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The Pit Authentic BBQ, Raleigh, NC

The Pit Authentic BBQ

4.3
4.3
5749 Reviews
$30 and under
Southern
A photo of The Pit Authentic BBQ restaurant

The Pit Authentic BBQ

4.3
$30 and under
Southern
Raleigh

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 24 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for groups
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
Servin’ everything but the squeal! The Pit Authentic Barbecue is home to world-famous tangy Eastern NC whole-hog, pit-cooked barbecue. Located in the Warehouse District, we source premium AWA-certified hogs to cook low and slow for twelve hours. All of our spirits have been handpicked to enhance the smoked and sometimes spicy fare cooked off the pit, from beer to bourbon.

Last but not least, we serve up a good time at unique private dining events. Our contemporary setting in a restored 1930s meatpacking warehouse is the perfect spot for rehearsal dinners, birthdays, and more. Check out the link below for details!

Order delivery or takeout

Private dining

Private dining

Book your next event with us

View details

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Southern, Barbecue
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (919) 890-4500
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Carlos Andrade
  • Catering
    For Private Dining and Catering inquiries contact Melissa Robinson at (919)829-0833 or Melissa@thepit-raleigh.com.
  • Private party facilities
    We offer private dining areas to accommodate up to 85 guests. We will customize a Family Style Menu suited for your event.
  • Private party contact
    TaNele Walker: (919) 829-0833
  • Neighborhood
    Raleigh
  • Cross street
    Dawson Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card

Experiences

  • Selfies with Santa

    Multiple dates available
    Santa’s Swingin’ by The Pit! 🔥 Grab dinner and a selfie with Old St. Nick. He's stoppin’ by during dinner service on December 13 and 20 from 6-8 PM to spread some holiday cheer. Come for the ‘cue, stay for the Claus!

What 5,749 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.3
4.3 based on recent ratings
  • 4.3Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 4Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Pit Authentic BBQ in Raleigh offers a "wonderful" blend of Southern hospitality and Eastern NC barbecue. Guests rave about its "perfect" location and "awesome" food, especially the chopped pork and fried chicken. While some have experienced service hiccups, the "delicious" BBQ and "friendly" staff make it a popular choice for a true NC dining experience.

5,749 Reviews
  1. Daniel

    Raleigh

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Food: The complementary biscuits and hush puppies were good. The apps were decent to good, we had the wings and their version of loaded fries. The salad with chicken and bacon as well as the fried chicken were good per my wife and mother respectively. The green beans were good, however they tasted like frozen not fresh green beans. The brisket was too tough with thick layers of fat, the meat could barely be cut with only a fork and it was drowned in BBQ sauce, so that was a huge disappointment. Kids meals were okay, one had hot dogs, the other had their version of Mac and Cheese which did not look good and barely got eaten at all. We finished with a chocolate and a carrot cake to share, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The cakes were both cold, and the frosting was too stiff to be cut reasonably by a 10yr old, and while they tasted great I was not a fan of cold cake that was a challenge to get an easy bite out of. The ice cream was great. Service: The waitress was kind and friendly, however she was a bit slow and forgot small things like giving my mother 4 instead of 2 of the fried chicken which we then paid for. She also forgot ranch for the children and had to be reminded. Atmosphere: Great curb appeal and lighting, comfortable seating, nice ambiance, not too loud. Could easily carry on a conversation over the music, other guests, and kitchen sounds. Restrooms: The restrooms were similar to what you’d expect at a gas station, and not nice at all. The doors were broken, mess everywhere, cramped, and wreaked of marijuana. Overall: We will not be returning or recommending to others. For the price, the value was just not present and it seemed as though it was a haphazard attempt at BBQ. Then top that off with slower than average service, disgusting bathrooms and a staff that seemed a bit stoned.

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  2. Jackson

    Alabama

    1 review

    vip
    2.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    Haven’t been to the pit in about a year or so. Unfortunately, their food and service has gone down hill since the last time I ate there. Our waiter took 25 minutes to get to our table when we first sat down. Food was cold when we got it. We sent back a couple items because of their temperature and our waiter showed an attitude, just to bring out cold food again. Food and drinks took forever to come out. Sad to see an iconic Raleigh spot this way.

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  3. belbyn

    Raleigh

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We all got barbecue, obviously. Very good and we liked the carolina barbecue sauce. Fried okra was delicious!

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  4. Robert

    Cleveland

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Fried chicken was a huge disappointment. Expectations for the food was high and didn’t live up to it.

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  5. Karen

    Alabama

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great chopped pork, sweet potato cornbread and hush puppies

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  6. Kerry

    Raleigh

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 30, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food as always and overall great experience!

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  7. Annalyn

    Raleigh

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 30, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service was quick, and friendly. Our waitress was extremely kind. I didn’t realize the Brussel sprouts were made with bacon that I don’t it and she exchanged it quickly for the green beans and apologized, even though she had nothing to apologize for! I should’ve checked being at a bbq restaurant. The hostess was a sweet lady and very kind as well. Would definitely recommend coming here but make sure to check if you have any restrictions! The restaurant is also very clean and has a great vibe and ambience. Parking is street parking mostly and there is a side lot but it looks like it’s reserved for another store.

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  8. Brian

    Raleigh

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 28, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 1
    Our Thanksgiving meal at The Pit Restaurant in downtown Raleigh was an absolute disaster. We had a party of eight with a reservation at 3:15 PM. Earlier in the day, we called the hostess to ask when we should schedule our return ride home. She advised 4:30 PM, based on our reservation time. However, we were left standing outside until 4:30 PM with no updates, no explanation, and no attempt to communicate the delay. This forced us to cancel our ride, incurring a $30 cancellation fee. The hostess was incredibly unprofessional and unfriendly throughout the ordeal. Every time we inquired about seating, she acted annoyed and dismissive, stating, “I’ll walk around and see what is opening, but that is the best I can tell you.” There was zero communication from management, leaving us completely in the dark about the status of our reservation. When we were finally seated, it took 15 minutes just to place a drink order and another 30 minutes for our food to arrive. For a $480 meal, the quality was abysmal. Served family-style, we were given a bowl of turkey crumbs—yes, crumbs—that resembled leftovers more than a proper Thanksgiving meal. We had no utensils at the table and had to ask for basic items multiple times. While the waitress was polite, she was clearly overwhelmed by the chaos. To make matters worse, the billing process was a disaster. The $60 per person charge couldn’t be processed correctly, so we were given two $29 charges per person with no explanation. Any questions about this were brushed off, and at one point, a staff member rudely addressed me as “bro.” This was, without a doubt, the worst meal and dining experience I have ever had at a restaurant. For $480, we expected far better than what The Pit delivered. I would strongly advise against choosing this restaurant for any special occasion. Management needs to take serious steps to improve their service, professionalism, and overall quality. This experience was simply unacceptable.

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  9. James

    Pinehurst

    5 reviews

    1.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on November 28, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    A poor dining experience from start to finish. We had a reservation at 2:30 pm on Thanksgiving, we weren’t seated until 3:15 pm and didn’t see a server until close to 3:30 pm. There were a lot of people standing around waiting to be seated, spoke to one family that were seated an hour and 40 minutes past their reservation. You had to have a reservation for Thanksgiving, no walk ins, so they knew how many peoole to expect, our reservation was confirmed prior to Thanksgiving. The food service was family style, which would have been fine, but the servings were small, it didn't seem to matter how many were at your table you got the same sized platters, it isn't family style if everyone doesn't get a serving if they want one. $60 per person for small servings or not even having enough for each diner and a couple of small slices of pie for dessert was definitely overpriced. The service was slow and it was challenging figuring who exactly our server was since we didn't see the same people twice. Luckily one of the bartenders took pity on us and made sure we had tea refills. Management didn't come around to apologize for the long wait times or slow service or offer a discount for the bad experience. It was poorly run and management dropped the ball on many levels, but the servers were doing their best even though they were understaffed and overwhelmed. I do not recommend you visit during a holiday meal, we'll stick to visiting for lunch during the week.

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  10. Anna

    Raleigh

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 28, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    I feel like they over booked. Many made reservations as well myself but was seated almost an hour after our time. I heard people 45 min before us with reservations were waiting. I felt sorry for the staff. The staff did a wonderful job during the chaotic mess. Last year was AMAZING with plenty to take home not this year.

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FAQs

The Pit Authentic BBQ offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (919) 890-4500.

The Pit Authentic BBQ is rated 4.3 stars by 5749 OpenTable diners.

The Pit Authentic BBQ does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

A photo of The Pit Authentic BBQ restaurant

The Pit Authentic BBQ

4.3
$30 and under
Southern
Raleigh

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 24 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Pit Authentic BBQ

328 W. Davie Street, Raleigh, NC 27601

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Dawson Street
  • Neighborhood
    Raleigh
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Southern, Barbecue
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Carlos Andrade
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (919) 890-4500
  • Catering
    For Private Dining and Catering inquiries contact Melissa Robinson at (919)829-0833 or Melissa@thepit-raleigh.com.
  • Private party facilities
    We offer private dining areas to accommodate up to 85 guests. We will customize a Family Style Menu suited for your event.
  • Private party contact
    TaNele Walker: (919) 829-0833
Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card
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