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Business Spotlight: Best Lil' Porkhouse

Find out about the Best Lil' Porkhouse in San Rafael. Authentic barbecue arrives and patrons are noshing on a real grilled meal.

Best Lil' Porkhouse

2042 Fourth Street

415.457.PORK (7675)

http://www.bestlilporkhouse.com/index.html

What do they offer?

A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it joint on Miracle Mile is filling the void for homecooked style barbecue in Marin. This little hole in the wall serves ribs, brisket, pulled pork sandwiches and all the fixings.

Who are they?

Owner Ken Flach has been firing up the grill for over 20 years.  Growing up in St. Louis, moving to Atlanta and then Nashville (all regions known for amazing grilled goodies) allowed him to really get a feel for barbecue.

When friends would get together, it would be Ken who watched the grill, cooked up comforting side dishes–such as mac 'n cheese, cole slaw, baked beans and potato salad.

Upon arrival in Marin three years ago, he noticed there was void for authentic barbecue and, after 14 years as a professional tennis player working the circuit, teaching classes and playing on the road, he decided to open a new chapter in his life book and fulfill the dream of having his own place to hang his hat.

How long have they been there?

Best Lil’ Porkhouse has been serving up yummy fare for two months.

Why are they in our spotlight?

Everything on the menu is Ken’s work. From the concept to the side dishes to the home-style grilled cuisine, it’s all right from the heart. Patrons choose from menu items selections like the “Hog Heaven” pulled pork sando and the “Stairway to Hog Heaven” plate of ½ rack of ribs and brisket.

Best Lil’ Porkhouse offers a regional selection of barbecue. Featured grilling styles are falling-off-the-bone baby back ribs offered “wet” (STL), “basted” (KC) and “dry” (Memphis) as well as the “low and slow” smoked pulled pork and the tender and moist beef brisket, smoked sausage and hot links for Texas style barbecue devotees.

Grilling is a serious business for this new business. They offer homemade sauces, courtesy of Ken, created to enhance the flavor of the smoked meats, including the  STL - sweet & smoky,  the KC - sweet & spicy,  the NC - tangy & spicy, and the TX - mustard & spicy. Dedicated to making the highest quality of food, the menu offers a variety of organic, natural and humanely raised meats.  and only use local organic and sustainable farmers (in season) produce used in the sides and salads.

The community has welcomed Ken and his family with open arms. His friends suggested menu items, like the Texas BBQ fave, brisket. He's got customers coming in to thank him for a great meal. This family owned business sees Ken in the kitchen, his son on the POS and his daughter running food. The word of mouth about his food keeps the 8 tables filled in the homey setting, a place seeming to always have been there but is still a new and exciting dining destination. They offer catering platters, phone orders and are looking forward to starting their delivery service, a new option for the Marin County lunch crowd with precious minutes to enjoy their noonday meal. 

Did you know?

After only 8 weeks, the Best Lil’ Porkhouse is expanding. They will have expanded seating starting this week at 2042 Fourth Street.

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Kevin Moore May 11, 2013 at 04:20 pm
It would be nice if the comments section had "Thumbs up / Thumbs down" like the PressRead More Democrat.
Bob April 6, 2013 at 05:20 pm
Check with the San Rafael planning commission and get the low-down on why they turned down aRead More developer who submitted his plans to demolish and rebuild a mixed commercial/residential building at 2nd and B. That's directly across the street from SVDP, and a notorious loitering spot. It's currently a run-down box building that's long past its prime. The developer came in with a beautiful plan, and it was denied for, among other things, because it was not in keeping with the "Victorian era" of the others, and because the city was afraid people would store their bikes on the balconies. Take a look at it. It's the most run-down corner in the downtown area. A great way for a small town to thrive and achieve an identity, is to get people living there. The city makes it extremely difficult with their rigid design board, and archaic operations that remind me of private industry in the 70s. Oh, and then they approved Target - completely disregarding the data from our neighbors up north, as well as other small towns.
Scott Adams April 4, 2013 at 07:08 pm
Tim, I am aware of many who want to increase the housing density downtown. I am also aware thereRead More has been objections particularly around the bus and future SMART station. It seems having commercial use at street level and housing above is favored by the city. It would definitely help bring people downtown. Other elements besides safety, includes maintenance, on going activities and marketing. I made reference to Healdsburg which is a good case study. They endorsed a study by urban planners around 1990. It took until 2000 when Hotel Healdsburg opened and then the downtown took off. They have one big asset and that is their city park which is where they have ongoing activities. Public Spaces such as this offer a sense of place and acts as a magnet. If you go two or three block away from the park, Healdsburg is just another sleepy little town of 11,000. Sure the wine country is a tourist attraction, but according to the County Visitor's Bureau Marin has 12 million visitors a year who enjoy our natural environment and 80% leave and go elsewhere in the evening.
Tim H April 4, 2013 at 04:41 pm
Thank you all for your interest in this topic. Scott, are you aware of any new multifamily or mixedRead More use housing in downtown on the horizon? Someone in another article mentioned the need for greater density in the downtown area. It seems like greater density could make San Rafael a more attractive place to bring business. Maybe it's me being optimistic, but certain areas seem ripe for development which could be a catalyst for improving downtown. Just curious if others had any perspective of this issue.