Got a hankering for some Baltimore barbeque done right? Join us at The Pit at Costas Inn! We’re famous for our crabs and crab cakes, but we know how to do some mean barbeque too. Learn more about what’s going on at The Pit in our blog!
Great Baltimore Barbeque at The Pit at Costas Inn
We know it’s hard to resist some fresh steamed crabs or a jumbo lump crab cake when you come to Costas Inn, but we’re very proud of our barbeque too! We’ve got all of the staples, from pit beef to pit ham and turkey and more. Here’s the full menu and the hours for The Pit!
Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday: 11am – 5pm
Thursday, Friday: 11am – 6pm
Menu
Pit Beef
Pit Ham
Pit Turkey
Marinated Chicken
9 oz. Pit Burger
Italian Sausage
Pit Combo (Ham & Beef)
Medium OC French Fries
Large OC French Fries
Kosher Dill Pickle
The History of Pit Beef
If there’s one staple of Baltimore barbeque, it’s pit beef. Go anywhere else in the country and you’re likely to get a funny look if you ask for pit beef, but here in Baltimore they’ll know just what you want. So how did pit beef come to be a tradition in Baltimore barbeque?
The history is surprisingly hazy, but it seems that pit beef first became a thing in the ’70s in working-class neighborhoods on the east side of the city. Pulaski Highway was the place to be, with pit beef stands dotting the highway on either side. Slowly, these pit beef stands found their homes in more permanent locations. Some of them, like Chaps, still call Pulaski home. The popularity of pit beef grew, and by the early ’90s pit beef had become a Baltimore thing.
Interestingly, many people will argue that pit beef is not actually barbeque. This is because barbeque is slow-cooked while pit beef is not. But in any event, pit beef was adopted into Baltimore’s own barbeque tradition, and the rest is history.
So why did people start grilling beef on spits over a bed of charcoal and slicing it thin and calling it pit beef? No one really knows. But let’s just say we’re glad someone did it! Join us at Costas Inn at The Pit to celebrate this Baltimore tradition!
Costas Inn has been a family owned and operated restaurant for over 40 years. We were voted #1 Crab Restaurant 2014 in the Baltimore Business Journal! You can enjoy our famous crab cakes in-house or order them online for anytime eating. We also provide some of the best seafood catering in the Baltimore area! You can also get your fill from Costas even when you’re not in our dining room: follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and YouTube!