chaps pit beef

this fantastic example of perfect maryland pit beef is a must have for any foodie in the baltimore area. sharing the parking lot with a local strip joint, this place is not anything to behold from the outside (or inside for that matter) however thefoodmakes its 100% worth it.  the raven is the sandwich for me. the lightly seasoned rare beef is amazing. really worth the trip into east baltimore.

featured on so many shows we just had to check it out! it's definitely a "dive" in the ddd title but thefoodis the star. sandwiches are huge! the meat is amazing. you need to check it out.

a true taste of barbecue. hopefully by now you have all tried or at least thought of going to one of my recommended goodeats. if you haven’t, i have the perfect restaurant for you all to give a try: chaps charcoal restaurant. this shack of a restaurant is a dream come true for those who adore barbecue food. located right off of pulaski highway in baltimore, you have to keep your eyes open or you’ll miss thisfoodparadise.

once your car is in park, you are overwhelmed with this beautiful symphony of smells. you open the door to small shack which comprises this award winning restaurant and are immediately met by a line of people all waiting for that same glorious smoked food. as you wait in line, you are overwhelmed by the countless pictures of celebrities enjoying chap placed throughout the restaurant.

the menu is long and extensive, full of flavorful combinations. everything on the menu is sure to take you to flavor town. my recommendation is to go with any of the combination sandwiches, more meat for you to enjoy! the subs with the original names are sure to leave you wanting more. don’t hesitate to order any of the classic barbecue sides, which are all made in house.

finally, you get up to line and are greeted by someone from the one of the friendliest staffs i’ve come across. you place your order, but all thats going through your mind is the heavenly sights and smells.

your number is called and you’re one step closer to this masterpiece. but be sure not to forget to get a healthy amount of homemade barbecue sauce and tiger sauce (a creamy horseradish sauce), both incredible. the only thing left to do is find an empty table and start feasting. the tastes and flavors are an explosion in your mouth.

if this isn’t enough to get you out of your homes and driving right to chaps, than the countless awards andfoodcelebrity reviews should put you over the edge. the city paper has been raving about chaps since 1991. guy fieri of thefoodnetworks diners, drive-ins, and dives and adam richman of travel channel have both included chaps in their hit television shows.

until next time. i wish you goodeats!

ok, but not "woo hoo!" good.. date - 12/9/12 - the saints/nyg game was on. it was a rainy night. my boss and i were on a business trip and on our way back from dc to aberdeen. i found out about chaps pit beef from "triple d" on thefoodnetwork, and it got rave reviews. so, we thought we'd give it a try.

first impressions: some of the bestfoodoften comes in the most unassuming packages. chaps can be likened to the favorite neighborhood "greasy spoon". in this case, the "neighborhood" is a strip club next door and a pornographic video store across the street. so, in this case, it's a "seedy" neighborhood.

we parked in the back and went in, ordered, and went around the side to wait for our food. i ordered the raven, small fries, and a small lemonade.

the raven - big sandwich packed with "pit beef", turkey, and corned beef. chaps certainly doesn't hold back on the portions. if you want a sandwich packed with meat, these don't disappoint. it was a little odd that you have to pay extra for things like lettuce, tomato, and mustard when ordering (says so on the menu board above the order window), but there were free condiments on the counter for you to get after you pick up your food.

as far as the flavor of the meat, i have to provide a caveat to those reading this review. every region has their favorite method of cooking. here in maryland, "pit beef" (large chunks of meat cooked quickly on an open grill) seems to be well loved. i live in texas and my texas palate is used to large cuts of beef (specifically brisket), marinated, seasoned with dry rubs with a little kick to them, and smoked for hours on end at a low temperature in a smoker. what results is a very tender flavorful product.

to me, what marylanders call "pit beef" is cooked fast and sliced extremely thin. otherwise, it would be tough as shoe leather. you can't grill large cuts of beef like that fast and avoid it. also, it really has no added flavor other than the taste of the meat itself. if that's what you like and your palate is used to it, then awesome! great for you!

however, it kind of reminds me of the flavor of an arby's roast beef sandwich. i have tried these pit beef sandwiches at three different places in aberdeen, havre de grace, and now baltimore. it was a decent sandwich, but nothing to rave about or tell the world they have to go out of their way to try.

the fries - disappointing, soggy, and tasted like they had been fried in old grease. mcdonalds has better fries for goodness sake. not even worth mentioning past that, and that's really sad.

the lemonade - well, it was fountain lemonade. it is what it is.

so, i guess if you happen to be creeping around the seedy side of town and are fresh from a lap dance or drooling over the latest issue of your favorite smut, i guess chaps is a good place to satiate at least the hunger in your stomach. it was "ok" in my book and if it were in a better part of town or a more convenient part of town, i might go there now and again when i wanted a quick bite to fill a void. it's not so good, though, that i will visit again. that being said, i do have to say that the staff was friendly, which i find a rarity among people here in the northeastern part of the country.

this is just my opinion here folks. i know there are people who have reviewed chaps and love it. if you like pit beef, then this is probably the place for you.

we tried chaps late last night, thanks to our urbanspoon app. they were 5 minutes from closing yet they served us like they were not. they let us sample food. the manager took time to explain every sandwich we asked him about. the other staff was super friendly as well. i got the turkey rachel on wheat. it was absolutely delicious!!! my husband got the famous tricom and loved it. we can't wait to eat there again. great service & greatfoodmakes a great find.

if you're from anywhere near baltimore (and even if you're not) chances are you've heard of the famed chaps pit beef. thanks to shows like man vsfoodand diners drive-ins and dives it's become a landmark destination for natives of baltimore and visitors alike. with backing like that, how could i, an amateurfoodblogger, pass up a place like that?

a-1 roast beef. was traveling back from fla . first heard about chaps on thefoodnetwork.
roast beef and fresh cut french fries with brown gravy were best i ever had.
i'm from new york (food capital of the world)
you do the "math"

baltimore food. this place is baltimore. thefoodis great, the people are rude, short and all walks of life eat here. it's out front of a strip club, so if you're out of town, you might pass it up. but it's very much worth the wait that usually occurs during lunch. love this place!

as seen on tv. i was recently on a campout with our scout troop and as usual the subject offoodcame up among the dads. one mentioned that chaps is a must try for their meaty and tasty sandwiches. i came home from the camout and within a week saw afoodnetwork show that featured chaps.

i have to say that everything that i had heard was true! the sandwiches are meaty. the meat is flavorful and delicious. and the portions are hearty. i got the ham, corned beef and beef sub (something 52...not on their online menu) and could barely get my mouth around it! i ate every last bite, though i thought i was done earlier...but could not put it down.

my wife got the beef sandwich and stated she could eat it almost every day! that is saying a lot for someone who seldom likes new places or foods.

this is a great treat that you should check out in baltimore...we drove from virginia to try it out. plan on starting hungry and ending very full. don't go for ambiance, but i will have to say that people watching there is great fun. there are all walks of people there and somehow they all fit in just fine...or perhaps that is the endorphins talking from the great food.

one caveat...make sure that your passengers are clear about where you are going...or they may be a bit taken aback as chaps shares the parking lot (and in close proximity to) with a gentleman's club. as i said...don't go for the ambiance...go for the food! you won't be sorry!

awesome pit beef!. mouth watering, juicy delicious pit beef, ham & turkey! sandwiches are out of sight - just enough bread to cover the meat. the meat is delicious - like the best pit beef i'd ever had with a cup of au jus just poured over it before i ate it (half an hour after i got it) at home. it was well worth the trip and just awesome. the locals know it's good, too - i arrived at 5:00 pm on a sunday to a line 10 people long that never got shorter. the city paper '02 review referred to the pit bull as being un********believable and they were right.

guy fieri, offoodnetwork fame, visited this stop on his diners, drive-ins and dives show and raved about thefoodbeing "off da hook". guy fieri got it right on this one!

no frills down home barbeque. pit beef sandwich was good. luke that you add your own barbeque sauce,foodwas great. place is a little bit of a dive.