Michelle Matthews and Bill Warren spent their entire careers serving others. Now, the partners of Pig Pen BBQ serve guests plenty of brisket and sides at their restaurant in downtown Dripping Springs. They are proud of their food, but they're even prouder to serve the community outside the restaurant.
“We do everything we can to support everyone who comes to us,” says Bill. “We don’t say no.”
Michelle spent years helping others as an operating room nurse. “I loved it. The learning, the excitement. There’s always something new to see and learn,” she says. She retired in 2016, and they started a food truck parked just down the road from their current location.
Bill grew up cooking barbecue with his mother in San Antonio. He retired from the Austin Police Department in 2017 after 24 years of service.
The jump from food truck to brick-and-mortar changed everything for the couple, and the timing created another major challenge.
“When this building became available, we completely gutted it,” says Michelle. “It was a huge transformation. It took a year and a half to remodel during COVID. It was a crazy time.”
Shortly after opening, the community faced a challenge and Bill and Michelle stepped up to help. The February 2021 winter storm knocked out power to the nearby Merritt Hill Country Senior Village.
“When the freeze came, they lost power. They couldn’t cook,” Bill explains. “We just decided, ‘Let’s feed ’em all.’ Eighty seniors. Just gave them the food. We also fed all the linemen and first responders.”
Pig Pen has donated to local teachers, schools, booster clubs and the DSHS marching band. They also work with local churches and other organizations.
“The community has given back to us tenfold,” says Michelle.
Most days, you can find the couple sitting at a corner table near the front of the restaurant. They joke that it’s their office.
“We just try to know everybody. We just want to be a good neighbor. We don’t look for recognition,” says Michelle.
“You don’t get rich as a cop or a nurse. I felt compelled to serve, and she did too,” Bill adds. “This is just an extension of that.”
In addition to award-winning smoked meats and sides, the restaurant opens early to serve breakfast tacos. They offer smoked hams and turkeys and a wide variety of take-home sides for the holiday season.
PigPenBBQ.com | @pigpenbbq | 301 US-290