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Charcoal Pit
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Lunch, Dinner, Late Night
- Alcohol:
- None
15 reviews for Charcoal Pit
So my boyfriend suggested going there after the Delaware Art Museum. I thought it was a great idea, because I hadn't been in years, and the last one I'd been to was their Bear location on Route 40. And even that was years ago. Anyway, I don't need to be served by people who say "Hi, I'm so and so and I'll be your server for the day". And I realize that that's not what you get at the Charcoal Pit. But my God, was this woman crass. I guess they were a bit understaffed at that particular moment, because she was hostessing, bussing and cashiering. This was Sunday, August 16 at about 5. I said, "Can we sit by the window?" because I like to take pictures in as much natural light as possible. Especially food pictures! If she were younger, I know she would've said, "Whatever!" She was just rude, OK? then the server. This man - what is it with these waiters in Delaware?? This is the second one who acted like this! He seemed so overwhelmed! As I said, they weren't that busy. Of course he sold me the Orange Freeze without describing it properly. I don't know...I never had one before. I didn't think it was like a Creamsicle milkshake deal. I mean, nothing wrong with that, but I wanted something more...icy. Slushy. You know. Our orders were taken not at a fast pace, and it seemed to take forever to get our food! I'm not kidding. What was going on? I'm still trying to understand this service. I know this food was ready. I know it. This guy seemed to have no idea what to do! Now, our burgers and fries were very good. Not piping hot, but very good. Then it took forever for the Orange Freeze to come out. Naturally I had to ask for water twice.
Please understand, I'm not a Charcoal Pit basher. I know this place has been around for many, many moons; I know the Capano family owns it, I know all this stuff. And I love places like this. But this was not the experience we hoped for. And I felt bad because my boyfriend has driven by here 5 million times and never went in. And now not a real good first impression. I felt almost embarrassed, although it was his idea to go.
So he orders this butterscotch sundae afterwards. The guy behind the counter, not our server, is the guy who scoops and puts the syrup on. He's good, he knows what's up with that deal. My boyfriend goes into the men's room. The ice cream's sitting on the counter waiting for our server to go pick it up. I keep looking. Minutes are passing. The ice cream started melting. I could see it. Server is doing other stuff. Server's chatting with other servers! Go get the effin sundae! Jeez! I kept my mouth shut. I kept my composure. The counter guy actually gave him a dirty/impatient look and he finally came over and put the whipped cream and cherry on it. When he brought it (and I am posting pictures so you can see), this thing was melllllllting. The butterscotch was all clumpy on the bottom. You're probably wondering why we didn't say make another one. Well, the screaming baby shift was starting and we wanted to get out of there. My boyfriend eats speedy quick, so no big deal, but this really BOTHERED me. No need for this server to be so PERSPIRATION-LADEN like he's got 85 customers at once. He didn't.
Maybe we'll go to another location next time. Or maybe we'll give this one another chance. We'll see.
A little slice of an era long gone, the Charcoal Pit serves up a variety of meats in hamburger form that are chargrilled to perfection. Vintage jukeboxes and decor abound this vibrant local joint (which has quite a few locations).
The moment our affable waitress put down our plates, the scent of charcoal was hard to ignore. It was as classic as a hamburger could get -- a seedless toasted roll that wasn't too flimsy nor overwhelming, sizeable slices of lettuce, onion and tomato, and a grilled patty that was delicious. The side of French fries were the right balance between crisp and chewy. I had the vanilla milkshake, and it was fantastic. Smooth and creamy, but not so thick that you couldn't knock it down.
Simple and unfussy, the Charcoal Pit knows what it does right, and does it well. I hope to make this place a frequent stop on my trips up and down I-95 in the future!
3.5 but rounding down due to the onion.
My sister and I both voiced our opinions at the same time (although I dont remember who stated it first). After numerous excursions that have gone by the Charcoal Pit, we both agreed that we wanted to try it. Since its not really a convienent location to just go for us, it would take a birthday wish to see this happen.
My father takes us out for our birthday, to the restraunt of our choosing. He lives in Deleware, so a central location is usually necessary. While Charcoal Pit would geographically fit the bill, neither of us was willing to waste a birthday meal on an unknown commodity. This dance went on for years.
Enter both Yelp and the fact that I now work in DE and pass The Pit every day. Recently, I saw a few reviews on Yelp and combined with my late thursday shift at work, I decided to take the plunge alone.
The Pit was gloriously retro, from the neon sign out front, to the 50s decor. It was a little cramped and busy for Thursday at 9pm, but I was seated immediately. The menu was retro as well, and pretty sparse for what is essentially a diner. It didnt matter because I was there for a burger, so anything else on the menu was moot.
The service was good and efficient, however it was the standard diner attitude. Very robotic, no warmth or sincerity. I dont take much off for such things, im there to eat, not make a new friend, and being in the business I know the ins and outs of serving.
Ordering was simple business. You can order a Burger or Cheeseburger, 60z 0r 8oz. I was surprised that a Charcoal place, didnt offer more burger choices such as bacon or mushroom. I suppose one could order that extra but I wasnt there to buck the trend.
My burger came quickly, but not too quick. It looked divine, served with fries (after a day at the shore where all is ala carte, it was welcome to get potatoes, served in the french style). It was juicy, cooked to perfection with fresh sides. Here is my complaint. I love onions, both fried and raw, however, when raw, a thin slice will suffice( restraunteurs, keep that mnenomic in mind). I basically got half of an onion on my burger.
The meat and bun were tasty, yet I only remember it in the background. The onion was front and center, for hours after as well. It was really unnecessary. Hopefully, the chef was daydreaming when he sliced my onion and I recieved the anomaly as opposed to the norm. That aside, I left stuffed and satiated.
Im not big on icecream or milkshakes but apparently, its something CP does well. I left satisfied, with breath that smelled like an italian cutting board. I had beat my sister to the punch and tried the Charcoal Pit. The build-up in my mind, may have something to do with my disappointment. Things rarely live up to the mythical proportions that ones mind creates. But at least I can say to my sister, ' FIRST!"
Yelpers Note: I dont think anyone has mentioned this but the Charcoal Pit has many locations in Deleware and is founded by the Capano family...of the deleware Capanos....which produced the scion Thomas Capano...who murdered Anne Marie Fahey...and disposed of the body with the help of his family.....yep that Capano family.
Now I dont let the political and social problems of a few bad seeds get between a good burger and my mouth, but aparently it is responsible for the decline in business over the last few years , as explained to me by a Delewarian co-worker.
The Charcoal Pit is a local landmark and institution. A friend of mine worked here as a teenager serving up burgers and soft drinks. (Lots of shakes.)
It's fun for a family to come here, too.
Not healthy - but nostalgic and fun.
If you are driving down rt. 202 and you smell charcoal cooked meat, it's the Charcoal Pit. For some reason, this place reminds me of the place Fred Flintsone would go for his brontosaurs burger. The burgers and cheesesteaks are great. I like my fries extra crispy and they always comply. Try the triple think shake...Yum! This isn't gourmet dining, just great burgers, fries and shakes. Give it a try!
Hitch your wagon & giddy-up down the Concorde Pike to the Charcoal Pit for the biggest and most excellent chargrilled burgers this side of the Rio Grande. Okay, pretty much everything in the U.S. is this side of the Rio Grande but you get the point, it's good burgers. Really, REALLY good burgers. And the shakes.. mmmmm, it's 9:45am at this writing and I could totally suck down one of Charcoal Pit's amazing shakes.
The decor here is pretty much original, lots of wood & stainless and 60s style light fixtures; Campy when it's intentional but it works here, giving diners a true feel of being in an off-the-highway grill joint on Route 66.
From it's original neon sign outside to the friendly staff and cozy booths, Charcoal Pit is a must-do over and over again, whether you're a local or just a visitor dating a local. YEE HAW!
I have been coming to this place for years and my family has been coming here for at least 2 generations.
The burgers are really the only reason to go here. Well besides the milkshakes. I always get a burger because they are always cooked perfectly. Juicy, flavorful and always the best tomatoes and onions.
Of course when ordering a burger here you must get a milkshake. I really love the Black and White malt shake. So good. McDonald's ripped off this place.
I would also recommend bringing at least a sock full of quarters for the jukebox. They have all the latest NOW that's what i call music that is worth playing for the entire restaurant to enjoy.
One day I will conquer the everything but the kitchen sink ice cream sundae with 22 scoops of ice cream.
I will go to this place and pass it on to my kids and my grand kids one day.
Talk about overhyped this decrepid excuse of a restaurant serves bland greasy fried disgusting bits of nothing, makes you wait forever and overcharges you to eat it. Stay away!!!
Cheap tasty nostalgia. Awesome classic shakes (B&W is my fave). When the jukebox works, it has a nice selection of retro hits (when I get bad service service, I put in "Freebird" before I leave). A time-machine (both staff and location).
A GREAT place to go for burgers, fries, and ice cream. LOVE it!
This place is neat. I say neat, because the Charcoal Pit makes me take on the vernacular of the 1950's ... it's just that authentic and old.
Despite a non-working jukebox at the table ... I was pleased with all aspects of the Charcoal Pit. Fast-talking, no-nonsense waitress ... frothy malt ... yummy comfort food.
Space is tight and it's usually crowded. I like that they've created a sundae for each of the local high schools. Cute.
This place gets high marks for being a landmark in Delaware. It's not the best food, it's not the biggest place, but it's one of my fondest memories. It was a huge treat to hit up the pit as a child. Sometimes the family would share "the kitchen sink" (that's 26 scoops of ice cream and gobs of toppings). In high school we'd bounce back and forth between the pit and Golden Castle. Afterall, what teenagers aren't looking for a cheap place to eat and hang?
My absolute favorite is "The Highlander" with chocolate ice cream. Hot fudge, banana spears, wet nuts, and whipped cream. Thank You!
The hostess/cashier is a grizzled older woman who has been there for years. She hates everyone and we're convinced she may live there. She makes the whole experience much more authentic.
It was lunchtime in Delaware and I was driving down the Concord Pike, looking for cow to eat, when I spotted the sign for the "Charcoal Pit". MOO, BABY, MOO!
Inside, I got my cow on: A quarterpound burger, covered in cheese, washed down with a black-and-white milk shake. If they had served it on a leather plate, we would've had the whole animal covered.
Aside from the food, the C-Pit's got a classy interior: juke boxes - with Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band - in each booth, counter service, and some swell interior design that hasn't been updated since the Eisenhower era.
Perhaps the best endorsement for the restaurant came at the end of the meal, when my co-worker "the Rock" (not his real name) referred to his past year spent as a vegetarian as "stupid". Moo, baby... moo.
i grew up in DE, so Charcoal Pit was a serious part of my teenage life. after every middle school everyone went to the Charcoal Pit for basic dinner food and ice cream sundaes or shakes. in high school tons of kids got their first jobs there, and more recently i like going for old times sake. when i was younger i only went to the one located in Pike Creek (which is next to a bowling alley, so fun) which is way bigger than this one but has less as a cool old school feel. but both locations have the important things in common- the ice cream creations! all different flavors of shakes, sundaes created to rep different DE high schools, and the Kitchen Sick! in case you didnt know, a Kitchen Sick is a massive banana split sundae that has like 10000 scoops of ice cream and 500 bananas with all the other toppings. pretty great.
the bad thing about Charcoal Pit (and is something that is my biggest pet peeve about any dinner that does this) is that fries don't come with your meal. dumb. the food is nothing special either of course bc they're known for ice cream, and the service can be pretty pitiful bc it's a bunch of teens.
I was in Wilmington DE today for my kids swim meet and I wanted to duck out for a bite to eat. Earlier in the week I looked into local joints looking for something interesting. It was evident the Charcoal Pit was the place to go, and lucky me, it was about 5 mins from the swim meet. Now for the review: As I pulled into the parking lot off of Concord Pike, I saw a place that looked like it was stuck in time. Great exterior and sign, it just screams burger joint, the type of place with good honest food. The pit delivered and more. I had the 8oz burger with fries, a bargain at $6.95. The burger came out hot, fresh and fast. Cooked to medium just as I ordered, toasted roll was fresh and the fries were hot and crisp. What more can you ask for, the meat was high quality and tasted of the charcoal grill. I did not have a milkshake, however, I understand they are famous for their shakes. I sent a friend and his family for milkshakes after the swim meet, and he reported they were top rate. All in all a great place for basic, quailty burgers, hotdogs and ice cream treats. Incidentally, the kids won the swim meet, so the day was total success, great meal and a win !!
Awesome! Charcoal pit is great; best burgers around...