Please note, Pitt Cue Co has now closed, opening a new site in the City. Time Out Food & Drink editors, Feb 2016.
Come to this trailblazing rib joint on a Friday or Saturday night and there’s one certainty: a painfully long queue. Not only do you have to shuffle along patiently, but once inside, you still might have to wait a little longer (though at least you can order drinks). Even if you play smart and come one quiet weekday lunchtime, you may still endure a brief pause, but for rib-lovers, it’ll be worth it. The Pitt Cue-ers honed their craft under a bridge on the South Bank, selling to a demanding, social media-savvy, twentysomething audience – and their cooking rarely misses a beat. On our visit, the gargantuan signature ribs arrived with blistered, blackened skin, revealing ruby fall-off-the bone meat that was both smoky and dangerously rich. To cut through the cholesterol, there was a finely shredded ’slaw, with two kinds of cabbage, coriander seeds and a light, zingy vinaigrette. We also enjoyed chunky pieces of pork melting into a heap of wholesome beans, and hunks of chargrilled bread, showing off their scorch marks – this is proper cowboy food. Low lighting, sparse decor and a joyfully kooky soundtrack set the tone in the intimate basement room; if you opt for perching along the wall in the ground-floor bar, prepare to be jostled.