The Brick Pit's Big Pulled Pork Sandwich.
The best barbecue I've ever had is served at The Brick Pit, 5456 Old Shell Road, Mobile, Alabama. On a recent trip there my husband, son, and I all ordered the Big Pulled Pork Sandwich ($5.50). Our daughter got the Sourdough Brick Bites (Pulled Pork) ($4.00). We chose pint-size side orders of Cole Slaw ($3.00) and Potato Salad ($3.00), both of which were typical — a little too mayonnaise-y. But the “hand pulled apart” smoked pork was perfect, not greasy or stringy, and very tender, moist, and flavorful. You can choose the tomato-based sauce you want, either Brick Pit Spicey or Regular. We chose the Regular because it is less sweet. (At the table I added commercial bottled hot sauce to my “Q” sauce because I like “heat,” but not “sweet.”)
The BBQ is good to the last bite.
As you know, there are many varieties of barbecue sauce. Often a particular geographic area will become known for serving a certain type of barbecue sauce, whether it is tomato-based, catsup-based, mustard-based, tomato- and mustard-, vinegar- and pepper-, brown sugar- and molasses-, or even mayonnaise- and vinegar-based. And then there's the spicey “rub” used by some pit masters.
Keyon, The Brick Pit's “smokeman,” does a superb job with the pork, ribs, and chicken served there. Meats are smoked over a blend of hickory and pecan woods; the chicken 6-8 hours, the ribs 12 hours, and the pork for up to 30 hours.
Take-outs and catering are available. The menu is limited — one dessert is offered, “Mrs. Waits Homemade Banana Pudding” ($2.50), but they were out of that the night we were there. The reputation of this eatery, open since 1994, is, of course, built upon their stellar barbecue, so they don't need fancy decor or a long menu. (Owner Bill Ambrecht guarantees you “The finest Bar-B-Que in the State of Alabama if not the whole South.”) Get there before 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday nights, and before 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant, which is easy to drive right by because it is so small, opens at 11am, Tuesday through Saturday. Credit cards are accepted. See their website.
The Brick Pit provides markers for their customers to decorate the walls with graffiti.
Copyright © 2005–2006 Patricia B. Mitchell.