This place is a trip! Old school La Mesa for the win. It's obvious that the building is been around a long while, however you would never know by how well they maintain the place. The old school furniture feels so nostalgic. The order at the counter and get your food was a little different but works well and food was served fast. But let's face it! I'm not there because of the building our counter service. I came for the brisket! How good could it be anyway? Melt in your mouth good! It's officially reached the top 3 in San Diego for me! I'd go back again and again even without table service and no margaritas! This place would probably be on regular rotation for me if they had a full bar. read more

The Barbecue Pit - Half pound sliced brisket with potato salad and Mac salad. - Barbeque Near Me - El Cajon, California

I'll go with a four star for now, I've only had a couple things, but so far so good! I've had the burnt ends sandwich and enjoyed it, and I enjoy the split pea soup (and they give you a healthy portion!), though just a tiny bit salty, but that's probably just me as I don't tend to add a lot of salt to stuff. Super friendly service as well! read more

The Barbecue Pit - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Went back today this place is great food is fantastic service is great, best barbecue place in San Diego, had the beef plate yummy!!! Beens and coleslaw are fantastic also. read more

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By chance ran into some friends I hadn't seen in a while and we decided to have BBQ for lunch. It was the first time for all of us to try this place. I got the brisket sandwich and navy bean soup. I thought the soup had a nice homemade flavor. The brisket was tasty and plentiful but there were a couple of drier pieces. I decided not to eat the hamburger bun bread because I prefer toasted bread. My friends got the half chicken daily special. They really enjoyed their meal with BBQ sauce reminded them of when they lived in Texas. One minute it was empty and then a long line formed the next minute. It's like everyone got the memo! The place was really tidy with simple style cafeteria decor. read more

The Barbecue Pit - Half Chicken Plate - Barbeque Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Great the eat hear on a cold rainy day. The food is hot and delicious.. self serve you walk up to the kitchen. Ambience is barbecue western. You serve your own meal read more

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OMG! This food is OFF The Chains, Unbelievable! The Best BBQ food I've ever had and trust me, It don't get better! They've been around for like 45 years and I can see/taste why. So yummy! Try it and you'll make it a regular habit...I did !!! Gary Femrite read more

Get the brisket! Get the brisket! Get the brisket! Did I mention I had the brisket? Tender, juicy, yummy.

Stopped in here a no frills BBQ joint that delivers decent BBQ at reasonable prices and that's hard to find these days! Definitely a better experience that what I had at National City location yrs ago . Tried all the sauces and all very distinct and tasty . read more

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This place is truly unbelievable...open since 1947 time capsule! Brisket is 10/10 Very nice and friendly staff Best bbq in san diego hands down A+++ read more

The Barbecue Pit - Brisket sandwich, potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - El Cajon, California

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The meat looked like canned dog food and the place was a bit rundown. I got the feeling that the older crowd likes it because of its history which makes sense because of how long it has been there. I wouldn't come again. Nothing absolutely terrible here just not great. read more

Such a charming place with solid cooking! Simple home style menu with quality food. Apparently it's been here for at least 50 years! Stepping inside you're transplanted to early western days. Service with a smile from everyone even when extra busy. When you first see the sandwich you think oh...is that all! Then you dig in and boy do you fill up quickly. All three of us had the beef sandwich. The beef was incredibly tender, to perfection. If it's flavor you're looking they provide a side of BBQ sauce. They smartly offer it as a side so the beef isn't missed or overshadowed. I was lucky enough to hear about ordering crispy fries and am thrilled I did as they were amazing. Dare I say it was the best part of the meal for me? And you get a huge pile on a small plate. Dad had the macaroni salad and surprisingly would give it a 5 out of 5! So that's a huge compliment. Perfect place to bring the family and they will serve a special thanksgiving meal. read more

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Matt and Martha are both behind the counter serving up some delicious barbecue food and sides. Had the value meal ham sandwich with beans and a drink for lunch. Had was delicious and perfectly cooked with the sauce. Sandwich was huge. Can't wait to try this place again soon. Will definitely try the pork ribs dinner dish. read more

The Barbecue Pit - Value Ham Sandwich Plate. - Barbeque Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Great food and awesome service! I have been coming here for years and plan to continue enjoying their wonderful ribs my favorite!

I can't believe I never reviewed this place. Our family has been coming here for years. Not only do they have good barbecue but we went there on Thanksgiving this year and they had a great Thanksgiving dinner. We weren't doing a big family get together this year. The food was great and the leftovers were also. In the past we used to always get the barbecue ribs plate. It's unfortunate the prices have gone off everywhere including here but they are still competitive. The owners and workers are so very nice also. I love that. It's what I love about supporting small local businesses. I had heard while I was out of town that they closed so I was tickled pink to find that they were still open when I came back. I hope they stay open for years to come! read more

LOVE THIS PLACE!! Delicious smoked meats consistently done right! Esp now that they're featuring brisket again. This is not a trendy, fly-by-night joint. All their meats are fantastic; fries cooked in beef tallow; great sides. My family loves the ham; soups are great also. Finally, the atmosphere and set up of the dining room brings me back to a better time--and I love the history of this place. read more

We've eaten here many times. Food is hit or miss. Sometimes really good, sometimes whatever-missing flavor, not cooked well, etc. But today, we got a hair in our food while dining in. My husband went to tell the workers, and the young, tall man with the dark brown hair said, "what do you want me to do about it?" No apology, nothing. Not to mention we noticed none of the workers wear hair nets, and they don't wear gloves. They go from handling money, to then serving the food, sometimes touching the food with their dirty hands. My husband watched the server grab the entirety of his sausage link with his whole hand. This will be the last time we eat here after the poor customer service, lack of sanitation, and hit or miss food. read more

The prices are affordable and the food is good; however, not all staff members show the same level of enthusiasm or engagement. The restaurant is clean, but there was no visible management presence. The music was a bit too loud, which affected the overall atmosphere. Unfortunately, I may not return or recommend this restaurant. read more

The beef brisket was dry and like shoe leather ..I couldn't believe it..they were highy recommended by a friend..I called my friend to ask him how his brisket was...he agreed it was dry and tough..nothing like brisket I've ever ate. I think they gave me the butt end.. couple of young guys working there..they don't really care ...but I will certainly NEVER return .oh but the banana pie was good..but overpriced...but ok. Small consolation....if you're thinking of eating there ..save yourself ..don't do it read more

The food is amazing! This place has lots of seating and a parking lot out front. The ambience is really nice, they play country music. Ms. Badpenny got the Brisket bowl of chili, it's huge! Comes with cornbread. I got the 1/2 sandwich 1/2 bowl of soup. The ham sandwich is tasty, the split pea soup is amazing too! read more

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Was missing the Wrangler Bbq. Ambiance the same. Beef tastes exactly the same and the fries are a match as well. Choice of 3 good bbq sauces. Will be back. (SO much meet in my beef sandwich. Couldn't eat it all) read more

Please support a very long established family business from I'm guessing the early 1960s . Food is good if not great ... prices are reasonable in this day and age. Workers are friendly. It is definitely worth a visit, it's like going back in time several decades and the food is good and super nostalgic. We need to keep these type of heritage restaurants around! read more

Always have loved the food here since young age, about 60+ years. Fast service and unfortunately not packed. We had 2 small dinners, one beef one ham. Really like their BBQ sauce. Baked beans have always been our favorite and we got macaroni salad and French fries too. Only offered dinner rolls tonight but do have cornbread as an option. All food was very satisfying. Had a discount email coupon which helped. Parking situation is good in that you can park right outside door. read more

Classic BBQ. Wish the baked beans had more flavor and wish they'd have Mac & cheese as a side option. Ham and pork ribs are my favorite!

Food does not taste as good as it used too. They need to wear gloves when touching meat and they don't. Gross bathroom and they are very rude. Will not return. read more

Never disappointed with the bbq! Tasty and made to perfection, although I do wish they had a better dessert menu, I think it would definitely add to the Pit read more

I had forgot how good this place is. I used to come here as a treat when I was younger. I stopped in and got the roast beef plate and a side of pea soup. The beef was amazing, and the soup was the best. I also had a side of beans and potato salad. It was all great and I now question why I stopped coming here. I'll definitely will return soon. Service was very welcoming and fast. Don't forget to get extra bbq sauce as it is sweet and adds to the meal with its homemade flavor. It's a family owned restaurant that has maintained an old time charm and flavor. read more

Was out east with my daughter and she likes BBQ and loved this place! Very nice owners and family running the place. High quality and authentic Texas style BBQ. I liked their sweet heat sauce better than the house sauce, but both were great! Great place for family or a dinner daughter date. Great portions and value. If you are craving some real bbq and good sides, check them out my friends. read more

The Barbecue Pit - Barbeque Near Me - El Cajon, California

Im a KCBS Certified BBQ Judge, so I have a fairly high standard when it comes to BBQ. My wife and I went into the Restaurant fairly late in the day and that may have been my fault. Because if you want good smoked meat, you should get there early. We ordered all of the meat items that we could and shared them. The Atmosphere reminded me so much of the Now Closed Wrangler Family BBQ with the trays and the salads. The Roast Beef and the Ham were very good and tasty. But when it came to the Beef Brisket Burnt Ends I was shockingly disappointed. I've never in my life had chopped burnt ends. And these burnt ends were dry. The sliced Brisket we recieved was very very dry and could've been better used to feed the Homeless for free than to charge hard working people money to choke it down. I will give the BBQ PIT Another try someday but I will get there early when I can expect moist Brisket. read more

We haven't been here in years! When we walked in hardly anything about the ambiance had changed from the 70's (which we loved). It took us back to great memories having dinners there with our families when we were little. The food is still really good. Meat is flavorful and tender and the sides were really good too. I love their cole slaw and fries! The barbecue sauce was a bit thinner than I like. Service was good but kinda slow as you have to stand in the order line until the person/people ahead of you order is completed so they only do one order at a time. Even though this is how they've always done it, it's very inefficient. read more

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Over priced in my opinion. The ham was dry. The brisket was pretty good. Sauce was very yummy

They have great bbq. And they are always very nice. We have bought a lot of meat there.

It's gonna be a no for me..... we went one evening for dinner and i opt'd for the bbq pulled pork plate and a side of Mac and cheese. The bbq pork tasted like it had overdosed on brown sugar. And just tasted really..... dry? Yet sauced up at the same time? It was a miserable bit of meat that felt dressed in a mixture of depression and vegan nightmares. The Mac and cheese. LOL. This concoction was so curdled that even the cheese dismissed itself and left the chat. It was a mixture of clumpy boys of curdled milk and mushy old pasta. Not a fan. Whoever made that mess needs a new position ... it's not their strong suit. read more

The food is amazing with a Texas Style influence. The Beef and Ham Sandwich's are our favorite, not to mention the brisket!

The ribs are ok, but to expensive for the quality, especially when they stopped accepting the restaurant card. The sides are just ok. Too many other places with better BBQ at that proce point. read more

Their $6.99 burnt ends sandwich was amazing . Smokey, tender and delicious. I'm definitely coming back. read more

The Barbecue Pit - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - El Cajon, California

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My lifelong love affair with Barbeque pit has come to an end. After a lifetime of going there at least 200+ times, I was given attitude for the first time ever.. and over dog trimmings. Then when I tried to politely explain to the old timer carving meet, after he bagged up my soup, that I had been going there since I was a child, over 45 years of going there and that was first time I was ever given attitude. He just gave more attitude., oh well, bye.. I'm just in shock..then I said it doesn't seem like it's worth losing a lifetime customer.. k, bye.. they completely devalued me as a lifetime customer and made it clear my lifelong business with them is completely meaningless. Thanks Barbeque pit, this may have just added years on to my life expectancy read more

Great food and friendly service nice music easy access 1 flat-screen tv . So our experience was

Great authentic bbq. Friendly front counter staff. Good quality with generous portions.

The line was insane at the Wrangler because of the announcement they will be closing this weekend. So like a couple of dummies we came here to get our BBQ fix. What a disappointment. Thin sliced ham piled low! Boo hiss. Nothing like the Wrangler with thick juicy, smokey piled high sandwiches. So so fries, decent cole slaw. Do not despair! The BBQ Pit in National City is amazing. Even better is the one in North County. read more

The Barbecue Pit - Sad, sad, sad - Barbeque Near Me - El Cajon, California

Best Ham sandwich in San Diego hands down. Way better then Honey Bake, I've tried both to compare The Barbecue Pit was soooo much better! And $4.00 less. read more