Last week I was invited to preview Pittsburgh’s next BBQ restaurant Spork Pit which is from the fine people who bring you Spork.
The video will give you the details on what you can expect in the weeks leading up to their launch at a location only a short walk from Spork. Their focus is on Central Texas style barbecue because, as Chef Christian Frangiadis says “We believe it’s the best barbecue.”. You can visit their setup in the courtyard next to Spork Wednesdays and Saturdays from Noon until “we run out of food!”.
Quick thoughts on what we sampled:
Brisket: First round (because of course I went back for seconds) of brisket was hands down the best I’ve had in Pittsburgh. Thick, dark and peppery bark coated a beefy piece of juicy brisket. They’re not afraid to cut you the fatty point while most others want to save it for themselves. Second round was slightly drier but still much more flavor than others I’ve had and excellent presentation.
Smoked Turkey: Offering I had was dry and not much flavor but my brother’s was juicy and smokey. Luck of the draw since others at my table were devouring it.
Sausage: Moderate spice and good snap of the skin when I’d bite into it but if you’re using their plastic utensils you might be up for a bit of struggle.
Pork Ribs: Yinz guys! Someone made ribs just how I like them! I was able to score a second tasting of ribs after my sample and you could see bite marks plus it wasn’t falling off the bone. Perfect! Play with the sauces and see which works best for your taste. I’m all in on the Texas.
Pulled Pork: Amazing pulled pork! It was kissed with the right amount of smoke, it was juicy and paired well with all of the sauces they had on the table.
Consistency will be the make or break for Spork Pit and with a new pit it will take time to tune into your butter zone but from what I’ve seen Chef Chris’s team is well on their way for nailing it. They could also save me from driving to Cleveland to get The Proper Pig brisket. I miss Texas and this might be the next best thing.
Follow YinzLoveBBQ on Instagram and check out behind the scene pics from the night!
[…] saying that. Go Pens!) 2 places I really enjoy were menitoned also. Pittsburgh was represented by soon-to-open SporkPit who has made a name on the pop-up BBQ circuit along with our neighbors in Erie getting well […]