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Eat This Fort Worth Reviews The PIT
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Bud Kennedy
A 60-year Fort Worth barbecue landmark has made a comeback.
The Pit Barbeque, which vanished two years ago from Henderson Street north of downtown, has reopened with the same Gathings family recipes that made it a must-stop in the heyday of the Jacksboro Highway.
The new Pit has first-rate brisket and above-average pork ribs ($8.95 plate), a good challenge to local legend Angelo’s down the street. But the menu is updated, with a special barbecued-chicken salad and a "horn dog" deep-fried hot link.
The real winner is its weekday lunch buffet, $9.24, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. It’s open daily for lunch and dinner, and stays open until midnight Fridays and Saturdays; 817-332-PITT, www.pitbarbeque.net.
Bud Kennedy-- Fort Worth Star Telegram
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Fort Worth Hole In The Wall
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Pit Barbeque
After six or seven gentle hints to get to Deer Creek, I finally made the journey to West Fort Worth. Heading down Camp Bowie, I had one thought: I've just used a half tank of gas travelling the 80 miles it takes to go down Camp Bowie - this place better be good. As my anticipation and hunger grew, I began to wonder what strip center BBQ would taste like. My last experience with strip center BBQ was Cousins and I wasn't a fan. But, one of my most frequent commentors has continuously praised it and he's been right before, so I was excited. Well, I have no validation yet. They were closed for pit maintenance (I'm picturing a hound licking the grates).
So now that I was out in Abilene or however far I was, I began the slow trip back into town, looking for lunch places. My stomach didn't give me the sign until I hit Henderson and White Settlement. There, across the street from Thai Tina's is The Pit BBQ. The Pit BBQ has been in this place for a long time. However, it masqueraded as a few other things for a while. Its back, and the menu says they've been there since the Trinity formed.
If you haven't been up this way in awhile (Henderson, north of Downtown), The Pit BBQ is a very casual place with an outdoor seating area, outdoor bathrooms, a front porch and a small interior seating area. They also play some good old country tunes that make you feel like you need some BBQ. According to the guy behind the bar, they are also adding a patio outside with some shade and an area for a band. This place has potential.
Without really reading the actual menu options I ordered a sliced beef sandwich, onion rings and potato salad. After ordering I realized that onion rings are nearly five bucks. That means one of two things: gold covered onion rings; or a pound of onion rings. It was the latter. But that'sok, especially when they're homemade onion rings. They have a batter similar to that used on long john silver's fish. Its not the super flaky, almost tempura batter you see at a lot of places and it was good. Plus, I tested this for you all. If you like onion rings but don't like onions, you can take a bite out of one, then completely pull the onion out of the opening.
The BBQ sandwich was great. The meat was piled high and was very tender. You have a choice of rye bread, Texas toast, or a regular bun. I stuck with the bun since I'm watching my weight. I also ordered the potato salad and it was good without too much of a sour taste. All in all - good food.
If you will all remember, I did a comprehensive BBBBQ review of the Fort's BBB back in early April. Since then, I haven't been real hungry for any sort of slow cooked meats. But now that I've had the summer to get excited, I was craving it. The Pit BBQ met my need. My only complaints would be that the bigger onion rings were a bit undercooked and the food was not given to me for free. Other than that, I'll go back.
Another interesting thing - they have sliced watermelon on ice.
Check it out and let me know what you think.
Posted by FortWorthHoleInTheWallat 6:54 PM
Labels: BBB, BBQ, North of Downtown, patio
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The Pit Barbeque click here to see this article from the source of origin
one of Fort Worth's best kept secrets
A popular TIBU writer has been MIA for a couple of months. Won't name him here partly because he's enjoying being mysterious about his absence and partly just because.
Well this is where he has disappeared to; managing this little place.
Just north of downtown this place doesn't look like much, but it's actually semi-historic. Allow me to quote from the back of the menu:
"In the early 1930's a traveling group of unemployed iron workers made their way down the Jacksboro Highway in Depression Era Texas looking for work.
A local restauranteur hired them to build a barbeque pit. Several of these iron pits were constructed along the Jacksboro Highway. We are the last one standing. The first Pit had a tent over it and sandwiches were sold in the open air.
In the early 1940's the proprietor built around the original Pit and constructed the brick building you see today. In 1944 Sammie Gathings hired on as a waitress at the new place. She later made a deal with the owner to purchase the restaurant. Mrs. Gathings reared her family here in Fort Worth and operated the Pit until 1990...some sixty-four years later her son Robert took over the business.
Today we are proud to serve you and your family the same made from scratch recipes that have been handed down through three generations. Real Texas barbeque from the oldest family owned wood burning barbeque pit in continuous operation in Tarrant County...."
So there you have it. I didn't even know all of this until recently. I've sped past this place for years and had no idea it had been here that long.
The place isn't much to look at; a small restaurant by most standards. There's only about a dozen tables inside.
I ate there yesterday. The ribs are excellent as well are the standard side dishes of potato salad and pinto beans. Last Sunday I had breakfast with one of the current owners, who showed me the actual pit full of ribs, briskets and sausage. Kind of kicking myself now for not taking a photo, for it was truly picturesque to see all that meat slowly smoking in a hickory fire. There's only a big iron door separating the dining room from the pit. They don't have their beer license YET, so it's BYOB for now unless you can handle tea or soft drinks with your meal.
An elderly couple were in there dining at the same time I was. Overheard the man tell the person at the register: "That was just as good as it was in 1947"
Don't really think the reviews get much better than that one.
So if you're ever down this way, you could do a lot worse than checking out the Pit.
And tell 'em brianfile23 sent you. Maybe I'll get a free sandwich next time.
The Pit
702 North Henderson St
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click here to see this article from the source of origin
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Chow, Baby: Wednesday, June 11, 2008
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A Hill of Beans, Please
There is a pretty interesting backstory to the newly resurrected Pit Barbecue (702 N. Henderson St.). But you can ask one of the friendly counter guys about that, or read it on the back of the menu, because Chow, Baby wants to spend its limited space raving about the Pit’s pinto beans (side $1.50). Man, these are some fine beans. Tender but firm, long-simmered, with a peppery sauce as thick and rich as a good stew. They could possibly be the greatest beans ever in the history of the world.
The Pit’s small dinner plate ($8.95) comes with one meat and two sides, so theoretically you could also have fresh-fried onion rings, or zingy potato salad, or housemade coleslaw. But that seems a waste of prime bean real estate. Just make some room on the plate for heavily rubbed, crispy-outside/moist-and-meaty-inside ribs ($12.95/lb) and very spicy blackened hot links (sandwich $4.85). These magical beans even salvaged the only weakness at Chow, Baby’s visit, sliced brisket ($11.95/lb) that was exquisitely smoked and ringed but a little too dry. No problem: We got juicy flavor to spare.
And the beans fit perfectly into their kitschy-Western surroundings. There are paper towels on the table for wiping beans off your cheek, checkered tablecloths for eating spilled beans off of, and scattered cowboy boots in which beans can be hoarded for later. It’s as if, despite recent inhabitants like the revolucin-themed Zapata’s and the too-cool-for-this-neighborhood Trinity Bistro, this rustic 1940s building was built for the express purpose of housing a barbecue joint called Pit Barbecue. Which, as a matter of fact oh, go get the story in person. It comes free with the beans.
A Totally Excellent Discovery
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