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The Pit Bar-B-Que in West Dade is an 8th street landmark, literally, it’s either the first or last restaurant stop on the Miami side of the Tamiami Trail depending on if you’re entering or leaving Miccosukee country. Incidentally, the Tamiami Trail gets it’s name from the fact that it used to be a dirt road into the everglades, that’s back when civilaztion ended at sw 42nd Ave. This is all according to Michael Gonzales, who with his wife Sonia bought The Pit in 08′ after original owner Tommy Little died.
Over the years we’ve awarded The Pit with Best Fried Catfish, and Best Barbecue, and that’s because The Pit smokes everything for 2 and a half hours before it goes on a wood burning grill that uses only Blackjack Oak and Apple from North Carolina. The Gonzales’s have kept the original menu and feel of The Pit intact, but have added a Latin flavor to the joint. “We’ve added a churrasco, rice and beans as a side, fried plantains (tostones), maduros, tamales and gator products that weren’t here before. We get a lot of tourists from around the world.
Saturdays and Sundays we do live music and dancing and have pony rides for the kids. This is a real family joint. You can come here with your kids & still enjoy a night out.”
