The atmosphere that greeted us was welcoming and the seating comfortable. The restrooms were clean but located down a narrow hall very close to the busy kitchen which can be challenging for disabled patrons. Our server, David C., was personable, attentive and professional. He more than met our expectations. One of the things I was looking forward to while visiting Raleigh was experiencing North Carolina pulled pork in its place of origin. I was NOT disappointed. Fantastic flavor! I opted to used the Eastern NC sauce and WOW! I had to buy a bottle. I had the Brunswick Stew and it was loaded with savory deliciousness. We ordered a skillet of seasonal cornbread which, during our visit, was "honey" flavor. It wasn't what we expected and seemed to be overcooked. The staff graciously took it back and removed it from our bill without fuss. A basket of hush puppies and biscuits were complimentary. My only suggestion is that they offer regular cornbread year round. There isn't anything better with the stew than some good old cornbread. Now for my favorite part, dessert. Aunt Hattie's Double Chocolate Cake was absolutely the BEST chocolate cake I have ever eaten. Believe me when I tell you I have eaten my fair share of chocolate cakes in my lifetime. I would be a frequent customer if we lived closer!!! read more

The Pit - Brunswick Stew Bowl - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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We had a great meal at the Pit yesterday, our first time there. I'm baffled by some of the reviews on the taste of things, because our experience was good. We tried a double combo with brisket and pulled pork, along with fried green tomatoes for an appetizer. This was a LOT of food, especially with hush puppies they gave us early on. I thought the brisket was excellent both in cut and flavor. The pulled pork was pretty fatty but still tasted good. We had baked beans and potato salad- both great. The only thing I don't love was the fried green tomatoes- the tomatoes were so tough I couldn't cut them up and just made a sloppy mess of breading and tomatoes on my plate. Their best sauce and cheese with them were excellent, however. Their beer list is limited but good; we didn't have cocktails or whiskey but they gave good selections worth exploring. The service was great - our server Sree was on point, checking in just the right amount. Everyone we interacted with was bringing their best. All in all, this isn't spectacular BBQ but it's good and the portions are huge. This is a useful option if you're in the area and want something casual and not too fancy or too dive-y. read more

I've been to The Pit a couple of times over the years and I've always had a good experience! The ambiance and service is always on point. The Baby Back Ribs were amazing and the meat literally fell off the bone. I enjoyed them with the vinegar based barbecue sauce. The Mac & cheese and sweet potato fries were also delicious. I ordered a draft beer and the glass was filled to the brim, I appreciated the heavy pour! read more

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Was recommended this place by someone who used to live in the area. Good experience but nothing over the top. My husband and I split everything. Got the Double Combo of the Fried Chicken and Carolina Ribs with sweet potato fries and brussels as well as a serving of fried okra. They brought out biscuits and hush puppies (i think that their name). We liked everything but wished the Double Combo plate came out hot, it was closer to the warm/colder side. Everything else came out hot. Note: The brussels have pork in it and in a sweet sauce, not savoury. Service was fine, ambience was nice outside as it was a nice sunny day in the 70s. read more

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Nothing in this restaurant tasted the way it should with the exception of the hush puppies & biscuits. Things tasted over fried, reheated, bland, and just overall poor quality. The deviled eggs have a sweet, almost cinnamon flavor that is quite strange. The soul rolls definitely were definitely reheated and the wings were fried so hard they were burnt in places. Fried chicken boasted to be the best in the area and while the breading was light, it also lacked any flavor. Bland is not a big enough descriptor for it. For the BBQ, if you have to bury it in sauce that is always a red flag in my opinion as it generally singles a lack of flavor in the meat. That was the case here for sure. Also, if you are going to do sliced brisket, you need to know how to cut it! Cutting with the grain is a big no no and absolutely impacted the flavor. Overall, food was extremely lackluster and disappointing. The ambiance was also a disappointment as we were sat back by a very noisy kitchen unnecessarily. The one good point was our server. He was friendly and the right amount of attentive. He did well. We are just traveling through so won't be back but definitely won't be recommending it either. read more

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Went on a Sunday afternoon, not very busy, it was clean, they def had the heat going. It was a little too warm for my preference but to each their own. Ordered the combo plate, 2 meats and 2 sides. I got the chopped bbq, was pretty good. The brisket is sliced brisket. I got a pretty fatty piece with very little meat but the flavor was still good. I did not like the Mac and cheese. It was dry, I like my Mac and cheese creamy and stringy. My other side was cabbage collards. I hasn't heard of it before. I ordered cabbage thinking it was cabbage but the when it came out, it looked like collards and tasted like collards. Those were good tho! Fried green tomatoes really stole the show. I think out of all of our food I could have just ordered that as my meal with their hush puppies and biscuits and been just as happy. Overall, nice place for Sunday lunch. Across the street was a cool chocolate factory too! read more

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I was apart of a party of 32 and reservations were made in advance. They served complimentary biscuits and hush puppies. Dry. I ordered shrimp skewers, mac and cheese, collard greens and deviled eggs. Deviled eggs were plain. Re-Do the entire recipe. Shrimp skewers were delicious. Mac and Cheese and Collard greens will be the reason I come back. Good portions. Chicken Tenders and Fries. Unseasoned. Overall, located in a great spot of Raleigh, near the Amtrak. Good customer service. read more

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I was excited to try some authentic barbecue while visiting Raleigh on a work trip. Service was outstanding from the moment you walked in through the entire meal. I was very excited after our appetizers came everything was amazing, We ordered the pit sampler, everything on that plate was amazing but the smoked chicken wings stole the show. Don't skip the cornbread. It was on the sweeter side but so divine. Then a huge plate of biscuits and bus puppies landed on the table before our mains came out. We should have stopped there...Was a bit disappointed by the smoked turkey, sweet potato fries, and Brussels sprouts. Turkey bbq was a bit dry and tough, Brussels were overcooked and soggy, sweet potato fries were coated in sugar... read more

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This place was good! Service was kind of slow but the bbq was good! Got pulled pork and some sweet potato fries. We went once with my fiancé and once with my grandparents before. This was a very cute experience and we enjoyed it. Would come back again. read more

The Pit - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Best bbq around. Beef, pork and chicken. Sides are really good too. Service was the best. Nice bar area and plenty of of tables in a great atmosphere. read more

The Pit - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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We were in NC for our first time ever and were so looking forward to trying NC BBQ, The Pit was recommended by our hotel host and it had good reviews so we went there and was unfortunately disappointed with the BBQ. They put a lot of focus into the restaurant experience which was nice and the service was great however the BBQ lacks quality. The meat was had the precooked and rewarmed taste, all meat had sauce on it when served which is always a bad sign. The sides were good though. The experience killed our drive for BBQ so for sure try another place if you can. read more

Always a must when in town! From family style dining to grab & go...The Pit never fails my me or my taste buds! The hushpuppies will leave a lasting impression! Elijah took great care of us! Definitely will be back for a road order! read more

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Very delicious NC BBQ! The baby back ribs were so tender and delicious! Had pulled pork too and it was tender and flavorful! The baked beans were tasty and the friend okra was crispy and good too! Had sweet tea and banana pudding for dessert but of course I had to take a lot of it to go! Generous portions! Loved it! My server Reecia was wonderful and attentive! Great service! read more

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Food was amazing and lives up to it's reputation. Service was just meh The girl tried to charge me dinner prices for a lunch order and gave me the wrong beverage. Yet, you can always just do the online order for pick up to not deal with the mediocre service onsite. However, when the food is this good then you don't have to offer great service. Just do the online order for pick up to avoid the hassle for lunch time orders. Brisket was perfect, Chicken was seasoned great, the cole slaw and baked beans were spot on. Weird tiny little hush puppies the size of grapes but very tasty all the way around. read more

This place was nothing short of awful. Staff were incredibly unfriendly, unwelcoming, and biased. It was difficult to place any order through sports conversations of ONE party of two. If you want food, good luck- there's a strong mildew smell each time the back door opens. I expected more of Raleigh, it's a shame for the location. read more

Overall was a great experience, the staff is super nice and welcoming, the ambiance is nice and the food was delicious. read more

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This place has solid bbq. I ordered the man meat platter and shared it with another person. It had a little bit of everything in terms of meat and was delicious. It comes with two sides, but since many of the sides sounded amazing, we ordered two more. In hindsight, one additional side would have been better in terms of having too much food between two people. Their sweet potato casserole is like puréed heaven and it is sweet, but perfectly sweet. Strongly recommend the baked beans as well. For dessert, we had the chocolate cake and carrot cake for the whole table (more people). The chocolate was too rich. The carrot cake was outstanding. We had such a lovely, kind, attentive, and helpful server. Ambience is laid back. read more

Long term fan of The Pit but lately - and especially tonight - the experience has been more disappointing than satisfying. To begin, this was for takeout. I placed my order with a requested pickup time over 1 hour later. Was assured there would be plenty of time for that. However when I arrived - and I was late so the restaurant had almost 90 minutes to get the order ready. But they hadn't even put the order in to the kitchen!! So I now had to wait as if the order had never been called in. So I got the order and drove to meet my party. That's when we discovered that there was no cutlery nor napkins with the order. Ever tried to eat BBQ with no fork, or brisket with no knife to cut it??? And about that brisket. It was so tough and chewy that 2 different people had to spit out what they were trying to chew and swallow. On the plus side the chopped pork BBQ was as good as usual, so kudos for that. read more

Great food awesome service and fantastic bbq Lots of food and you can get a family meal We all enjoyed the experience read more

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Got the chopped platter. The mashed potatoes were really good and the bbq was alright. Was a little disappointed. Also found a hair in my to go order. Took about 40 mins to get my food. But the ambience was cool. Low light had a back room for more family oriented tables read more

The Pit - Chopped BBQ with mashed potatoes and green beans - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Serving size was pretty big. Definitely can share with one other person. Ordered the beef brisket and was so tender and juicy. The mash potatoes and mac and cheese went so well with it. We were a big group and the staff was friendly and patient with us. Gave us complimentary cake for the birthday celebrants. The appetizer they brought out was so good and filling. The hush puppies were my favorite. Would recommend people who are visiting to try their food. read more

The Pit - Beef Brisket, smash potatoes, mac & cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Went for dinner with a friend. Sat at a high top table. Great service. Checked to make sure we were happy. Food was a lot. Great baked beans. Lots of food to eat. read more

We scheduled the "Back Room" for a 14-person family reunion dinner on a Sunday. Working w/Abby, she helped us build a menu and arrange the event. It went perfectly!. Dinner was served family style, each course timed perfectly. We ate thru NC BBQ, chicken, deviled eggs, fried green tomatoes, hush puppies, brisket, greens, mac & cheese, carrot cake and double chocolate cake. Our server Billy was fantastic and nothing fazed him. Special orders, drinks, the entire evening he made look easy (and we know how hard he worked). The Pit enabled a wonderful evening - thanks to all the crew at The Pit that made it special. read more

We went around 5:30pm on a Wednesday night, and were a couple of the first in for dinner. The restaurant was clean and we loved the rustic decor. The place quickly filled up around us. We sat at the bar, and a service was quick. The bartender was wonderful and answered my many questions as I decided what to order. There are complimentary hush puppies and biscuits served to each group. My mixed drink was weak, so I ordered a beer after. We ordered the Soul Rolls as an appetizer, which was an egg roll with chopped BBQ (basically pulled pork), sweet carrots and collards with two dipping sauces (one sweet, one horseradish)- they were pretty yummy! They were served warm, not hot, which was a little disappointing. I had the BBQ Turkey which came with 2 sides- I went for BBQ Baked Beans and Cauliflower Collard Greens. The turkey was seasoned with a spiced vinegar, and was delicious- both sides were awesome too! My boyfriend ordered the Meatloaf with Coleslaw and Potato Salad. He loved it- only note was that the menu said it was served with gravy (a selling point for him), but it came out with BBQ sauce on it. He still liked it though! His sides were a little lack luster- tasted like a store bought product. Overall pretty good, and we would definitely recommend! We will go back next time we are in Raleigh! read more

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We were invited by a local Raleigh family for some barbeque. I was really looking forward to some Carolina BBQ and this experience met my expecatations. We ordered Corn Bread and Fried Green Tomatoes. The cornbread comes in it's own cast iron skillet and my son said it was the best cornbread. Definitely, worth ordering that. Hubs and I shared a full rack of ribs along with sweet potato fries and baked beans. It was a great value and the ribs were fantastic. Now I thought this was more than enough but along comes the biscuits and hushpuppies. Of course, save room to try these. They are fillers but oh so good. I think that if you don't order these as sides, they are complimentary (?) Anyway, at this rate, were were rolling out of there. The ambiance is nicer than what I would expect from a BBQ joint. It's more upscale and definitely a popular place. We had a reservation and the place was full. Service was good too for our fairly large group. Would definitely be back if we're in town. Parking across the street in the lot. read more

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The ribs were tender, sauce light, sides ordinary. Overall fine but not impressive, a fair three-star review. read more

The Pit - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I thought this place was very good- The service was good and the quantity of food you get is better. The bread that we ordered was so good and now that I am reading that people got complimentary bread, I feel a little jipped but I ordered the cornbread and that was so good. The barbecue itself was very good- no complaints. read more

The Pit - Seasonal Skillet Cornbread - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Wow this place use to be so good.. What happened? As a solo person I went to the bar. After 15 mins of not being acknowledged. I asked for a table. Ordered half rack of ribs, sweet potatoe fries, and okra. The ribs were dry, hard and no flavor. The sweet potatoes fries no better. Okra was good. So disappointing I will not be returning. read more

I don't even know where to begin. The Pit got recommended to us on our trip down from CT. Numerous people we engaged with before dinner said we made the right choice and man, did we ever!!! The place smells like BBQ when you walk in. It has such an awesome vibe as well. The hostess was awesome and our server, Tee, took care of us like your favorite aunt would when you visited her house! Starters, all excellent: Corn bread, deviled eggs, fried Mac and cheese, pimento cheese balls, and fried green tomatoes! Dinners and sides, also all excellent: chopped pork, pulled pork, brisket, baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw...oh the cole slaw! Do yourself a favor and stop by The Pit! read more

Bottom line up front: this place sucks. The chicken, ribs, AND brisket were all so dry they practically turned into meat dust the second they hit my mouth. And yes, they still managed to be dry even though they arrived drowning in sauce, which should've been my first red flag. The chopped BBQ? Tasted like someone just poured straight apple cider vinegar into a bowl and whispered "pork" over it. Everything clearly had been sitting out forever, there was no pit master in the back lovingly tending a smoker. Honestly, I doubt there's even a smoker on the premises. More like a microwave and some wishful thinking. And the décor... I walked in and couldn't tell if I was supposed to order a Bloomin' Onion or a Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity. It's like Outback Steakhouse and IHOP had a confused baby. Nothing about it said "BBQ joint," and it definitely didn't smell like one. It smelled like old carpet and disappointment. If you know BBQ--real BBQ--run. How this place has four stars is one of life's great mysteries. Probably the same people who think Kraft singles count as "cheese." This is place is for Senior citizens who have lost their sense of taste. read more

Second year in a row I went to The Pit for Thanksgiving dinner. Usually the restaurant specializes in barbecue but for Thanksgiving they include turkey, ham, all the usual sides, appetizers, a salad and dessert. My server was Claire and she was a delight. Very attentive but not overwhelming and had a wonderful personality. I'm definitely returning next year for Thanksgiving. read more

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The portions were huge! We really enjoyed the pit sampler to get a taste of everything. The pit sampler included pit smoked wings, BBQ soul rolls, deviled eggs, and pimento cheese balls. They also bring out hush puppies and biscuits as complimentary apps. The double combo was perfect to share. We got the brisket and the chopped BBQ. I would get the brisket again, but the chopped BBQ was too dry for my liking. The sides we got were delicious. It was fried Okra and Sweet Potato casserole. Service was awesome! Very attentive. read more

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The Pit was by far our favorite restaurant in the Raleigh area. We utilized the reservation system and are glad we did as it was a busy Sunday lunch hour. To our surprise, we were served complimentary hush puppies and biscuits. Can we all agree restaurants that serve bread or a free appetizer are all just superior? Both were mouth watering. My boyfriend chose the pulled pork paired with fried okra and sweet potato casserole. Everything was delicious. I had a bbq salad and loved it. The service here was great. Our food came within 5 minutes of ordering! The price was just right too at about $40. This is an adorable little southern restaurant and I can't wait to visit again. read more

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I was sitting across the street at the chocolate factory and saw The Pit barbecue. Most of the barbecue joints here are closed on Monday, but The Pit was open. Monday afternoon it was not very busy. A very nice set up inside. Tre was an excellent server. He was very knowledgeable and had great suggestions. I had the barbecue platter. Brisket was juicy, moist, just the right tenderness and smokiness. Bark was perfect. Just enough fat to keep me going back for more. Pulled pork was also juicy and tender. Smoke on the pork was outstanding. Mac and cheese was great. Very cheesy. Beans were next level. So sweet and savory. Some of the best I've ever had. Biscuit was light and fluffy. Hush puppies were small, but had a beautiful flavor and texture. Used just a smattering of sauce, and it was an awesome enhancement. Got to try some ribs, too. Again smokey, tender and juicy. Sauce glaze was not overpowering. If you are ever in the Raleigh area, don't miss The Pit Barbecue. read more

The Pit - Barbecue platter with mac & cheese, baked beans, biscuit, and hush puppies - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Not so impressed. The service was friendly and timely. Ambiance: the place was packed but it felt like things could be a bit updated. Sadly, the food, while plentiful, was lacking flavor. All four of us at the table kept adding more sauce to our meats. Sides were ok. It was an adequate meal but nothing special. read more

Came here for dinner and was pleasantly surprised as the food was overall very good and it had a nice ambience. We ordered the fried green tomatoes and they were nicely breaded and light. I liked how they give you complementary hush puppies and biscuits; the biscuits were great but hush puppies were just okay. I would probably avoid next time to have more room for other items. We both ordered the double combo with the following: 1. brisket - fatty and delicious. If you like prefer lean meat, I would avoid. 2. carolina ribs - definitely worth the upgrade charge. They were extremely tender. 3. pulled pork - probably the least liked out of the proteins. 4. mac n cheese - nothing special, kind of disappointing actually. 5. cole slaw - nice way to cut through the fattiness of the meet. 6. fried okra - nicely done although not for everyone 7. mash potatoes - standard Overall, had a really solid meal and would go back if in the area. read more

I tried this place a few years ago and enjoyed it. This time was very different. I am hoping it is a one off. The brisket was all fat, the chicken was so dry, the mac and cheese was bad. I did like the pulled pork, but the rest wasn't great. The service was awesome and the manager was really nice and understanding. read more

Tried The Pit's all you can eat family style while visiting Raleigh. The deviled eggs, hush puppies, biscuits, and brunswick stew was great. And the service was friendly and fast. However, the BBQ (ribs and BBQ fries) was on the drier side and lacked the smoky moist depth you'd expect if you're from the South. Potato salad didn't really have much flavor compared to HEB's potato salad. Myself I don't eat much banana pudding, but my friend said it was good, so I'll take his word for it. Solid experience overall with the atmosphere for a plate with apps, but BBQ lovers might find it a bit underwhelming if you went for the all you can eat option. read more

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The food here is good . I have came in and ate but I have door dash as well. The service was good. The ambiance is warm. read more

The Pit - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Great NC BBQ place in downtown Raleigh. Casual comfort and bit classy interior. The food was Soo good. Had appetizer sampler and big boy plate, three of us could not finish it. Had to do take out for a good portion. Chopped pork was amazing, we could tell a lot of love went into the smoking and prep. From so many to pick from, the Pit got our vote. read more

The Pit - Appetizer sampler - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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