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The Pit Authentic BBQ, Raleigh, NC

The Pit Authentic BBQ

4.3
4.3
5743 Reviews
$30 and under
Regional American (Southern)

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 22 times today
  • Good for groups
  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighbourhood gem
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

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Regional American (Southern), Barbecue
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 11:00–23:00
  • 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
  • Area
    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, Takeaway, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Gift card

Gift card

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What 5,743 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.

5,743 Reviews
  1. Annalyn

    Raleigh

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    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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  2. Brian

    Raleigh

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    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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  3. James

    Pinehurst

    5 reviews

    1.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    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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  4. Anna

    Raleigh

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    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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  5. Sandy

    Raleigh

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    I'm not sure where to begin. A fixed menu should be the easiest to serve but that was not the case. Service was terribly slow, appetizers and desserts were 50% of what was expected i. e. only two spinach salads for a table of four, an hour wait between apps and entrees and even worse for desserts. Kitchen management should be changed. We used to really enjoy both dine in and delivery from "The Pit" but this experience was so disappointing I'm not sure we'll ever return.

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  6. Joey

    Seattle

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 24 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Friendly service, great food and clean atmosphere.

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  7. Laurence

    Charlotte

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 23 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Food cold. Waiter look like he came off the street.

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  8. theresa

    Charlotte

    28 reviews

    3.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on 19 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Large party here for conference waiter provided recommendations for sides which was helpful Brisket was tough had to send back the replacement was okay but not as tender as would have liked - ribs were not fall off the bone which was disappointing for a BBQ restaurant Salads chicken pulled pork were all well liked. Dessert was a nice ending

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  9. Michele

    New York City

    45 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    45 reviews

    Dined on 16 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Everything we ordered was delicious .... turkey, baby back ribs, and carolina ribs.

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  10. Patrick

    Raleigh

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 16 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was WONDERFUL .The quaility of the food really shines. And the deserts are amazing.

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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 5743 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.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 22 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Pit Authentic BBQ

328 W. Davie Street, Raleigh, NC 27601

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Dawson Street
  • Area
    Raleigh
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 11:00–23:00
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Regional American (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, Takeaway, 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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