The Wood Pit
108-110 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair 973-866-0128
Hours: Tues and Wed, 11:30 am–8:30 pm; Thur–Sat, 11:30 am–10 pm; Sun, 11:30 am–7:30 pm.
Price: $/$$
Style: Casual barbecue joint, primarily takeout; a limited amount of modest seating is available if you prefer to dine in.
Don’t Miss: The wood-smoked barbecue ribs (sandwich, $6.50; small dinner, $12.95; large, $21.95), with fall-off-the-bone pork that is dry rubbed with spices and then marinated for tenderness. Dinners come with your choice of two side dishes (and cornbread with the large order). The options are Southern favorites, such as candied yams, macaroni and cheese, and collard greens. For beef lovers, ribs are offered in whole slabs at market prices, with or without sides. The tender, succulent, smoked brisket is also a winner (small dinner, $12.95; large, $21.95). Other options include smoked chicken (half, $8; whole, $13.95) and fried shrimp (half-dozen, $7.50). Sauces are served on the side (mild, hot, or extra hot), so you can get as much or as little kick as you like. There are four family-pack combos for groups, but everything is offered à la carte, so it’s easy to put together a menu that suits your needs. Save room for a slice of the red velvet cake ($3.50). It is dense and moist, with rich, but not-too-sweet buttercream frosting.
Heads Up: Opened in 2006, the Hackney family’s eatery also offers a catering menu that includes smoked sirloin, half or whole salmon, and leg of lamb or chops.
The Scoop: Call in your take-out order to avoid a wait.