An ode to Pitt Cue Co – the trailer’s back in town

Pitt Cue Co, my appreciation for you and your way with meat runs deep. As deep as the rich, fatty, meat juices of your tender smoky beef brisket runs into your buttery brioche bun. I’ve been a huge fan of yours ever since I first glimpsed upon your shimmering silver trailer last year, under the shadowy confines of the Hungerford Bridge, on that rainy London summer’s day as the Thames lapped against the banks and the trains rumbled overhead. I remember you smelt like heaven that day.

Beef Brisket Bun al desko

As you might have guessed I rather like Pitt Cue Co. Since becoming addicted to their Picklebacks (whisky shot chased by a pickle brine shot served with pork crackling) from an early stage, they’ve always held a special place in my heart. This year they upgraded from the silver trailer (which retired at the end of last Summer with a massive party with Hawksmoor and Tweat Up) and moved into a (marginally) roomier location in Soho, just off Carnaby Street. We are now practically work buddies. Move over Bodeans! I rejoiced at being able to pop over to my favourite BBQ joint for their a dose of their flavoursome, melt in the mouth pulled pork for lunch.

St Louis pork ribs and baked beans

Their delicious trays of pulled pork, BBQ ribs, brisket and smoked wings were an instant hit. Such was their popularity that soon the queues descended and it wasn’t unusual to wait 30 minutes to enter the bar plus another 30 to be squeezed into a seat in the tiny jam packed restaurant.

Pulled pork and burnt end mash

Grabbing a meaty £6 takeaway bun for a midweek lunch is fortunately a simpler affair with a choice of tasty buns filled with pulled pork (my obvious choice) and beef brisket (surprisingly good enough to rival their mighty pulled pork). My only complaint was they were a bit wee for the price but both were so rich, meaty and good that it almost didn’t matter.

Pulled Pork Bun to takeaway

Still I missed the trailer, the freedom of the outdoors, the riverside, all the joys the great British summer has to offer (ha – it always seems to rain when we visit), the weighty takeaway boxes of tasty meat and beans, but most of all the lack of 30 minute queue.

Pitt Cue Trailer

And now joy of joys the trailer is back in town! And it sounds like they’re armed with a filthy new menu of specials. I wanted to try the incredible sounding Trailer Trash Burger (mac cheese, pulled pork and pickles in a brioche bun). I was equally intrigued by The Big Ode (voluminous smoked brisket, pulled pork, smoked house sausage, french dipped middle bun, pickles, slaw and hot and smokey sauce in a brioche bun).

French Dipped Beef Brisket Bun

But instead the special of the day was the more refined (yet no less refined to eat) French Dipped Beef Brisket Bun. This consisted of thin slices of generously fatty beef brisket, pickles, slaw, parsley sandwiched between the ever beloved brioche bun of which the bottom bun had been soaked in a rich beefy tomatoey jus.

Hair of the Hog Cocktail

They also do a range of cocktails and I sampled the Hair of the Hog cocktail which consisted of bacon vodka, tomato juice and a massive hit of spice. Thick, savoury and packing a lot of heat, I tried not to think too much about the calorie count of this bad boy!

Pulled pork 'n beans

We could help but grab an old favourite to take home, a good old weighty box of pulled pork and beans. The pork was so tender and smoky. There was so much depth of flavour. At first bite, all the memories came flooding back of why I loved Pitt Cue Co so. And on that note, here are a few other photos of past visits to the trailer and restaurant.