What can you tell us about Pitt Cue Co?
The brainchild of Tom Adams and Jamie Berger, it sees the BBQ trailer folk who created a storm under the Hungerford Bridge last summer, transferring to bricks and mortar accommodation just off Carnaby St.
Where is it?
On the corner of Newburgh St and Ganton St.
Who’s it suitable for?
Carnivores in all shapes and forms, this is somewhere you’ll love if you don’t mind sitting cheek by jowel with other diners and getting BBQ sauce all over your face and fingers.
Where should I meet my friends for pre-dinner drinks?
You can prop up the bar upstairs (standing room only) and try one of a short but strong list of top cocktails, including the renowned - and for good reason - pickleback. Other decent places nearby for a drink are Two Floors on Kingly St or the bar downstairs at Bob Bob Ricard.
Where should we sit?
As this is a no-bookings establishment with just 18 seats downstairs, frankly you’ll sit where you can. There’s a particularly nice booth table downstairs suitable for four, but otherwise take a stool at a table and thank your lucky stars you’ve made it this far.
What would you recommend ordering?
If you’re anything like us, you’ll start at the top and slowly work your way through the list. This is a menu that’s going to pay repeated return trips. While you establish/fight over who orders what, we’d suggest ordering the smoked pork scratchings and crispy pickled shiitake to keep you going.
All the main dishes are served up with a bread, slaw and pickle as well as a side of your choice. Our favourite dishes when we visited during the soft launch included the pulled pork, the St Louis ribs and the baked beans which were braised with passata and had pulled pork stirred through it. The brisket was particularly fine too, both as a main and in the mash with burnt brisket sides.
Although not on the menu when we arrived, you can expect a list of regularly changing specials. Talking to chef Tom Adams, underblade fillet (a small steak cut from the chuck), sausage, quail or even a pulled pigs head bun could well be on the cards.
And we'd really recommend saving room for dessert. The sticky toffee pudding with bourbon ice cream and bits of sticky ridge and prune dried in the oven was simply amazing, as was the quick taste of new season forced rhubarb that we managed to grab which should make an appearance on the dessert menu soon.
If you can't wait for a downstairs seat - there's always the pulled pork/brisket buns to take away.
What about drinks?
The drinks menu is mercifully short - there was no wine when we went, but apparently a house red and white will be coming soon. There’s going to be a Pitt Cue ‘Whatever’ beer on tap as well as a good selection of lagers and ales (including Hot Dinners' favourite Kernel) and a rather long list of bourbon and rye. Plus, the aforementioned cocktails (see the gallery for the whole list).
How much is this going to set me back?
Happily not that much - you could happily enjoy one of the mains here with a side for £9 which is pretty good going for the centre of town. Order an additional meat with your mains and that’ll set you back a further £5 while the desserts are also £5.
Overall thoughts?
The buzz for Pitt Cue Co has been phenomenal, so we fully expect the place to be crazy busy in the first few weeks. But it's THE place to be in Soho at the moment, and the food really lives up to the anticipation. Plus it's great value too. We recommend you start queuing now.
Pitt Cue Co - 1 Newburgh Street, London W1
Find out more about Pitt Cue Co.
Prices are correct at time of writing.
