Pioneer Pit Beef — Restaurant in Woodlawn

If you love good food and happen to be in MD, or the DMV area, check this place out!

I’m a “foodie” that frequent LA and NYC restaurants, been to both Michelin star restaurants and mom & pop shops, traveled internationally and ate abroad in world-class cities, so going to assume I have a picky or refined taste palette. I grew up with Pioneer since I was a kid, been out of state for years due to work, and returned to the same great taste of my childhood. That’s literally decades of deliciousness that never failed me. These mom and pop type establishments have a good reputation for a reason!!

They keep their prices low and affordable by being cash-based. I’ve been to trendy places in NYC that kept it cash-based and for those complaining about the inconvenience, credit cards mean high processing fees for the businesses and that may risk potentially lowering quality of food by cutting corners or overcharging customers. It may be inconvenient, but personally, think it’s worth it since they kept their quality and same taste of my childhood all these years. They’re not like greedy corporations that skimp on good quality ingredients to cut corners.

Not only are you supporting a small business, you’re supporting a piece of American history. This place has been around in Maryland for decades, which is impressive considering the high turnover rate for restaurants. Whenever there’s an economic downturn, and especially now with Covid, I get sad whenever my favorite coffee shop or restaurant closes down, but glad to see Pioneer still stuck around.

Maryland isn’t only about crabs, but also the pit beef sandwich, a piece of comfort food you can take home for under $10. That’s a steal especially coming from larger cities.

And for you vegans and vegetarians, their gravy fries (MD’s version of the poutine) was pretty awesome and that alone can be...

CASH ONLY Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-5pm, Sun closed (A photo posted in May 2023 showed the place as closed for repairs.) Price: $$ Parking: Plenty (Shares parking with a bar/liquor lounge)

We decided to take a detour to visit Pioneer Pit Beef in Maryland when visiting DC a few months ago. PPB is in a yellow shack with green roof shingles and trimmings. It’s located behind Johnny’s Bar and Liquor Lounge shares the parking lot with it. A ginormous pile of wood and a big green dumpster greets you before entering the small building. There were three long picnic tables out front.

When ordering the roast beef, they gave us a choice of medium rare or medium. They suggested medium rare. We decided to order super medium roast beef to share with the Tiger sauce on the side. We regretted our decision because medium seemed more well done (barely any pink), so it was very dry. Will try medium rare next time. Tried the sandwich without the Tiger sauce. It tasted like cardboard. It had no flavor other than smoke, but the Tiger sauce made a huge difference. What’s Tiger sauce? It’s a creamy horseradish sauce. The meat portion of the “super” was nothing like what the picture they posted on the board. It was more like half the amount.

Overall, it was pretty good. Next we’ll order medium rare roast beef with onions, salt, pepper, provolone cheese ($.50), Tiger sauce, and maybe Mayo if we’re...

During our visit to Maryland, we were told that trying Pit Beef was a must, and after exploring various Pit Beef places, I found Pioneer Pit Beef to be my personal favorite.

This place is a small establishment located behind a convenience store. As soon as you arrive, the enticing aroma of their smoky dishes fills the air. Despite a long line, the service is efficient and moves quickly.

I appreciate the speed of service. I had several customizations I wanted for my sandwich, and they got it right. You have the option to specify how you'd like your meat cooked and select from a variety of sauces to add to your sandwich. I enjoy observing the staff as they prepare my sandwich, slicing the meat right in front of me and assembling my order while I wait in line to pay.

I ordered a Medium Rare Super Pit Beef Sandwich with tomatoes, cheese, onions, tiger sauce, hot jus, and a side of French fries. For a sandwich of this size and quality, along with crispy, savory fries, all for less than $10, it's easy to understand why the locals highly recommended this spot, and I wholeheartedly agree.

They offer a few outdoor tables, but it's worth noting that this is a cash-only carryout spot. You can withdraw money from the adjacent convenience store for your...