Best Barbecue in the Country - The Pit, Raleigh, North Carolina (Clyde: restaurant, skylight)

[joe530]

Originally Posted by tlh1005

Love this list. I am going to pick out B's as my #1 and Allen and Sons as my #2.
I have still NOT been to the Pit. My wife and I just haven't had the time but now that they are open Sundays we should make it out soon.

Open Sunday,Mmmm... I will be there! Even though I do not believe that anybody should be open on that day, I will have too put aside my beliefs for only that one day and enjoy the Que!!!

[Starglow]

I don't care much for the vinegar based BBQ here in NC. I prefer mine smothered in regular old BBQ sauce that gets all over your face and hands while you enjoy pigging out.

I cringe when I see a BBQ place around here because I can't tell if they serve my style of BBQ or that other stuff.

[tlh1005]

Originally Posted by Starglow

I don't care much for the vinegar based BBQ here in NC. I prefer mine smothered in regular old BBQ sauce that gets all over your face and hands while you enjoy pigging out.

I cringe when I see a BBQ place around here because I can't tell if they serve my style of BBQ or that other stuff.

It's all about where you grow up. I was born here in Raleigh and love eastern style, but I also like all sorts of other methods. Just as you dislike vinegar based, there are plenty of people from Pitt County who wouldn't touch Lexington (NC) style BBQ, much less a Texas style!

[macjr82]

I've heard many a story from my military friends about the first time they ordered pork BBQ in NC expecting baby back ribs and got the real stuff. Though just like sweet tea, most became converts.

Has anyone ever traveled down to Newport for the annual NC pig pickin' in April?

[rnc2mbfl]

Originally Posted by underPSI

Figures, a hippy wrote the review. I'm an eastern NC bbq connoisseur and I can tell you that The Pitt is nowhere close to "the best" in the area. It doesn't hold a candle compared to Cooper's. The absolute best I've ever had, which amazingly isn't on the list, is a place in Charleston, SC.

As a point of clarification, nowhere in the article or the original post did anyone state that The Pit was the best in the area. It simply called out 5 restaurants that the author thought were great.

[Claudaniella]

My wife and I ate at the Pit a week ago today. We got the Barbecue plate. Just the chopped "whole hog - not the shoulder" with the vinegar-pepper sauce. There were ribs on the menu and pulled pork, but we were looking for the "authentic" NC-style. When in Rome, after all...

Well, the atmosphere and the decor of the building were top-notch. I love the old rehabbed brick building look. We have a lot of that up here in New England. Casual was OK, dressed-up was OK. The waitstaff were very good, but the Barbecue was a disappointment. The meat was cut very small. No chunks, small portion, not nearly as tasty as a pulled pork shoulder. Pretty disappointing, actually.

As for Clyde Cooper's, our realtor, a lifelong Raleigh resident had suggested we go there instead. Next time, baby.

[uncletupelo]

In the east you are pretty much only going to find whole hog cue. West of Durham most joints cook lexington style which is shoulders and and ketchup based sauce. A private pig pickin is the best placed to get the pulled variety that you are looking for. The Pit cue is hand chopped and is very typical of classic eastern style cue that most of us love to eat and talk about. It is a huge part of NC culture and has been for over 300 years.

[tlh1005]

Originally Posted by uncletupelo

In the east you are pretty much only going to find whole hog cue. West of Durham most joints cook lexington style which is shoulders and and ketchup based sauce. A private pig pickin is the best placed to get the pulled variety that you are looking for. The Pit cue is hand chopped and is very typical of classic eastern style cue that most of us love to eat and talk about. It is a huge part of NC culture and has been for over 300 years.

Yep, it's like when people from here goto Pat's or some place in Philly. When the cheese steak comes out with cheese whiz on it they think it's crazy.

Uncletupelo is right, and you are probably not going to like Copper's much either. You might like Danny's or the places Uncletupelo is referring to past Durham.

[Poggly Woggly]

I have not been to The Pit. I aim to get down there soon

I have followed so many credible leads to barbecue joints in eastern NC, I can hardly remember them all. One day I'm going to Weldon to eat at Ralph's, and to Greenville to Bea's. They say the line there starts early and gets long. I found the Skylight Inn in Ayden nearly 25 years ago. They consistently serve a fresh chop of whole hog barbecue every time. I have found none any better so far. Just my opinion of course

[uncletupelo]

Originally Posted by Poggly Woggly

I have not been to The Pit. I aim to get down there soon

I have followed so many credible leads to barbecue joints in eastern NC, I can hardly remember them all. One day I'm going to Weldon to eat at Ralph's, and to Greenville to Bea's. They say the line there starts early and gets long. I found the Skylight Inn in Ayden nearly 25 years ago. They consistently serve a fresh chop of whole hog barbecue every time. I have found none any better so far. Just my opinion of course

Poggly- I agree. The Jones family is carrying on the tradition that Pete started. The Skylight Inn is the best that I have ever had.