I'm going straight into why they deserve one star maybe even less! Under no circumstance should food arrive to the table cold! None! You're a BBQ joint! How on earth does our food get to the table ICE COLD? What logical explanation could you give? In restaurants where the servers run their own dishes I could see them forgetting to pick up the order, but here, you have food runners constantly going in and out of the kitchen. So we are puzzled as to how the food arrived to the table already ICE COLD! Nothing more disappointing than biting into a ICE COLD brisket sandwich on an ICE COLD and hard bun. That's just plain LAZINESS! We don't like sending our food back to the kitchen for obvious reasons but this was just unacceptable. We still didn't send it back, but we also won't be back! read more

Customer service was perfection. Unfortunately, who knew the request for extra pickles would be difficult. For $30 you would think I could get extra pickles. Mac n cheese was not the same. Just noodles. Im happy for the growth of the Smoke Pitt, been a long time fan, but I hope the quality doesn't continue to decline. read more

The Smoke Pit - Full lb brisket platter - Barbeque Near Me - Gastonia, North Carolina

Great BBQ, but here's the thing. Chris met us at the door today. Not sure how long he's worked here but Chris needs to TEACH seminars on Customer Service. I've never felt more comfortable and welcome in ANY restaurant like I was today. Thanks, Chris. read more

I don't live too close to TSP, but I try to swing by every couple of months. They do smoked turkey very well and I appreciate that it's always consistent. These days many bbq joints are not carrying turkey because of supply chain issues. Happy to say that's not the case st TSP. I stopped in today and noticed that they had converted to a full-service operation. Gone are the days of waiting in the queue to order at the counter. This is a big win for me personally because I know what I'm ordering when I walk in the door. First-time patrons would invariably pepper the cashier with questions on the menu. Normally, it would take longer to order the food than it did to receive it once I was seated. Great service today from Jasmine. The turkey was on point and I went with the green beans today as my side. Was not disappointed. I'll be back as soon as I can! read more

We had the smoke pit catered for our wedding and I can't say enough when it comes to how happy we are with the service we received. The staff were EXTREMELY attentive, had great attention to detail and made sure that everything was perfect for me and my husband the whole night. The food was off the charts amazing and the guests were raving over every single food item. The desserts were also out of this world. On top of having the best service and food, there was way more then enough food left at the end of the night that the guests were able to take food to go AND we had plenty to go home with us as well. It is well worth every penny we spent. I can't thank them enough for making the experience the best we could have asked for and more. read more

Pretty good for BBQ. The ribs are good. I don't like the dry rub they use. The much seasoning and to dry. Really expensive.

I learned about this spot from my wife and I've never heard about it. So one day we didn't feel like cooking so she suggested going to smoke pit and checking it out. Soon as I arrived in the parking lot it was packed so I was already anticipating a good experience. Soon as I walked in I noticed a line since you have to order your food first and then be seated and the line was out the door. But I then I noticed the to go line and it was only 1 person standing in it. Once I got there I order wings, baked beans & mac-n-cheese and the meal came with small corn bread. The wings was pretty good and the mac was alright but it could've been better and the miniature corn bread was really good. I'm not in a rush to head back but I'll definitely give it another try when it's not so busy next time. read more

See all

Wow - was I impressed by this place and didn't expect to be. Not only was the food great, but the service from all the employees was impeccable. The pulled pork was moist, tender and had a nice smoke ring. The mac and cheese was like your mama's and collard greens seasoned well. I preferred the white slaw and my husband preferred the red, he got a nice chunk of sweet cornbread and I had the hush puppies. Not to mention they have flavored teas and I skeptically tasted the watermelon tea (just to say I did) and it was so good that's what I ended up drinking. This will be our new favorite barbecue place, definitely worth a try for everyone! read more

The Smoke Pit - Pulled pork (1lb portion), collards, Mac n cheese, cornbread, white and red slaw, hush puppies - Barbeque Near Me - Gastonia, North Carolina

They nail it every single time!!! Serving sizes are epic, you'll be eating for days!!!! They have outdoor seating so it's Covid/flu friendly as well!! read more

Beautiful restaurant with great food. Fresh from the pit delicious meats. Large portions. Friendly staff. We'll be back! read more

Noice and cheap. Good meat. The waitress was very kind. Overall good eating space with pretty paintings.

If it's not a chain, it sure feels like it - the place is run like a QSR, and doesn't exactly "ooze" with authenticity. They had a significant upcharge to their beef due to supply-chain problems, so we all got "BBQ" (aka pork, in Carolina), and it was good not great. There's outdoor patio seating that takes the staff a while to bus, and the inside had a pervasive sewage smell on our visit. read more

Our family loves The Smoke Pit. We live 40 minutes away. We placed an order for Mothers Day dinner. When my kids went to pick it up they were told that the order was accidentally given to another customer and had to wait for it to be remade. Made our Mothers Day dinner late and were not offered anything for the hassle. They could have offered a free drink to them while they waited at least. read more

A no frills BBQ joint! The portions are awesome and the prices have a great range so there is something for everyone. I love how many side options there are to choose from as well! They are not afraid to pile up your plate!! Def would recommend! read more

The Smoke Pit - Brisket Sandwich Sweet Potato Casserole - Barbeque Near Me - Gastonia, North Carolina

I don't know why this place doesn't have 5 stars! Now, I've had some fantastic barbecue in my life, but this is by far the best I've ever had. Went on a first date here, the food was better than the company though The ribs were tender, Smokey and seasoned to perfection. The brisket was so flavorful! Now, normally I'm not a big fan of Mac and cheese made in large quantity but dang did that Mac and cheese sing to me. They also had watermelon sweet tea, never heard of it before but so good. I will absolutely drive an hour for this over and over again. Oh and can't forget how giant the portions are! read more

The Smoke Pit - Texas Brisket Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Gastonia, North Carolina

The best barbecue you can't find no better the service was fast for call end ahead try the burnt end brisket tender and delicious

Excellent barbecue , and side choices! There is always a line so I order online and pick it up. Much easier this way. Restaurant is clean and staff are friendly and helpful! read more

I found these amazing restaurant during a short stay in Gastonia, NC. I wanted to eat banana pudding and did an online search for the "THE BEST BANANA PUDDING" and I was not disappointed. I wish I found this restaurant earlier during my trip, so I could try their amazing food. One thing is for sure; their banana pudding is delicious! Give it a try and you can thank me later. read more

See all

The food is delicious and oh so satisfying! We had the burnt end and yard bird (chicken) at our table with two sides and a bread (hush puppies, corn bread or Texas toast). Everything was amazing. The corn bread was HUGE and there was plenty of hush puppies. I couldn't finish my plate but I was also saving room for dessert. For dessert I had the apple crisp which came in a take out container! The only thing I didn't like was there wasn't a lot of crisp in the apple crisp. The prices are fair because portions are very large. My suggestion is go starving or be ready for leftovers. We went on a Sunday afternoon so there was a line but it moved quickly and we got our food quickly. Enjoy! read more

The Smoke Pit - Apple crisp - Barbeque Near Me - Gastonia, North Carolina

See all

literally the best barbecue in either carolinas. when i say the burnt ends were like butter, ayo sun, them jawns was "butta sun". the greens, mac n, cheese, fried okra. mind you i don't eat meat and this was my cheat day. shit with food like this i'll have an affair on my diet. read more

1st visit today in Gastonia - we were blown away! The manager (Brandon) stopped by the table to welcome us and was so personable. The waitress (Demi) was one of the BEST we've ever experienced. The food was absolutely FABULOUS and the quantity of food we got was seriously unreal. What an incredible value. We will be regulars for sure - this place does not disappoint and I can't believe it wasn't packed with standing room only. We had the pork plate with deviled egg potato salad, mac & cheese and cornbread. Do not hesitate to try to this place - you will be so happy you did! read more

Wonderful experience! Our waitress Grace was one of the sweetest people ever, and the food is always delicious!

Generous portions and delicious sides led the way for this moderately priced bbq restaurant. It was exactly how it was advertised, no surprises here. I would definitely go back. read more

First time visiting this restaurant last night and it was a great experience all around. We had a party of 12, and our waiter & waitress were so nice and attentive and didn't seem stressed out, we weren't sitting waiting on things, everyone's order was correct, and the food portions were huge and nothing short of delicious! We will definitely be returning here to eat soon read more

Great place, good service and delicious food and very cheap compare to the amount of food, we were 4 people and it was only 80$ read more

Food is good. The bake beans are great. Pull pork isn't as smoky as like but it's still good. Fry's are just ok. The ribs are just ok. The brisket is really good. Service is excellent for a to-go order. Not a bad place to chill and enjoying some bbq. read more

We had a great catering experience with The Smoke Pit. I was hosting a friend's birthday party and, to be honest, I really just didn't feel like cooking. We called The Smoke Pit a few days in advance to ask about catering options. We were able to get a meat and two sides for 20 people for a super reasonable price. We chose the pulled pork with mac and cheese and sweet potato casserole. The trays they sent us were HUGE and we have leftovers for days, even after people got seconds. They gave us buns and extra bbq sauce so we really didn't have to buy too much extra. Our guests seemed to really enjoy everything- especially the mac and cheese! Thank you to Melissa and her team for making our catering experience easy and delicious! Everything was hot and ready for pickup at our requested time. I will definitely recommend The Smoke Pit for anyone looking to cater in the area. read more

Great food and service. Wicked expensive though. Kind of worth the money really good banana pudding

Went with some friends a couple of times. The food was great. I will be back. The sweet potato casserole was amazing.

so I spent $60 dollars on my order the first time and when it was delivered it was wrong so I called the store and one of the employees not gonna through a name on it guar me that he would put my sweet tea next to the next order I had to place to get the tea so another $15 dollars later and still no tea so I call the store and the kitchen manager answered and wants to tell me there's nothing he can do after so bad idea for online orders because they don't check to make sure the order is correct read more

Great place for the family for lunch or dinner. The food is always good. I wish they kept the chopped beef. The servers are always friendly. The place is always busy but the wait isn't long. Plus there's an separate area for takeout. read more

Blew me away! I moved to Charlotte from Kansas City. I didn't expect much. I'll put the burnt ends up against anything I ate at Jack Stack, Joe's, Arthur Bryant's and Q39. Bravo! read more

Just started going back to Smoke Pit Gastonia after finding a 10 inch hair in my Mac and Cheese a while back. Ordered online and paid total, got there to pick up the order only to wait 25 minutes until they finally said that they didn't have the food to fill the order- on Fathers Day. They wouldn't refund my money because I had ordered through them online, but they said that it was through a secondary site. Done. read more

Great brisket, It's sad they got rid of the three amigos it was enough food for two. I still go for ribs and brisket. Yummy

This place is smokin! Seriously get the bbq chicken nachos. Thank me later. The chicken is so delicious and tender. Best nachos I've ever had...and I've had a LOT of nachos. read more

The Smoke Pit - BBQ Chicken Nachos - Barbeque Near Me - Gastonia, North Carolina

Don't know where these good reviews are coming from. First off it's fast food not a real smoke pit. The place had an order of sewer about it. Little off setting but pipes break and maybe they just had it fixed. Took a long time for our food and it was cold. The brisket was fatty as hell. I mean at least 1/2 went in the trash. Sides were ok and I had to try the twinkles but they weren't hot or spicy. There was only one person working that we could tell but there were several employees goofing off at either instance to the kitchen. I pointed out that they had a roach on the flood but they didn't seem to care. So when I saw what looked like a manager I pointed it out to them and again no real interest. We won't be going back! Between this place and R.O.'s Gastonia clearly needs to get a BBQ place that's any good because these two are a huge disappointment. Till they do it looks like we'll have to drive to Charlotte and go to McKoys if we want any good BBQ. read more

The food is amazing! Meat very tender. Ribs falling off the bone. Healthy sized portion. I always have a to go.

Always good food, usually good service, consistent. Portions are always well beyond what a typical person can eat in a single sitting. Expect to take food home, unless you are sharing. read more

First off I've been a chef at a number of restaurants including Jiko at Animal Kingdom Resort in Disney World. I also was a recruiter for Darden where I recruited for Outback, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Longhorn. To make a long story short I took a job at the Smoke Pit as a kitchen manager and what a joke that was. The reason they have so many bad reviews on the food being cold is because they have heat lamps and won't use them, they have all the vegetables on a steam well which is uncovered so the vegetables on top get cold. The front of the house is a free for all! These kids are constantly playing and goofing off on their phones. They also open the warmers and stand in them because they are cold. The warmers are to keep the food warm not the employees. Maybe if they had manager's that managed they wouldn't keep getting bad reviews on their food being cold. read more

Large portions and excellent food. Also get your money's worth. On Wednesday they give you a free side. My husband and I can split 1 plate of pulled pork and we still have leftovers read more