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We decided to come back to the pit after not coming for over 7 years. It's not bad... but there's MUCH better BBQ in Raleigh. City BBQ is better or there's one out in Cary. It's just okay. Nothing to write home about. The sides are all really good. I liked the coleslaw and the Brussels. My husband like the green beans and collards. But the brisket isn't great and the turkey tastes more like pulled pork. The pulled pork is very salty. The bbq chicken is good. Idk if it's what we had or that we have had really good bbq other places
Stopped by The Pit to try some authentic NC style bbq after moving to the triangle. When you arrive parking is difficult and you'll need to either find street parking or pay for parking in a nearby lot. When you walk in the space feels like a converted industrial warehouse with a polish of upscale. You'll check in with the host when you arrive and then be seated. For the starter we ordered the Pit Sampler (a medley of their appetizers; which includes pit-smoked wings, BBQ soul rolls, Southern-style deviled eggs, and pimento cheese balls). Unfortunately I wasn't a fan of the pit sampler as most dishes were a bit on the dry side, but the free basket of biscuits and hush puppies were great. For the entree we ordered the half rack of baby back ribs which were good but pretty fatty in some sections. I would return again in the future but may try something else on the menu.
This place was freakin awesome! Great service, really delicious food (do not pass on the fried green tomatoes - legit the best I've ever had!), and a wonderful vibe. If you're in the area, you must check it out.
The pit was a very good time. A menu packed with so many things that sound good it was hard to choose. We started with the Pit Sampler recommended by our waiter. The sampler has wings, pimento cheese balls, soul rolls and southern style deviled eggs. The wings had a good flavor to them very traditional bbq style taste, the cheese balls were right up my alley crunchy outside and gooey on the inside. My first time trying deviled eggs I can say they were actually pleasant. The soul roll had this good taste with a subtle head to it just to spice it up. Overall really enjoyable apps. With so many options to choose from we all ended up getting the Double combo. I had Brisket and bbq chicken with Mac n cheese, brussel sprouts and. Sweet potatoe casserole. The chicken was the only piece lacking in comparison to the others. The brisket was very solid, very good enough to order again. The sides however were amazing. The Mac and cheese had such a good taste to it, the brussel sprouts had a blend with bacon bits and something glazed on them that was perfect and the sweet potatoes was another great side addition to the rest. Service was great our waiter gave us suggestions and was very patient with us and even gave us some small servings on the house. Very great time in a place you should visit
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!
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.
this was my first barbecue meal in the southern u.s., so i was pretty excited to try The Pit. we came on a tuesday night, and the dining room was surprisingly busy. i really liked the atmosphere too. the dark wood interior gave it that classic southern barbecue feel, which is exactly the kind of ambiance i enjoy. i ordered the double combo platter with brisket, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and fried okra. the brisket was the standout for me. tender, smoky, and exactly what i was hoping for. the fried chicken was also really good, and the mashed potatoes were so creamy and flavorful that i immediately wished i had gotten two servings instead of the fried okra! the only disappointment was the hush puppies. ours were a bit overcooked, so they ended up drier than i expected. my boyfriend ordered the pit bacon cheeseburger. he said it wasn't quite as amazing as the first time he had it, but it was still really good. our server was friendly, gave great recommendations, and made the experience even better. this was a really solid first southern barbecue experience, and i'd definitely come back.
I have been wanting to try this bbq place for awhile and we finally made it after going to an event downtown. We were fortunate to find a good parking place on the side of the building. As we were walking up my grandson said " this is a fancy place ". The decor is nicer than most bbq places for sure. I was surprised to see so many options that were not bbq and a large selection of sides. He got meatloaf with Mac and cheese and baked beans. He said it was the best meatloaf he ever had and this comes from a picky eater! He loved the Mac and cheese as well. It was a huge serving so I got to try the meatloaf and he was right. He didn't share the Mac and cheese. Neither of us cared for the baked beans. I had the brisket, Brussel sprouts and potato salad. The brisket was tender and flavorful. Awesome. The potato salad was ok but I didn't care for the Brussel sprouts . I would try two different sides next time. A basket of hush puppies and biscuits came as well. We were both so thirsty and I can report they had excellent sweet tea. Our server was knowledgeable and pleasant. The food came out faster than I expected. We will be back!
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.
The food was great. The place is setup in a cool area. Definitely head back. The staff was amazing and very accommodating.
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!
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.
My family and I truly enjoyed the food amd service yesterday. The food was cooked just right, well seasoned and flavorful. And it wasn't crowded.
6 months ago
1 year ago
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
10 months ago
The ribs were tender, sauce light, sides ordinary. Overall fine but not impressive, a fair three-star review. read more
8 months ago
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
11 months ago
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
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
8 months ago
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
10 months ago
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
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
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
A lot to like here about the food. I found this place about 7 years ago and loved it. Just came back to Raleigh on business, had an afternoon to myself so BBQ it was for lunch. The food here is outstanding. The slices of brisket were perfectly fatty and juicy with plenty of lean mixed in for texture. There are both thicker tomato based and thinner vinegar based sauces on the table. The vinegar one with a few squirts of Franks red hot sauce make a perfect puddle for mopping up with the food. And of all things, what was amazing on this visit was the fried chicken. The best I've had in a long time! That I could order a 2 item plate that comes with 2 sides was a thing of perfection. Don't miss the Mac and Cheese or the greens! All of this makes me realize that what passes for southern food in my home city is a joke. There are several local craft brews on tap and a fair selection of Bourbon but definitely not as extensive as I remember it to be on my prior visit which was a little disappointing. The other thing that was a bit of a downer was the service. I sat at the bar and the poor lone barman was trying to cover the bar and about 10 surrounding tables all by himself. He did a great job and did as good a job as anyone who is being stretched too thin. It was not him. It was the staffing shortage that was the issue. Imagine trying to play zone defense with 1 on 10 (and you are the 1). You get the picture. Luckily, I had nowhere to be so the staff shortage was easy for me to overlook especially because the food was totally worth it. If it tells you anything, I would go there just for the food even if the staffing was 0.5 on 10 next time! Finally, you have to love the fact that the pitmaster that founded the place cooked his first whole hog at age 14 on the same day that he first drank moonshine! If nothing else, it makes a great start to the story of what makes The Pit such a great place to visit. read more
2 years ago
1 year ago
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
Sizable The order: Complementary hush puppies and biscuits The pitt sampler Pitt smoked wings BBQ rolls Deviled eggs Pimento cheeseballs Double combo (brisket and chopped bbq) Fried okra Sweet potatoes casserole The good: Brisket was delicious Portions are large AC Is blasting & great for a hot summer day The bad: We ordered way too much The chopped bbq was a bit dry We didn't eat much of the sweet potato casserole, if any at all read more
Based on reviews, this was THE place to come for Carolina bbq. Huge portion and tasty but not mind blowing. I did end up buying both NC style bottled sauces to bring home. My coworker and I came in during a conference and the restaurant was packed. It was going to be an hour wait to be seated, so we decided to order food to go (which still took an hour somehow). They informed us they were understaffed because they were unaware of the conference and therefore an influx of diners. While we waited, we chilled standing at the bar and enjoyed a drink, and got another to go with the sip n stroll program. Drinks were pretty good - I had gin and tonic using a local NC gin. For food I had brisket, chopped bbq, baked beans, and fried okra which came with a biscuit and hush puppies. Both of the meats were pretty good, though some parts seemed a little dry. I liked the tanginess of the sauce on the chopped bbq and enjoyed the beans. Okra was a little soft getting it to go but edible. Hush puppies were fine. The biscuit was really dry and I did not eat it. They provided a couple extra sauces on the side. I ended up having so much leftover and ate it for breakfast. read more
1 year ago
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
1 year ago
Ok so I'm a true Carolinian and grew up on vinegar based barbecue. This place does not disappoint my true southern roots. Let me just tell you about a few must haves. The BBQ Soul Rolls and Fried Green tomatoes are a must for staters. They also bring out complimentary fresh made biscuits and hush puppies to the table. Their chopped barbecue plate came with two sides and their mashed potatoes with gravy and collards tasted like my grandmother made them. My husband tried the pulled pork with Brunswick stew which was packed with flavor. We also brought along my co-worker traveling in from FL. He indulged in their Big Boy meat combo which gives a sample of chopped BBQ, beef brisket, BBQ chicken, and half rack of ribs. We were all stuffed beyond measure. Another feature is they offer family style which is really nice for that at home southern cooking experience. Their service was exceptional and our waiter assisted us with navigating the menu and popular food choices. My only complaint was I was too full to try dessert! Thanks again for a wonderful dinning experience. read more
3 years ago
This place is yummmmm!! You can smell the smoke outside before walking in. The ambiance is a little upscale, but no one there is dressed that way haha. I got the fried chicken and brisket, Mac n cheese, and creamed corn. I have to say the sides were not my favorite but the collards and mashed taters my gf got were delish!! I did love the fried chicken as well!! Our server was great and understood the difference of half and half and nottttt an Arnold palmer so kudos to him! Haha. Thanks for a great meal! read more
Do not come here unless you have a gigantic appetite or plan to share. Tremendous portions of delicious fried chicken, crispy Brussels and mac and cheese that is just heaven. As if we even needed the hush puppies to start but yes you have to try them along with the biscuits and skillet cornbread. It's going to be a carb overload but worth it. Next time I'll plan a little better with my meal planning and perhaps fast for 48 hours before. Classic southern bbq joint with cool vibes in downtown Raleigh read more
Came here with a party of three and a baby around 7 PM on Friday and got seated right away without a reservation. I think they sat us in the back with the other babies, because there was a lot of crying, but it's OK since we had a baby as well. It took a while for the waiter to come, but when he did, we got table bread and waters right away and food probably came in two minutes. Carolina ribs - some pieces were meatier than others but really Smokey flavor and tasty with the sweet bbq Brisket - liked the amount of fat on this and tasty with the vinegar bbq Mac and cheese - more cheesy than creamy but nice carb Sweet potatoes - sweet and creamy Brussels sprouts - similar to collards Cole slaw - lots of good crunch and flavor Biscuits didn't have much flavor but the texture was good and tasty with the butter Hush puppies - nice oily sweetness read more
6 months ago
Yum!!!! We got gifted a meal here that came highly recommended. We are newer to the state and hadn't had NC BBQ yet. So we figured The Pit was a good way to try out NC BBQ finally. We made a reservation which was easy to do and we were sat right away. We got the deviled eggs Meatloaf Bbq chicken fingers and of course churros. Omg all of it was really good!! Service was excellent and the food was amazing. The Pit definitely set the NC BBQ bar high!!! We even bought a bottle of the bbq sauce to bring home, it was that good! Most definitely will be back! read more
1 year ago
I had double combo with Bbq brisket & fried chicken. My brisket was well seasoned and tender. The fried chicken was good & fried to perfection it just needed a tad bit more seasoning but still delicious. The green beans were so tasty and garlicky, exactly how I like it. The establishment is so cute and cozy. The service was awesome even after my NY family drove them crazy. But overall I'll definitely be returning and next time I'll be getting 2 sides of green beans!! read more
1 year ago
Had lunch here on Sunday with one other person. Our server Antoine was awesome. Service was great overall, hostesses, food runners. Good organization and pleasant team. We ordered from the Downtown Raleigh Restaurant week menu, 3 course pre-fixe dinner. As our apps, we chose the Hot Honey Shrimp Deviled Eggs. These were delicious and we were pleased with the portion size, definitely the star of the meal. For our entrees, we both chose the Chopped Beef Brisket Sandwich. This was a big disappointment. Brisket was severely overcooked and very hard. This really shouldn't have even been served to anyone. For desert, I chose the Krispy Kreme Donut Banana Pudding. It wasn't bad. My company chose the Sitti's Carrot Cake. I don't like carrot cake but it looked delicious and was huge. Very nice looking piece of cake. read more
1 year ago
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Our family is from out of town and we came for a Birthday. Our server was Amazing! I had Fried Chicken, pulled pork, mac and cheese and baked beans. It was delicious! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
The Pit, I was told, is a staple of Raleigh, North Carolina so me and a friend decided to try it out. The food was pretty good. The baby back ribs were tender and fell off the bone but need a tad bit more seasoning. The meatloaf though was delicious and seasoned well. The sides of Mac and cheese and mashed potatoes were good but the biscuits with their creamy butter was delicious. We were also told their fried chicken is a favorite. It was packed in this place and clearly a favorite of the people but our service was lack luster and clearly they needed more help in the bar high tables area as we waited about 30 minutes for our food. The bar area though has a nice and bright view with big window type doors. If you're in town, make a reservation and enjoy people watching. read more
5 months ago
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1 year ago
More info about The Pit
328 W Davie St
Raleigh, NC 27601
Warehouse District
Directions
(919) 890-4500
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http://www.thepit-raleigh.com
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