Lubin Prevatt's Review Of . . . The Pit Barbecue Restaurant 328 W. Davie Street, Raleigh, NC, 27601 (919) 890-4500 http://www.thepit-raleigh.com

On Friday, February 8, 2008, my wife and I visited The Pit barbecue restaurant in downtown Raleigh.       Ed Mitchell from Wilson is the Pit Master. The restaurant is touted as using heritage hogs for their barbecue, and cooking over wood coals.       We had pulled pork barbecue, baby back ribs, and beef brisket. For side dishes, we had cole slaw, collard greens, sweet potatoes, ravioli salad, and mashed potatoes.       The pulled pork barbecue from shoulders was very clean, lean, and tasty. Clean and lean is very important to me, especially as most barbecue restaurant’s products are too greasy and trashy. The meat was a little tough (probably due to being from heritage hogs), but the barbecue was prepared well and was very good.       There are two table sauces at The Pit, a classic eastern barbecue sauce (vinegar and red pepper), and a western sauce (actually an NC mountain sauce with brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, and red pepper). Both of the sauces were very good on the barbecue.       The beef brisket was very good. It was a slight bit tough, but was deliciously seasoned with a light sauce of sugar, vinegar, and salt.       The baby back ribs were fairly good also. They had a good rib sauce (rub) coating, and were a slight bit salty.       The collard greens were excellent, the best collard greens I have ever had in a restaurant. There was no bitter taste at all to the collards as is common with many people’s preparations. The stems are cut from the collard leaves and discarded. The collard greens are seasoned with a delicate mix of vinegar, sugar, and salt. They were exceptional.       The sweet potatoes were also excellent. They were cooked perfectly, and had a sweet sauce with a hint of cinnamon.       The cole slaw was good.       The ravioli salad was good, even though it was not warm.     The mashed potatoes were good.       The bread served was homemade biscuits and cornmeal muffins. The biscuits were a little heavy, and the corn meal muffins were plain. The bread area could be improved.       One of the best things during our visit was talking with Ed Mitchell. Ed works the dining floor during the course of the meals and talks with patrons, both greeting them and asking for feedback. Ed Mitchell was very gracious and enjoyable to talk with.       Ed talked with my wife and me on two occasions during our visit. The first session was to greet us as we began our meal. After the meal, and my evaluation and enjoyment of the meal, Ed stopped by again and I invited him to sit down and talk about his food. I told Ed of my barbecue background, 40 years as a barbecue enthusiast, and 8 years as a Certified Barbecue Judge.       Ed spent about 15 minutes with us talking about his preparation methods using oak and hickory wood, his sauces, and barbecue experience. It was very enjoyable and informative talking with Ed. He was also very open and appreciative to comments on his barbecue and other dishes. He is constantly trying to improve his already good products. We also learned that the restaurant’s Pastry Chef is responsible for the bread, and he is seeking to make improvements in that area.       In summary, our visit to The Pit and with Ed Mitchell was very enjoyable. The barbecue and side dishes were very good. I highly recommend the restaurant, and would say that it is the best barbecue within the Raleigh City limits, and one of the best barbecue restaurants in the state. ~ ~ ~ Addendum Review ~ ~ ~       Today (February 12, 2008), a fellow barbecue enthusiast (State Environmental Specialist with the Natural Heritage Program) and I had lunch at The Pit Barbecue Restaurant. Our experience was excellent.       We had the good fortune of walking up to the restaurant from down-wind, and the blend of smoke, vinegar, and pork in the air was perfect.       We had both Chopped Whole Hog and Pulled Pork Shoulder. Both were excellent, and we both agreed that the Chopped Whole Hog may have been the best.       For side dishes we had Brussel Sprouts and Cole Slaw. The Brussel Sprouts were excellent, apparently sautéed and lightly seasoned. I missed the Collard Greens and Candid Yams as they are served only at dinner and not lunch.       Others had recommended the Banana Rum Pudding (actually it is rum banana pudding) for dessert, and it was exceptional.       The service was very good, even though a little slow once the restaurant filled. Get there early for lunch, 11:30 a.m.       I give, with total confidence, a full 4-pig rating. ~ ~ ~ Addendum Review #2 ~ ~ ~       My wife and I visited The Pit Barbecue Restaurant in downtown Raleigh again this weekend (August 2, 2008). This was my 5th visit and this great restaurant continues to get even better. We had Hatteras chowder, Brunswick stew, chopped pork barbecue, barbecue chicken, collards, black-eyed peas, shrimp and crab salad, cole slaw, twice-baked potato, sweet potatoes, and biscuits.       The Hatteras chowder is new and excellent. It is a special recipe by Ed Mitchell (Pit Master / chef) and includes crab meat, shrimp, fresh fish, and potatoes in a delicious light cream base.       The Brunswick stew was very good, the chopped whole hog barbecue was excellent as usual, the smoked barbecue chicken had very good flavor, the collards were excellently prepared (the best in any restaurant), the black-eyed peas were exceptional, the shrimp and crab salad was very good, the cole slaw was good, the twice-baked potato was good, the candid yams were excellent (they are always great), and the biscuits were very good.       The biscuits have been improved since my first visit to The Pit. Ed Mitchell reviewed and improved the recipe and preparation. The biscuits are now quite good.       As usual (in the evenings) Ed Mitchell periodically cruises the dining area and talks with the diners as desired. Ed talked with us at length about the menu items, how he is constantly reviewing and improving all items, about new items he has added to the menu, and about good barbecue and fun in general. Ed is a very gracious, enjoyable, and dedicated host and chef.       The Pit’s 4-pig rating remains strong. Lubin Prevatt Certified Barbecue Judge Raleigh, NC

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