If you're here, you love barbecue-maybe even as much as we do (which would be quite an accomplishment). Lucky for you, we're Raleigh's source for the tastiest pork this side of the Smoky Mountains. North Carolina is known for its legendary barbecue joints. We proudly continue this tradition by serving authentic whole-hog, pit-cooked barbecue at The Pit in downtown Raleigh's warehouse district.
More than just a restaurant, The Pit is an experience to be shared, enjoyed and remembered. We invite you to celebrate and share the experience with friends, family and co-workers at a private dining event with us. Please don't forget your mask when you dine with us. Thank you for your cooperation!
More than just a restaurant, The Pit is an experience to be shared, enjoyed and remembered. We invite you to celebrate and share the experience with friends, family and co-workers at a private dining event with us. Please don't forget your mask when you dine with us. Thank you for your cooperation!
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North Carolina is known for its legendary barbecue joints. We proudly continue this tradition by serving authentic whole-hog, pit-cooked barbecue at The Pit in downtown Raleigh's warehouse district. A celebration of all of the great culinary offerings of the Old North State, The Pit has made a name for itself as the destination for the state's signature cuisine.
Salads served with your choice of dressing and a choice of pulled pork, grilled salmon, pit-cooked chicken, or grilled soy nuggets. Pit-cooked overnight, pulled from the bone, lightly seasoned and ready for you to sauce as you would like. Pairs well with Jolie Folle Rose. Mild smoked sausage, locally sourced from Dar Farms, over a bed of peppers, onions, and portobello mushrooms.
Staying involved in the community-our local community as well as the barbecue community as a whole-is very important to us at The Pit. After all, our best customers are our friends, neighbors, and fellow BBQ enthusiasts. So whether it's at a local gathering or on national television, we take any and every opportunity to recognize our peers, compare notes, and show our Pit pride.
Reviews (22)
John E.
Jan 28, 2022
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I am not the biggest fan of North Carolinian vinegar bbq, but tried out the pit on two occasions to make sure I wasn't missing out. The fried chicken and sides were fantastic, however the bbq chicken might as well have been jerky based on how dry it was. The brisket was tender and smoked perfectly. I also tried the turkey, and pulled pork and would describe them as middle of the road. All around, this place is a disappoint. There are to many good spots in town to waste your time here.
Joe Hercik
Jan 25, 2022
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Faith J.
Jan 24, 2022
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Phil Sigler
Jan 20, 2022
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Sonny K.
Jan 18, 2022
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Either yesterday was a really bad day due to the holiday or this place completely lost its heart and soul. And you can't have a good BBQ without both heart and soul.
The devil eggs were good; typical, what you would expect at home.
The fried green tomatoes were cut so thin that they appeared to be chips instead. The sauce for the fried green tomatoes was the highlight of the meal.
The Carolina style ribs had a very off-putting flavor/taste; this was due to being smoke with fresh logs. NOTE: please burn your wood first before putting it into the smoker and don't use wet/green wood
The devil eggs were good; typical, what you would expect at home.
The fried green tomatoes were cut so thin that they appeared to be chips instead. The sauce for the fried green tomatoes was the highlight of the meal.
The Carolina style ribs had a very off-putting flavor/taste; this was due to being smoke with fresh logs. NOTE: please burn your wood first before putting it into the smoker and don't use wet/green wood
Valley J.
Jan 16, 2022
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I live in Texas and visit family in Kansas City so I know excellent BBQ... or so I thought! This food is beyond any high expectation you could have. The Pit takes BBQ to a whole other level, but the AMAZING MANAGER (coulda been the owner maybe) puts it in a whole other league. He intuitively understands top notch customer service and what it means to run a business right. Truly impressive from beginning to end (and it hasn't ended yet as I am currently eating our leftovers which are just as delicious as yesterday!)
Now the food: the ribs are meaty, juicy and falls right off the bone. There
Now the food: the ribs are meaty, juicy and falls right off the bone. There
Sandy F.
Dec 31, 2021
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A two part ten star review for The Pit in Raleigh NC.
I was task with the meal plan for an upcoming event; I had zero previous experience with The Pit.
Five Stars to The Pit Team !
Assistantance provided by The Pit from beginning to end for an unconventional Christmas dinner for twenty-five guest was exceptional.
Five Stars for the food !
Pulled pork, brisket, chicken wings, Cole slaw, collard greens, Mac & Cheese, banana pudding, and mixed berry cobbler were all delicious !
I purchased additional sauces, they weren't needed because the flavor profiles on the meats were that
I was task with the meal plan for an upcoming event; I had zero previous experience with The Pit.
Five Stars to The Pit Team !
Assistantance provided by The Pit from beginning to end for an unconventional Christmas dinner for twenty-five guest was exceptional.
Five Stars for the food !
Pulled pork, brisket, chicken wings, Cole slaw, collard greens, Mac & Cheese, banana pudding, and mixed berry cobbler were all delicious !
I purchased additional sauces, they weren't needed because the flavor profiles on the meats were that
Uil Taz
Dec 19, 2021
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Don I.
Dec 14, 2021
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Rylan C.
Dec 09, 2021
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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
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
Smith Hoops
Nov 26, 2021
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B.
Nov 12, 2021
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Everyone talks about this place as a good place to bring people from out of town to try NC BBQ. I was not impressed. The restaurant decoration is nice but the food was not very good. The BBQ meats didn’t come with any BBQ sauce on them and the sauces in the bottles on the tables were gross. It was a nice experience and the service was fine, but I wouldn’t come back for the food.
Tabitha Lanuza
Oct 27, 2021
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I really enjoyed my food, catfish, greens and fried okra. The catfish was fried perfectly by lacked in salt & flavor. I'm used to Cali style where everything is really flavored so maybe it's just me. My niece really enjoyed her vegan BBQ chicken and my sister said her fries w/ brisket was good but not great.
A.
Oct 16, 2021
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I am only giving a three for the food. The atmosphere and ambience was lovely. There was a game watching bar feel, along with a great day night comfort. Our waiter was also working the bar and very attentive when he could be. The staff was very friendly and super nice. We enjoyed every bit of the drinks that came and just sitting. But the food was not up to par. It was perfectly prepared as far as looks are concerned but the dishes had no flavor. Quality juicy ribs that tastes like bland meat. It was confusing to say the least. Also it was pretty astonishing to find out that the sweat potato casserole
Love J. A. M.
Sep 24, 2021
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Rebecca M.
Sep 11, 2021
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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
Ka V.
Sep 09, 2021
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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
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
Gab G.
Sep 03, 2021
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Ehh, didn't live up to the hype. Started with the complimentary biscuits and hush puppies - biscuits were good, but there are better biscuits in this biscuit-centric town - then had the pulled pork with green beans and cole slaw. Sides were great, but the just meat wasn't impressive. Service was good.
Yuxian Du
Jul 23, 2021
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Excellent place to try NC style BBQ. We ordered full-rack ribs, sampler, and pulled pork. Decent portion size made them sufficient for our group of four. Sampler has all you need to experience it's authentic southern style, while the only kickback is you might need some drinking water to dilute the salt. Pulled pork was better with sauces provided, while the ribs were tasty, juicy and tender by themselves. Highly recommend!
Kathy W.
Jul 05, 2021
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Holiday today so taking break to try new places.
Not as impressed.
Outdoor seating is open which is a plus.
Pit sampler - deviled eggs were good. Not impressed with the roll. The wings were also a bit blend. The sauces were good though.
Carolina spare ribs - thought we ordered baby back but the spare ribs were served. Not a big deal but the spare ribs were not as flavorful. Minus a star.
Beef brisket lunch - love the brisket, very juicy and full of flavor.
Overall the place is decent but weren't impressed. I still like Big Al the best of all bbq places tried.
Not as impressed.
Outdoor seating is open which is a plus.
Pit sampler - deviled eggs were good. Not impressed with the roll. The wings were also a bit blend. The sauces were good though.
Carolina spare ribs - thought we ordered baby back but the spare ribs were served. Not a big deal but the spare ribs were not as flavorful. Minus a star.
Beef brisket lunch - love the brisket, very juicy and full of flavor.
Overall the place is decent but weren't impressed. I still like Big Al the best of all bbq places tried.
Dylan Hill
Jun 30, 2021
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Rebecca Y.
May 31, 2021
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Made a reservation for 2 at noon. We ordered then waited about 40 min for our food to arrive.
I got the chopped pork plate with Mac n cheese and mashed potatoes. My husband got the beef brisket with creamed corn and Brunswick stew.
The Mac n cheese tastes slightly old, and my husbands beef brisket was cold and hard, not tender at all.
The chopped pork was delicious. All meals came with hush puppies and biscuits with honey butter. We also ordered the skillet cornbread which was good (& had faint smell of gingerbread almost), but I wouldn't order it again. I thought the hush puppies
I got the chopped pork plate with Mac n cheese and mashed potatoes. My husband got the beef brisket with creamed corn and Brunswick stew.
The Mac n cheese tastes slightly old, and my husbands beef brisket was cold and hard, not tender at all.
The chopped pork was delicious. All meals came with hush puppies and biscuits with honey butter. We also ordered the skillet cornbread which was good (& had faint smell of gingerbread almost), but I wouldn't order it again. I thought the hush puppies
