chaps pit beef

big disappointment. for years i have driven past chaps. i was never a fan of roadside fare but after seeing chaps grow into much more than roadside and being featured on diners, drive-ins and dives my wife and i decided to give it a try on friday evening, may 09/2014.

i expected the bestpitbeef sandwich ever. unfortunately all i can say is big disappointment. the beef is served on a potato roll- gotta be on a kaiser- and the beef was more random pieces and none was sliced. it has very little flavor and the potato roll was too moist (again needs to be on a kaiser roll). this was truly a below average sandwich. the large order of fries was equally disappointing. they lacked flavor, were overcooked and oily. the best i have had so far is boog's on the boardwalk in ocean city maryland and a side of thrasher's fries. chaps didn't even come close.
my wife had a pulled pork sandwich. she too was less than impressed, in the middle of the sandwich was a fairly good sized chunk of fat. the meat was not tender and again shame on using potato rolls.

we live about 23 miles north of chaps. this evening brought us into hamilton to baby sit for our daughter so we went the extra few miles to give chaps a try. i don't think we'll be making the trip again.

freakin' delicious!!. this place is tucked between a gentlemans club and across from a porn store. don't let that scare you away though! the first time i went, there were police, fire and federal trucks outside the establishment and they were all eating there!! so that alone says volumes about the succulentpitstyle beef sandwiches! its a royal purple color that you cannot miss, so come and try a baltimore favorite!!

this fantastic example of perfect marylandpitbeef 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 the food makes 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.

long line tells you all you need to know. this place is amazing. thepitbeef and pork are the best in baltimore. don't expect much in the way of atmosphere but there is a reason folks from all over baltimore flock here.

marylandpitbeef is a top roast that is lightly seasoned, and grilled over charcoal. usually it is grilled rare, although chaps will ask you how you like your meat so i assume they are grilling some of the beef medium and well done. then the beef is sliced very thin, and piled onto the sandwich so that when you bite into it, the meat is very tender and easy to bite into. and how does it taste? delicious! and as an indicator, as soon as chaps opened at 10:30am there were several people waiting in line (myself included). the bun is not cut completely in half -- there's a part that is connected which helps keep it wrapped around the meat. the bun is very soft and holds the beef in place. walking up to chaps you can smell the smoke from the charcoal grill, and if you weren't already hungry, you will be starving by the time you order your sandwich. don't visit baltimore without making a visit to chapspitbeef.

good damn beef. do you really need more than that? dont come here if you're looking for classically trained chefs who wish they were in chopped or iron chef. come here if you want some realky goodpitbeef with no frills.

chapspitbeef is not in what you’d call the most attractive part of east baltimore. see, now right there, that should have been a clue. east baltimore. east baltimore isn’t dangerous or anything. it’s just industrial. it’s just were the working folks live and work. it’s not part of the tourist trail in baltimore. and yes, there is a tourist trail for baltimore.

sharing a parking lot with a manufacturer and a strip club won’t make you feel too good about this choice. seeing the line out the door should.

and yes, there is always a line.

chapspitbeef. the corn beef was off the chain! i could taste the smokiness and the meat melted into my mouth! shall i say scrumptious! it was worth the ride, the wait and the price!

good maryland bbq. my pal had thepitbeef- he said it was great.
i chose to have a pork bbq with cole slaw on top.
the flavors were fresh and from what i know of q, damm good.
i dont think anyone will leave disappointed.

love this place. we live about 45 min from chaps. so when we saw it on dinners drive ins and dives we decided to try it. i don't think we have found anything that is not amazing. i love thepitturkey but i have tried the hotdog and even that was the best one i have ever had. it is a small place with limited seating and in an interesting location but it's worth finding a place to sit. if you have the chance definatly stop by.

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 chapspitbeef from "triple d" on the food network, and it got rave reviews. so, we thought we'd give it a try.

first impressions: some of the best food often 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 thesepitbeef 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 likepitbeef, then this is probably the place for you.

it's alright, had thepitbeef sandwich, mine was a little dry, tasted pretty generic, guess i'm a lil spoiled bc i'm used to that texaspitmeat, but it still shouldn't have been dry

if you're from anywhere near baltimore (and even if you're not) chances are you've heard of the famed chapspitbeef. thanks to shows like man vs food and 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 amateur food blogger, pass up a place like that?

first let me say i love baltimore. i have made an attempt to try the all the local specialities. well not drugs, homicide, or poverty. ok i have tried drugs. anywaypitbeef is one i don't get. i have given it many chances much like drugs butpitbeef is just not for me. it's is relatively flavorless roast beef. if you do go make sure before you walk out the door you bath the sandwich in as many sauces and/or topping as you can handle. trust me. of thepitbeef i have had chaps was quality.

note well. i had thepitbeef platter which was really a very good hot open roast beef sandwich. the horseradish makes it. the peanut oil fries totally out of this world. however...the locals are eating corned beef sandwiches...cant get enough of them. i will try it next time.