Fred Sliwinski, owner and cook of the Well-Dressed Hog, prepares some barbecue.
Photo by Dan Watkins

'Hog' heaven is as close as Third Street
By Dan Watkins
Many people attribute the revitalization of Dover not only to the new stores that are opening, but also to the restaurants. The Well Dressed Hog, however, is a new restaurant which offers a dining experience like nothing Dover has ever had.
Fred Sliwinski, owner and cook for the restaurant, got his start in cooking at a very early age. “My mom went to UNH and my dad worked full-time,” he explained, “so it was ‘learn to cook’ or ‘go hungry.’”
Sliwinski did learn to cook, and, over time, cooking became an interest for him instead of a necessary skill. “I read some books here and there, watched some shows, and began to learn all about food.”
Most of what Sliwinski learned, however, he learned from a man named Jonathan St. Laurent, who owned Uncle Billy’s Southside Barbecue in Portland, Maine.
“Jonathan St. Laurent was a great cook,” explained Sliwinski. “I got to know him, and he taught me that cooking is a fun kind of atmosphere to work in.”
At the same time that Sliwinski’s experience in the culinary field was growing, he also started riding motorcycles. These two interests began to come together, and from them he developed a very unique idea.
“My initial idea,” said Sliwinski, “was to serve food to the biker community in the area.” And so, six years ago, Sliwinski bought a lunch truck equipped with a full kitchen, and started a catering business. “It went pretty well,” Sliwinski said. “I sold food at United Bikers of Maine events and drove up to the ice races.”
When Sliwinski wasn’t off catering an event, he sold food in Somersworth. It was there that the Well Dressed Hog began to build up a good customer base. Just as it began to flourish however, Sliwinski was forced to move the business out Somersworth for reasons beyond his control.
At that time, Sliwinski made the decision to open a restaurant of his own, and began looking for a location. The current Dover location, on Third Street, was one of them. “The Dover Main Street people called right as I was about to close a deal with another location,” Sliwinski said, “and here I am.” Sliwinski chose Third Street for its phenomenal location and how reasonable the landlord was. “I was impressed with everyone I had to work with to start this place,” says Sliwinski. “The city people, firefighters, and Main Street people were really looking to help me and get me moving.”
Sliwinski finalized everything with the proper people, and the Well Dressed Hog opened in Dover this past June. This is the place to go for home-cooked barbecue, as the restaurant features fare such as ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and chicken. All the food is made from scratch, including barbecue sauces and hand sliced french fries. Not only is the food good, but you get a lot of it, too.
“Ninety percent of our customers end up taking food home because they can’t finish,” boasted Sliwinski. It’s not only the food which makes this a good place to eat, but also the atmosphere.
Sliwinski prides the restaurant on its “laid back, relaxing, ‘be yourself’ atmosphere.” “I like that I can walk around in a T-shirt and that I don’t have to put on some false identity for people,” said Sliwinski. The restaurant is just a place to spend time with friends and family.
Although Sliwinski’s original intent was to serve food to the biker community, the clientele so far has been diverse. As Sliwinski puts it, “the types of customers have been right across the spectrum. We do have many bikers, but they’re the good ones that don’t get rowdy. There have also been a lot of college kids, downtown merchants, business people, and older, retired people.”
Sliwinski, though, believes that the restaurant is a good place for families to come and eat. “Where else can you bring kids that they can draw on the walls?” he asked, alluding to the many dry erase boards that adorn the walls. The restaurant is very brightly colored, and there is pig-related paraphernalia everywhere.
As a restaurant, the Well Dressed Hog has been doing well. “We’re relying mainly on word-of-mouth advertising right now,” says Sliwinski, “but we also have a lot of repeat customers.”
The Well Dressed Hog still caters events as well. “We can cook food for people,” said Sliwinski, “or they can use the space. We can hold about 75 people for private functions.”
“We have,” said Sliwinski, “the only genuine barbecue on the Seacoast. Dover has been dying for new tastes, and it’s finally starting to come out of its shell through the new restaurants and shops. It’s being done correctly and the city is encouraging this type of growth.”
Fred Sliwinski seems eager to have citizens and visitors check out Dover’s new businesses, and his is no exception.
“Come in, sit down, eat your meal, and walk out full,” he said, “because you will.”