Phil’s Bar-B-Que Pit in Black Mountain was another by chance find for us. Did you ever pull into a bbq restaurant and just knew that it was going to be a

good stop? That was the feeling that I got when we stopped at Phil’s Bar-B-Que Pit. We had seen billboards for them before but had never been there.

 

One day when we finished walking and shopping in Black Mtn. I put bbq restaurants into my phone search engine. Little did we know that we were parked just a few blocks from Phil’s. They had some good reviews so we decided to give them a try. And that’s how we first found Phil’s.

This visit was a little different, more intentional. I wanted to add them to my blog so I had to get pictures. Regular readers may start to see a pattern here. Yep, I need pictures.

Where Is Phil’s Bar-B-Que Pit?

Phil’s Bar-B-Que Pit is located just off of Interstate 40 in Black Mountain, NC. They are super easy to get to and back on the interstate if traveling. I believe they have billboards advertising their location on both the east and west bound sides of I-40. They are on the opposite side of the interstate from the downtown shopping area. Just a footnote about Black Mountain, they have some really nice shops in the historic area. Really worth checking them out and just going for a nice walk after eating.

The Restaurant and Staff:

As we pulled into the parking lot we saw that Phil’s Bar-B-Que Pit was a barn. It actually looked like a newer barn building not an old barn. There were tables and a playground outside. I just felt like we were on to something. Once inside we went to a counter to order our food. They also have tables inside, so after ordering we picked our table and had a seat. The employees were very friendly. Everyone treated us just like we were locals and would be back in a couple of days. When our order was ready we took it to our table. I noticed on this trip that they even have an upper level outside deck with tables if you don’t want to be inside.

So don’t panic over eating in a barn. That’s just the appearance of the building. Inside is very clean and yes they do have a floor in there. The staff keeps up with cleaning the tables and dining room very well. And they do have a lot of tables.

What We Ate at Phil’s Bar-B-Que Pit:

This was not our first visit to Phil’s. We returned because both of us enjoyed it so much that we felt I had to get them on the blog.

Here’s the rundown on this time around.

I ordered what I think they call Phil’s Super Sampler Plate. It’s not on their web-site menu. This came with Chopped Pork, Chopped Chicken, Chopped Brisket, Sliced Brisket, and a half rack of Baby Back Ribs. They put extra forks on the plate like they were telling me I should share this or something. My only drawback is that when you order a Sampler Plate you cannot substitute sides. They give you a choice of four which you can choose two from. I think you should be able to choose 2 sides from any of their sides on the menu. But I didn’t let that slow me down. For my 2 sides I chose Cole Slaw and BBQ Beans. I did order a cup of Brunswick Stew to go with my Plate also. They make some really good stew at Phil’s Bar-B-Que Pit.

So starting with my sides I’ll go ahead and say that the Cole slaw was not my favorite. I’m pretty picky about slaw. This had too much mayo for me. Tammy ordered the vinegar slaw which I thought was a lot better. So there’s my negative. But the bbq beans were good. They were made in a bbq sauce and wasn’t too sweet. I really liked them. Tammy also had homemade chips with her meal. These potatoes were sliced very thin and fried up perfectly. They were excellent. My plate also came with hushpuppies. They were also very good.

 

Since I had every meat known to mankind on my plate I’ll get started. I’ll start with my least favorite, the chopped brisket. That’s just not my style. It was good but I don’t care for my brisket to be chopped or pulled. I like it sliced. With that said I might as well move to the sliced brisket. It was awesome tonight. The sliced brisket at Phil’s Bar-B-Que Pit rates right up there with my favorites. Maybe I like the sliced better because you have to chew it more and can really enjoy the flavor longer. Just a thought. The sliced brisket was lean and as tender as you could hope for, just melt in your mouth tender. Tammy ordered the sliced brisket plate. Her sides were mentioned above so there’s not much more for me to add about hers.

I’m surprised at myself but I’ll have to say that the chopped chicken was killer. It had a good smoke flavor and just the right seasoning added to it. Great job. Especially since I’m not a chicken fan, unless it’s fried of course.

The pork was not as impressive tonight as it has been in the past. It just didn’t seem to have enough smoke flavor to it. It was good, just not great. Adding the Eastern NC Sauce to it was a game changer. That just made it so much better. Please note that we’ve been here before and I love their pork with or without sauce. I’m not sure why this was different and will not guess at it. Just know that this is not the norm.

Lastly were the ribs. They were prepared with a sweet bbq sauce. I still prefer no sauce on them but these were very good.

Final Thoughts:

Just let me say in closing that any of the minor issues mentioned in this review are just that, minor. Don’t let anything said persuade you not to go to Phil’s Bar-B-Que Pit. Remember that with all these meats being smoked there is room for error. That can happen anywhere. This is a wonderful stop on the BBQ Trail. They have a perfect location for anyone traveling I-40. I’d probably recommend letting someone else use one of the extra forks if you get the super sampler plate. This one whipped me. No, I didn’t finish all of it. I look forward to my next trip to Black Mountain and the chance to eat here again. Now that’s a Jeep Ride!

What You Think About Phil’s Bar-B-Que Pit:

Ok, I stepped out on a limb with a couple of not so great comments. Give me your opinion. I welcome your thoughts.

Have you been to Phil’s Bar-B-Que Pit?

How did your visit go?

What do you regulars think?

I really love getting the comments back from the regulars. You guys are the backbone of the restaurant and know much more about them than I. Mine is just a snapshot in time.

I look forward to hearing from you.

I encourage you to like this post and share it on your Facebook or other pages.

Help spread the word about Phil’s Bar-B-Que Pit.

You can check out their website at: www.philsbarbquepit.com

Also on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/Phils-Bar-B-Que-Pit-182107595134047/?fref=ts

 

Enjoy the ride, good eating and thanks for stopping by.