Nothing like some good BBQ after a day spent exploring the Everglades. The Pit's menu includes traditional BBQ fare - mashed ptotatos, baked beans, ribs, barbecue chicken, the works. They also include some Latin items when ordering a dinner special. You can add yuca (which is amazing here), tamales, tostones or just order some masitas de puerco. To make things a bit more interesting, you can also order a Gator burger or Gator bites, which are delicious, yet a little chewy. They've also got great sauces and they know it. They allow you to purchase their infamous BBQ sauce by the quart or pint. I recall coming here a few years ago just to pick up some sauce. The biggest disappointment was the outdoor seating area. The wooden benches are among the worst I've ever sat in. I had a back ache all the way home. Not to mention the mosquitoes living underneath them and picking at your legs while you eat. Despite this, this should definitely be your first choice in quenching your hunger after hanging out in the area. Don't be tempted by the weirdly cheap lobster or steak deals at the casino nearby, eat a feel-good meal at The Pit and be sure not to leave the bug spray back at the swamp. read more

Just went to this place for gator bites so I wasn't expecting to eat anything else. But my family and I ended up ordering other things too. I had the tiniest bit of gator bites (interesting) and we ordered ribs, pork chunks, tostones, fries, maduros, and two corns on the cobs. Food was fine but the service isn't there. The waitress gave an attitude when we said we're only ordering two meals while our group was 6. But our plan was to share because this wasn't our dinner and more of a snack. We mainly came here for gator bites as we had family from out of town. Anyway, she gave an attitude which was unnecessary, secondly the food took quite a while, and third when it was time to pay with a credit card you have to go inside with them (dining tables are outside). And instead of charging two corns on the cob they charged for two beers which is more than the corn - I say this is a scam tactic. Bottom line, not a recommended place to go. read more

So don't come all the way out here for the food. But if you're on the your way to or from Shark Valley, air boating, dropping a dead body... why are you all the way out here? Overrated. The Pork tidbits were tough. Fried biscuits were not actually biscuits. But the pulled pork was good and the roasted corn had a smoky flavor. The coleslaw was awesome. read more

Some places look like a tiny shack, long overdue to be condemned, but then you go inside and they are serving almost magically good food. This place is half of that - not the good half. I ate here about a year ago at the recommendation of some friends. The service was rude and hurried. The food was overgrilled, dry, and plain. The bbq sauce added much-needed moisture to my dried out chicken, but other than that it was pretty worthless. On my next visit to the area, I was spared having to eat here by the fact that it was closed down for renovations. I can't say for sure why, but word on the street is that it involved code violations. After it reopened, I gave it another try. Same bad food, but slightly nicer tables and restrooms. I don't know how it used to be in its alleged glory days of yore, but nowadays, this place is terrible. read more

The food is good without hair in it. I found hair in my pulled pork sandwich. They were very apologetic and gave me a free meal for it, which was nice but I had lost my appetite so I took my burger to go. The service is good. Don't try to pay with card if it's less than $20 they don't accept card. It says it very small on the front of the menu, which no one looks at so they had to point it out. We sat inside, but they have outdoor seating with music. Overall an okay place for barbq. Watch out for the creepy clown walking around. read more

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Dont wear your fancy shoes here. BUt bring a bib. The pit is my favorite bbq joint in all of miami and worth the trek to the everglades for. The place is very much something you would find on route 66 decor wise, but man is the food worththe lack of presentation. I always get the chicken fingers and fries with indian bread. i know cholestrol overload, but you will understand why its worth it. You can also get frog legs and alligator if your daring like that. My friend loves the rib and all the food is made to order. weekend has pony rides for the kids but it gets insanely packed on weekends. A friend of mine that lives in north miami had a superbowl party catered by the pit. Thats how good it is that some one drove from NW 79th st to SW 158th ave fro the food. read more

I've been coming here for years now and I haven't had a bad experience like others. The food has always been good and its great to have a place nearby that serves gator. Unfortunately the patty in the gator burger seems to have gotten smaller over the years, so I no longer bother ordering it. I mostly stick to the pulled pork sandwiches and gator bites. The place could use a good clean up and cat removal. Service is generally OK, sometimes on the slow side if the lunch crowds are thick. This is usually a lunch time stop for me, so there's not many people around. The last time I was here the waitress actually spoke to my group in English right off the bat! Seeing the "cash only" complaints in other reviews is pretty alarming as they've never declined to run my card. In fact, I was there on 12/29 and they accepted it. Perhaps they don't like to run them when splitting a check or if you spent below a certain amount. Or maybe it just depends on who is on duty. Either way, that sucks. read more

Really bad food and expensive. The ribs are thin and nothing special ($17). The shrimp ceviche come with a LOT of lemon juice. The dip fish is small and with a lot of pepper (burn your mouth). The alligator plate taste like nothing. Just one star for the yucca. Dont have AC, and the staff sucks. Take the plate before you finish, dont wait for you to choose, really rude. Total $88. For bad food and bad service. DONT EAT HERE! Is my first bad review, i'm really sorry! read more

The Pit Bar-B-Q - the check came wrong. - Barbeque Near Me - Miami, Florida

My hubby and I stopped over from a Airboat ride.. The food was delish.. I had a Beef Burger with seasoned fries and baked beans.. I never eat baked beans but these were freaken yummy.. LOL.. Hubby loved his Rib and Chicken combo.. The hostess was a lovely lady that attended to our every whim.. She was sweet.. Place was cozy.. My hubby got a kick of all the signs posted all over the restaurant with Sarcastic innuendos sayings. We laughed our entire time there having lunch.. Would be awesome to go with family next time.. Maybe they would be braver than me to eat gator meat.. LOL read more

The Pit Bar-B-Q - Beef burger, season fries and yummy baked beans.. I never eat bake beans but these were awesome.. - Barbeque Near Me - Miami, Florida

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This place is great!!... I don't know why it has bad reviews. Came here with my fiancé and Our service was good, the food was good, the server was great, my first time having gator bites and I loved it, We will Definitely be back read more

The Pit Bar-B-Q - Gator bites - Barbeque Near Me - Miami, Florida

I almost didn't stop here after seeing some of the reviews, but I was impressed, I arrived right before noon, the place wasn't "packed" immediately sat down. Ordered Gator bites which were Great! Also had some baby backs with their boiled Yuca and beaked beans, no complaints about the food or service, the attendant was very helpful. Def will be back here next weekend after a bike ride read more

The services was bad ! We got sat at the end corner of the restaurant with no fan and over the sun but we didn't mind. After waiting 30 minutes for our food. The waiter comes with our food and drinks. I told the waiter we are missing one side order and to bring glasses of water. The waiter told us no " free water " and play dumb with the missing order. The food was good but cold. After 30 minutes waiting under the sun and all starving , we just ate the food. When we got the check ! The waiter told us ! " Cash only " and he had the tip automatically to the check ( keep in mind it was a party of 5 not 6 or above ) .. We do not have no cash and my friends for Italy felt so bad ! We were force to us the ATM ( $ 3 Fee !! ) . The server got up set and gave us attitude ! He sound so upset ! I told him ! You sat us here ! We never made it to bar !!! ( were they have the sign ! )) !! He EMBARRASSED my friends and they felt being hustle!!!! We still tip ! But he only got 5% !!! WORD OF ADVICE !!!! The food is good but not worthy to drive for ! CASH ONLY !!!!! DO NOT SIT OUTSIDE !! You WILL FRIED !!! NO FREE WATER !!! They are a penny pincher restaurant !!! Miami has TONS of BBQ restaurant to go to !!!! read more

The Pit Bar-B-Q - The food was great !! But the services was bad !!! - Barbeque Near Me - Miami, Florida

This is my 3rd and sadly, my final visit to the Pit BBQ. I am not sure, but I believe this restaurant has changed owners in the last few years. I took visiting family in January of this year remembering the great experience I previously had but I was horribly disappointed. Always a good indication, is a restaurant with a few cars outside and this used to be a placed that was always full, at least on the weekends. The food is good, but not what is used to be. The main change has come with the staff as the service is mediocre at best. We had a large group, including many kids who ask for several refills of sodas or lemonade. When it came time to pay our bill, we were in shock! We were charged almost $2.00 for every single refill for each of the kids and I was too embarrassed to make a scene in front of my visiting family and just paid and left. The ownership seems to not care about the place anymore, it looks rundown and definitely not what it used to be. There are many more places in Miami to eat a good BBQ. read more

I just visited Miami and was recommended to visit the Pit BBQ for alligator dishes. I had Gator Bites, Gator Burger, and Gator Sausages. The price for each item was pretty expensive at 12.99 for the Gator Bites, 11.99 for the Gator Burger, and 11.99 for the Gator Sausages. The Gator Bites were small pieces of Gator with some kind of breaded shell. They tasted pretty good with the spicy sauce that came with it. Quantity was disappointing though. The gator burger and sausage didn't taste anything special. Put some ketchup on them and they taste like a regular hamburger or hot dog but with tougher and dryer meat. Maybe the gator meat is more lean so there's no fatty juices dripping out of them. At these prices, I wouldn't head back but the quality of the food deserves a 3 star. The Pit BBQ gets a -1 star because they do not offer free drinking water to their customers. The only plain drinking water offered is bottled. The Pit BBQ gets another -1 star for their scandalous gratuity charge. I was with one other person so we just had a party of 2. The cashier put an automatic 15% gratuity charge on my invoice. I would understand that charge if I had more members in my party but this is not the case. Furthermore, no one mentioned anything about an automatic gratuity and there were no clear printed signs of this either. Gratuity should be up to the customer so this 15% automatic charge is really sneaky and devious. Shame on you, The Pit BBQ. 3 star for food - 1 star for no free drinking water - 1 star for the sneaky automatic gratuity charge = 1 star! read more

By far this is the worse restaurant I have ever been to. Immediately after I finished my meal i did not feel good. I went on to have a very unpleasant evening. The ambiance is loud and the service was a bit slow and yes, they do automatically include a 15% tip to your check. No credit cards allowed- only cash. I do not plan on visiting this establishment again. read more

STAY AWAY!!! The food was mediocre, at best. More importantly, the menu clearly says "GRATUITY INCLUDED." When the bill comes they add 18% gratuity. It doesn't say "gratuity added," it says "gratuity included." Also, you have to pay cash or they add 3.98%. STAY AWAY - tourist trap near the airboat rides, so they are not concerned about repeat customers. To add insult to injury, the service sucked! They also do not offer water- you can buy bottled water for $2.00, which is $2.36 after they add the "GRATUITY INCLUDED" tip to the price of the water. Where I come from, "gratuity included" means that the gratuity is INCLUDED in the price listed in the menu, not ADDED to the price. Our bill ended up over $50 for a half rack of ribs and a chicken sandwich. Clearly orchestrated to scam the patron. It also results in sub-par service when the server knows that they get an 18% tip no matter what service they provide. In summary: AWFUL - STAY AWAY! We made the mistake of not checking reviews!!! Never again! read more

We finally stopped at The Pit on our last trip to SW FL, and it was well worth it. We were there on 2/1/11. Table cloths were a little sticky, but it is a BBQ pit. The food was really quite good. Great portion of tender pulled pork, and the gold sauce was some of the best I've had. Spare ribs were big and meaty - excellent. Our waiter Carlos was super helpful too. Next year when we are back for our annual visit to Naples we'll be making the hour+ trek to eat here again. read more

This is a South Florida tradition, the new owners have only improved on an already great menu. Some of the best BBQ you will find in the South, no goopy over sauced fat slabs that have only seen a boil pot and an oven, these are pit smoked pork and beef that are benchmarks for how it should be done. Do not miss the corn on the cob and my favorite appetizer, frog legs - remember you are eating on the edge of the Everglades and that's where the frog legs are coming from. Do not miss this spot, it is worth the drive and very close to the casino if you are headed out there anyway. read more

The Pit Bar-B-Q - Great Corn-on-the-cob too! - Barbeque Near Me - Miami, Florida

Nothing but eating some gator meat before heading out to airboat ride to see alligators...This shack is literally on the side of the road...its a cozy and outdoorsy place where they have like a tiki hut with outdoor bar and tables to eat...we tried the gator burger and gator bites which is basically like popcorn chicken...to be honest I didn't really like gator meat, a bit too chewy and kind of tasted like chicken, I felt like I ate some tendons and cartilage in the burger...price was too expensive, they said they are famous for their BBQ chicken and ribs...should have took the waitresses advice..... read more

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What I ate: baby back ribs (comes with the choice of 2 sides; I chose the slaw and fries) Meat isn't fall off the bone but then again I ain't paying a fortune. Generous portion of fries and I wish they gave me more slaw, it was just a sauce cup Opinion: it's definitely better than a 2.5 star eatery, 3- 3.5 in my opinion. Look it aint the cheapest, but it is a good feed when your passing along the way and hungry. There are 2 BBQ sauces available on the table for your added use, one vinegar based, the other honey mustard which I thought were great. Strong flavours! I paid 23 all up for about qtr portion of good ribs, pink lemonade, 2 sides and tax and gratuity of 15% Not too shabby I'd say read more

After weeks of rain, a beautiful day came to Miami so my boyfriend and I decided to make the drive down 8th street to have some BBQ. When we arrived there was a large crowd of cyclists that had just finished a race but we were able to get seated right away. I mention this because you should call before going as they often host big events there and it might be a challenge to get seated. We began with ordering the biscuits and the gator bites. The biscuits are more like doughnuts and come with packets of honey. It would have been nice to have a sauce for them rather than just opening standard honey packets. They were a little bland and nothing to write home about. The gator bites were really chewy. Now i know gator by nature can be chewy but these were very tough. They were served with an extremely spicy siracha like sauce. That was very good. For our entrees I ordered the pulled pork and my boyfriend ordered the baby back ribs. Both meats were cooked well and the BBQ sauces on the table were very good. In an attempt to bring a little flare to the menu they offer a lot of Latino sides- moros, tostones, maduros, etc. Between the two of us we ordered four different sides and weren't overly impressed with any of them. We were told also that the menu offerings change depending on if you go during the week or weekend. Overall a nice place to go for a beer when the weather is good and if you are hungry skip the appetizers and just go for the meats. read more

I felt like I was invisible after the food was given to me. Nobody asked me how was the food, nobody asked me if I wanted a refill. Then they have the audacity to automatically get their tip from the check. How do you have servers and just have them just write down the food and thats it?? The cuban girl with black hair and ponytail was actually more attentive with the group next to us. It made us feel worse. We couldnt even finish our food with empty cups. Will never go back. I should have known when we got there and all of the girls were outside smoking a cigarette. ‍ read more

Very simple menu, but everything done to perfection. Not to sweet not to salty. Everything well balance. The only drawback was the wait, little bit slow mow. but for sure I'll go back... read more

The Pit has improved a bit. Somethings are still needed to make this Bar-B-Q restaurant a 4 star in my opinion. The food has made changes for the best and the place looks good. The customer service was great on my last visit and I really like the way our waitress was honest with the menu. She recommended trying some of their new items not listed in the menu. Even thou the restaurant was packed, our food arrive quickly. Fresh and ready to be destroyed. The portions continue to be nice and hefty. No wrongs here except for a warm beer here and there but nothing our waitress couldn't handle. The gator bites and frog legs are awesome here. Their BBQ sauces are a thing of choice but not bad at all. A bit pricey for my comfort but worth the outdoor smokey experience. read more

What a cool little place on the way to airboat rides. Have to say the food was good . Service was good and drinks were cold . Nothing jaw dropping amazing but just good .. Baked beans little too sweet . Bbq beef sandwich was good and so was the coleslaw very tasty .. Price is kinda on the high side for a bbq place .. I see these prices on south beach . But not good for out here . I'm happy the lady told me not to just bring the gator bites home cooked and suggested I get them frozen and cook them when I get home. I will be back again to try the ribs .. Let's see how it goes next time .. Thanks again read more

The Pit Bar-B-Q - Bbq beef sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Miami, Florida

This place has a Hispanic twist to the typical all-American barbecue food which I found pleasant since I am Hispanic. What I didn't find pleasant was not being greeted upon entering this establishment. My husband and I ordered half a rack of ribs with cole slaw and tostones. The food was good. However, the service could use some serious improvement! We arrived on a Sunday afternoon for lunch and to our surprise it was not busy, usually when we drive by it appears busy. So we walked in, found a table and ordered our beverages and food. Before I was even done eating the waiter asked if we would be interested in dessert and when we responded no, he wasted no time in giving us our check. I then had to ask for wet naps because apparently it wasn't obvious to our waiter that we would need them after eating ribs. Finally, my husband had to go pay at a window since he was using a credit card and the cashier did not say a word to him, not a hello, good afternoon. Even after paying she didn't even say thank you or have a good day, nothing! What an awful place! Such entitled people! We will definitely not be returning. Note: I used the ladies restroom and that was also an awful experience! It was disgusting! read more

We found this place via Yelp on a whim driving back from the keys. We wanted to find a quick bite with good food and outdoor seating as we had our dogs with us! We found all of that at Pit Bar-B-Q. Our food was delicious - 2 orders of pork baby back ribs and 1 order of pulled pork sandwich, sides were baked beans, cole slaw, white rice, and black beans. Even the personal key lime pie dessert hit the spot! Great service and nice owner. We will remember this place! read more

I've been coming here for eight years with my sister and nieces. We love coming here for the hospitality and food. Croc bites are my favorite and my sister loves the 'Moro' rice. Highly recommend trying it out when down here. read more

The food is yummy, but they did not take credit cards when I went. If you go, I suggest bring some cash. I've stopped by this place twice for lunch and it will probably remain one of my lunch stops if I have cash on hand. The alligator ribs were delicious and the pulled pork sandwich was pretty good too. However, advertising that they took credit cards was not true for both of the times I went. On the second time, there was a ATM machine set up inside with a $3 fee for use (plus whatever your bank charges you). read more

The Pit is a destination. After all if you are a BBQ shack on the edge of the Everglades well out on the Tamiami Trail it's not exactly on the way home for most people.But this place is on every 10 best BBQ lists in Miami and there's a reason why. I live in Fort Lauderdale so it's over an hour's drive but it's worth it. I love the biscuits (actually I think they are traditional fry bread but whatever they are they are really yummy with the honey they serve with them). Truthfully, there's not much on the meat side of the menu that isn't good, ribs, pulled pork and especially the chicken, all hit the spot. They have a lot of gator on the menu too. I tend to stick to the other meats but my friends love the gator. And if you are a fan of coleslaw theirs is really excellent, as are the BBQ beans. I know what I love so that's what I always order. I try and go when it's not super busy - on the weekends there's often quite a bit going on - over the years I have seen everything from kids pony rides to live music but no matter how busy it gets there's always enough parking and if I have to wait for my food with a cold beer that's not the end of the world. This place is a bit of an institution - after Hurricane Andrew tore up everything in it's path my friends kept asking of anybody knew if the Pit was still there (it was and that might be a sure sign Mother Nature loves great BBQ) The Pit isn't fancy, I don't think much has changed here since 1965 when they built it, but it's the real deal. If you are looking for an authentic piece of Miami history this is the place. read more

The beer was good, and that was about it. After a long day in the Everglades, my wife and I wanted a nice meal that would add flavor to the day. We did not get that, and instead payed $60 for two meals (with sides - more on that) and two beers. The seats offered little in the way of comfort, and the service was notably poor. My wife wanted only the piece of chicken but was told it comes with sides and lead to order them. I ordered ribs and was asked what sides I wanted not knowing - or being told - they cost $2.50 each. The sides were small AND bad. The sauce for the ribs was bland and looked watered down. I suggest to all who pass this place to keep going. I would have preferred a can of sardines with my own cold beer to this place. read more

The food was ok. The environment is great, except for a few flys, and a stray dog, that peed on my dads leg. and the staff were very very nice. yet Beware the tip is included and also taxed, and they also ask for more tip at the end So give them a chance if you want to read more

The Pit Bar-B-Q - Part of the menu - Barbeque Near Me - Miami, Florida

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Food was wonderful. Services was great. Very friendly place. Nice family owned business. Alligator bites where very good. Pulled pork wonderful and you get a lot of it. read more

After our airboat ride, the six of us stopped for gator bites. Grandkids were willing to try! Decided to eat lunch. BBQ chicken and ribs were great. Service was quick-server was pleasant, even though we shared entrees and sides-despite reviews to the contrary! BBQ beans spicy! Unfortunately, lunch still ran over $90. read more

The food was decent... The entertainment yeah not so much. Well we went based on other reviewers on another site and when we got there it was more like a Cuban reception party with the entertainment. Well we came from Arizona and had some smaller kids so we just went inside to eat after we tried to sit outside but the mosquitos and Cuban music was so loud that we decided to love inside. Then when we left there was some Cuban guy cross dressed and wearing practically nothing that I was pretty embarrassed that my kids had to see him. Much less have to explain that it was a man and not a woman. There is a place for that and I don't think a bbq joint is that place. Just my opinion though.... read more

I had heard that this place was great, but I left disappointed. Pros: if you're into spanish music they had live spanish music. The fries tasted great. Cons: service was subpar. It took us 5 minutes to get noticed; although they looked fairly busy. The server wasn't rude, but she didn't ask how the food was or if we wanted a refill, not even once. I wanted the gator burger, but they didn't have it, so I ended up ordering the ribs. I wanted white rice as a side, but they didn't have it. I ended up getting black rice and beans (which I don't like; my wife liked it though.) The ribs weren't great; they were average. They definitely were not fall off the bone ribs. I'd recommend texas roadhouse or flannigans for ribs. Overall, I was underwhelmed. They may have better dishes, but from what I've experienced I wouldn't recommend the restaurant. read more

Located out by the Miccosukee grounds is this charming Cuban BBQ. The outdoor seating is nice unless it's mosquito season, the service staff was very good giving on a, "mi casa es tu casa" vibe. The food was great I had the pork rib and chicken combo platter with french fries and coleslaw. Great, all the meats were cooked well and delivered very juicy. There is a Gator Burger on the menu, and it is authentic gator meat. Another off the wall menu items is frog legs, during the day there's pony rides in the front All around it seems like a nice get away from the city. read more

The Pit is an institution. The BBQ is not the best around, but it's not bad. Perhaps this is unfair, but I don't like that the place isn't what it used to be. It used to be a true dive, where every window-screen had a hole, every table had colony of flies, and every pick-up truck on the gravel parking lot had a gun rack in the back window. If you knew what it was and saw it today, you'd say they'd gone yuppie. But it's still perfectly appropriate for a 'pit' stop on the way back from the Glades. The French fries were VERY fried, and really good. The BBQ sauce was more vinegar than honey, and I think that was a good thing as well. Finally, like a lot of things in Miami, the place now caters as much to Cubans as to Red-necks, and I like that too. It may well be the only BBQ place in the country run by Cuban-Americans. And that's a trait the sums up everything that's unique about Miami and right about America. read more

Wow! Do not miss this place if you're driving along to Miami from the Everglades, Tampa, or anywhere in the area. Basically, if you are driving down 90 in Florida in the afternoon and like meat and are hungry, go here! This place is great... not the Greatest food, not the Greatest ambiance, but put all the almost greats together with the fact that you need food now, nothing else is around, you get lots of meat and sauce and cool drink for a cheap price, and greatness ensues. Pork sandwich was well bbq-ed. The cole slaw was great with a bit of the honey mustard and a bit of the spicy sauce. They even have pony rides for the kids on Saturdays (I think), I am not kidding. Don't miss it. read more

Literally been patronizing this establishment since the late 60s. What a let down , don't even bother. It was always known as the Ruth's Chris or Shula's of bar-b-q. With its southern style bar-b-q , fried biscuits and a little gator tail. Warm happy atmosphere almost couldn't imagine eating else where. Have been there twice in the last two weeks, the first time on a Wednesday @ 7:45 pm for dinner. There was a party of ten and two other tables includin us. There servers had already been sent home because it had been slow , the fires were shut down. A complete disaster. A man claiming to be the owner was attempting to serve but I'll say feeble attempt if any . Food was horrendous and of course , needless to say took forever to get. Went last night arrived a little before 8pm Friday night, a woman met us at the door stating they had already closed for the evening.....as a rule there is a shoeless man in shorts wearing an A tee shirt with his little dog that mans the outside trying to bum a cigarette , well at least the woman prevented us from being once again severely disappointed and I got to keep my cigarettes..... Once again tried to be optimistic and give them another shot, stupid is as stupid does ! Friday night at 8pm, as you can see by the recent photo they were locked up already. It was a good thing I'm sure to prevent further disappointment . Of course the same guy in his tee shirt , barefoot and yapping dog were there to greet us and formally tell us they were closed except this time I didn't let him bum a cigarette . Don't waste your time ! read more