chaps pit beef

freakin' delicious!!. thisplaceis 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 succulent pit style beef sandwiches! its a royal purple color that you cannot miss, so come and try a baltimore favorite!!

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, thisplaceis 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. thisplaceis amazing. the pit beef 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.

how does thisplacehave such high reviews?? i'm from utah and in seeing the high approval rating and seeing it was featured on drive ins, diners, and dives i thought i'd try it out. i'm sad to say i was sorely disappointed. i would not recommend chaps and if i was ever in baltimore again would not give it another shot.

thisplaceis legendary in maryland, and for good reason. they have a variety of smoked meats that don’t break the bank. i ended up trying their fried cod, which was perfectly crispy. the basket was massive, having more fries than one person could eat. everything was absolutely delicious.

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 this food paradise.

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. youplaceyour 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 and food celebrity reviews should put you over the edge. the city paper has been raving about chaps since 1991. guy fieri of the food networks 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!

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 the pit turkey but i have tried the hotdog and even that was the best one i have ever had. it is a smallplacewith limited seating and in an interesting location but it's worth finding aplaceto sit. if you have the chance definatly stop by.

simply great!. found this gem from a review in "southern living" and since i travel to baltimore frequently on business, i knew i had to check chaps out.

wow! i loved this place. beef sandwich was out of this world- served perfectly rare as ordered. it was so good, i had a second one-something i almost never do.

nice perple run thisplacewith good service and prices. can't wait for my next trip to bwi.

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 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 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 goodplaceto 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 theplacefor you.

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 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 aplacelike that?

yeah, thisplaceis worth the trip. despite the locale. yeah adam richman never mentioned that it's in the parking lot of a strip club or an adult entertainment shop across the street but so be careful, chaps is the onlyplacein charm city where you actually want to eat the beef between two buns. that said, i only got the pit beef sandwich on a kaiser roll. ordered the beef medium rare. i topped it with horseradish and mayonnaise. salt and pepper. it was awesome. flavorful. meat was tender, not fatty. my only regret was not having a more substantial bun. should have had the bun toasted or had the beef on a sub roll. i'm in quantico now. thinking of driving back for another sandwich tomorrow, but alas it's easter sunday and they're closed. that's how good it was.

i've been in love with thisplacefor about four years. i've only ever had the pit beef, which they'll make to yer specification--i always get it rare. it is very flavourful as others have said. their fries with gravy are the bomb. i do not like their mac and cheese too much. after reading other reviews i'm now interested in other types of sangwiches from here. also, if you go during the typical lunch and rush hours, expect a worthwhile wait, sometimes just to get to the front door. go here!

baltimore food. thisplaceis baltimore. the food is 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!

the thing that i like the most about thisplaceis that you can request to have your meat cooked to the doneness of your choice.

not tv worthy. thisplaceis good, but i'm not sure its worthy of being on several television shows. the #51 ranking in baltimore by urbanspoon is probably an accurate ranking. not in the best neighbrhood and it shares parking lot with a strip joint.