger.

Weekday specials include Smoked & Saucy Wings on Wednesdays; Smoked Prime Rib with Loaded Baked Tater on Thursdays and Cornmeal Fried Catfish with Hush Puppies, Fries, Slaw at Tarter on Fridays.

Select menu items for late-night until last call: Totchos (a BBQ-inspired nacho plate made with tater tots); BBQ Spiced Pork Rinds with Smoked Pimento Cheese and Blue Crab Hush Puppies, among others.

Also on offer: South Carolina Shrimp served in entrée form in Peel n’ Eat or Buttermilk Fried varieties. Other seafood will rotate in regularly; from softies and stone crab to lobster and catfish, in accordance with the season.

Briny Swine’s beverage offerings include classic cocktails (among them the Boiled Peanut Martini, with Wheatley Craft Kentucky Vodka and peanut brine; and the Pickletini, made with Tito’s Texan Vodka, House Pickle Juice, Okra and Dry Vermouth); two frozé options for summertime; beer and wine selections and bourbon.