The Pit, Authentic Barbecue

Last night Phil and I went out to eat.  That might sound pretty boring, but let me explain.  Finn had his first sleepover, so Phil and I jumped at the chance to go out to eat….ALONE!

We chose “The Pit“  in downtown Raleigh, because Phil had been there a couple of times recently and totally raved about it.  It’s located in the former Chop House location.  Really cool inside, from the glass wall, to the handblown glass lights and exposed brick walls.  Definitely not what you think about when you think “bbq joint.”  No sticky tables, no salad bar filled with different sauces, and no rolls of paper towels on the tables.

The place has been a huge hit ever since Bobby Flay came to town to film “Showdown! with Bobby Flay, for the Food Network.”  And now I can see why.  Apparently the show hasn’t aired yet – it’ll be on November 6, at 2:30 on The Food Network.

After a lengthy (but worth the wait) 45 minutes, we were seated in the small dining area to the right of the front door.  Right behind the large glass wall with a whole pig etched on it.  And directly in front of a really cool wine rack that went from floor to ceiling.  There were so many great options to choose from, so I had a really hard time narrowing it down.  We ended up deciding to split a full rack of Baby Back Ribs though.  While we waited, we munched on to-die-for hushpuppies and mini biscuits.  I consider myself to be quite the hushpuppie connoisseur since I moved ‘down south’ and these were one of the best I’ve tasted since coming down here.  They were soft and fluffy on the inside, but had a crispy golden brown outer layer.  Exactly how you want your hushpuppies to be.

I also decided to get a little crazy tonight and order a beer.  Crazy, I know, but since I didn’t have to wake up at the crack o’ dawn with a toddler I decided to live on the wild side.  After downing 3, 10-oz. microbrews I was starting to slur a bit so my husband shut me off.  Glad he did too, because I needed to stay awake long enough to dive into those ribs!  I have to mention though, their selection of beers is fantastic.  Lots of micro brews I’ve never even heard of, and you can order them in a 10 oz. or a 20 oz. size.

Now we get to the good part – the Baby Back Ribs!  Just like my husband had told me, they fell right off the bone.  They were moist, juicy, and had a slightly crispiness to the outer layer.  The best part though, was the sauce.  It’s owner, Ed Mitchell’s, 150 year old family recipe.  It was somewhere between Eastern and Western NC style barbecue.  To Die For!

Now I just can’t wait to go back.  Next time I’m trying Mother Mitchell’s Fried Chicken with a side of Mac n’ Cheese!

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Tagged as: barbecue, BBQ, Microbrew, Raleigh, restaurant, The Pit