About Town: 'Low And Slow' Gives Bellevue's 3 Pigs Its Staying Power

Todd Harrell happily shares insider tips to making good barbecue. Few people have the patience to replicate what he and his brother, John, do six days a week at in Bellevue. The two have been cooking beef, chicken and pork – with a slew of side orders such as beans, cole slaw and Texas toast – for more than 20 years.

It all began when the brothers stirred up a few pots of chili. What do chili and barbecue have in common? Contests. Cooking contests called cook-offs.

“A family friend was doing some world-class chili cook-offs,” Todd Harrell said.

The brothers began cooking chili and won cook-offs. From there it was natural to do what other chili contestants often do – branch off into barbecue. For the Harrell brothers, barbecuing was as natural as breathing.

“We knew how to do barbecue,” Todd said. “We’re from the Atlanta area of Georgia – Jonesboro – and in the south every town has a good barbecue.”

Having a little mesquite smoke in your veins doesn’t hurt when you start stacking your barbecued ribs up against the competition. Neither does developing your own unique barbecue sauce. They began collecting ribbons from here and there – at state and county fairs and barbecue cook-offs in the Northwest.

They decided to go public with their talents. With their mother as a cheerleader and back-up help, the brothers purchased 3 Pigs in 1989. They also began bottling their Harrell Brothers Championship BBQ Sauce. It is available at local supermarkets and in the 3 Pigs Restaurant.

“Mother was working at Orowheat Bakery when John and I opened the restaurant,” Todd said. “She helped pay the rent at first. When we were in for a year, she came on full time.”

Their mother became a fixture at the restaurant where she called customers by their first names. She died unexpectedly in 1998. Longtime customers still come in and share fond memories of her with the staff.

3 Pigs’ reputation for good food spread. In the 1990s, people approached the brothers asking for franchises. At one time there were 3 Pigs in Burien, Ballard and Mercer Island.

“None of them are around anymore,” said Todd Harrell. “We’re the only ones.”

Longevity hasn’t come easy. The loss of their mother who had been the face of the business for a decade was difficult. Running a barbecue restaurant takes determination.

“It’s a lot of work to do this every day,” Todd said.

Hard work has paid off. The business, Todd said, grows a little bit every year. They’re such an icon in Bellevue that people give directions to other stores in the Design Center by saying it’s in the same shopping center as 3 Pigs.

Preparing the food takes a lot of dedication.

 “Cooking good barbecue is time consuming,” Todd said.

Indeed, that’s the insider tip he gives to anyone who wants to try duplicating 3 Pigs’ baby back ribs or pulled pork for sandwiches. You’ve got to invest time.

“Low and slow,” he said. “Cook over low heat for a long time. Our smokers run constantly. We open them in the morning at 10 a.m. and by 2 p.m. we’re ready to reload with the next day’s meats.”

The easiest part about barbecue, it seems, is eating it. What you start cooking today, Todd Harrell said, is what you’ll be eating tomorrow.