The cult fan base of Central District restaurant The Barbeque Pit at 25th and Cherry is mourning the loss of the flame-bedecked restaurant, which recently posted a notice on its doors saying, "The Barbeque Pit will be closing this month. We are relocating."
The establishment's last day in business was May 14, and if it returns, it won't be soon. The Barbeque Pit posted on its Facebook page, "The relocation plan is about 3 years (at max) out. The new location would still be in the Central District," and promised to post online "any and all new information as it unfolds."
The Barbeque Pit has filled the neighborhood with the delightful smell of slow-roasted meat and wood smoke since late 2010, and the location has held a barbecue restaurant since the 1950s. Its owner, Edward Whitfield (better known as "Pookie" to his regulars), would regularly run out of meat before the posted closing time of 8 p.m. His restaurant was always cash-only and to the end remained a no-frills, mostly take-out establishment with only a few seats and no dessert.