Warthog Barbeque Pit

Where: 4921 20th St. E., Fife, 253.896.5091

Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Cuisine: Finger lickin' barbecue, specialty burgers, salads, slow smoked barbecue sandwiches, homemade desserts

Scene: Log cabin filled with taxidermy animals and barbecue kitsch - casual and family friendly

Drinkies: Beer, wine, soft drinks, sweet iced tea, bottled Snapple and Thomas Kemper soda

Prices: $4.95-$23.95

ANNOUNCER: Some of the tastiest dining spots are in seemingly odd locations. For instance, Uncle Thurm's Soul Food - now on South G Street - was once in a bowling alley. For more than a decade, Warthog Barbeque Pit has served up Southern barbecue on Fife's East 20th Street. Amid office parks, outlet stores and warehouses, it's certainly not "Restaurant Row." Owner Gary Kurashima selected the log cabin location intentionally; he wanted to provide a dining choice for the folks who work in the commercial area.  Warthog kitsch and cozy seating dot the inside. Warm weather permitting, the outside deck is fun and kid friendly.

JAKE: Man, do I love the smell of smoking meat. It's comfy in Warthog, loaded with taxidermy animals, antlers, stuffed warthogs, wall plaques, figurines - up to the rafters and beyond. I imagine it's like your aunt's house if your aunt lives in Texas and collects dead stuff. The woman at the counter came with a smile; she told us to "take our time." I liked that.

JASON: She was pretty cool - ribbed us a bit, but not over how much food we ordered. I liked that. We grabbed one of six booths after checking out the jail room with the saddle seats and the self-serve barbecue station. With just one bathroom, I welcomed the hand-washing sink in the jail room. Hot wings came up first. The half dozen were sans breading and fried till moderately crisp - which is good in my book. The wings were seasoned- another plus in my book. I dunked naked wings in house sauce: a tangy, deeply sweet barbecue made with molasses.

JAKE: Usually I go for the Caesar, but deep leafy greens called to me. The usual characters adorned organic baby spinach - sliced hard-boiled egg, crispy bacon pieces and slivers of sweet red onion. Not typical, sesame ginger dressing and seasoned tortilla chips topped it off, providing a welcome texture contrast.

JASON: I admit I ordered the "nasty rice" just so I could say the word "nasty" in public. Sue me.

JAKE: Yeah, but the universe won, because you didn't like the nasty rice. I thought it was decent, but I wouldn't order it again. It was dark and clumpy and visually unappealing. Of course, poor appearances sometimes disguise excellent taste; yet, for me this was not one of those times. Warthog's corn bread was fluffy, a bit sweet and a bit salty - winning it two relieved thumbs-up since dried out, bland corn bread may be the worst thing ever. I crumbled some, drizzled it with barbecue sauce made with mustard (called jerk sauce), mixed it into a pile on my plate, and shoveled it up with a spoonful of beans. Mmm, mmm good. Big chunks of ham and onions provided a serious bonus to the beans' flavor.

JASON: For entrees, the Moo, Cluck, Oink is the way to go. At $12.65, chicken, beef brisket, and pork ribs arrived with two side dishes. That's a better deal than the Louisiana Purchase. The ribs are tender, moist and had meat falling off the bone. Brisket is a little trickier. Similar to risotto in that every person seems to have a very specific way they want it cooked - brisket is such a touchy thing for people. Warthog's brisket will win everyone over with its smokey goodness.

JAKE: For Washington state barbecue I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is close to the best. Oh, and the potato salad was creamy - potatoes in that perfect place between firm and soft.

JAKE: Chicken was also moist, extremely flavorful and plump. Meat quality is top-notch at Warthog and really doesn't need it, but I dipped every bite in Warthog's third barbecue sauce - the sweet and lovely J.D. sauce. Although we didn't make it that far, we were told the fries are seasoned with a blend of salt and sugar. We will be back to try those on.

JASON: As crazy as it sounds, especially considering the homemade desserts and shakes people rave about, it was all I could do to get home and into bed before a food coma set in. That's what happens when you shovel five pounds of food in your face in one sitting, I guess.