Smoke Daddy’s Review of Harolds Pit Bar-B-Q
<<Update: Harold Christian suffered a stroke in May 2011, and the restaurant was closed at the end of July 2011.>>
Overall, my favorites here were the Hot water jalapeno cornbread and atmosphere. The brisket led the way for the meats, which were all above average.
MAIN FARE:
- Brisket – Good texture, cut, and flavor. Mild smoke. Bark trimmed off the slices.
- Rib – Comes clean off the bone, but meat is firm – rather than mushy. The meat around the "knuckles" (breast bone & cartilage) is not quite fully rendered.
- Sausage – Salty, but good. On the better end of the store-bought spectrum, with a nice spice on the finish.
- They automatically sauce all the meats… so we got sauced
OTHER FARE:
<<Update: Harold Christian suffered a stroke in May 2011, and the restaurant was closed at the end of July 2011.>>
Overall, my favorites here were the Hot water jalapeno cornbread and atmosphere. The brisket led the way for the meats, which were all above average.
MAIN FARE:
- Brisket – Good texture, cut, and flavor. Mild smoke. Bark trimmed off the slices.
- Rib – Comes clean off the bone, but meat is firm – rather than mushy. The meat around the "knuckles" (breast bone & cartilage) is not quite fully rendered.
- Sausage – Salty, but good. On the better end of the store-bought spectrum, with a nice spice on the finish.
- They automatically sauce all the meats… so we got sauced
OTHER FARE:
- Beans – Fairly standard with some of Harold’s house sauce added
- Potato Salad – Mashed style with sweet pickles. Good.
- Slaw – Curnch & cool. Light cream with a bit ‘o vinegar
- Hot water cornbread – Sweet, with a crunchy exterior. The jalapeno cornbread is my favorite!
- Sauce – Brown and thin. A "mole" style barbecue sauce. Different. Good.
- "Damn Hot" Relish/Sauce – Explodes on you tongue, then the heat just keeps on growing in your mouth
ATMOSPHERE:
- Good drive-up joint appeal
- Only open 11a to 2:30p
- Harold Christian has been here since ’54, and he’s behind the counter when we arrive
- Military crowd is here at 11am
- Great tour with two self-designed pits
- He cooks with hickory and oak, rather than mesquite (which is native to this region)
- Gas line plumbed to the pits, and they are using very little wood during our time here
