Da' Pitt BBQ

My friend took me to the Da Pitt and he apologized afterward. Thankfully it's been closed for years, and the place that replaced it is much better.

Who's the black private dick
That's a sex machine to all the chicks?
SHAFT!
Ya damn right!

My big dream is to star in a blaxploitation film with Cleopatra Jones and Foxy Brown. Just because I'm a gravity-challenged Japanese-American who screams like a little girl at the sight of a gun, that should not prevent me from fulfilling my dream. Of course, I would hire a stunt double so I can show off some expert kung fu moves on the Man. Yeah, I'm talking about the Man, sucka. I can get down with it.

Who is the man that would risk his neck
For his brother man?
SHAFT!
Can you dig it?

So on our way to the Independent to listen to a band I never heard of, Jamie W. and I were shattered to find that Little Star Pizza was closed on Mondays. Not quite prepared to embrace our inner Yuppie at NOPA or Fly, we thought we'd give Brothers-in-Law BBQ a try. It took us a while to realize they changed their name since it doesn't look like they changed their sign since the Cuban Missile Crisis. The minute we walked in, it felt like we were thrown back to the 70's with the big open kitchen, the dilapidated counter, the schoolhouse formica tables and the folding chairs. The only hint of the present was the flat-screen TV showing what looked like a really bad movie starring the unlikely pairing of Cedric the Entertainer and Nicolette Sheridan.

Who's the cat that won't cop out
When there's danger all about?
SHAFT!
Right On!

So many ribs to choose from and so little time - beef, pork, short end, baby back, half order, full order. Hot links, tri-tip and chicken, too. Decisions, decisions. So we decided to share a styrofoam container of pork ribs, half order for $9 and drowning in the medium-heat BBQ sauce. In a futile attempt to offset the protein overload, we half-heartedly ordered a side of the string beans and a side of the cole slaw. For the most part, it was tasty, even the sides, though we were surprised when some of the ribs seemed a bit undercooked. You also get two slices of white bread in a baggie to sop up the sauce...shades of Harold's Fried Chicken in Chicago.

They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother
SHUT YOUR MOUTH!
I'm talkin' 'bout Shaft.
THEN WE CAN DIG IT!

No Cleopatra. No Foxy. But the all-guy crew is really friendly and even asked how the ribs were. No room in my bulbous belly for their little, saran-wrapped desserts even though they serve sweet potato pie, peach cobbler and red velvet cake (Mmmmm!). For a local BBQ joint, it's decent enough, and a part of me is rooting for it to expand and get a little more competitive with the other eateries in the area. It made me wish they would open a great place like Virgil's BBQ off Times Square in NYC.

He's a complicated man
But no one understands him but his woman
JOHN SHAFT!....can you dig it?

FOOD - 3 stars....good ribs though a little overcooked and that's a whole lotta sauce
AMBIANCE - 1 star...SHAFT!
SERVICE - 4 stars...friendly guys who all seem to get along
TOTAL - 3 stars....need a rib fix?...right on!

I could smell the BBQ from over a block away, and even after eating a light dinner nearby, I was drawn in by it. Well, that and the smoking brick chimney that announced they do all the prep on-site. I intended to try to talk them into selling me just 1 rib to try; my buddy and I wound up ordering the mixed grill sampler (ribs, chicken, hot link, plus a side dish). Again, we INTENDED to take it to go and eat when we met our friends; we ACTUALLY never even made it out the door! We demolished that plate of food in a few minutes and both agreed that it was tender and delicious, though the sauce was slightly sweet. There are only 2 tables available, so take-out is probably your best option.

The large sign out front says "Lilly's", so I'm not entirely sure of the name, but whatever they call themselves, I call them darn tasty!

Driving by this place, you see a huge cloud of smoke billowing atop the restaurant.

Walking into this place, you inhale a huge cloud of smoke billowing inside the restaurant.

Mmm smokey bbq. This place is quite the hole in the wall with paper menus and specials taped on the counter and just a couple of tables inside. We got the pork ribs special and the beef brisket special, which came with 3 sides, so we chose mac n cheese, green beans, and potato salad. You also had the choice of mild, medium, or spicy for the bbq sauce. We got medium, which in my opinion wasn't spicy. We took everything to go and enjoyed it at home. Everything was pretty tasty; the ribs were not fall off the bone tender, but was pretty flavorful. The beef brisket was pretty good and made a good sandwich with the sliced wheat bread they gave us. Comparing to Nate's bbq...Nate's ribs are better, but Lily's beef was better. The sides were pretty standard, went well with the bbq.

Overall, pretty good. Kind of sketchy area on a late night.

Tonight, I used GrubHub to order delivery from Da Pitt BBQ. I requested a full order of Brisket, with two (included) sides orders of Baked Beans and Cole Slaw, an X-Large Macaroni & Cheese, and one Peach Cobbler. The worst part of tonight's dining experience, however, wasn't the brisket - which was, without exaggeration, 60% fat and grossly inedible. It wasn't the (mashed) mac & cheese - which arrived the wrong size. It wasn't the Cole Slaw - which was dry, but was, by comparison, least terrible. Also, it wasn't the Cobbler - since they were apparently out of it, which they mentioned as they called to tell me the delivery would be 30 minutes late. Finally, the worst part of tonight's dinner wasn't the fact that it took about 2-hours to deliver or that it arrived cold.

The worst part of tonight's dinner was that (while I consider myself to be an intelligent man, with common sense if not wit), I was dumb enough to order food from a restaurant with so many terrible reviews which proved to be spot on correct! Here I thought I'd give them a shot. I figured they couldn't possibly be THAT bad, while remaining in business. I was wrong and I'm ashamed to admit that I was a fool to give them my business. So, in an effort to redeem my actions, I must share my failure with all of you, being a beacon of wisdom to anyone thinking that their experience might be different. It won't. I promise you, you will regret ordering food from Da Pitt BBQ.

After this experience, I'm writing GrubHub an email to offer users a feature to vote to remove a restaurant from their database.
Please refer to the picture I've included which shows my (fat) brisket in the garbage. Thank God the sides were at least edible! Can you imagine how much worse this review would have been if I were still starving?? haha!

The view on the outside is horrendous... the view on the inside is horrendous... but dear god... the food is excellent...

I'm not sure if we were drunk munching or not but this place has one of the best BBQs I've had in awhile... I need to come back and try their brisket...

This is the way BBQ is supposed to be.

A smoky place with a dude twice your age telling you what a pretty lady you are, someone who knows the bidness so well he can look pretty lady up and down and know right away she's eating the whole rack o' ribs herself and not sharing. Mmm-mmm.

I had the ribs dinner, with potato salad & mac-n-cheese. $14 + $2 tip, and it was a HEALTHY amount of food. So far, the most affordable rib joint I've found.

They've got a dry-rub feel, & I requested the sauce on the side. The mild BBQ sauce was delish-- not too sweet, right amount of tang. Mac-n-Cheese had full chunks o cheese stretching out in it, not that cheez-whiz bs. I liked the potato salad, too.

He even offered to deliver to the Mission.

I'm in love.

I knew this place would be good when I walked in and saw the old Lilly's menus crossed out with "da Pitt" written over it.

After trying to figure out the menu, the cook guy recommended the BBQ chicken with a side for $8. I trusted him and wasn't let down. The chicken could have been a little hotter...but then again it was 9pm on Monday night. I think they were getting ready to close.

Was I overly impressed, no...would I go back...yes. I think this place has good potential!

Brother-in-Law's is no more, and sadly I never had the chance to try it. Boo hoo.

Today I tried it's replacement operating out of the same kitchen. The proprietor was a boisterous and friendly guy. When my friend Dave S. asked about the differences in his rib selection he happily pulled out a huge slab and showed him the different cuts.

Unfortunately I wasn't as happy with the food as I was with the service. My half chicken was drenched in sauce which was supposed to be hot, but was a bit watery and not very hot. The chicken was tender, but the meal was more like a BBQ stew. The coleslaw was nothing special and they didn't have any cornbread (how can a BBQ place not have cornbread?) they were instead serving slices of store-bought wheat bread.

The place is a hole-in-the-wall, which would be fine if the food was spectacular. Since it wasn't spectacular I guess that's all she wrote.

Not the best BBQ, but I was sufficiently stuffed and seriously filthy after eating.

The chicken was good, savory, but really messy. I spilled BBQ sauce all over my pants and my hands were covered in sticky-deliciousness. The macaroni and cheese was seriously good, there wasn't enough of it. Cole slaw was good also, very fresh tasting and good balance of veggies and vinegar.

I bought a whole chicken and two HUGE sides for less than 20 bucks. I was pleasantly pleased/surprised at what I got considering what I paid.

The best part of the Da' Pitt is definitely the ambiance and the staff: The guy at the counter was really cool, didn't mind that I was drunk, and was really helpful. The restaurant itself looks like a dump, but the food is pretty good, and I think that's the whole point: It looks like the pits, but the place is okay actually.