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Pig out at Baron Von Schwein in York


Baron Von Schwein

Location: 35 W. Market St., York

Cuisine: American

Jess' pick: Two pork buns, $5.50; baked corn, $2.50; vanilla bean honey soda, $3.50

Parking: Street and parking garage

Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Price range: $2.50, sides; $12, Bowl of Everything

Alcohol: No

Accepts: Cash and credit

Takeout: Yes

Kid's menu: No

Details: Call 717-848-6576, visit baronvonschwein.com , follow @BaronVonSchwein on Twitter or search Baron Von Schwein on Facebook

This little piggy went to Market Street.

At Baron Von Schwein in downtown York, pork, the only meat on the menu, comes from an Elizabethtown supplier, owner Jordan Pfautz said.

It might be sad news for little piggies, but great news for barbecue lovers.

Pfautz said he was into "all types of barbecue" but decided to start a concession trailer in March 2013 focused on pork. The trailer led to a food truck in September 2013, and that led to the opening of the restaurant in July of this year.

You'll still find the food truck under the same name at parking lots and special events in York and Lancaster counties.

Both the truck and restaurant keep a simple menu.

"We decided to just do one meat and do it as well as we could," Pfautz said.

Don't let the menu's simplicity fool you. It's unusual.

When I arrived, I headed to the counter in the back of the restaurant to place my order. In cafeteria style, the server asks what you want and plates it in front of you on a plastic tray.

I ordered two pork buns, both sweet, though you can choose your own combination of sweet or spicy. The semi-sweet bread is made in-house. The sweet pork – with a smoked apple flavor "served on a backdrop of Tennessee whiskey," according to the menu – is stuffed inside the bread.

The pork buns are an unusual menu item for this area. They're modeled after dim sum, a dumpling served in a steamer at Chinese restaurants. But Baron's sweet pork buns are some of the only of its kind offered in the world, Pfautz said. Typically the buns are filled with Asian barbecue, but Baron added a Southern twist.

If you're not interested in the buns, you can get a more traditional pulled pork sandwich topped with coleslaw on a potato roll ($6.50) or opt for pork in a bowl ($4.50). An Everything Bowl comes with pork and all the sides piled high for $12.

Otherwise, choose a side – mac and cheese, baked corn or cole slaw, all prepared at the restaurant – for $2.50 each.

"People really love our mac and cheese," Pfautz said, which is made in a traditional French style with bechamel, sharp white and yellow cheddar.

The Pennsylvania Dutch in me couldn't resist the baked corn, made with eggs, butter and sour cream.

What's also a best bet at the restaurant is its signature soda, made with fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs. On tap every day are two varieties -- ginger lemongrass and vanilla bean honey ($3.50 each).

"We make all of the syrups in-house," Pfautz said. Baron collaborated with a Philadelphia bartender to create the concoctions.

When you order, the simple syrup is pumped over ice. Soda water is then added and mixed.

My vanilla bean honey was sweet with real vanilla bean specks My dining partner tried the cranberry strawberry, a seasonal soda with real strawberries and cranberries.

Pfautz said the most popular menu items at the restaurant are the always-changing specials. The day I visited the specials included the Everything Bowl and carnitas tacos.

To stay in the loop with what specials are coming (and where the food truck is rolling to next), visit Baron's Facebook page and Twitter account.