The Pit — Restaurant in Bloomfield

After living in Tennessee for some 45 years, I was able to develop a keen understanding of Southern barbecue - not only that created in Tennessee, but also that from Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and even Texas. I've also been to Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City to sample 'Q' which for many years was rated as the top barbecue place in the United States.

So it was with some confusion that when I moved back to North Jersey, my original Home Place, I was confused, time and again when I purchased barbecue at one of the very many barbecue places in and around Newark. At none of these spots did I find anything that bore any resemblance to what I had experienced in the South.

This is not to say I didn't like what I had from the Newark area spots... it was just unrecognizable within the frame of reference I brought from the South.

So I've done some investigation and I've realized that most of what I'm eating in Newark is Portuguese BBQ, largely consisting of a grilling of barbecue-able meats.

There are barbecue places up in this area that attempt to be what I experienced down South where barbecuing doesn't mean grilling, but rather means smoking, low and slow, until the meats proudly present their natural goodness augmented by application of smoke derived from various types of wood be it peach, or apple, or hickory, or many other options.

And that is not to say that you have to be down south to make good real barbecue. I've had such food in locations in New York. In point of fact I've tucked in at a couple of joints in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that were quite good, the best being Feta Sou.

And let's not forget that of the hundreds and thousands of food reviews and food commentaries that can be found on the web, each and every one of those is based upon a subjective view of what the reviewer has eaten. Even when I read reviews of restaurants that I ultimately attend, I recognize that what I think of a dish can vary greatly from what someone else might think of a dish or a plate. I don't think that makes either of us wrong and with all due respect to all of the great chefs who opine about this food and that food, the bottom line is: was it well prepared, was it interesting to the eye, and did I enjoy the taste.

So back to The Pit. It is one of these Portuguese places... and I find it to be quite enjoyable. I've had their barbecued chicken and their barbecued ribs and their barbecued beef ribs. And they serve these things with rice and salad and plantains. And for a local place with a quick and easy take out system there's no reason not to try The Pit and enjoy the quick and taste-tempting meals they offer.

The food's darn good; it just ain't Southern.

Of course that's just my opinion, I...

I’ve been ordering from The Pit for years the staff is always friendly, and the food is consistently fresh and flavorful. No complaints there at all.

That said, I wanted to give a heads-up for anyone ordering the beef ribs half combo. I recently ordered the same half beef rib(S) and chicken combo I’ve gotten in the past. Typically, when I order the half beef rib(s), I receive 2–3 beef chuck ribs. This time, however, I only received one rib — which was surprising, considering the plural wording and my prior experiences.

I called and spoke with Jeff, who was respectful and upfront. He mentioned that the combo only includes one beef rib and that prices have gone up (which I totally get). Still, based on my regular orders over the years, I’ve never received just one rib until now. Either way, I appreciate his transparency.

For context: • Half chicken combo = ~$11.95 • Half beef rib(S) & chicken combo = ~$16.95

So if you’re expecting multiple beef ribs, you may want to reconsider and go for the chicken or pork ribs instead both still come in hearty portions.

To be clear, this isn’t a complaint just advice for fellow regulars or first-timers who may be surprised by the term beef rib(S)with a single rib. I’ve even added pictures in photos comparing what I received vs. the half chicken combo.

Bottom line: The Pit remains a solid spot with delicious food, generous sides, and great service just be mindful of the current beef rib portions...

Visiting the area, first time to the Pit, though we learned from the owner that it's been around for 13 years. Small, mostly take-out place with a few tables. Super friendly staff and very passionate owner. Everything we ordered was good, but the standout was the Pork Ribs, which apparently are the Pit's signature menu item. Worth checking out this place for these ribs alone. Prepared dry, seasoned with visible herbs, very flavorful, especially if you're not wild about saucy style ribs. Served with BBQ sauce on the side, which was a really nice, tangy sauce.

Another tasty item is the pork cubes, which, in case you're not familiar, is more like a stew than anything else. I suppose we weren't sure what to expect of "pork cubes," perhaps that they were just that, grilled or fried pork chunks, but it's a stew combined with olives and a couple other ingredients and generally served over rice (though it didn't come over rice, we got that separately). Very flavorful. We liked it, just not what we...