Robin Godwin: The Smoking Swine, The Green Bowl, and Dizzy Cow Pizzeria Opening a Restaurant and Bar in Brooklyn

Food trucks The Smoking Swine, The Green Bowl, and Dizzy Cow Pizzeria are teaming up to take over the former O’Flynn’s Crab & Cask House at 3432 S. Hanover St. in South Baltimore’s Brooklyn neighborhood. O’Flynn’s was open for a year and a half after it replaced long-time, Brooklyn-staple O’Brady’s Crab House.

The Smoking Swine owner Drew Pumphrey told SouthBMore.com he spent the last few years searching for a larger commissary space to prep food for his truck. Green Bowl owner David Chapman and Dizzy Cow owner Josh Cowan were also looking for a larger and more convenient place to prep food for their trucks and catering orders. They all decided to go in on this opportunity together.

This came with an added bonus as the Hanover St. property also has a restaurant space, seven-day liquor license, and bar. So, the trio will team up to run a restaurant and bar in the space as well. The restaurant does not yet have a name.

Pumphrey is excited customers will now have a brick-and-mortar location to find food from The Smoking Swine, The Green Bowl, and Dizzy Cow Pizzeria. He said food truck owners always say “we’re amazing if you can find us.” Now, patron will be able to find them in Brooklyn.

When asked what he liked about the Hanover St. location, Pumphrey said the price was right, noting how expensive most restaurant and kitchen spaces are in Baltimore City. He also thinks the location has great accessibility to the local highways, and mentioned how there is almost unlimited parking next door with a park-and-ride with more than 300 parking spaces.

He is also excited about being in Brooklyn, where his family has roots. “We want to show people that Brooklyn is pretty awesome,” said Pumphrey. “There are a lot of really good working-class people here. Hopefully our presence can help improve the neighborhood.”

Pumphrey is hoping the restaurant and bar will be popular with Brooklyn locals and area workers, as well as be a popular destination as each truck has built its following over the last four-plus years. He noted how it is a quick five-minute drive or Uber ride from Federal Hill. He also sees the success of destination spots in Port Covington, such as Nick’s Fish House and South Point, and hopes to replicate their success.

The Smoking Swine specializes in BBQ including brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and sides. Dizzy Cow Pizzeria serves wood-fire pizzas including traditional red sauce combinations and the Frenchman with olive oil, mozzarella, brie cheese, figs, and honey. The Green Bowl sells bibimbap (a popular Korean rice bowl) and mofongo and tostones (both made with plantains).

Each partner will serve up its signature dishes at the restaurant. They will also team up on fusion plates.

At the bar will be 15 draft beers which will focus on local breweries, many of which the food trucks have partnered with on events over the years. They will stick to basic mixed drinks including classics like manhattans and old fashions, and the wine menu will be limited.

The property has two kitchens, one of which was in pretty good working condition, and another which the team has renovated in the back. Pumphrey has already added some smokers into the kitchens and the team also added new walk-in coolers. The building still has enormous crab steaming equipment, according to Pumphrey. He said that none of the owners have a background in steamed crabs, but they might do some special events with crabs and New England-style seafood steam pots.

The team will be doing light renovations on the interior bar and dining areas. Pinball machines and old-school video games will be featured within the space.

The building has a carryout window facing Hanover St. that will be used for carryout orders and picking up catering orders. It will also offer delivery though apps like UberEats and Door Dash.

Pumphrey said another big bonus is the three-quarters of an acre outdoor space behind the building that connects to Rt. 2/Potee St. The Smoking Swine, The Green Bowl, and Dizzy Cow Pizzeria have six trucks and two trailers between them, so they will use this space to park their vehicles and equipment, as well as to provide patrons with a large outdoor dining space. They plan to set up communal-style picnic tables and yard games including horseshoes and cornhole. The back space will have a walk-in cooler inside of a shipping container. The back of the shipping container will have a sign and mural for the restaurant which will be visible to Rt. 2 traffic.

The trio hopes this new restaurant and bar will still have a working-class, South Baltimore feel to it. Families will be welcome.

The commissary will be up and running in the next four to six weeks. The three businesses will spend the next few months feeling each other out and getting used to the space and layout. They hope to open the restaurant in the spring or summer of next year. Pumphrey said it will likely only be open two to three days a week at first and will grow from there. He said the to-go window in the front of the building will be open more often than the entire restaurant.

The new restaurant does not currently have live entertainment, but the owners might seek it in the future depending on the community’s reaction to the business. Pumphrey said they’ve had a wonderful experience so far with the community associations in Brooklyn.