Best of 2000: Best Barbecue

The Barbecue Pit
2888 University Avenue, North Park
(619) 298-2400
2388 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon
(619) 462-5434
920 East Plaza Boulevard, National City
(619)262-0331
727 Center Drive, San Marcos
(760) 432-0177

Say "barbecue" and people think of sauce -- sauce, after all, is what gets advertised. Sauce is important, even crucial, the glamorous finishing touch that may propel a barbecue chef to glory. But all that style is nothing without substance. In the case of barbecue, it's the meat that carries the day, and the thick, tender slices of ham or beef that fill up the middle of a Barbecue Pit sandwich border on carnivorous perfection. The sandwich runs $2.99; spend an extra $2.20 ($2 in El Cajon and $1.50 in San Marcos) and order extra meat -- it's worth it. The sauce is light in taste and texture compared to some, but it's not oversweet. More than anything, it provides a delicate backdrop to the meaty matter at hand -- and a fine dip for your french fries.