My most recent visit to The Smoke Pit was on a Thursday evening this past July. On a previous visit to the Concord/Charlotte area, we found this place when searching online for a good barbeque spot near our location. Luckily, we landed on The Smoke Pit, and now have a favorite restaurant to visit each time we are in the area.
The restaurant is located on Concord Parkway, just a few minutes off of 85. It is in its own building that is half restaurant and half meat market, but all the same entity. There is plenty of parking in front and on the side of the building. However, it seems to fill up with all of the patrons coming and going! For the restaurant portion, there is indoor seating, as well as some outdoor tables. You will have no issue locating the place, as it is clearly marked with signage.
We stopped here just after 5:00 PM, and it was fairly busy. The line to order was not too long, and there were several tables open for dine-in. However, the line continued to grow after we ordered with it being right at prime dinner time.
There is a lot of signage to direct and instruct patrons, but in-person orders take place at the counter. After you enter on the left side of the building, you keep left to get into the ordering line. There is a menu with the items available all the time, and also advertised are any specials, sides of the day, or desserts.
Once you reach the register, the staff takes your order and is able to answer any questions that you have. I have always found the staff to be both friendly and helpful on each of my visits to the restaurant.
The selection is as expected - primarily barbeque. They have lots of different meats, including pork, chicken, sausage, ham, turkey, brisket, ribs, and more. Meats can be ordered by themselves, as part of a plate, combo, by the pound, or even in whole portions. They also have wings, sandwiches, sides, salads, desserts, and a kid's menu. Sides can be included in a plate, but also ordered in single, pint, or quart sizes as well.
On this trip, we ordered our food to-go. We decided on a BBQ Combo with 2 Meats to split. For this, we ordered the Chicken Quarters and Pulled Pork. The combos come with two sides, for which we chose Baked Mac and Cheese and Deviled Egg Potato Salad. Texas Toast was our bread of choice. Additionally, we ordered a side of the Hashbrown Casserole, which was the side of the day. We also wanted to try the wings, so we ordered a 3-count of the Hickory Smoked Jumbo Chicken Wings in Southern Sweet, which also comes with celery, carrots, and ranch. Lastly, we ordered the Chicken Tenders and Fries Kid's Meal for our dog!
I am not certain if they are made in-house, but there are several sauces to choose from. On the tables, there are bottles of Southern Sweet, Lexington Dip, South Carolina Mustard, and Sizzling Barbeque. The restaurant will also provide to-go cups for you to take sauce with your takeout orders.
Even taken to-go, this barbeque is still some of the best. The Chicken Quarters and Pork were both flavorful and moist. We enjoyed all of the sides, but were not particularly blown away by the Hashbrown Casserole. The wings were great as well - no complaints there. Especially for the price, we got a ton of food. Even with sharing between two people, we had plenty to go around and some to take home with us.
I thought the Kid's Meal was a very generous portion, especially for the price! The chicken and fries were both good, and it also came with a fountain drink/tea and a cookie. It would definitely be more than enough for any child to feel satisfied with their meal. Our dog loved it as well!
Personally, I think the prices at this restaurant are very fair. Especially considering the quality and quantity of food provided at that price, it is hard to beat. As with any restaurant, there are some menu items that may not be the best deal at the price (I.e. some of the sides being $12 a quart), but particularly for the meats and combo meals this is not the case.
I so wish The Smoke Pit was not a destination out of town for us! There is a reason this place is so popular and heavily-trafficked. The meat is great, the prices are very fair, and the staff are very friendly. It is a great experience whether you eat out or dine-in. I would highly recommend giving this place a try the next time you are in the area!
P.S. If The Smoke Pit staff is reading this, you should put the Jalapeño Cheddar Grits as a permanent menu item...they are the best grits I have ever had!!! read more