Foiled. Our usual strategy for no booking restaurants like Burger & Lobster and MEATmarket is to wait till about 3:15 when the lunch crowd has broadly dissipated and then step inside for instant hassle free service. Places like these are as famous for the queues as they are for the food so people visiting on a Saturday night should not be surprised by the queueing time and we do everything we can to avoid it. However, our 3:15 strategy for Pitt Cue was as useful as an inflatable dartboard since they close the kitchens at 3pm meaning there is possibly no strategy for eating at Pitt Cue that avoids queueing.
The closest to a solution then is to turn up at opening time. Due to traffic, our planned midday arrival turned out to be 12:03 at which point there was a queue outside but it was a queue that was at least being let inside. There were still 17 people in front of us but this looked like a sure thing. As it turned out, by the time we reached the door, the downstairs was already full so we were offered the window seats upstairs which was fine. Another group shortly took the remaining upstairs bar seats. Put another way, unless you arrive by 12:05, you're on the waiting list for the next round of service (approx 1 hour), that's how tight your non queuing window of success is here.
Foodwise, we like the fact that there were specials on the menu, at least we might have some original picures. Let's face it, this place has been blogged over 40 times and the food, trays, decor, interior and the queues have been dissected every which way so there's little to add. The specials are a Pig Head and Kimchi burger, and a Porger which seems to be a cross between a pork and beef burger with a special BBQ sauce including brisket and burnt ends and Red Leicester cheese melted into it all. We ordered some ribs too which the menu lets you have as a 'meat extra' which makes them very good value indeed at £5.50 instead of the £11 or so price tag if ordered as a straight main.
Undeniably, the food is excellent. The ribs were exactly what we thought ribs should be and while some reviews hold them up poorly to their US counterparts, all I know is that they are as good as it's going to get in the UK. The burgers too were exciting, original and messy. The serviettes they provide here seem almost industrial in size but they know their business and mine was suitably soiled by the time the burger came to an end as so much of it had run down my hands in a messy eating; always a good sign.
The closest to a solution then is to turn up at opening time. Due to traffic, our planned midday arrival turned out to be 12:03 at which point there was a queue outside but it was a queue that was at least being let inside. There were still 17 people in front of us but this looked like a sure thing. As it turned out, by the time we reached the door, the downstairs was already full so we were offered the window seats upstairs which was fine. Another group shortly took the remaining upstairs bar seats. Put another way, unless you arrive by 12:05, you're on the waiting list for the next round of service (approx 1 hour), that's how tight your non queuing window of success is here.
Foodwise, we like the fact that there were specials on the menu, at least we might have some original picures. Let's face it, this place has been blogged over 40 times and the food, trays, decor, interior and the queues have been dissected every which way so there's little to add. The specials are a Pig Head and Kimchi burger, and a Porger which seems to be a cross between a pork and beef burger with a special BBQ sauce including brisket and burnt ends and Red Leicester cheese melted into it all. We ordered some ribs too which the menu lets you have as a 'meat extra' which makes them very good value indeed at £5.50 instead of the £11 or so price tag if ordered as a straight main.
Undeniably, the food is excellent. The ribs were exactly what we thought ribs should be and while some reviews hold them up poorly to their US counterparts, all I know is that they are as good as it's going to get in the UK. The burgers too were exciting, original and messy. The serviettes they provide here seem almost industrial in size but they know their business and mine was suitably soiled by the time the burger came to an end as so much of it had run down my hands in a messy eating; always a good sign.
Pork head & Kimchi
as above
Ribs
Porger
Given you know what type of food they serve here and the fact they do it well, if this is what you're in the mood for, it certainly hits the spot. It's everything else you'll have to decide on as to whether it's worth it in the end. Downstairs is dark and tiny, upstairs sees everybody who's waiting to go downstairs to eat standing around drinking, so sitting upstairs and eating means you're constantly jostled by the crowd and even little things like ordering another drink to have while you eat becomes impossible because the bar is four deep and you're simply unable to get the sole member of serving staff's attention amongst the throng. It's loud everywhere. Admittedly, younger people probably adore the set up and vibe here, they probably think queueing is fun and adds to the overall experience; sadly, these days, we're probably just a little bit too old for such a place, even if the food is great.
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