Ten years ago, I met Kathy. She used to work at AAI just up the road from Charcoal Deli. She said Mark ran a great shop and the pit beef was great. Also, their Lemonade/Half&Half/Flavorade drink was exceptional, primarily because Mark brewed his own sugar syrup. She's right. I can't speak to the other items on the menu because I'm smitten by the Pit Beef. I live just inside the beltway. We usually call in the order, get in the car and by the time we get there, the food is ready. You can eat at the picnic table out front, or in your car. Sometimes we wait until we get back home. You've probably blown by Church Road a thousand times. Go west, one block. Charcoal Deli is on the right. And there's a hispanic grocery store right there in case you need to pick up a few things. Here's a picture all dressed up for Summer with the awnings and umbrellas. read more

Charcoal Deli - Charcoal Deli 22 Church Lane. - Delis Near Me - Cockeysville, Maryland

Good bang for your buck at this place! Got a pit beef sandwich! A little too much bread in my opinion, but the flavor of the pit beef had that great Maryland taste! I got a pit turkey for lunch the next day! Same concept, very great tasting turkey, but a little too much roll. The Pit chicken my wife had gotten had a delicious taste to it. The fries come a plenty! A little salty, but fresh cut! The location was convenient right off the main drag near Cockeysville. Service was great! They messed up the order, but we're quick to fix everything and gave a little extra fries for the mishap! The location itself was unique. Baseball cards were plexy glassed into the counter. We went at night time, unsure if there was seating or not. We got ours to go. Quick little to go counter worked well. read more

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Great spot for some bbq. Delicious pit beef sandwich and some tasty fries. Really easy to place and order and pick up. read more

Charcoal Deli - Pit Beef - Delis Near Me - Cockeysville, Maryland

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This is a walk-up outdoor stand, a couple steps up and a couple steps down. The pit beef was delicious. The time waiting was terrible. It took 20 minutes to receive our two sandwiches and an order of fries on this noon time Saturday. The employees were working hard but things were not moving fast. I noticed that one customer with what appeared to be a meat and fries only order bypassed several of us still waiting for our orders to be called out. His business was obviously a priority. I'll have second thought before returning. read more

Charcoal Deli - Menu 1 - Delis Near Me - Cockeysville, Maryland

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Food was absolutely terrible. It should not have even been served to us. I cannot comment on the service because we did take out. I gave them 2 stars because the pickle and sweet tea was good. My coworker and I got chicken club.... Dry, overcooked and truly they must do better. read more

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Charcoal Deli is like the taste of my childhood. I'm pretty sure this place is older than I am. What appears to be a simple, trailer-like building with an old, wooden deck tucked away in a parking lot in Cockeysville is actually a BBQ lover's oasis. Whenever I drive past, I always get the craving for a turkey sandwich, a half and half, and of course, those french fries. So naturally when I needed to get my car worked on down the street, I made it a point to get lunch from here (for the first time in years). It was just as I remembered. The kaiser roll with the melted cheese and flavorful pit turkey, the tart half and half, and the perfectly crispy fries overflowing into the grease-stained paper bag. Bliss. I'm not a big fan of BBQ but when I want it, I come to Charcoal Deli. Fast, no fuss, and damn good. read more

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My order: pit beef Sammy with onions and tiger sauce and a side of fries. A little over $14 for both. The fries were great. Fair/boardwalk style. Perfect amount of salt. The sandwich was just ok. Beef wasn't hot and the tiger sauce wasn't as flavorful as some of the others I've had elsewhere. The bun was super soft and fresh, though. I did appreciated that. The portion sizes were fairly small in comparison to other Pitt beef places around Baltimore. It's an outdoor joint. Order at one window and pick up at another. A few picnic tables in the parking lot if you'd prefer to eat there, but it's mostly a carry out joint. read more

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This was certainly the most disgusting food I've ever had. Everything was bad, the wait time was 30 minutes. Even the free brownie that they gave us an apology for the wait was nasty. How do you mess up a brownie? The macaroni and cheese was also horrible - worse than a microwave cup from home. The bbq sandwiches were inedible. Slimy meat with no flavor and onions that had the consistency of tapeworms. Even the $1.50 pickle was funky tasting. Somebody call the health department. This place is beyond nauseating. Better yet - call an arsonist. Giving this place one star is being gracious. read more

Haven't eaten there in a while. Got the pit beef, with sauce and horseradish. Fries and onion rings. The sandwich was decent but the sauce and horseradish had little flavor. Size was good and roll fresh. Nothing to write home about in my opinion. And there is no reason for it. Onion rings were excellent. Cooked perfectly. They tasted great. The only thing I would suggest is using a cardboard-based clamshell instead of plastic, which melted from the heat. The fries were the most disappointing part. They were dry and over cooked. They clearly sat under the heat lamp. They should always be cooked fresh even in small batches. If you're going to cook, fresh onion rings, you need to cook fresh french fries. They went right in the trash. Besides pit beef, the french fries were always the best. You certainly charge enough to cook them fresh. Honestly next time I'll get a better experience at The Corner Stable right across the street. I can get the exact same food. I'll gladly pay more to get it too there. read more

The BBQ wings and ribs are they best. They have boardwalk fries. It's a carryout only. This is the only place where I will travel 20 miles to get their food. Cooked on the grill Ypur welcome! read more

The XXX are some of THE BEST spicy wings out there. If you love hot wings you won't be disappointed. Be warned, when you call in your order and they say 20 minutes, plan on standing there another 10-15 minutes when you check in. I understand if they want to give you fresh fries but I've seen people place an order at the counter and get their food before ours. They need to work on this aspect of calling ahead. read more

Been here several times. Consistently good food. Reasonable prices. Pit beef good, fries are very good and chicken tenders are absolutely the best esp with Honey Mustard Sauce they offer as a side. read more

Stopped here on a rainy Saturday afternoon to grab some food with my mom. I ordered the pit turkey sandwich and my mom has the pit beef sandwich. The turkey had a great smoked flavor and my mom enjoyed the pit beef. The size of the sandwich was perfect for lunch. I was expecting more from the fries since other reviewers raved about them but the fries ended up being a bit soggy. Service was quick and the staff was friendly. We got caught in a downpour and sparked up a conversation with the cooks while we waited for the rain to die down. Will definitely return when in the area again. read more

Charcoal Deli - Smoked Pit Turkey Sandwich - Delis Near Me - Cockeysville, Maryland

Never received my order through Uber Eats after $70 and two hours of waiting.. Encouraging people to stop patronizing stores/restaurants that don't ensure customers get what they paid for...mad af! read more

Ok.... I ate there last year and I was impressed. The pit beef sandwich was good and the fries were crispy on outside and creamy on the inside,, just how I like it. I raved about it to my wife and told her she had to try it. Soooo... we went this past Saturday and I was expecting the same as I remembered..... it was a big let down. I ordered the Colossal pit beef which turned out to be very small,, then ordered large fries... which turned out to be undercooked and mushy. I got tiger sauce on the side....which was in such a small container, it was hard to believe that they made containers that small... and that in itself was tasteless. Here I was trying to impress her with a good recommendation for lunch but it turned out to be a disappointment. Not sure if I will be going back there. read more

These guys have perfected the most flavorful hot wing you can find anywhere on the globe. Xxx. Always amazing.

Ok, their is no ambiance here. It's an authentic BBQ shack, so you don't go for a 5 star dining experience. But the food is excellent- tender pit beef, deliciously smoked pit turkey and ham, along with other excellent pit foods. I never had the ribs, but my friend did. He said they were not as tender as the nearby bbq restaurant, but also were not smothered by the cloying sweet sauce. He enjoyed the meatier ribs. So go, sit at a picnic table outside, or take your food home. Enjoy! read more

I used to come to Charcoal deli with my children when they were little . I cant find pit beef anywhere in Arizona. I love coming back to Baltimore and eating pit beef I love thier chicken and pit beef . Charcoal deli is a must ! They even offer meat nibbles for your dog ....gotta love it ! read more

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Best fresh cut fries in timonium. Also the best BBQ sauce the food is hot the people are friendly and the owner even makes my custom sandwich the Jaime . The ribs platter and chicken wing platter are always a good choice as well. read more

Go here. I will always go here when I want some great BBQ'd food. Unfortunately, it closes at 8pm! That's what's holding it from five stars, honestly... It has outdoor seating and all. 9pm is a slam dunk in the summer. The food is amazing. I had some of their lemonade and it was refreshing and delicious. Their BBQ chicken sandwich was really great. Perfectly cooked, nice and soft... And a delicious, tangy BBQ sauce. Their sides were absolutely amazing... Great fries with a delicious cheese side, which in itself was really good. We also had their onion rings and their basil mac-n-cheese, which hit the spot. Basil mac is something that more places should try... But I imagine if they get it wrong, it could suck... Luckily, Charcoal Deli does it right! read more

Charcoal Deli - Watching the chicken and burgers cook on that beautiful grill. - Delis Near Me - Cockeysville, Maryland

I ordered a full and half rack of just ribs. While the sauce and the bread are the same, the ribs have gotten WAY smaller with less meat and more bones since 2019. What little meat there was, was really fatty. Normally my wife eats half a rack and is full, and this time she was still hungry. Likewise a full rack of ribs from charcoal Deli usually fills me up and even I was still hungry. This proves there was WAY less meat on the ribs than normal. I hope they source better meat or otherwise I will go to Andy Nelson's or other rib businesses in the area. read more

Not impressed with the food or service here. The only seating is 2 picnic tables outside, so definitely don't come unless you're doing carry out. Even for carry out, my group was unimpressed - the turkey tasted like bland lunchmeat that had been microwaved. I'm not sure how the other sandwich ended up being soggy when it wasn't meant to be sauced. Service was fine when we ordered, but the tone they used when they called that it was ready was harsh and sharp enough to be a little jarring. Two stars because the fries are bomb though. read more

So it's been awhile since I've visited and I have to say it was underwhelming. I opted for the pit beef, which while perfectly medium as requested and tender, lacked any flavor whatsoever. Same with the sauce, which was super watery. Also, the meat to bread ratio was completely off making it a very sad looking sandwich. The fries and cheese sauce that I loved so much were now a soggy cup of fries that basically squished and broke when trying to dip into the rubbery cheese. Bleh. They claim to be Baltimore's Best Pit Beef but they need to seriously step up their game. Do yourself a favor and go to Jake's Grill, or Andy Nelson's, or really any other BBQ stand to get your fix. read more

Food is fantastic. Pit beef is delish. Do yourself a favor and grab a 1/2n1/2 to wash it all down.

I loved this place as a kid.. tried again for the first time in a few years. The quality has gone down hill. Fries were overloaded with salt. The pit beef was over cooked, not rare at all. Kitchen looked dirty. Staff not wearing gloves when handling food, then touching fry baskets, bins, etc. read more

I'm not sure if this is how Maryland BBQ, but it was the worst I have ever had. They didn't have a grill favor to them at all. The sauce was a mix between duck sauce and ketchup. The baked beans were sweet. I rarely buy food and don't eat it. I couldn't eat it. Staff was friendly but this is honest review of the food. I ended up going to Mission BBQ. read more

Not only was half our order forgotten, it was still a long wait for the other half. Beware only seating is outside. The worst part through is the apparent lack of health considerations. Note the raw meat sitting out in the sun. It was not thawing, but warm. read more

Charcoal Deli - Meat sitting out from before we ordered until after we left. Right next to one of the two picnic benches for customers. - Delis Near Me - Cockeysville, Maryland

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Owned by some amazing people! Highly recommend this spot! Very delicious food! Check them out!

this place is great, fresh food and the fries are really hot. the large size is definitley a large!! i'd recommend this place for sure and encourage you to support them during the pandemic! read more

I am always on the look out for good Pit beef and anything made in a smoker. Although this place is a little hidden, it is well worth driving less than a block off of York Rd. Seriously... less than a block. Why are you still reading this?? Go... Pit Beef... Now... Ok Welcome back, what did you get?? "The Good" - There is a punch card for The Sandwich Club [actual name may vary but that's what it is ;)] Get one and use it. - Ravenade - Grape Flavored Lemonade... Yes Please! Oh and don't be afraid of the Lemons that look purple... all is well. - The specialty sandwich combos are listed by name but not ingredient. Although the board suggests asking the cashier, try looking at the carryout menu so you can do the comparison and not hold up my line. - They have indoor seating available for the winter months shared with the Billiard / Arcade Hall next door. - In a strange twist of fate this location has decent fries. Even though this goes against my law of Great Pit Beef = Bad Fries. - The Pit Beef / Pit Ham and Provolone is one of my favorites and you should give it a try. - A recent change of the use of credit cards for payment options... Welcome to the twenty fourth and a half century boys! "The Meh" - It is a little hard to find but follow the quick tip and look to the right when you see the Pizza Hut on the left and you will be good to go. "The Bad" - Nothing really bad to comment on. read more

Let me be clear. This is THE BEST PLACE to get a pit beef or pit turkey sandwich. And that's probably the only reason you'd come here consistently, purposely. The sandwiches are great. They've always got a few slabs of meat smoking away in plain view. The smoke is the ultimate hunger pheromone. Do it. Get that sandwich. Put cheese on it. Demand extra BBQ sauce. Also, get fries. Do it. Put vinegar on them. Ignore your calorie calculating app. Eat it. Aside from that, it's like any other side of the road vender. Small, ugly, old, no effort on aesthetics. Am I expecting too much? Some might think so. But I'd venture to say I have high standards and have seen other do better with less. For example, meander on up to the order window. It's a tiny 2 x 2 hole that you end up yelling through. Cashiers, cooks and guests all look alike. Then you sit and wait for your food to arrive through a different but similar hole. It's just meh. Again, if you want THE BEST pit beef or pit turkey you should seek out this hidden gem. That's what matters most! Do it. Eat it. read more

Charcoal Deli - Did you know they have a heated tent for winter clientele? That makes eating pot beef so toasty! - Delis Near Me - Cockeysville, Maryland

Charcoal deli is always a winner in my book. They have the best fries and sweet tea. I also love that they chargrill their hotdogs!

Honestly, I wouldn't make a special trip to come here again and here's why: Service isn't super friendly and food wasn't super tasty. Everything was just passable. The tiger sauce was excellent though and it made up for the shortcomings of the beef. The bbq sauce was also good, even though it's not like any other bbq sauce I've ever had. Also, I'm not sure if this is the norm but my sandwich was luke warm, borderline cold. Weird. I'm not sure if I'll ever be back. Something (Yelp) tells me there's better pit beef to be had. read more

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This is not the place to go for a five star meal. I read previous reviews where people had unrealistic expectations. This is a great hole in the wall to grab a good sandwich and fries. It is a small spot with limited parking. We both got the Hillary sandwich with fries. We didn't wait long at all. You can watch them make it from the window. I looked in and was surprised at how clean the floor was. Most places are dirty just from cooking through out the day but they had a clean kitchen. The grill was dirty but that's to be expected with how much grilling they are doing. The staff was friendly. The sandwich was good and fries were banging. read more

Cool old school place with good customer service. I thought the food was average but I think I picked things that are not the most popular. We had buffalo wings, chicken filet sandwhich, and Mac and cheese. Buffalo wings were decent just very soft from steaming in the to go box and the sauce was very thin. Chicken filet was just a piece of grilled chicken on a Kaiser roll. Very good actually just very plain and not much to it. Mac and cheese I imagine can be pretty good it was just cold when I got home. That being said I want to give this place another try and go for some of their specials. read more

sorry to say the food was not good ...the pit beef sandwiches were not seasoned and the bun was soggy ... the chicken wings were also not seasoned .. they came plain and they gave you the buffalo sauce on the side ??? the ribs and French fries were decent .... I will not go back ! read more

It has been almost 5 years since I first left this place a review. Very few things stand the test of time. I am happy to say Charcoal Deli, is one of those things. All the raves I had for them, still remain. They are still in regular rotation in our household. They are still for us the gold standard of ribs. Quality and consistency, deserve to be recognized. And Charcoal Deli still deserves to be called one of the best. Highly Recommended. read more

Not much to look at, but their pit beef is to die for. Get the Drewski with tiger sauce. Their fries are also killer, but you really need to eat them fresh. I come here every time I am in town. read more

Saw the local reviews for BBQ and though the reviews were mixed I thought I'd give Charcoal Deli a shot. I saw about 6 people sitting at the 2 picnic benches waiting for their orders and thought the place must be popular. After a little confusion about which window to order from I ordered the half rack of beef ribs. During my wait I watched the three employees work. One was loudly belittling the other workers the entirety of my wait time. This made for a very awkward space and I could tell the other customers felt it too. There was also some confusion about the orders ahead of me. I could tell these fellows were tired and hot working in this fast food shack. I suspect they were getting paid minimum wage and were delivering exactly the service you would expect. I also saw signs up saying the deli was open but was also for sale. Looks like the owners have given up on this business. I also noted none of the workers wore a hat or hairnet working in close quarters around food. although one guy wore a skull cap. Also I noticed the two guys handling raw food / raw and frozen meat with their bare hands I never saw anyone wash their hands between handling raw or cooked food or packaging the food or taking orders using the cash register. Once I got my order I thought the half rack of ribs looked skimpy and sickly and were glazed with a thin sauce. My first impulse was to throw the order and its styrofoam tray in the trash but I figured I should at least try the food. It was bland, skimpy and meh... definitely not the $12 spent on the order. I was so unsatisfied with the food I went home and cooked a proper dinner. Looking back I should have gone to Andy Nelson's BBQ further north on York road or even The Corner Stable BBQ across from Four Seasons pizza. Charcoal Deli-- Never again! And I'm waiting for any signs of food poisoning to show. Food bourne illnesses from unsanitary health and food handling practices are no joke. I seriously doubt that anyone at the Charcoal Deli is Serve-Safe certified and there was clearly no one in a supervisory or managerial role. And this comes from a trained Chef who is Serve -Safe certified at the managerial level. One Star..... read more

Ran out of pulled pork and waited over 30 min for pit beef sandwich. If they were busy I might see waiting but it was pretty dead. Unacceptable! Next ..... No need to worry about a second visit. Won't happen! Food average and not worth the wait. read more