Beach Pit doesn’t deliver the BBQ

   At first glance, The Beach Pit BBQ in the Orange Plaza looks to have the potential to be a great find. However, it seems as though its owners put all their time and money into making the place look like a real barbecue joint and forgot to actually make it one.

   The oversized booths, surfboards on the walls, comfortable seating area for four around the fireplace and $2 draft beers on Tuesdays make it a great hangout spot for students – just don't order anything to eat.    

   My re-visit here was filled with optimism after hearing about a management makeover as well as the eagerness and assertiveness of the staff's promises of "real" barbecue. However, I walked out with my head hanging low after my meal.

   Moist, tender, savory, mouth-watering and unforgettable are words you will not see again in this review. After eating at The Beach Pit, the words dry, tasteless and over-priced will linger in your head long after your visit.

   The smoked turkey sandwich accompanied with seasoned fries left much to be desired, like a glass of water. The turkey came on a fluffy white bun. That was the sandwich. You would think that this turkey must be the juiciest, most flavorful piece of meat ever made, since the chefs had the confidence to serve it plain on a bun. Unfortunately, the meat was so dry, all the sauce in the restaurant couldn't have helped ease it down my throat.

   Their sauces were labeled "California Gold," a mustard-based sauce, "medium" and "spicy." The mustard-based sauce was extremely tangy and the medium sauce was sweet and tasted like any generic grocery store brand. As for the spicy sauce, it lacked the ingredients to show up anywhere on the Scoville Heat Scale.

   The food is a complete disappointment for someone in the mood for authentic barbecue in a state where it's hard to come by. The restaurant's website is covered with the word "real," promising real barbecue done the real way, which got me extremely excited.

   My anticipation only intensified when I found myself waiting 20 minutes for my order, thinking that intense care and preparation must be going into my meal. But the ultimate climax to my dining experience was never reached. Instead, I was met with a bland, dry, less-than-adequate turkey sandwich.

   If a quick, delicious bite is what you are looking for, then look further. However, if you have no want for anything other than sustenance, at least use the restaurant's online ordering system. Those customers got their food a lot faster than us silly dine-in customers.