All hogs go to heaven in the Belmont community of Charlottesville. And after they do, humans get to experience a little bit of it at Hog Heaven, a barbecue and grub restaurant near Charlottesville, but off the beaten path.
Unlike restaurants like Chili's or Ruby Tuesday's, Hog Heaven offers barbecue connoisseurs the real deal.
"You go to Aberdeen Barn for prime rib, you come to Hog Heaven for sauced ribs," Cook and Barbecue Technician Mark Cermele said. "This is your neighborhood rib place."
With pale pink décor, jazz, whirring fans and stuffed-animal pigs adorning the stereo and countertop, the restaurant offers a warm welcome to customers pining for good barbecue.
But the restaurant's gargantuan smoker, with a 600-pound pork capacity, meets unfortunate pigs with quite another kind of greeting.
The small patio adjoining the restaurant, dubbed the "Pig Pen," lets diners enjoy the sunshine in a charming way, while the smoky, succulent smells of roasting pork waft through the air.
The succulent flavor of the pork is the result of a long barbecue odyssey captained by Cermele.
After traversing the country and sampling the finest barbecue across the East Coast, the West Coast and the Midwest, Cermele settled in Charlottesville.
"I started from scratch and developed my own sauce, our 'Signature Sauce' now on the menu," Cermele said. "I kept the recipe in my wallet for five years, knowing what I wanted to do, before I stumbled on this place."
Hog Heaven owner Brenda Stover was born and bred in Belmont and knows everyone and their brother, he said, which makes all patrons feel at home.
Belmont resident Joyce Morris camped out in Hog Heaven with Francis Holsapple of Scotsville to get relief from the rain.
"I come over here quite often," Morris said. "We just had onion rings but Honey Glazed Ham is my favorite."
The "Signature" Pork BBQ sandwich for $4.95 is a smoky, not-too-spicy, so-big-you-can't-pick-it-up sandwich.
The cole slaw, designed to complement the barbecue flavor, has a tangy horseradish flavor.
Holsapple said he was experiencing Hog Heaven for the first time, seeking shelter and sipping hot coffee with Morris.
"I like it, seems nice," he said.
For the relatively low prices, the servings are generous and the dishes don't skimp on flavor. All items on the menu are homemade, and all sauces are made from Cermele's recipes.
Most items on the menu are $4.95, except for the "Pig Out" platters for $6.95 and $7.95. The platters, designed for the truly famished, include filling sausage, chicken, chili, pork and pork ribs.
Platters also come with two side dishes, including hearty handfuls of hand cut fries, crackl'n bread and chili with cheddar.
Hungry diners can finish their meal with two scoops of Hershey's ice cream for $1.25 or a milkshake for $2.50.
The service is friendly and diners will get what they expect from a local diner.
As Hog Heaven reflects Cermele's taste for barbecue, he expects his food will catch on in the area.
Cermele's barbecue saga culminated when the restaurant opened Jan. 8. But keeping steady business in its location also will be a goal for the restaurant.
Cermele said in the past the building that Hog Heaven occupies has turned over tenants every two years.
But he said he hopes Hog Heaven will continue its success and add a fairy tale ending to his barbecue journey.
"My recipes are unique and people will seek me out," he added. "I'm gonna be the guy that breaks the curse of this place"
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