Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on July 7, 2022.
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Pittsburgh Barbecue Company is one of the region's more popular barbecue joints, and with two locations to visit, affordable prices, and delicious flavors we can see why that is!
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Above Average Meat, Amazing Rubs and Sauce
During our visit to Pittsburgh Barbecue Company, we resorted to our go-to order at barbecue joints in the city, namely a half rack of ribs and a pulled pork sandwich which was large enough for two full meals.
We tossed on a side of cornbread and mac and cheese, and dove into our feast.
After getting over the portion sizes, the first thing you'll notice when taking a bit into the ribs here is that the meat is tender but is just shy off of the fall-off-the-bone tender we look for when ordering barbecue.
Likewise, both cuts of meat had little smoke to them and only a thin layer of bark on the outside (which could've been luck of the draw more than anything).
That being said, the flavor of the dry rub was unlike any other we've had in the region, and the barbecue sauce served on the side (a rarity in the region, truly) was quite tangy with a big punch of pepper and spices that more than makes up for any misgivings we could have about the meat.
In fact, we'd go as far as saying that the sauce at Pittsburgh Barbecue Company would stand up to just about any joint in the region, and I seriously contemplated buying a gallon to go.
Email this post to yourself to read later!
It is just that good.
For our sides we went with our staple mac and cheese and cornbread which were fairly straight forward iterations of the sides with no particular flair one way or another. We've come to the realization that it isn't too difficult to execute these sides well, but standing out is where the trouble is.
Is it necessary? For barbecue not really, but when it comes to sharing opinions for a review sometimes it makes it fairly difficult.
When it comes down to it, the meat at Pittsburgh Barbecue Company is a decent local barbecue joint overall. The ribs were tender but not fall-off-the-bone tender, and the pulled pork only offered a small amount of smoke flavor with a nominal amount of bark.
While these are some things I typically look for and am sad I did not find here, the meat itself was still quite flavorful and is something you can put aside when good meat is concerned. That being said, we'll keep returning to this one for the sauce alone, which elevates this one ever so slightly above the rest.
Pittsburgh Barbecue Company has two locations. The first is at 1000 Banksville Avenue and the second is at 6625 William Penn Highway at the intersection of Rt 22 and 66 in Murrsyville (we visited this location for our review).
If visiting the Murrsyville location, be sure to grab a beer at Yellow Bridge Brewing after! Or if you are looking for more barbecue around the city check out Clem's Cafe, Two Brothers, Walter's BBQ, Rowdy BBQ, or Argentinian style barbecue at Gaucho!