This is literally a hidden gym. Even with the navigator it is hard to find hidden on what looks like an industrial zone behind several buildings and up a dirt road. It would be easy to miss except for the long lines. There is basically nowhere to eat. Just pick it up, the barbecue is stupendous, the sides awesome and the deserts to die for. It's fresh made and when they run out they run out, only open a few days a week but once you taste it you understand the lines. Not near hardly anything but well worth the trip. read more

I asked a friend where I should grab dinner in Statesville on a Friday night and *without hesitation* he directed me to Port A Pit. He explained that I'd be eating in my car and ordering at an outside window and that it might be hard to find but none of things should dissuade anyone. They are only open on Wednesdays and Fridays, as others have noted, so you have to get it while you can. When I pulled in around 5:45 on a Friday night there was a pretty empty parking lot and no line at the window. By the time I had my order in hand there were probably 10 cars in the lot and 4-5 people deep in the order line and the pick-up line. I had seen good comments from my fellow yelpers about the chicken AND the BBQ so I had to go with both. I got the 1/4 chicken (lower) and BBQ plate with mac and cheese and fries. As I paid the server was seemingly surprised and very grateful that I added a tip for them on my card. TIP THESE FOLKS, people. If you love their food, it's one way to show it. Shortly, my food was brought out to me and I returned to my car. First thing I noticed was how HEAVY that to go container was. My plate was loaded up. See picture for evidence. Chicken was hot and had great flavor that went beyond the smoky char of the skin. BBQ was so tender and moist and really didn't need any of the extra sauce they provide (I got the regular but wish I had gone with the spicy). Mac and cheese was creamy. I wanted to touch of extra flavor with the mac. A little hot sauce did the tricky. The fries were wedges and they were crazy good. Perfect texture and great seasoning. You simply must get to Port a Pit. This isn't a secret spot that we should hoard but one we should shout from the mountain tops. read more

Port A Pit Barbque - 1/4 chicken lower and bbq plate. Mac and cheese and fries. - Caterers Near Me - Statesville, North Carolina

See all

Grateful for bailing me out last minute when my caterer had a medical emergency. Generous portions and delicious southern fare. Punctual too! read more

I've had their food before and was surprisingly amazed at the good charcoal flavor their food had. So I decided to go there for Lunch, a friendly woman took our order and explained their menu and made suggestions on what was the best tasting. A very delightful and delicious visit. read more

See all

A secret bbq spot in Statesville. They usually provide catering service, so they only open 3 days a week. Smoke chicken and side of potato is my favorite. Chicken is not dry even for chicken breast. If you need more flavor then there are some bbq sauce that you can dip into. Everything is good honestly but smoke chicken or wings are wonderful. Big portion of food for reasonable price read more

See all

The food had great flavor it just wasn't hot. The potato salad was really good and so was the bbq and slaw. The chicken was pretty good and so were the ribs. I would try it again-maybe I will just go and order it and wait for it instead of calling it in and maybe it will be hot. Definitely worth a try. read more

Awesome food....flavors hit the spot...worth the trip from Lexington NC...Go Get It!!!!

Yummmm who doesn't love port a pit chicken ? It's a little off the beaten path so I don't get to go often but when I do it's always a delight. Their ribs are to die for. Chicken is so moist and juicy even the white meat. They are only open on limited days so be sure to google their hours before going. The sides are pretty decent I wish they would have put more than a little scoop of baked beans though. Friendly service. read more

Port A Pit Barbque - Chicken baked beans and Mac and cheese - Caterers Near Me - Statesville, North Carolina

Huge portions at reasonable prices. I had the chopped pork BBQ and chicken combo (which included a 1/4 BBQ chicken) for ~$7, and it was divine. Portions are big enough to share, although as good as the food is you may not want to. Baked beans and potato salad were great. I will definintely be back (when they are open!). The only problem is the limited schedule that they are open - Wed and Fri - but I guess this helps them keep the overhead down and prices so reasonable. read more

Port A Pit Barbque - Menu - Caterers Near Me - Statesville, North Carolina

I'd give this place five stars if they were open more often. But don't be fooled by the four stars, it is easily some of the best barbecue I've had. I was told about this place when I was doing some work in Salisbury, and my associate where I was working responded to my praise of local restaurants with "have you had Port-A-Pit" and immediately licked his lips out of habit just thinking about the place. He then proceeded to interrupt people that he knew as we randomly walked through the place asking them what they thought. What became apparent was this place was so good, it was part of making fond memories for them. They would tell a tale of the first time they had it, or how their mother stopped in once a month and they all looked forward to it. My trek there began a little later than I'd have hoped. I had to first drive to the middle of nowhere, turn right, then get lost a bit, and then I was there. At one point in this very dark October drive, I drove through some surprising fog which added to the mystery of the journey. I arrive where my GPS told me to, only there was no restaurant there. A fire station, but not a restaurant. I had been warned about this. I drive around the fire station, and see a metal unmarked building. The only indication I am in the correct place was a poorly lit truck with the words "Port-A-Pit" on it. I walk down to the building, around a puddle, looking for an entrance. I see a sign which says "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service." That it said "service" indicated to me that something is being sold here, and I was wagering it was food. You walk into what appears to be a kitchen to find a vast and impressive row of trays of barbecue. There's a price menu and a sign that says "Don't Worry. It's All Good." I asked the cashier what she recommended, and she said "Don't Worry. It's All Good." So I got one of everything. They were very accommodating and extremely friendly. They were also correct. It was all good. Don't worry about what you order here. It actually is all good. And it is very reasonably priced. read more

I ordered four 1/2 Chicken Plates (each meal came with 2 sides and hushpuppies) and four small containers of mild sauce for $30 for the family. The chicken was seasoned well and each of us had our meals for lunch and dinner as the portions were generous. The restaurant isn't impossible to find, but definitely not easy. read more

I live for the day our church hosts its annual fundraiser with these guys. I never really liked chicken on the bone, but this chicken right here....LORDT. I eat it all the way down. read more

Port A Pit Barbque - a tray of food - Caterers Near Me - Statesville, North Carolina

I had Port a Pit cater for the holiday party for the company I work for. The food was absolutely delicious and you get SO much for the price! We'll definitely cater again! I have given them 4 stars because the lady who took my order seemed very overwhelmed and couldn't focus on me while I was placing my order via phone....also they said they were too busy to deliver so we had to come pick it up and take the dishes back when we we're finished...also our order was slightly wrong too. (We ordered pork bbq and ribs and received bbq chicken breast and ribs) Again these aren't huge problems, we'll obviously be back! read more

The best chicken and barbecue that this county has to offer! I love that it's take out only but if they wanted to expand to a full restaurant that would be even better! read more

Hard to find, carry out only on Wednesdays and Fridays, and for seven bucks, some of the best barbequed chicken I've ever eaten. Great mac and cheese, too. Also worth noting: food stayed delicious and warm despite a half hour drive to Hickory. Worthy! read more

Awesome chicken! Being from L.A. I wasn't jumping at the chance to try food that made me think about PortaPotty but a coworker was so sure I'd love it that she bought my lunch at a fundraiser. I was immediately a fan. The sides are a southern tradition and I don't care for them, but you cannot go wrong with the tender, flavorful, juicy chicken. It falls apart. It is even great as a left-over. read more

Great chicken and Q. I always try to schedule my Statesville work for Wednesday so I can eat here for lunch. The sides are mostly canned, but that's not why you are here. I have even made the 40 min. one way trip to pick up food for Friday suppers. The bonus is you can get lucky and find them at a church fund raiser on the weekends. read more

Whenever I am heading through town on Wednesday or Friday, I almost always stop to get Port-a-Pit. Huge portions of some of the best barbeque and sides around for low prices. This is a must-have if you are a barbeque lover like me, as it is in the top tier in NC. I often get two meals out of it and have no problem buying for others to wow them. Man, I want Port-a-Pit right now. read more

Used to eat here quite often until my wife and I witnessed a customer return a wrong order after taking it home and the employee took the order and dumped it right back in with the food to be served. Very unsanitary! Needless to say, we won't be back. read more

Did a yelp search for great BBQ as we were driving through NC. Statesville was the next town up the freeway. Lucky for us, it happened to be Friday & we discovered Port-a-Pit. I believe they're only open on Wednesday & Friday. There were other places with high reviews, but many seemed to have the heavy vinegar based sauce that just doesn't appeal to us. Though this place probably uses vinegar as a base, it wasn't overwhelming. It was absolutely yummy. I'd say it was, by far, the best BBQ we've ever had. It definitely suited our tastes! We bought some ribs, then proceeded to taste them prior to leaving the parking lot as the smell was wonderful. Good move! This resulted in us going back in and buying more of everything to take home! We tried the chicken, ribs & pulled pork. All were delicious & reasonably priced too. They came with a choice of mild or spicy sauce. Both were good. We just feel bad that they're located several states away from where we live & haven't been back. We can't wait to travel through NC again for another visit. This place is strictly carry-out and can be a challenge to find. Don't look for a restaurant. Look for a metal, quonset hut-type building next to the fire station. You won't be sorry! read more

Wow! This is what I'm talking about when I say hidden gem. The portions are huge! I was given about 2.5 lbs of Q and two sides for $7.25. Squash casserole wasn't the best but had to try it because it was something new. I highly recommend it if you're passing through Statesville on a Wednesday or Friday. Shouldn't be hungry until Friday, and might be back. read more

Port A Pit Barbque - a person holding a ticket - Caterers Near Me - Statesville, North Carolina

Port a Pit or Keaton's you cant go wrong either way 2 different styles of chicken but both very good

heavenly...chicken upper..omg. macroni on point. mayo slaw...yes yes. best bbq in town hands down

I've been trying to snag a chicken half here in Gastonia but always seem to be a day late to the Church fund raiser. I have a history with the original Nelson's Golden GLow/Port A Pit. Coming from the area where Nelson's Golden Glow/Port A Pit chicken was created. Wakarusa, Indiana. It's a real family owned and operated operation. I use to purchase and pick up at their operation for the company picnics. Port A Pit Chicken is real grilled over charcoal chicken seasoned in a unique salty (good salty), peppery marinade. No sauce needed, believe me. The unique rotary cooker keeps the meat turning so its always tender, moist and flavorful. Every weekend the Port A Pits, which are an original cooker, the cookers are all around, Elkhart, IN, Goshen, IN, South Bend, IN selling chicken half's for the many charity and school fund raisers. So I was glad to see them around here but I would like to suggest that this NC operation set up an automatic email list where people who sign up can get updates of where the fund raisers are going to be. read more