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Pitmasters Back Alley BBQ

3.5 (81 reviews)
ModerateBarbeque
Open • 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

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PITMASTERS BACK ALLEY BBQ ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Quiet
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Pitmasters Back Alley BBQ

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Oma's Oma's Cheesy Tennessee Potatoes, fried okra, Mac and cheese
Vivian R.

The St. Louis ribs are definitely the stand out dish! Falling-off-the-bone tender, it earns an "eat with your hands endorsement". The dry rub is excellent, and the ribs stand on their own even without sauce. It's a quality cut of meat, not all bone and cartilage. The broasted chicken is also very good, moist and tasty. However, we found our order of the Texas prime brisket to be dry, and not a particularly great cut of meat. Don't forget a good selection of comfort food sides: Oma's cheesy Tennessee potatoes are my favorite. The cornbread comes with jalapeño jelly and the fried okra comes with a zippy aioli. It's not quite crispy with takeout (understandably), but we'll look forward to dining in when there isn't a COVID surge underway. Service is always prompt and friendly and our orders have been packaged well and well-timed so that the food is nice and hot at pick up.

Linda O.

I think their St. Louis ribs are outstanding. My family adores them; we get a half rack without the bread and side, and it runs $14 and some change (includes tax). Other menu selections that are respectable include burnt ends; fried okra; and Texas sidewinder fries (plain or loaded). Sandwiches are what they offer most, but I've not had many of them. I favor the larger cuts of meats, such as pork ribs and prime beef ribs. I'm not keen on their granny's apple slaw or mother-in-slaw. Ditto on the slices of white bread. I appreciate the way the food items are carefully boxed up and placed in a paper bag with strong handles for carry-out--very important for transporting a long distance. In fact, carry-out is the only option at Pitmasters Back Alley. There is no dining on-site.

Before partaking. You can see the difference in the biscuits.
Mike V.

Ordered the Burnt ends cheddar biscuits. Ends were 50% inedible. Only half were tender enough to chew thoroughly and some had a lot of fat. They looked and tasted "old". The overpriced biscuits were inconsistent. The first one was tasty with a crisp shell. The second was very spicy. I like spicy food but wasn't prepared for it after the first. And the second also tasted "old". Almost musty. I have eaten here before and rather enjoyed it. Not so much this time. If I do go back I'll get something else......

Egg shell in cornbread.

Egg shell in cornbread. Was excited to try this place. Never had a big piece of eggshell in any food I've ordered anywhere. So this is a first.

As featured on the website.
Connie P.

Have ordered this meal several times. Epic fail this time. Burnt ends are so salty, impossible to eat and I love salty food! The ST Louis ribs are a soft, grey slab of meat. No seasoning and no color. So disappointed. I called the restaurant, fellow apologized, said they will do better which does not help me. Biscuits and side are delicious, as always.

Jonny V.

What a bummer. Pitmasters wasn't high on my list of places to try, but after seeing consistently high reviews on Yelp, I finally decided to give them a try. When I went to their website, I saw that they were part of the Wagshal family, which for me, was a huuuge plus. Wagshal's is where I prefer to buy my meat, and always the place I to go for expert advice (especially when trying to reconcile conflicting information from on the internet). So, back to the Pitmasters experience. I called-in my order, and was told what items were available/not available immediately, which was helpful. Fortunately, they weren't out of any of the items I wanted. Parking was easy (none of the spots in front of the restaurant was taken, and there was also plenty of street parking available), and when I made my way to the counter, I was greeted cordially by the Pitmasters team. Here's where things started to fall apart: I looked at my receipt, and thought that I had been overcharged. The website stated that the brisket was $16.99/serving, yet I had been charged $18.99. I looked above at the chalkboard menu, and saw the price listed as $18.99. This wasn't a big deal, because restaurants are constantly updating menu prices without actually updating their online menus. No stars deducted for this. When I got home, still excited to devour some brisket, I pulled the enormous box out of the bag, and thought, "Hmmm...it doesn't feel like there's much in here. Must be my mind playing tricks on me." I opened the box, saw the fries and coleslaw, and an aluminum foil package (that contained the brisket and two slices of white bread). Judging by the amount of brisket I first saw upon opening the foil - five thin slices, to be exact - I figured that Pitmasters had wrapped it in such a way that the brisket was layered. Nope. I searched high and low, to no avail. Five measly slices of brisket. At this point, I was disappointed, but remained hopeful that this would be the most fantastic brisket ever. It was still warm (it wasn't even a 10-minute drive home), which was a great sign, and I hurried to get it onto my plate, along with the hot sauce and fries. I sat down, mouth fully watering at this point, and put the first slice of brisket (20% of the total brisket, mind you) in my mouth. Dry and only somewhat flavorful. This is the nicest way to describe this "brisket." Thank goodness for the slivers of fat (only on two of the five slices) that provided some semblance to good, or even normal, brisket. Had it not been for those morsels, I would had ended my meal nearly in tears. The fries and "mother-in-law" slaw were the sides, and although I didn't care for this variety of coleslaw (far too bland for my taste), I did really like the fries. I've posted a picture of the meal. Note that neither the coleslaw nor half of the fries are on the plate.

The door with the little pig on it.
Gail S.

Finding the place was a bit of an adventure. They will probably get a bigger sign later but for right now there's just a little pig "open" sign hanging from the door. The door is under the green awning of the "apex center." It is easy to miss. The staff was very nice and knowledgeable about all of the food. My chopped pork sandwich and beans were very good. As we waited he went into detail about the difference between chopped pork and pulled pork. The spiral cut french fries were unique and very good. Unfortunately, they were out of ribs so I have to get them the next time I go. I would recommend looking at the menu online and calling ahead. They make everything fresh so it can take a while for each order. My only cons were that the fish was a bit salty and the sides are quite small. Overall I would definitely recommend trying it out.

Homemade key lime pie.  It was about a 6"-7" pie so a good size to share amongst a few friends or eat little by little every day. :)

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7 months ago

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6 months ago

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2 years ago

The BBQ was excellent! (We had pulled chicken sandwich and an Austin brisket sandwich.) The collards greens were fantastic as well.

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2 years ago

I wanted to really like this place but Just okay the ribs, bbq. I liked the coleslaw and baked beans.

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5 years ago

Hard to find but worth it! Literally in an alley, everything I've had is good. Although it's not barbecue, the perch sandwich is amazing.

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Silver and Sons BBQ

Silver and Sons BBQ

4.2(71 reviews)
1.3 mi

Good Folks I ran into a no pork barbecue spot on my timeline. I love beef ribs, so i decided to…read morecheck them out!! Let me tell you, I'm sooo glad that I pulled up!! This quaint spot is a must have...LET'S GO!! . Where I am: @silverandaonsbbq . Location Reviewed: 5362 Westbard Ave, Bethesda M.D. . Items Reviewed: STAMP!! Their Beef Ribs ($32 with half a rack of beef ribs, a challah roll, pickles, & a spiced vinegar bbq sauce). Well seasoned, meaty, tender, & a tasty bbq sauce!! STAMP!! Their 2 for 2 Platter ($25 with a 1/4 Freebird Farms smoked chicken, pickles, bbq sauce, shredded lamb shoulder, mac n cheese, challah bread, & lemon schmaltz potatoes). The lamb shoulder was juicy, & well seasoned, STAMP that challah bread, STAMP the potatoes, the chicken was definitely LIKE THAT, & the mac was DELICIOUS!! STAMP!! Their Jalapeno Cheddar Beef Sausage ($7 with Baharat mustard, & pickles). Well spiced, it snapped, with that curry flavored mustard!! STAMP!! Their Lamb & Beef Merguez Smash Burger ($15 a double beef & lamb patty with paprika aioli, lamb bacon, onions, & tzatziki sauce). A nice smoky blend of lamb & beef, a flavorful aioli, crunchy bacon that I couldn't tell was lamb, & creamy sauce. STAMP!! Their Brisket Steak n Cheese ($19 with brisket, Gruyere cheese, fried chicken skin, & aioli on a sourdough baguette). My new favorite cheesesteak!! Well seasoned, a smoky cheese, crispy chicken skin, & superbly flavorful!! STAMP!! Their S'mores Rice Krispy Treat ($5). Crispy, chewy, sweet, & tasty!! . Customer Service: On Point . Parking: Decent. . Recommendations: Get that Cheesesteak!! . Accessibility: It's wheelchair friendly, & it's differently abled persons friendly.

Jewish BBQ joint. I'm not sure what you Yelpers were…read morethinking when y'all referred me to this place with your good reviews, but you all missed. Took my brutha here to celebrate his birthday and it's basically an upscale carryout. A couple sets of (8) chairs outside and a few benches inside - all occupied. Plus, it's too chilly to be eating outside...so we took the food to his place up the street. No worries - food will be good, right?? First the good: That hearty smokiness of summertime barbecue wafted from the front door as I walked up, had me totally turned on. Service was excellent from the guy waiting on us. Now, the rest.... + The (full slab) beef ribs were dry, oversalted and tough. + The pound of lamb shank I ordered didn't taste like lamb. I actually thought they had forgotten to give me my order. Their smoking process shouldn't overwhelm the natural earthiness I was expecting - from lamb. + The fried chicken was moist and juicy with a nice crunch. Decently seasoned too. + The garlic potatoes tasted old. + Assorted sauces we good...enough. + Rolls are tasteless. I could've taken my brother to a thousand other places and spent far less than $89, and we were both disappointed with this one. The bag was heavy too so we were falsely encouraged initially. There's parking right next door but we parked in the gas station across the street and walked over. I won't be returning.

Photos
Silver and Sons BBQ - But, oh yeah, makin' BBQ takes time and they are soooo good at it!

But, oh yeah, makin' BBQ takes time and they are soooo good at it!

Silver and Sons BBQ
Silver and Sons BBQ - Pitmaster platter for $75: 4 meat picks, 4 sides (deviled eggs, Cabbage Slaw, harissa carrots, and babaganoush), and 2 dessert

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Pitmaster platter for $75: 4 meat picks, 4 sides (deviled eggs, Cabbage Slaw, harissa carrots, and babaganoush), and 2 dessert

The Salt Line - Bethesda - Oyster

The Salt Line - Bethesda

3.8(210 reviews)
2.5 mi
•$$$

Last night tabletop dinner:…read more Great space and excellent seafood tower. Everything was expensive, but in-line or decently priced for fresh shellfish. Cannot overstate how nice the bar and restaurant ambience is which is fine-dining level but with a everyday casual service and menu. The aptly named "Kraken" is fantastic. 10/10, no notes. Actually a value at 200 bucks if it's your dinner. The lobster roll was 45 bucks and that is exorbitant, but given everything under Trump :)...not surprising.. Very good Marg - not too sweet and cold beers. Had the Narragansett draft which is a perfect, dry lager for seafood. They were out of the Kolsch I wanted, but no complaints. Service was economical if not not spectacular. Coming back to sit at the bar and suck on oysters and beers soon!

I had an absolutely amazing experience at The Salt Line. The service and food completely exceeded…read moremy expectations. The portions aren't huge, but they're perfectly sized--just enough to enjoy everything and still have room for dessert. The crab roll was incredibly fresh and flavorful, and the salad with its tangy dressing paired perfectly with it. The deviled eggs were honestly the best I've ever had--no exaggeration. The richness of the filling was outstanding. The cocktails were light and refreshing, and happy hour made everything feel even more worth it. I ended with the key lime pie, which was fluffy, bright, and layered in deliciousness. The atmosphere is open, friendly, and has a really well-done nautical vibe that fits the whole experience. And our waitress was fantastic, attentive without being intrusive, and we never had to flag her down for anything. Can't wait to come back and try more of the menu.

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The Salt Line - Bethesda - The inside of the restaurant. Lovely.

The inside of the restaurant. Lovely.

The Salt Line - Bethesda - S'mores Pot De Cream

S'mores Pot De Cream

The Salt Line - Bethesda - Bethesda Blossom.

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Bethesda Blossom.

Pitmasters Back Alley BBQ - bbq - Updated May 2026

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