Hometown spot, right off a two lane highway, you'll find a small corner restaurant with some tasty smoke coming off the top.. that's Thomas Smokey pit stop! Service was very friendly, prices a little high, but bbq is crazy these days so you kind of expect it. Tried the three meat plate, with a side of bbq beans and cornbread. Ribs: tender, not fall off the bone but great rub! Brisket: rather dry but I wouldn't throw it away Corn bread: dry and did throw away Baked beans: delicious!! Great little spicy flavor. Hot links: my favorite part of this dish! Wasn't a standard flavor, not too spicy, and had a great snap to it. Overall, decent experience, nothing to write home about. Very limited seating, stools only. Come hungry, good size portions. read more

Thomas' Smokey Pit Stop - Barbeque Near Me - Manchester, Connecticut

First Timer to Thomas' Smokey Pit Stop BBQ in Manchester, CT yesterday. I did the 2 plate meat w/ one side. Went with the Ribs & Brisket and collards. Place is smallish, but there's a counter with a few stools if you want to eat inside. Service was very friendly & efficient. Brisket was good -- tender and moist. Nice bark too. Ribs had a smokey flavor, I liked the rub they used. But a few were borderline tough. Collards were excellent. Overall, this is decent "northern Q", I would definitely come back again if I'm in the area. Thomas' Smokey Pit Stop BBQ is a solid 4 Star rating, IMO, and that's coming from a guy who consumed a lot of Q in northern Alabama when he lived down there. read more

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Some good, some needs help. I want to be fair here about the good and the not so much. I love the idea of a cute, quick little take out spot to pick up BBQ on the way home from work. Great business model. The brisket was really good. Tender, juicy and well seasoned. Cornbread was quite good and moist while holding together well. Collard greens, 8/10. The ribs and the chicken need serious help though. The ribs were done enough to be safe to eat but barely. Very chewy. Needs more heat for longer. They don't need to be falling off the bone, but every bite should be a good one, and these weren't. I like mine brought up to 203-205 but these probably never saw north of 175. The chicken was way over done. Which is hard to do on drums and thighs! Dry and bland. Not just un-spicy for 'jerk' chicken, very little seasoning at all. I thick with more practice, and better quality control on the meats, this place could be really good. And the fixes that are needed are easy to implement. read more

Thomas' Smokey Pit Stop - Not done yet - Barbeque Near Me - Manchester, Connecticut

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Food tasted amazing! I didnt go inside but ordered take out. Would definitely have over Bears

My first time here and definitely won't be my last. Ordered two pulled pork plates. Each came with two sides watch we order the mac and cheese and cornbread. The pulled pork was some of the most tender meat I have ever had. It also had just the right amount of sauce and it came with additional sauce if we wanted to put more on. The cornbread did not need anything with it as it was delicious as is. This place is a hidden gem and definitely worth going to. I can't wait to go back. read more

I keep a running mental list of nearby places that have high Yelp ratings, so I can visit when the opportunity arises. When I recently had an errand in Manchester, I remembered that @thomassmokeypitstop had a 4.6 overall rating and over a 100 reviews. Thomas's specializes in BBQ and Soul Food, and my family and I sampled the pulled pork, lean brisket, Mac, Collards, Yams, corn bread and potato salads. We liked everything, and highlights for me included the classic stretchy cheesy Mac, the brisket with the great bark, the pulled pork and the potato salad with the mustard and pickle flavor. If you're near Manchester, you should definitely check out @thomassmokeypitstop . They have some limited seating, but they're probably more of a takeout spot. They also have a food truck and cater. 4.25 Stars read more

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It's just really good food. The baked potatoes are awesome! Prices are fair. Highly recommend.

Now the place so people least know will do catering & overall for BBQ this one is up there without a shadow of a doubt in my mind because a place I go to is celebrating a second anniversary & for what I had my stuff was filling (unknowingly I wasn't aware of it so if I had maybe I would've skipped supper) & you get good pulled pork, Andouille sausage (oh yeah that's hot), green beans & cornbread. I suspect if this is just that element I might want to investigate the dining establishment. read more

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Friendly quick take out place. Minimal parking but it's never been an issue. We've tried the grilled cheese with pulled chicken, brisket, mac n cheese, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, cornbread, and coconut pound cake, and would reorder all of the above. This is a place we'll return to again and again! Definitely the best bbq in the area! read more

Fantastic food, reasonable prices, wonderful service, clean establishment. Easy in and out every time I pick up my to go order. Make sure to grab a slice of dessert when you go, it's always a hit. read more

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Ecstatic to find this little spot since CT's BBQ scene is lacking. Got some brisket and pulled pork. Juicy and well seasoned. Cornbread was delicious as well. Very friendly staff and quick service! Absolutely will be retuning when I'm in the area :) read more

I have been in the mood for BBQ for weeks now so when I finally decided to get some I wanted to try and support a local business. Everyone is familiar with Bears so I hopped on yelp to find a different place up to 20 min from me and Thomas' popped up with glowing reviews. They offered online orders so I went for it. As others have mentioned, it is strictly take out. The shop is small but they had great music playing and everyone behind the counter seemed to be in a great mood. My food was ready and waiting. At first I thought portions were small but everything was just packed in really tight - this was a lot of food! The star of the show was definitely the brisket. Great smoky flavor, super tender, and not too much fat. Unfortunately the sides left me disappointed. The beans tasted like all ketchup. Not the rich and savory flavor I was expecting. The Mac & cheese seemed like it may have been sitting for a while. Didn't taste very fresh. Wasn't the worst I've had but definitely wasn't the best. The cornbread was ok but again, I have had better. Overall, I would consider returning to try some of the other meats they offer but I wouldn't order any of these sides in the future. Pricing also seemed fair compared to other BBQ places I have visited. read more

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The two ladies working today were very pleasant to interact with. The food was phenomenal! Even hubby had to purchase a slice of the coconut cake (we haven't tried it yet). The only thing was hubby didn't get the corn bread he was to get with his three meat meal (you have a choice between coleslaw or cornbread). We will be back!!! read more

The food is superior, staff is friendly all you need for a great meal. They have a need item rice perlo which is excellent, you have to try it. read more

"When it comes to southern cookin' They know what it's all about They got some barbecue ribs and red beans and rice Make your tongue snap your eyeballs out" (Charlie Daniels) Man oh man oh man, did we have a fantastic experience at Thomas' Smokey Pit Stop! I really like ribs, but haven't had them in a very long time. Sometimes they are dry and overcooked. Not here. The ribs I had yesterday were among the very best I ever had. We ordered a one meat platter of pulled pork, mac and cheese and corn bread for $12 and a two meat platter of ribs, BBQ chicken, green beans and slaw for $18.25 plus a $2 rib upcharge. We loved every single bite of every dish. My ribs were amazing -tender and juicy and just perfect. And the boring old green beans were stellar too - must have been the smoked turkey they're cooked with. The BBQ was a drumstick and thigh cooked in a fantastic BBQ glaze. For extra measure, all dishes included a container of extra BBQ sauce. My wife's pulled pork platter looked fantastic and let me tell ya, there was a ton of pulled pork in her container. For dessert we split a delicious slice of coconut pound cake ($4). The food, the service, the pricing were all excellent. read more

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My first time ordering from Thomas' Smokey and I loved it. I ordered the three meat combo. The brisket was my absolute favorite, the ribs had a nice flavor and good heat too. Definitely coming back here and want to try other items on their menu. I recommend this spot. read more

Absolutely fantastic southern food and BBQ! I especially loved the chopped brisket and collard greens. Their homemade barbecue sauce is awesome too. The meat platters are a fair price and you get a good amount of meat with it. About a half pound per meat so a 3 meat platter will have 1.5lbs, more than enough. The only thing I would say is I wish the portion size of the sides were a bit bigger but they have options for extra sides that aren't too pricy. Overall I couldn't recommend this place enough and if you haven't been you won't be disappointed. read more

The brisket and pulled pork was delicious. The yams were sweet and very good the greens savory the beans also sweet and tasty. Banana pudding u can tell it's homemade very good. The corn bread a little dry but still tasty highly recommend read more

Top notch food and service. Great people too. Get the brisket. Don't forget dessert!

I had the brisket sandwich with cole slaw at the Manchester Invitational track meet. The brisket was perfect, the sauce was applied perfectly to the toasted and buttered bun. The cole slaw is a vinegar style and provided just the right amount of zing to balance the savory sandwich. read more

Food is amazing! Move over Bears! Thomas' BBQ is so good! The service is super friendly as well. My bf and I had platters of the Jerk chicken, bbq pulled pork, and sliced brisket. The sides were also very good! read more

Thomas' Smokey Pit Stop - Jerk chicken, pulled pork, baked beans, and slaw - Barbeque Near Me - Manchester, Connecticut

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Great food and service. I got the 2 meat platter with the smoked sausage, sliced brisket, green beans and cornbread. Mother got the brisket sandwich with coleslaw and yams. Everything was full of flavor and the cornbread was not dry. This is the first cornbread I've come across in a while where it didn't instantly suck the moisture out of my mouth. Good job! Before we left, we got some takeout for my stepdad and a slice of coconut cake and strawberry cake. Yum! I'll be returning with my father at a later date. read more

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This place packs a punch for a little corner joint. Got the 3 meat combo, came with 1 side but had to get 2 more, And a Dessert! Before I get into it, this place is excellent BBQ! Great job! Ribs and Sliced Brisket were both $2 extra. Got the Jerk chicken as my third meat. Mac and Cheese, Baked Beans, Candied Yams as my sides. You know I gotta get that Banana Pudding. Ribs were perfect texture, very moist. Nice red and orange rub that tasted like a very nice traditional rib rub. Not quite as much rub as I like to have but I'm sure I'm in the minority there. Its has a tiny tiny kick to it, I could barely taste it but it was nice. Meat doesn't fall off the bone but it's easy enough to clean it off. That's the way it's supposed to be. Brisket was an option of sliced or chopped which I appreciated, but if you don't get sliced you are wrong. Great smokey smell, good amount of bark but not as dark as I like it. A tad bit greasy but not enough to effect it. The fat melts like crazy in your mouth but didn't have quite as much of a flavor to is as I look for. Again I like a lot more of that powerful rub spice flavor but I'm probably wrong. Very juicy, that nice sorta tough but still moist brisket texture. Good stuff Jerk Chicken. Gets you a leg and a thigh. Damn! This was the real deal Jamaican Jerk Seasoning! it's embarrassing how many places don't know what the real stuff is like. Chicken meat was Extra Juicy! Some of the best smoked chicken I've ever had traps that moisture inside the skin and it's like biting into a water balloon sometimes. I will say it felt like the chicken could have smoked for a bit longer but I'm not sure. It tasted a tad bit on the too juicy side. But it still tasted amazing with the spices. Cornbread is phenomenal. Cornbread hitting them 3 G's "Golden - Gritty - Glistening". Very moist, no corn kernels though, that would have been next level. Not too sweet, Not overly buttery. Excellent cornbread Mac and Cheese was pretty good. They keep a lot of their sides right up at the front counter in some chaffing dishes. I was happy to see the Mac and cheese was baked style and not just a scoop of pasta with cheese goop. All in all it tasted good, much better than most places. But it doesn't have a rue to it. It's oiled pasta with black pepper and shredded cheese. I need that milky creamy cheese sauce surrounding the pasta. This shredded cheese just gets soft and chunky. The pepper saved it. Baked Beans were really good. Unique flavor. Mostly BBQ sauce flavors as Im sure it's slowly cooked in their BBQ sauces but some zingers in there too. Like a citrus and ginger or something. Navy And Red bean. Great texture. Gravy sticks to the beans and doesn't fall off. Great beans. Banana Pudding is hard to screw up, even if it was just the Jello pudding style I would love it. I've had some incredible banana pudding though. In all of New England I would say this is top 5. Although I would get it as fresh as possible. Some of the bananas and wafers in my batch had another day at best before it started getting questionable. But still really good pudding, they even gave a few extra wafers to get that nice crunch. Excellent Job! Great BBQ! read more

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This morning my mom asked to take me out for a sandwich on our way to go shopping in Western CT. Manchester was in the direction we were heading, so I did a quick Apple Maps search for a sandwich shoppe and found Thomas' Smokey Pit Stop. I am thankful to Apple for putting this BBQ spot on my map. Now, let me start with the fact that I LOVE brisket. I cook brisket at home. I order brisket at every BBQ joint I come across. Brisket is my indicator of a good BBQ joint or not. Thomas' brisket is tender, lean, and seasoned in a way that your tastebuds are delighted with an even amount of meat and seasoning. This is A+ brisket. Now, add to this top notch brisket being on a grilled cheese sandwich and I was won over. My mom was kind enough to share with me a bite of her brisket loaded baked potato. Again, A+ brisket generously heaped on top of a perfectly cooked baked potato. The potato was buttery soft and seasoned in a way to let all the other flavors in this dish shine. The other flavors I'm referring to are butter, cheese sauce, bacon, chives, sour cream, and that BBQ brisket. This gem of a restaurant is located on Middle Turnpike next to a bike shop. There is limited parking next to Thomas' and the bike shop. But when you park next to Thomas' you can pull behind the building next to it and pull back into Middle Turnpike from a side street. Very convenient. We used the online ordering system (Clover) to pre-order a brisket grilled cheese, two brisket loaded baked potatoes, and two sides of candied yams. The time estimate was 30 minutes for our order to be ready. Our drive to get here was 15 minutes. We waited for maybe 10 minutes inside for our order to be finished and neatly packed in a paper bag. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. Orders can be placed at the counter and eaten inside, please note, there is only counter seating for four people. Thomas' is basically a take out BBQ joint. So, visit with that expectation and you won't be disappointed. read more

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Stopped in or the first time the other for take out. I have driven by so many time but never had the time to stop in. Got the pulled pork platter and the jerk chicken platter. For side went with cornbread, collard greens, Carolina slaw and yams. The pork was good, loved the bbq sauce flavor. The jerk chicken wasn't seasoned or spicy enough. Maybe because I am used to the ones from Dunn's. It tasted more like smoked chicken. Tasted good but wasn't what I was expecting. All the sides were really good. The service was friendly and prompt. The place is small take out spot and doesn't have dine in options. The vibe is homey and welcoming. Will comeback to try more. read more

I went to this place a few weeks back, and I'm only getting to post about it now. I can't recommend this place enough! I ordered the one meat combo with brisket, cornbread, and baked BBQ means. It was all fantastic! The brisket was so tender that sometimes forking it alone would have it come apart. One bite filled my mouth with heavenly smokey meaty flavor. This place does BBQ brisket the right way, and it's a higher quality brisket than other well known BBQ spots nearby. The cornbread was crumbly and delicious. Exactly what you'd want out of cornbread, nothing more to say here! The beans were savory and satisfying and cooked just right. They paired very nicely with my brisket. I made sure to dump all the tiny tender leftover pieces of brisket into the beans. What a delicious combo that was! If you want to impress your friends with a great takeout BBQ place, this is the spot. It's worth the ride. For a takeout place it really has the right vibe. Soulful music playing, open kitchen setup so you know what you're getting, friendly customer service! The only thing I'd love to see from this place is some additional sauces. Although the quality of meat is so great, no sauce is required, but it's always nice to have on the side. Something spicy would pair really well with this savory tender smokey brisket. The BBQ sauce that they do have is delicious though. read more

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Got delivery was fantastic. The ribs were fall off the bone, greens delicious . They forgot my cornbread but that's not a dealbreaker

Best customer service to began with. We were expecting to dine in but quickly realized it was take. They were really nice in helping us decide what to get! EVERYTHING WAS BLAZIN! Best BBQ I've had in Ct hands down! The menu was adorable I definitely should've taken a photos. Like it was Mom's Mac N Cheese, Dad's Potato Salad and so on. I didn't get dessert but my family said it taste like mine so I know it was fire lol! We have been back several times and will continue! Highly recommend! read more

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One of the best and AUTHENTIC smokehouse's there are in Connecticut. The service was great. I was treated by a gentleman with a smile and very helpful. I ordered the combo with lean brisket, jerk chicken and mama's Mac and cheese. The Lean Brisket- One of the best briskets I've ever tasted. It even rivals some smokehouse in Texas. Great seasoning, moisture and smoke. The Jerk Chicken- The meat was moist, however it was lacking seasoning and jerk flavor. The smoke technique was great. More of just a smoked chicken. Mac and Cheese- The Mac and cheese was very very cheesy and cooked to perfection. However it was lacking seasoning. Overall: 4.2 out of 5 stars. Definitely recommend and I will be back soon! This is my new go to smokehouse for brisket. read more

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I visited Thomas' Smokey Pit Stop while in the area, I heard their advertisement on the radio. When I arrived I was immediately greeted by Aja, as I looked over the menu Aja began telling me about their selection. I wanted to substitute the coleslaw $2.00 extra. I wanted an xtra side, that was possible but I would have to omit the cornbread for $2.00 xtra. I wanted to switch the drum stick for a thigh, nope not possible. My grand total was $36. I rushed back to the office 35 minutes away excited to chump, chump! Their Yelp reviews describes exactly what my taste experienced. The sauce was delicious as well as the flavor of the spices. The jerk chicken wasn't really spicy but you can still taste the jerk that makes you take a sip of your drink. There's nothing I can add regarding the food, exactly as previous reviews....delicious. Food a 10. Service 10. Quality meat and chunky slice of brisket. I would like to suggest that they add regular bread to the menu because I like to make a brisket samich yes samich and dip it in my sauce. :)) Yes, I would revisit. read more

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Went to get food here for a date night with a wife, and this place definitely hits all the barbecue (and Jamaican) spot! Decent size portions, great tasking food, and Jerk chicken! Unfortunately, the jerk chicken wasn't as flavorful (probably because it had no sauce) but it was still delicious being dipped in their barbecue sauce. It's their prerogative that I disagree with, but they're still mandating masks even for vaccinated people. There is no dine-in as of this writing, and you can't order online for a later time - the only option is that it's ready in 20 minutes. If you're in Manchester, forget driving all the way to Bear's - check this place out! read more

Hey on our way home from a game at U Con looking for a meal. This spot sounded good on paper for a quick grab and go. Pulled up with the store windows steaming on a cold winter day. Greeted by a smile and a counter with hot trays of food. Me and the wife are foodies so we had to try a little bit of everything. I got the chicken and brisket combo with string beans and potato salad. My wife got the ribs with collards greens and cornbread. On the way out of the corner of our eyes we saw a sign to the special Shrimp N Grits so we have to dive in. Jumped back in the car prepared to dig in. Started with may be the best Shrimp n Grits ever. Grits drenched with spicy sauce from the shrimp but clearly cooked in poultry broth, butter and cheese. Amazing landing spot for the 6 perfectly cooked shrimp. Cornbread on point and Brisket a stand out with potato salad rounding out the pallet. This was like granny's food at the repass. Soul Food cooked with love. Try it you wont be disappointed. Not a sit down spot but perfect for car or take out. read more

Thomas doesnt mess around. He's been doing some smoking out back somewhere. Sure his Mac and cheese is ok, and his aunt made some pretty good cornbread, but DAMN... THIS GUY KNOWS HIS PULLED PORK. Drove over and picked up a few sandwiches. Nice guy behind the counter hooked me up. They wer'nt huge or anything but... Did I mention Thomas knows his pulled pork??? HELL YAH! I will go back and peruse his menu further. Go there. Get a few extra napkins. read more

I was floored with how good this place was. It's a smaller place in Manchester, if you aren't paying attention you ll drive right by it. I got the brisket plate with a side of Mac and Cheese & Yams. It came with coleslaw and a piece of Cornbread which was a bonus. Listen, the brisket was super tender and flavorful. The Mac and cheese was bomb!!! Baked and cheesy Just like my moms makes it in the Midwest. Overall, everything tasted like it was made with care. It's also a black owned business which has a special place in my heart. Looking forward to going back and trying the ribs read more

Thomas' Smokey Pit Stop - Brisket 1 Meat Platter - Barbeque Near Me - Manchester, Connecticut

The best barbeque in the CT area. A must visit for BBQ enthusiast and those who appreciate culinary craftsmanship

My name is Preston Green just wanted to take the time. talk about my experience at this amazing soulful pitstop when I arrived I was greeted pleasantly by the owner and was given the menu and what are the local favorites. I got mac & cheese, cornbread greens and smoked wings and they were amazing in the hospitality was even better. I haven't had mac & cheese like that in years so it was deeply appreciated to get a sense of home when I took my first bite if you haven't gone, you must go. And bring a friend. read more

As a Californian I was not sure what to expect from the bbq/soul food scene here, but the food at this amazing restaurant absolutely blew my mind. My husband and I shared a 3 meat platter of Carolina ribs, chopped brisket, jerk chicken, macaroni and baked beans. The ribs and brisket were tender, juicy, and flavorful. I really loved the rub on the jerk chicken as well, but the meat was drier than the others we sampled. The macaroni was a hit and taste just like the grandma makes it, and the baked beans had a pleasant and unique flavor. The people at Thoma's know exactly what they're doing in the kitchen. Will definitely be coming back again and again to try all that they have to offer. Was too excited to dig into the food to snap a picture, but just go yourself! read more

Best authentic bbq is the area. And the nicest employees 10 stars Nice smoke flavor, great tasting sauces It's a must go to if you enjoy bbq I wish I had pics of the brisket, ribs and pulled pork. But I ate it all read more

I ordered lunch on a week day. I should have ordered ahead of time. There was a 15 minute time delay to get my order. Side of candied yams was my favorite here. It was sweet. Chopped brisket pittato was my favorite entree. Potato topped with a ton of brisket and gooey cheese. Add some barbecue sauce and it is heavenly. Barbeque wings and chopped brisket were delicious as well. Corn bread was not that great. Staff was very friendly. If you want they will bring the order to your car. Food was not overly salty like many other barbeque places. This is the kind of place we need to get through this pandemic. read more

Thomas' Smokey Pit Stop - 2 meat platter - BBQ chicken wings, chopped brisket, candied yams and corn bread - Barbeque Near Me - Manchester, Connecticut

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Best BBQ in Manchester! The banana pudding is out of this world!! I always have a great meal when I order