Brick Pit - Mobile, AL

Posted By Michael Stern on January 31, 2010 9:12 AM

In the back of a solid old house on the west side of Mobile, pitmaster Bill Armbrecht has built a room-size cooker into which he piles hickory and pecan logs and smokes meats at the lowest possible temperature for the longest possible time: thirty hours for pork shoulder, twelve hours for ribs, six hours for chicken. During the slow process, the meats' natural fat becomes their basting juices; and by the time they are done, each piece of pork and chicken is virtually fatless, yet supermoist.

Brick Pit pork shoulder is what we like best, pulled from the cooked roast by hand. It is presented as a pile of motley chunks and shreds – some as soft as warm butter, others with crunchy crust from the outside of the roast. The meat comes under a film of house-made sauce that is thick and tomato-based, with laid-back character that does not distract from the fineness of the smoky meat. Ribs are blackened on the outside but extravagantly tender, with many areas so gentled by the smoke pit that the lightest finger pressure causes pieces of their meat to slide right off the bone.

The low-slung dining room at The Brick Pit is painted white and completely covered in signatures, tributes, and other assorted happy graffiti. Orders are taken at a back window; once you've told them what you want, you find a seat and in no time, a waitress brings the meal in a partitioned plate that holds the meat of choice separate from the beans and cole slaw that come with it. Above the breezeway that leads to the parking lot outside, a sign announces, "Welcome to the Best Damn Smoked Bar-B-Que in the Great State of Alabama". We concur!

Overall Rating

smoked pulled pork

barbecued ribs

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Posted By Tom Lewis on October 26, 2011 8:30 PM

I stopped in for lunch during a recent trip to the Gulf Coast. I ordered a combination plate with pulled pork, ribs, potato salad, and cole slaw. The barbequed ribs and pulled pork were some of the best I've ever eaten. Both of the side dishes were great and nicely complemented the smokey meats.

The spicy red barbeque sauce added just the right amount of zing to set the meats off. The size of my platter left me with no room for dessert and, as I told the owner, Bill Armbrecht, the bread used to sop the remaining sauce was dessert!

When I finished my meal, I placed a to-go order for a whole slab of ribs and four orders of banana pudding. Mr. Armbrecht personally selected the large slab, wrapped it in foil, and threw in an extra cup of spicy sauce. He did this because I told him I was taking a slab of ribs to my daughter as part of her birthday dinner. Note: Following the birthday dinner, the banana pudding was consumed with great delight; couldn't have been much better.

This place has the look of a classic Southern barbeque joint. The owner and the staff take great pride in turning out a superior product.

Overall Rating

potato salad

banana pudding

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Posted By R Laurence Davis on October 21, 2011 9:31 PM

Following the Roadfood recommendation and that of many locals, I had dinner at the Brick Pit tonight and the experience was wonderful.

The flavor of the meat is deep and dark. The use of pecan seems to impart a true "nutty" note. The rib meat does slide off the bone, yet it still retains some chewiness. I found the spicy sauce to be a bit bland but it does pair with the meat nicely. The slaw is good, but too pickle-juice-laced for my taste. The banana pudding (we got the last two portions for the night) is terrific.

However, whichever reviewer said "don't use the restrooms" was dead on and not because of the graffiti. The men's room (at least) was disgusting. It does make me wonder about the cleanliness standards in the rest of the place.

Overall Rating

barbecued ribs

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Posted By Al & Janet Bowen on February 21, 2011 2:25 AM

Bill runs a fine Pit and a friendly place to eat ! Both the Ribs and the wonderful chunky Pulled Pork are rated right at the top of my choices for places that do the BBQ with Pork. Sauce is one I like (on the side) a great boost to the natural smokiness of the Hog. All in all The Brick Pit is a fine place to introduce someone to great BBQ.

Overall Rating

smoked pulled pork

barbecued ribs

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Posted By Ed Michaelson on February 20, 2010 9:30 PM

The Brick Pit is a converted and unassuming old house on the west side of Mobile. You'll be welcomed by the smoking cauldron at the entrance. The dining room is furnished with several seat-yourself tables and is covered with graffiti.

The pulled pork is some of the best you will have. It's delicious, tender, moist and smoky; but ask for the sauce on the side. I had the lunch BBQ plate with beans and coleslaw. The meat was literally swimming in sauce. I had the hot sauce: not very hot, but sweeter than the sweet tea! Likewise, the coleslaw is heavily sugared. The beans are good, but taste like they could be from a can.

Worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood of Mobile, but I wouldn't make this a pilgrimage trip.

Overall Rating

smoked pulled pork

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Posted By Dale Terry on October 31, 2008 3:19 PM

The Brick Pit has nothing but good BBQ. And they only serve pulled pork, pork ribs, and chicken. There is no decor (graffiti covered walls), and no paved parking (just dirt among the trees), and I certainly wouldn't use the restroom. It's a 40-year-old white ranch-style house worth visiting for BBQ. They do have friendly people, and great pork BBQ; what more could I want?

They advertise "pulled," and you get large hunks; none of this machine-sliced or chopped stuff. It's plain, with sauce on the side. The hot sauce is exactly right. The sandwich and plate servings are large and there are plenty of the usual sides.

A slab of large pork ribs fills the styrofoam container to overflowing, and is delicious and meaty. The leftover ribs aren't as good as the day before, so eat 'em quick.

I've added this to my list of the Top Five BBQ places in GA and AL.

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Posted By Walter Wise on May 12, 2005 9:12 AM

When the Brick Pit is good, it is the best. Tender ribs and pulled pork. They have two sauces, one spicy, one not. I like the spicy. They also have great BBQ beans. The down side is that occassionally, you will get a slab of ribs that seem to be yesterdays batch, reheated. They will be dry and hard, all but inedible. At almost $20.00 for a rack of ribs, this is unacceptable. They have been good about replacing them, but, as they close early, you can end up without your BBQ that night. Best to tell them when you call to order that you want them to make sure you get fresh ribs.

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