Smoke’n Pit sets the bar in barbecue
It’s been the gold standard for barbecue for more than a decade. But that doesn’t mean the Smoke’n Pit Bar-B-Que on Old Tamiami Trail is going to rest on its laurels.
The restaurant has been serving up pork, chicken, and beans, and when they say they cook their food in an open pit, they mean it.
Keith Johnson, general manager and the owner’s son, said the family has been involved in the restaurant since it opened in 1978 as Fat Boy’s BBQ.
“My mom was a waitress here. My first job was here as a busboy, and my brother and sister worked here,” Johnson said. “When the old owners decided to retire, we stepped in and bought it.”
The Johnson’s took over in 1998, declined an offer to refranchise as Fat Boy’s in 1999, and renamed itself the Smoke’n Pit. The rest is history, as it has won the best BBQ in North Fort Myers every year since 2003.
The restaurant has been so successful they have opened a second location in Port Charlotte where the former Capt’n and the Cowboy used to be. Though that location doesn’t have an open pit, as it’s in a strip mall, it has a full bar and has also been successful.
“We have people who like the food there and people who like it better here. It’s been a challenge doing that, but we’ve had a great response,” Johnson said.
As the name implies, they still put wood in an open pit with an open fire and cook everything on that.
Among the things Smoke’n Pit is known for are its baked beans, which are known as the best in town. They also serve sliced beef, pork, and turkey, barbecued chicken and ribs, with the spare ribs being another dish they are known for.
“We have things not many places have, such as alligator bites, fried green tomatoes and fried dill pickles, which we just started selling and has done real well,” Johnson said.
And not an evening goes by where there isn’t something on special. Monday is all-you-can eat (AYCE) pork, Tuesday is AYCE chicken, beer is 25 cents on Wednesday nights with a special on chicken and ribs combos, Thursday is the chicken and baby-back combos.
Feasts are on special all day Friday and Saturday and baby-back ribs are on special Sunday. There is also a lunch special weekdays, with a choice of chicken, pork, beef or turkey and three vegetables for $7.29.
“We have a very loyal customer base. We’ve had people coming in since before we owned it. We do our best to put out the best food we can,” Johnson said. “We don’t toot our horn. We let the food speak for itself.”
Smoke’n Pit is open every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information call 997-7982 or catch them on Facebook or at www.smokenpitbbq.com.