The Pit-Raleigh, NC

THE PIT.  Ohhh The Pit.  I have had such trouble reviewing your food.  It’s been a challenge finding the words that accurately describe just how phenomenal your restaurant really is.  I will try my hardest, and I hope my review does you justice. 

On the actual day of my birthday this year, my parents took me to The Pit.  My family and I had been there before, so we were aware of the unacceptable gluttony that was about to ensue, so we ate lightly that day in order to save room.  Located in downtown Raleigh where it’s usually a pain to find parking, The Pit offers complimentary valet making the entire experience much more convenient.  It was a Wednesday around 6:00 and the place was packed.  The small outdoor seating area was full, and a few groups of people were drinking at the bar to help pass their 45 minute wait time. 

As we were being taken to our seats, I looked around the different tables to see if anything people were ordering would stand out.  The problem was EVERYTHING looked delicious, and when I sat down to read the menu EVERYTHING looked like something I wanted to order.  We started with an order of the Fried Pimento Cheese and The Pumpkin Skillet Cornbread.  The fried pimento came out first, and it was so tasty that even if The Pit was subpar, I would come back just for the fried pimento cheese. 

The appetizer is served with a spicy pepper jelly which tastes exactly like a chili Thai sauce.  If you’ve ever had chili Thai sauce, you know it goes perfectly with just about anything fried.  The breading was mild, it was crunchy, and it had no after taste so you know it hasn’t been cooked in bad oil.  Once I bit into it, the cheese oozed and oozed with no end in sight.  The blend of the sharp cheddar in the cheese and the spiciness of the sauce made for a simple, yet flawless mix of flavors.  Only five come on a plate, and there were five us, and all five of us could not stop eating them.  So; needless to say, we ordered another round…

Then came the cornbread.  Naturally the cornbread was served with maple butter, which was already melting on the bread when it was served, making it even more appealing because at this point you know the cornbread was literally just taken out of the oven.  I ate my slice of hot cornbread and was reminded of why this is called “comfort food.”  The warmth of the cornbread caused a surge of childhood memories to flood my brain and I was brought back to a time when things were simpler.  I think perhaps the nostalgia that comfort food can create is one of the many reasons why a place like The Pit can be so enjoyable.  You’re not just eating delicious food, you’re also reliving times of pure happiness and innocence.  At the very least, this was the case for me. 

I have never had Pumpkin Cornbread before, and while I do wish there had been a larger pop of cinnamon, the nuttiness of the nutmeg sufficed to offset the starchiness of the bread and the sweetness of the pumpkin, creating a lovely combination of notes.  The cornbread itself was moist, and the hints of sweetened butter added an extra flavor that was pleasing but not overbearing.  This appetizer does a great job at maintaining an evenness of flavors so your palette doesn’t get bombarded with one specific ingredient, allowing you to continue to want to eat more.  This is a good thing, because at The Pit, you WANT to eat more. 

Finally, our long awaited entrees arrived.  I ordered The Carolina Classic Combo, which is a plate of Chopped BBQ Pork and Fried Chicken with two sides for $15.99.  I chose the Potato Salad and the Mac and Cheese as my sides, and every entrée comes with biscuits and hushpuppies.  Before I begin, I must disclose that the second round of Fried Pimento had already come out by the time our entrees arrived, so we were already reaching the point of being stuffed.  The plates are big, but I wasn’t ready to stop yet because everything looked and smelled way too good. 

I have to start with the chopped pork.  When it comes to meat, I am very picky as far as seasoning goes.  Many times, I hear people saying their meals were okay, but they were left wanting.  Usually what they were left wanting for was more flavor.  I can’t tell you how many times I experience this when I go out to eat as well.  There is nothing that bothers me more than bland meat masked by a heavily flavored sauce.  Even if the sauce is good, once you get past that bite and into the meat itself, the dish will fall flat if the meat is lacking in seasoning.  My personal philosophy is that the protein should not be the vehicle for the sauce, especially in a case such as this, where you’re going because you want to eat the pork.  I believe the meat should taste delicious on its own, and the sauce is there to compliment it or take it to the next level.  That is exactly what you get at The Pit.  The chopped pork is phenomenal by itself.  The sourness created by the vinegar is kicked up a notch by the spiciness that the red pepper flakes introduce.  The pork alone is addictive, but then the waiters present you with three different BBQ sauces:  Eastern NC sauce (vinegar based), Western NC sauce (tomato based), and a Central NC sauce (mustard based).  I tried all three, and all three paired beautifully with the savory pork.  I must admit that at times, vinegar based barbecue can be too acidic for my taste, but The Pit’s vinegar based sauce is amazing.  It was my favorite of the three because it added some tangy zest to a dish that I did not believe could get any better.  The tomato/ketchup based sauce was great too, slightly sweeter though, perhaps pairing better with the beef brisket or the turkey.  I did not enjoy the mustard based sauce as much.  There wasn’t anything offensive taste wise about it, but nothing to write home about either.  If you’re eating that Eastern style whole-hog barbecue, go with the Eastern style sauce.  It’s life changing. 

Although the pork stole the show that night, the Fried Chicken was fantastic as well.  It was juicy and flavorful without being overly salted.  Just like the fried pimento, the breading on the chicken wasn’t too thick and didn’t taste as if it had been dipped in bad oil.  It was much more subtle tasting than the pork but the tenderness of the chicken made it extremely enjoyable.  Had I tried another one of the meat options I may have had more to say about the fried chicken, but the pork really won this round. 

The mustard-based Potato Salad was wonderful.  I love potato salad, partly because I’m a carb addict, but also because it’s so fresh and it never seems to feel that heavy.  The potato salad was light and the sweet pickle relish was in abundance.  The chopped celery created a gratifying texture with the creamy salad, and the side itself was rather sizeable. 

The Pit’s Mac and Cheese is one of my favorite versions of the beloved comfort food.  The mac and cheese is put in the oven at the end so that the cheese on top can brown, giving it that delectable, slightly burnt taste.  Once you crack through the burnt top, you get a sharp tasting dish that clearly has an egg in it to keep the consistency tight and from becoming too runny.  It’s a drier style of mac and cheese which I think pairs well with the creamier potato salad side.  I could eat The Pit’s macaroni and cheese everyday.  I wish I could order a side of it to take to work everyday, but I know that would be absolutely terrible for me, so I’ll indignantly continue to fight my absurd cravings. 

The biscuits that were served with our meal were amazing.  They were flaky, they were fluffy, and they were buttery.  The biscuits had such a smooth taste to them that I began to wonder how incredible it would be if they used those biscuits and the chopped pork to make sliders and offer it as an appetizer.  That little dish would be a huge money maker. 

Lastly, the Hushpuppies were decent.  They were slightly dry and I feel like they could’ve been a little sweeter, but dipping the hushpuppies in the butter seemed to add a bit of moisture to them.  Overall, they were average at best, but they come with the meal so take advantage and ENJOY THEM!

At the end of my birthday dinner, it’s safe to say that we had stuffed ourselves.  We had eaten enough to last us a week and we left absolutely no room for dessert.  To be honest, I was full by the time our entrees came out, but the food was so scrumptious that none of us wanted to stop eating because The Pit isn’t somewhere we venture out to on a regular basis.  Halfway through our dinner, everyone in my family was on the verge of falling asleep.  We were exhausted from that feast but it was well worth it. 

The Pit isn’t your typical barbecue spot.  It’s more upscale and; therefore, pricier.  You can’t go expecting your hole-in-the-wall, family run, casual BBQ joint, but the food is some of the best I’ve tried.  Usually when I visit barbecue places, I end up enjoying only one of the dishes and am left wanting.  At The Pit, everything is mouthwatering and the quality of the sides match the quality of the entrees.  It’s not pretentious, it’s just a different take on traditional North Carolina food, and it works.  You can host special events there, but you can also walk in wearing shorts and a t-shirt and not feel out of place.  There’s a nice bar and wine wall that makes it a great spot for a bachelorette party or to pregame before a night out on the town.  At first glance, the prices are more than what you would pay at your average BBQ restaurant, but when you look at how much food you get, and the variety of food that you get on your plate, it’s an outstanding deal.  My dish was $15 for two main dishes, two sides, a basket full of biscuits, and a basket full of hushpuppies.  You can’t beat that price, and when you throw in the pleasant atmosphere with the congenial staff, it puts The Pit on my Top 10 List for restaurants to visit in North Carolina.

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