Hot Pit B-B-Q

Been going here for several years, and the food and service are consistently first rate. I prefer the chopped BBQ; it’s outstanding as served, but add their sauce and it’s great. I’ve always enjoyed Rudy’s also, but for my money Hot Pit’s potato salad and beans give it the edge. Now Rudy’s is just for a change of pace maybe a couple of times a year. The only reason they don’t get five stars is because of a lack of desserts comparable to Rudy’s. On the other hand, by the time you finish here you’ll probably be too full for dessert anyway.

Hot Pit is a hole-​in-​the-​wall, just like I like ‘em. I ate there twice. The first time was just before closing, so things weren’t as fresh or choices as plentiful as they could be. Still, the brisket was very good, as well as the cole slaw and cowboys beans (they aren’t your typical BBQ beans, so don’t expect that). The meal was good enough that I went back a few days later for an early lunch. This time had the brisket sandwich and it was PHENOMENAL, very moist and tender and had a good smoke ring around it. Choices were many on this day, including gigantic smoked turkey wings. Prices are right and they offer a discount to military and LEO’s. I highly recommend the place, especially if you get there early.

Just had the chopped brisket sandwich and it was delicious! I will be having one here again in the future!

I really want to like this place more than I do, but it’s just OK. The cole slaw was tasty, the beans were «meh», and my brisket was dry & tough, albeit with decent flavor. Maybe it would’ve been better as a chopped sandwich.
I’d like to tell you to skip Rudy’s & come here, but unfortunately the chain wins in this instance.

Very good, large portions and free refills on ice tea, but no lemon/​lime slices?
Nice peaceful atmosphere and friendly people who work there.

BBQ is smoked which is not my favorite style. Meat was juicy and tender but doesn’t have a lot of flavor, sauce was okay but my preference is flavorful meat without sauce. Place was clean and employees were friendly and helpful.

I prefer the Hot Pit over Rudy’s, the plate with brisket and sides is delicious. During lunch time it’s a nice place to grab a bite. Give this little place a chance!
P. S. CASH ONLY!

It seems to me that the more run-​down the building looks, the better barbecue it makes. Hot Pit is a true homestyle Texas barbecue joint that knows how to smoke some meat.
The place looks very unassuming from the inside, so much so to the point where it could throw off potential diners who are looking for a place to eat. Once inside, though, the setup is cafeteria-​style, with long tables and a serving line near the back that looks like it was bought from the local high school.
The Hot Pit only offers two types of meat — brisket and sausage — and you can get it either as a plate lunch or a sandwich. For the plate lunch I ordered, just as much emphasis is placed on the sides as is the meat, with country-​style beans, coleslaw, and a German potato salad accompanying every meal (a picture was posted as an example).
The German potato salad was the best of the three, with the mustard and lemon notes providing a contrast to the mayonnaise base of the fairly standard coleslaw. Bacon was used in the cooking liquid of the beans, but on the whole, I thought they could have used a little more seasoning.
It’s not difficult to barbecue a piece of meat — the hardest part of the process is having enough time and patience to wait for the meat to slowly cook so that the tough collagen of the connective tissue of the meat turns into lip-​smacking collagen. Not investing a long enough cooking time has been my beef (pun intended) with Rudy’s brisket, which has been tough and below par, in my experience. The Hot Pit, on the other hand, knows how to do it — the brisket was not only cooked to the point where the meat was pull-​apart tender, but it also had a wonderful smoke ring — a pink discoloration under the surface of the bark caused by the nitric acid in the smoking wood. It’s an easy tell that you are dealing with some seriously good eats.
The meat itself wasn’t seasoned much, but judging from the amount of sauce they gave me, the meat and sauce were intended to be eaten together. It had a rich and heavy vinegar and tomato base that was made in the Texas style and worked well with the meat.
My only gripe with Hot Pit is that I feel that the meat should have received top billing in the meal, not given in equal proportions to the other sides. However, this complaint is negated when you order a sandwich, because it doesn’t come with all of the sides. The Hot Pit is the epitome of Texas barbecue, and they have the knowledge and ability to make a piece of meat truly delicious.