Overall disappointing visit. Little street parking and paid lot across the street. Service at the bar was overall slow, but friendly. Old Fashioned was not good. A large entree consisting of meatloaf, corn & collards only average with collards best thing on plate. They offer cornbread with entree and it was not great. Too long to get check. 2.5 rounding down. My assumption is things have changed with the pandemic. read more

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I came here with my cousin on a Friday afternoon for lunch. The restaurant is huge, so despite how well-known the Pit is, we had no trouble getting a seat. We ordered the Pimento cheese balls, which were served with a spicy pepper jelly. We also received complementary hush puppies and biscuits with honey butter. I ordered the double combo with pulled pork and brisket. For my sides, I chose the Brussels sprouts and fried okra. The pulled pork was fantastic, especially with the vinegar-based BBQ sauce. I had never tried okra before, but I really liked that, too. The servings are generous and I took home a second meal of leftovers. Being from the Northeast, I don't get to have BBQ a lot. This was a fantastic place to try so many different dishes. read more

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We walked into an empty restaurant. The hostess told us we needed a reservation. She said they were expecting a big party so we had to sit in the bar. We asked why if all the tables were open. She said she didn't even want to seat us at all. This was a Monday evening. After all that we just ended up walking out. I've never encountered such a rude hostess. She yelled something to us as we left. Might want to stick her in the kitchen with that demeanor. read more

Let's keep this short. The Pit is the best BBQ I have ever had, period. Theirs ribs are tender and flavorful. Literally falling off the bone. The bbq sauce is not too sweet. It has a touch of smokiness. read more

Everything was absolutely delicious. Staff was super sweet. Definitely recommend!!! I had the barbecue chicken, cabbage collards, sweet potato soufflé. All top notch. read more

We had our daughter's rehearsal dinner here and cannot say enough great things about the food, service, and overall experience. Abby was fantastic in helping us get everything set up, including last minute additions to the menu. Trey and his team delivered amazing customer service, always responsive with a smile. Lastly, the food was amazing. We would happily schedule any other event we need at this location. Thank you very much. read more

The food quality and service at this restaurant is beyond measure. When I took the first bite of the roasted grilled chicken sandwich everything on it was fresh the bun was grilled and fresh. The chicken was fresh. The cheddar cheese was phenomenal, tomato lettuce, the sauce, and then the sweet potato fries are absolutely delicious. I gave this Place a five star hands down. read more

I really wanted to like this place but the flavor just wasn't there for me. We ordered a sampler platter and the wings and soul rolls were pretty good but everything else was just ok. We had the catfish, brisket, and pulled pork. Catfish - definitely hand breaded but lacked any kind of flavor or seasoning. The Brussels sprouts and greens tasted like they were cooked in the same juice so no distinct tastes. Brisket - very tender. Bbq sauce was ok. Macaroni and cheese was dry and potato salad wasn't very flavorful. Pulled pork - it was ok. It comes naked and you can pick your sauce. The meat by itself isn't flavorful but adding the sauce definitely helps. read more

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A definite must when you travel to Raleigh, NC. First and foremost, our experience would not have been a 5 star if it wasn't for our awesome waitress, Tsu. From the beginning, she made us feel so super welcomed at The Pit. She presented us with excellent suggestions on food choices. When she found out that we were from out of town, Tsu created a list of things to do while in Raleigh. She provided us with a mini tour of the kitchen, where my family got to a chance to see how authentic NC BBQ is prepared. Tsu made us feel like lifelong friends. Now for the food. It was amazing. The brisket was unbelievable. The BBQ chicken was so tender and juicy. And the pulled pork sandwich was awesome. The Pit is a must when in Raleigh. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was great, and the service was superb. Tsu made our visit and incredible one. read more

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I'm sorry to say, this place missed the mark on flavor for us. The protein was decent, but all the sides just were not very good. The reviews pointed here, but we just didn't leave with a good taste in our mouths. Decor-very plain decor, you definitely get the country vibes, but very bland interior. Service-good service, our server was nice and so was the rest of the staff. Food-this is we're we were left wanting more flavor. The Carolina ribs were good, and the pulled pork was tender and with the bbq sauce, it was good. But the ribs and pulled pork were only good at best, nothing overt special about either one. Brussel sprouts-far below par. They were mushy, and had no flavor. Cream corn-was also very bland and just was not good. Fries-had a ton of salt. The prices were fair, the service friendly, but the food missed the mark. read more

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We met another couple here and we were really hungry so we ordered a couple appetizers. We ordered our drinks and waited for a while to get these in. We then ordered the cornbread as an appetizer, but after our drinks showed up 15 minutes later we got biscuits and hush puppies as a starter for the table, so the cornbread wasn't needed. We also ordered the pimento cheese balls and that had a great flavor! Shortly after our meal showed up and my fiancé's BBQ western burger was good and hot, while my mashed potatoes were cold with the fried okra. Our guests then ordered another round of drinks and this time the drinks took much longer. My pulled pork was very good and I did like their sauces, but the service was slow and my sides were cold. read more

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Our last meal before leaving North Carolina. This was our first time trying bbq in NC and it did not disappoint!! The skillet corn bread is a MUST TRY. The ambiance of the restaurant was a little more than just casual, but with bbq, you can get away with going casual. The service was not bad, we were pretty much left alone to talk amongst each other and eat. The food on the other hand, BEAUTIFUL! I would definitely recommend to try this bbq spot read more

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The sever was all smiles & genuinely enjoy one of the babies in the group. Now the room is cobbled as areas have been added - some uneven walkways lead us to our long table. A bit noisy but remember the babies, who managed to nap thru most of lunch. The menu features wide choices but Smoked Ribs & Brisket are the flagship of the house. I opted for a half slab of Baby Backs along with a cup of their featured soup of the day. Damn if I can remember what I ordered, but had to ask for oyster crackers twice! Minor glich but with a chowder based broth they are an automatic partner. The ribs were a bit dried out, tender as they cleared the chalky white bones. Found several choices of southern BBQ sauces to grab. Classic NC Vinegar based, but picked my old fashioned favorite Q - similar to Sweet Baby Ray's. Now it's a 2:15 drive to Raleigh from Pinehurst - no big deal as we enjoyed seeing part of my dear wife's family. Would I do it again, sure if you spend the night in town! Long haul back home. Hey give the Pit a try - great & buzzy commercial strip. read more

Came back and got the fried Mac and cheese and skillet cornbread with the same entrees, and the skillet core bread was sooooo good. Fried Mac and cheese was also surprisingly great! read more

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Was here for my 80th Birthday celebration. The server went above and beyond to take orders from 10 different people. Outstanding food and service. Highly recommend if you like smoked meat and delicious sides. read more

I emailed the email address given by the manager a week ago but have not received a response. First time at The Pit and we were seated quickly. I had their chopped pork at a work event a few weeks ago and didn't love it -- it had an overpowering smoky flavor and wasn't very tender. Therefore, at this visit I decided to go with the double platter of pulled pork and chopped turkey. Turkey was lean and finely chopped. There were two sauces on the table you could spice it up with -- a vinegar based and a tomato based. Pulled pork was tender but there were several fat chunks in it. Collards and baked beans both had a lot of flavor. So overall food was okay and we had a good experience until our waiter took our plates and asked if we wanted desserts to which we replied "no". He then disappeared for a very long time. He finally brought our check and disappeared again for another long time. We began to wonder if we were supposed to pay at the hostess stand so husband went up to ask and they said we paid our waiter. Finally he returned. It was at least 25 minutes from the time he took our plates until we were able to pay. Again, the food isn't bad but I probably would not return considering I really like some of the other barbecue joints in town. read more

The Pit - Pulled pork, chopped turkey, baked beans and collards - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

As far as barbecue places go, the Pit is probably the nicest ambiance. It's not like most of the other barbecue places and that it feels like an actual sit down restaurant. The food is really good too, I don't have any complaints about that or the service. The only thing in my mind keeping it from being a five-star experience is the price. It's definitely on the high end for the kind of food that they serve. read more

The Pit - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

If you are in North Carolina and want to try authentic BBQ, you must visit this place. Delicious food, perfect portions, awsome service, vibrant ambiance. read more

Really good spot for BBQ. The appetizers are really delicious. The biscuits and hush puppies are fantastic. We had the potatoe skins and I can tell ya, they are hearty.The fried green tomatoes had a great crispy breading and a wonderful red pepper sauce. The brisket was outstanding as was the mac and cheese and creamy coleslaw. I was really happy with the service as well. Come hungry because the portions are big. read more

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The Pit is a Raleigh staple for a reason! It's located in beautiful Raleigh downtown, is spacious, provides for a relaxed environment, delicious food, and great service. All in all, they knock it out of the park consistently, and consistency is king. Also, for a BBQ place, their cocktails and drinks are all very well made, better than I was expecting, honestly. During our last visit, we got Sangrias and they were absolutely tasty. Parking can get tricky mostly because this is Raleigh downtown we're talking about, but there's plenty of paid parking around if you aren't willing to do a few circles to get street parking. Now I am sure the majority of people have had the opportunity to try the Pit, but if you haven't, what are you doing, get on over there! read more

The Pit - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

In short, I wasn't impressed. Our server seemed like he was rushed. The food was good enough. Not the best BBQ I've had. In fact, I probably liked their sides more. I'm a sucker for hush puppies and luckily, theirs was good. It's intersting too because this is the place that the locals recommended to me to eat some Carolina BBQ. Well, let's just say that I hope that I can come back and the Raleigh-area can redeem itself with other establishments. Until then, I would really only recommend this place to people who don't have much experience with BBQ. Either that, or maybe I came during an off-day. So, I say still try it as the locals seem to like it. I'm just the tourist, so perhaps its just a preference in BBQ style. read more

The Pit - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

My girlfriend and I have been talking about going here when I visit for ages. We finally made it last week. We Uber down there, go inside, walk past an empty booth. When we spoke to the hostess, she was rude and would not even make eye contact. Since we did not have reservations, she wanted to stick us at a tiny table next to the kitchen entrance. My girl asked if we could sit in the booth that was open. She said no. My girl explained that it was open and we just walked past it. Again, no. Another hostess comes over and they whisper, and she says, without a reservation, we just can't do it. Then the second hostess says, we just sat those people at the next booth. Then she says, in the same breathe, ok, we'll do it. then the people that were just sat, leave, opening up the other booth. The server, Lauren, came over. Super pleasant, super friendly, super knowledgeable. We ordered some appetizers and drinks and then the meal. Her service was awesome, in contrast to the hostesses who has such attitudes. Definitely won't be back because of those two. My girl is new to eating meat after many years away from it, so we each had 3 meats to share. Everything was "not bad, but not great". the brisket was super fatty, the chop was so, so. All in all the food was a C-. Atmosphere was great, the place was clean, restrooms were spotless, Lauren was amazing, but the gatekeepers were an F and the food was meh, at best ... going to try the BBQ Lab next time. read more

Very hyped bbq restaurant In a cool area easy parking It's a Wednesday late afternoon First brisket served wet end lots of fat okay at least more than half the piece was fat covered in sauce. Very mushy not The mouthfeel one wants with brisket Second ribs Carolina dry very dry even though they are sauced and fall of the bone. Last pulled pork the only thing not sauced on the plate that needed some sauce to give it some flavor The fried okra was cold The coleslaw was nice My gut said get the fried chicken but it's a bbq place so I got the ribs. Now regretting that choice For me not the best presentation of the hype read more

We went on a Saturday as soon as they opened and was seated quickly. Our waiter was very attentive and welcoming. We started with the sampler and the loaded baked potatoes. I loved the sampler! The egg rolls were delicious, deviled eggs 100/10, the fried pimento cheese on point, the wings some of the best I've ever had. The loaded potato skins were a little dry for me, missing some sort of sauce on it imo. The bbq was good, the Sliders give you a good variety of the different meats they have. Sauces are on the table for you to add to your bbq if you wish. The French fries were crisp, cooked very well. I'm definitely planning on returning for some of those songs because those suckers were on point! read more

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Excellent bbq and sides. Great service. Almost too many things on the menu and it was very noisy inside. It's a 5 for the food though. read more

This would have been a 5 star review had I not found a huge bone in my pulled pork. I am thankful it did not make it to my mouth as I would have damaged my teeth and who knows what would have happened if I swallowed a piece of it. I did alert the waitress but she didn't seem to care and just said she had never seen that before. The kitchen should have been alerted to check for other bones or fragments in the rest of the meat. I don't think I could return here without worrying what might be in the food I am eating as the kitchen doesn't seem to check to make sure the bones are removed and not served to the customer. The meal did start well and we had a great waiter. He took drink orders and then meal orders. He brought us biscuits and hush puppies. He also brought the food out. Then a waitress appeared later for refills of the beverages. The sweet sauce and the vinegar sauces were on the table. I had ordered the pulled pork; baked beans and mac n cheese. I was very happy with the food until I discovered the bone. read more

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We had a private room so maybe that what also made it really good. I had the triple combo with shrimp skewers which made it a nice surf and turf. With cole slaw and green beans. Half was left over and still good the next day. read more

The Pit - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Our daughter at NCSU has been told about how good the food was at The Pit, we had to try it while we were in town for a visit. Like so many other things in Raleigh, parking was an issue but we got lucky in a pay to park for $8 for two hours. The Pit isn't your typical looking barbecue joint. As you walk in, you notice it is rather upscale and almost too shiny and polished. Maybe they are trying to appeal to the higher demographic of eating barbecue but it looking like you are eating barbecue. It was clean and well-lit and we were promptly seated. Being Friday night, I expected to wait but there were plenty of tables available. Our server was prompt and polite and kept our water glasses full. They have your typical barbecue fare, pulled pork, ribs, brisket, Turkey and have the typical sides yada yada yada. A basket of biscuits and hush puppies is complimentary. Biscuits and puppies were good. One thing you will notice is how expensive it is. I got sticker shock but I shouldn't have. Everything has gone up but this is a barbecue place, not a steakhouse. We all got the same thing, pulled pork and as our sides we got max n cheese and mashed potatoes with gravy. I also got some fried chicken (they brag it's the best in Raleigh). We started with an appetizer of fried pimento cheese balls. 5 came in the order. They were served with some off tasting dipping sauce. We ignored it after trying it. The cheese balls were bland and certainly no worth $9.99. Don't bother buying them. Now take this next statement with a grain of salt (no pun intended). The food came out fast, almost too fast (if you know what I mean). My chicken was luke warm, barely. The mac n cheese and potatoes were ok. Good not great. The pulled pork was unremarkable. They offer two sauces on the table. One heavy on the vinegar (not much other flavor though) The other more bbq sauce based. Meh. The pork was average at best. The fried chicken wasn't hot. You can tell it had been sitting around a while. The outside was dry and dull looking. The inside was dry. Very disappointing. If this is the best fried chicken in Raleigh, I need to open up a fried chicken shack. I can make better fried chicken at home. They give you a plenty of food so it will fill your belly. Food plus tip was $121.00 for four of us. Now you understand my sticker shock. FOR A BARBECUE PLACE. And we didn't order the expensive stuff either! I got the impression you're paying for that building, not the food. I'll give it three stars for food quantity and service. The quality of what we got was lacking, especially for the price. If you're looking for a good barbecue experience worth your time and money, you might want to keep looking. The food here will certainly fill your belly but drain your wallet. read more

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Nice place. Food was good and they definitely give you plenty. Service was ok. You get a huge amount of meat with your meal.

I was already sitting sideways when I arrived because 4 hours prior, I had a quad burger. But in the sake of dining with my friends, I ordered what I thought would be an appetizer, and boy, was I incorrect. The barbecue fries were definitely a complete meal based on the sheer size of the dish. My favorite part of this experience was when the manager asked my group if we wanted to watch a hog be roasted. The ambiance is great, and the staff was very welcoming. If you're in town and want quality service and food, then you should go on over to The Pit. read more

The Pit - Barbecue Fries - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I love the ambiance this place has. It makes BBQ a little more upscale which is a fun change of pace. The BBQ chicken was amazing, only dry in a couple places but very well sauced. Mac n cheese was to die for and the bbq itself was great. Awesome location to catch a rock concert right after. The service was just ok but food made up for it read more

Hubby and I snuck away for a day and decided to try this place for lunch because he was wanting barbecue. He found The Pit from Google reviews and I had no idea how cool the ambience and overall feel of this restaurant was til we got there. We paid to park in a parking lot across the street and were seated right away once we checked in with the hostesses. Our waiter was very nice and did not rush us when we were trying to figure out what to eat. Drinks came quickly, and we decided on the Pit Sampler appetizer. My husband got a brisket and fried chicken platter with coleslaw and Mac and cheese. I kept it simple and went for the brisket, potato salad and daily vegetable, which was sautéed broccoli with onions and red peppers. The sampler was great. We saved the BBQ rolls to go in order to make room for our entrees, and I'm so glad we did. The brisket was tender, flavorful and so fulfilling. My husband finished his entire meal and thoroughly enjoyed what he chose. He saved some Mac and cheese to bring home to our 4 year old son who loves this food, and he was not disappointed. Very cool place with good choices to choose from. You won't be disappointed. read more

The Pit - Beef Brisket with Potato Salad and Daily Vegetable - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Walked in with a party of 3 on a Friday night ~7pm and there was a bit of a wait. We were called back and seated within 45min. Service was excellent, it was our first time here and he explained all the popular items on the menu. Everything looked good so we ordered a bunch of things to share. The inside decor is what you'd typically expect of a soul/comfort food restaurant. No bells or whistles here, just normal looking tables and booths and fried country food being bussed around. Food portions were massive and very filling. We each ordered a plate, from the beef brisket to the fried chicken, and fried catfish. We also covered our bases with sides which included potato salad, fried okra, sweet potato fries and regular fries. The skillet cornbread was phenomenal! I would highly recommend ordering it. The prices aren't cheap by any means but the portions are more than enough so overall I thought it was decent value for my money. The fried chicken was very good, as well as the beef brisket. IMO comfort food itself isn't meant to be very fancy or upscale I reckon so this place delivered exactly what we expected. We were so full we needed to walk it off afterwards. read more

The Pit - Fried Okra, Potato Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This spot has some great food. The fried catfish and okra were the stars - crispy and well seasoned. Service was also superb and space was pleasant. Proteins - bbq turkey was meh - probably not to my liking as it harbored a bit of game in its taste. The ribs were pretty good but, perhaps because I'm not enjoying the NC bbq flavor profile, I just wanted less of the BBQ sauce and more of the ribs flavor. They fell off the bone! read more

Went during March Madness weekend. Service was great. Food was amazing. Best brisket I've had in a long time. The free biscuits maybe the best biscuits I've ever had. Well worth the visit. read more

I feel like the meat is sauced but not seasoned or marinated. Chicken is 5/10. Very Dry - though the BBQ sauce on it is nice! Service was good, looks like we might have gotten a newer server, she seemed nervous. Heading down the street for a better bbq. read more

The Pit - BBQ Chicken - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Pretty good place cute on inside amazing staff and great drinks. Stick to the signature stuff. I had the mac and cheese with fried chicken and brisket loved it. Brisket was to die for and fried chicken tasted homemade. I got the sweet potato fries and wish I didn't they were cold bland and forgettable. read more

The Pit - Fried chicken and brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

It's as southern as it gets. They've proven to be true pit masters. The food is well seasoned and the vegetables are cooked with lots of flavor. read more

As a visitor I went with a large group from work and I was not disappointed! The food was delicious and plentiful with cop pork bbq, fried chicken that was so good and ribs were tender and amazing fall-off-bone goodness. The coleslaw and Mac n cheese was good as well. The service was quick and attentive getting drinks, orders and food out fast. MyOld Fashioned was ok not great, the rest was great. I recommend for a group wanting some bbq after a long day! read more

The Pit - Chicken bbq combo. With Mac n cheese and coleslaw sides. - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

First the Good. Pretty nice people, and they had Pernicious on tap. The bad was that the "Beef Brisket Dinner" with slaw and baked beans had 4 slices of dryish meat and was $18.99. Lackluster meal that was only memorable for me because I won't come back to spend 38 bucks for lunch and still be hungry. I almost ordered an appetizer after I ate my meal, but was in a hurry. C'est la vie. read more

The Pit - Beef Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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