Identity crisis averted; The Pigman is back in business

Steve Austin, proprietor of This Swine’s for You catering services, has jumped through all the hoops as required by Baltimore County government officials and is back is business.

Sort of. Now The Pigman, as he’s affectionately known on the North Point peninsula, is suffering from an identity crisis since county officials told him he had to serve food from a completely contained entity.

Steve Austin, proprietor of This Swine's for You catering services, relaxes during a quite moment in his new food trailer. Photo by Marge Neal

For more years than Austin can recall, he set up his pit sandwich stand on the front parking lot of Donovan’s Lounge on North Point Road. He cooked pork, beef, turkey and ham on a custom-built, 55-gallon drum grill perched atop a trailer base that he towed to the site with his trademark red catering truck.

He pitched a white canopy, set up a meat slicer and set out condiments, napkins, utensils and all the other accouterments needed for the food service effort.

After the county shut down Austin and other stands like his, the local businessman invested in a custom-built trailer, outfitted with a grill, oven, stove, sinks, refrigerators and everything else he needed to essentially have a restaurant — or at least a commercial kitchen— on wheels.

To get the show on the road, Austin had to have all the electrical work done and then had to get the trailer inspected and approved by the county.

Once he had the approval of the county’s Food Nazi, as Austin not-so-affectionately calls the county inspector, he put word out on his Facebook page when he was open for business and waited for his regular customers to return to the fold.

Steve Austin and his daughter, Christine Thamert, staffed the food trailer Thursday at Donovan's. Photo by Marge Neal

But that was slow to happen. Folks tend to be creatures of habit and The Pigman’s customers were used to looking for the well-used drum grill and the white canopy.

The trailer with the raging generator at the front end did not look familiar.

But Austin, in true show business fashion, figured out what he needed to do to get his customers back.

In addition to the trailer from which he prepares and serves food, he also now brings the familiar red catering truck, as well as the grill, which he puts in the corner of the bar’s front parking lot.

In case anyone is wondering why Austin made the switch from his more customer-friendly stand to this trailer and its obnoxious generator. Photo by Marge Neal

“Now that I have the grill back and the canopy up, more people are coming in,” Austin said Thursday. “Having the grill here seems to be helping, people are used to seeing that here.”

Austin sells pit beef, ham, turkey and pork sandwiches and platters, which include your choice of two sides from baked beans, macaroni and cheese, macaroni salad, cole slaw and potato salad. On Sundays, he also offers a limited number of racks of ribs.

The stand is open from 11 a.m. until the food is sold out. Austin sets up at Donovan’s Lounge, 6900 North Point Road in Edgemere.

He’s also available for catering private events. For more information, check out his website.

The latest addition to the This Swine's for You fleet of catering vehicles. Photo by Marge Neal