The Pit Stop Barbecue — Restaurant in Sterling

First time customer that was designated to pick up a big order for an office of co-workers. The Pit Stop Barbecue in Sterling does not have an online order option on their website (hopefully they catch up with other establishments in the near future to make the ordering process easier), which was disappointing, so we had to call it in. The menu needs to be more descriptive for what's included in the food choices. Some of the food items listed on the menu state "and/or" but we confirmed with the establishment that it is "or" when choosing items in a combo. The lady over the phone was nice, patient and understanding for what we wanted. The drive there was about 34 minutes roundtrip. The food was ready when I arrived, and I paid for the food at the establishment. Due to my order being big (4 bags and 2 drinks), one of the older gentleman staff members helped me with my bags to my car which was appreciated. Very nice guy. Once I got the food back to the office, we all started tasting the food. The food was an overall 3.5 stars for everyone due to the following feedback from everyone:

The sweet potatoes were not sweet enough. There is no sauce types listed on the menu. The establishment confirmed that they had different sauces, but they only had one sauce which was an in-house homemade sauce for the meats. Very deceiving. The feedback was split on the mac and cheese. Some of us liked it and some thought the consistency of the mac and cheese was too heavy. It did not taste like it was homemade. The white meat smoked chicken was very dry (not moist at all) and not cooked all the way. The inside of the smoked chicken was pink in the middle which was not to one of my co-workers liking. The smoked chicken had to be thrown away due to the disappointment. The chicken wings were good and of good portion The food portions were plentiful The ribs were not top notch

Needless to say, that the food wasn't what we would expect of a barbecue joint. Will probably be the only...

One word: Holy Smokes, it's awesome.

OK, not one word, but one word could not describe how great this place is. I am what you call a "BBQ aficionado." From Colorado, Texas, and Kansas City, to Memphis, Nashville, Virginia, South and North Carolina and many places in between, I've tried some pretty damn good BBQ. THIS place holds up with the best ever.

With BBQ, the pit master is king. Chains can never compete. The owner, Ron, is obsessed with quality and passionate about the customer experience. "My father taught me you can't put the juice back in the meat. People work hard for their money and I never selling anything left over from the prior day," not that Ron ever has anything left over.

Ron started with a road-side stand and quickly grew this business. His pride and love for his art flows through his eyes and right into his food. He fought the county for permission to install 3 massive oil-barrel pits and only uses hickory because "that's how it's done." Yes, it is, Ron, yes it is!

Everything is homemade and cooked to perfection. We started with the ribs, and OMG. Since it was near 5pm "brisket time," we ordered more ribs and waited for the brisket. Wow, it was worth the wait. The bark was delicious (but those that don’t like “lean” like we do, might find it a bit dry) and the hickory smoke permeated deep. It sold out within an hour and the whole place sold out and shut down a few hours later. His sauces were also unexpected and perfectly complimented the meat, which doesn't need sauce. But the adventure in BBQ arts doesn't end there.

Ron's obsession carries into his mac-n-cheese and delicious creamy cole slaw. The corn bread is unmatched too. And now for the best part. After he told me his success story, Ron came over and invited us to try his "real" passion - his cakes. Tonight was Cinnabon cake. Don't miss that and don't miss this place. Say “hey” to Mikayla at the cashier -...

I’ve eaten a lot of BBQ in my lifetime, and let me tell you… this was the all-around best BBQ restaurant I’ve ever been to. Hands down.

The Food: We got the combo, with the ribs and smoked chicken. We arrived after the lunch rush, so the brisket was sold out. Rightfully so- because I heard it was delicious. We also got a chicken wing in the combo. The ribs were so juicy and just fell off the bone. The seasonings were mind-blowing. The chicken was cooked to perfection. chef’s kiss You don't need BBQ sauce, but they had a variety- I chose the spicy one, which was delicious.

Let me tell you about the sides. THE SIDES! The sides are to die for. The old-fashioned kale is A MUST. The coleslaw has the perfect balance of flavors- the best I’ve had. The cornbread- out of this world. It seems like I’m saying everything is over-the-top delicious, but it is. As I mentioned to the owners, I will dream about this meal tonight!

The Atmosphere: This cute spot looks like an old Jiffy Lube turned into an aesthetic BBQ establishment. As we sat down, we noticed that the front of the building had two all-glass garage doors. Genius! They also had outdoor seating, and we were so tempted to sit next to the cherry blossoms, but there was a chance of showers, so we opted to dine in. Their menu board is always up-to-date. When we walked in, we knew they would be out of their brisket because the menu board said, “Brisket available after 4 pm.” They also explained that there was a lunch rush and the brisket sold out.

The Service: Nicest human beings ever. I felt like I was talking to my next-door neighbors. Not only were they helpful when we were trying to figure out what to order, but they made everyone feel like family… like you just stepped into your auntie and uncle’s restaurant.

Parking: Plenty of parking!

I promise you that you won't regret eating here, so go...