The Pit Authentic BBQ

Review summary

1. D

   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. J

   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. b

   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. R

   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. K

   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. K

   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. A

   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. B

   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. J

   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. A

    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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