A beloved Greater Cincinnati barbecue joint has expanded to a second location, this one just steps away from the Loveland Bike Trail.
Pig Candy BBQ announced in February that it would convert the former Branch Hill United Methodist Church in Loveland into a restaurant. The Loveland Pig Candy is located at 370 Bridge St. and offers the same menu as its flagship location on Kellogg Avenue in Cincinnati’s California neighborhood, including ribs, barbecue platters and sandwiches and the signature “Pig Candy Waffle” — a gluten-free waffle with pulled pork, peach-maple glaze and white barbecue sauce on the side.
Co-owner Christina Goehrig tells CityBeat the reception since they opened in October has been overwhelming.
“We knew this location had a lot of potential, but we had no idea how much Loveland would show up,” Goehrig said. “We tried to quietly open our doors on Oct. 17 at 5 p.m. and sold out in less than two hours. The demand continued and even though each day we increased our supply, we kept selling out. What was most exciting was to see people returning.”
Goehrig says she feels fortunate she was able to leverage the flagship location to train the Loveland team members.
“The team is now fully up to speed and we haven’t had to sell out for the last couple of weeks. In fact, yesterday we finally turned on online ordering for Loveland,” she added. “We’re grateful for the response we’ve had from the Loveland community and couldn’t have opened our second location without our exceptional team.”
So far, menu favorites appear to be the daily specials (ribs on Monday, Reubens on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and BBQ Potato Bombs on Thursdays, as well as the ever-popular Brisket Grilled Cheese.
Insomnia Design created the plans for the restaurant, which embraces the history of the church and incorporates original elements, like the stained glass windows and bell tower. Goehrig says choosing another building with a unique history was important.
“It was important to us that both of our restaurants be in locations that have a history. Our original location was in a former jailhouse and now we are in a former church. We love that the CityBeat staff nominated us for ‘Best BBQ in a Former Jailhouse’ in 2022 and hope that maybe we can earn a similar honor for our new location,” she joked.
Like the flagship location, the Loveland restaurant will also have a heated deck for outdoor dining all year.
As Goehrig and her partner, Paul Montgomery, look forward to 2026, she says they have three goals in mind. One is to expand Pig Candy’s catering business now that they have a bigger kitchen in the Loveland location, and both locations allow them to serve a wider area of the Tri-State. She says they also plan to invest in the Kellogg Avenue location as MEMI is building its new music arena nearby, and will continue building the business in Loveland.
“[We’re] making sure we continue to deliver on offering really great BBQ and service in an amazing environment. We’re looking forward to offering a fun new destination on the Loveland Bike Trail.”
Pig Candy in Loveland is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Pig Candy, 5901 Kellogg Ave., California; 370 Bridge St., Loveland. More info: eatpigcandy.com.