There is a new restaurant in Oxford looking to stack up against the infamous and unique culinary experiences on The Oxford Square. The Neon Pig is now open for business on North Lamar Blvd and this popular establishment based out of Tupelo is about to take Oxford to the next level when it comes to all things meat. Store manager Ashley Peeler explains “we [The Neon Pig] are an old school butcher shop and café” who’s main focus to all about being local.
The Smash-Burger, Neon Pig’s signature patty. (Courtesy: Neonpig.net)
The Neon Pig “breaks down local cows, pigs, and lambs and we’re one of the only restaurants in Mississippi doing that” said Peeler. This establishment is all about support for their home state and does a majority of their business with small, local farms.
The Neon Pig was started in Tupelo as a home chef market and Seth Copeland, Trish McCluney, and Mitch McCamey turned it into the business it is now. A business that now boast the name of having The Best Burger of 2015 by Thrillest.com with their Smash Burger (neonpig.net). The Smash Burger according to Peeler is “a combination of aged filet, sirloin, New York strip, rib eye, and benton’s bacon all ground together.”
Two-quarter pound patties of this meat mixture are then put on a ciabatta bun and topped with cheddar cheese, pickled onions, quick pickles, bacon bites, hoisin sauce, and comeback sauce (neonpig.net). The burger is by far their most popular menu item and there are clear reason why it is among the great burgers of America.
When asked why they choose to expend their business to Oxford, Peeler responded by saying they had “had a large Oxford following before hand and we felt like the Oxford crowd just gets what we do by staying local, shopping local, sporting local, and eating local.”
The Neon Pig gets the word out about them solely by word of month. They believe the quality of their products and services can reach people and will get more people talking about them. Peeler says he believes “Oxford is a read, well traveled town and felt this would be the right spot for us.”
In the future, The Neon Pig hopes to reach more of the college students and continue to get their name out to the community. The restaurant’s ultimate goal is “keep growing, keep evolving, learning new techniques and getting better everyday at what we do” said Peeler.
