While Chef Christian Frangiadis is passionate about all of the offerings at his new barbecue restaurant, Spork Pit, he isn’t shy about playing favorites.
“I would be lying if I said it was anything but the brisket. I love that we make our own sausage, and I am proud of everything on the menu, but the brisket is king.”
For Pittsburghers, the wait to enjoy this famous brisket is almost over. After months of anticipation, Spork Pit – the new, Texas-style barbecue restaurant from the owners of Spork – is set to open this summer.
Since early 2017, the Spork team has been renovating the building across the street from their Garfield restuarant into a no-frills barbecue establishment inspired by Franklin’s in Austin, Texas.
With construction nearly complete, Spork Pit is currently planning on a mid-July opening.
Since the announcement of its arrival, Spork Pit has become one of Pittsburgh’s most anticipated restaurants, partly owning to the fact that the restaurant offered weekly preview events where patrons could sample the barbecue before the restaurant opened.
Very quickly, these tender, smokey meats were met with praise. The hallmark of the Spork Pit project is the restaurant’s authentic smoke pit, which was made in Houston and driven to Pittsburgh.
“When you talk to people about barbecue, they bring up sauces and rubs, but that isn’t it. It’s all about the pit,” says Frangiadis, owner and chef of Spork and Spork Pit. “You get this clean, sweet, delicate taste with the smoke. That is what we hope to replicate up here, especially in terms of the quality.”
Once open, the restaurant will be simple and straightforward, with a focus on the food. Guests will slide a tray down a cafeteria-style line and select their cut-to-order meat, sides, and drinks before paying.
The menu will feature oak and cherry wood-smoked meats, rubbed with the restaurant’s signature blend. The meats are priced by the pound and include:
- Beef Brisket $28
- Turkey $20
- Sausage $16
- Jerk Chicken $16
- Pork $20
- Ribs $28
Additionally, one sandwich will be available for $12, the “Boo Brisket,” featuring smoked brisket with English cheddar cheese, adobo-yogurt slaw, candied jalapenos, pickles, and pickled onions on grilled focaccia.
Guests can expect sides like potato salad, rice and beans, Mac and Cheese, banana pudding, coleslaw, and greens for $5 each. During Spork Pit’s preview events, the rice and beans, as well as the the Mac and Cheese, were huge customer favorites.
Alcoholic beverages will come from the restuarant’s 14 tap system, which will offer three batch cocktails, one wine, one cider, and nine local beers. Every beer on draft will be from Pittsburgh breweries, and guests will have the opportunity to take their favorites home with them via crowler.
The restaurant plans to be open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. “until the meat runs out.”
While the food and drink programs are the main focus of the restaurant, Spork Pit’s unique design will also be a major draw for guests.
The restaurant has inside and outside seating, featuring a expansive, multi-level deck. The inside will seat 30 and have two garage doors that lead to the decks, which seat an additional 60 guests.
Outside, a retractable awning and umbrellas, as well as a misting fan, will ensure all guests are comfortable (and cool) while enjoying their barbecue. Guests dining outside will be able to spy the smoker in action, as it is situated adjacent to the decks.
While Spork’s menu is constantly changing, Spork Pit plans to stick with the classics.
“At Spork we change five things every day and do seasonal recipes,” says Frangiadis. “This is exactly the opposite. We’re doing the same things and work on the execution. If the menu looks the same two years from now, and we’ve just continued to improve our execution, that would be the completed mission statement.”
At their previews, as well as different events around the city, Spork Pit has had plenty of opportunities to break in their smoker.
“We have practiced for over a year,” says Frangiadis. “We feel really confident about the food, and it should be easier to execute in the restaurant than in the lot next to Spork.”
More information can be found online.
Spork Pit (5349 Penn Avenue)
David says
ANYTHING hailing from “Houston” is worth a Yippee Ay YEAH…!!! As a transplanted Texan I can only hope for real baked beans, pickles, and sliced white bread on the side…& a “Lone Star” beer in my back pocket….!!!
Coletrain says
I’m excited for this type of bbq here, but the prices per sound seem high. I’ve seen a few places with great food close due to overpriced food. I’d rather have it see success.