Saturday, July 13, 2013

Hidden Gem in Fresno

I love the places that we find by accident, especially if the food is spectacular, as is the case here. My daughter kept telling me when she rode the 38 bus, she'd see a bbq place in back of a barber shop, and, like everything else, I "put it on the list" to visit later. Well we decided that later, was today, and I'm so glad I did.



The Fire Pit, run by Sandra Warren and her daughter Sheree, is that kind of quintessential bbq place that most aficionados only dream of. Just off the NE corner of Fresno and Jones sts, in west Fresno, it sits behind a barber shop (almost an addition to it), on a tree lined residential street. Parking is fairly easy (just park on the street, no hassles about parking meters or other downtown nonsense. Walk through an open gate, past the shaded tables and up to the Order window. Here is a shot of the menu:





As you can see, the prices are very reasonable and the service was extremely friendly and accommodating. We ordered the Saturday special of fried basa fish and fries, and a second dinner of ribs with hot bbq sauce and beans.





The fish was fried to order but worth the wait, (which we did quite comfortably under spinning outdoor ceiling fans at the covered outdoor table) The fish had a well seasoned crunchy cornmeal crust and a mild, tender fish inside. YUM!

The beans on the rib plate were worth the trip even by themselves..with plenty of meat in them, the flavor was out of this world..slightly sweet and reminiscent of the beans my grandfather used to make. I'd go back just for those...however.. then there were the ribs...and that hot sauce...wow. The ribs themselves were fall off the bone tender with a well seasoned bark that seemed that they'd had a good dry rub before being cooked. The sauce itself was a revelation. The kind of heat that creeps up and bathes the inside of your mouth with a tingly glow. The flavors were complex, sweet, vinegary, spicy and left us mopping up every last bit with the bread and fries.



Will we return? you bet we will! Do we recommend you make the trip to west Fresno? You bet we do! Please go, and you will be rewarded with some of the best bbq in Fresno or anywhere!


The Fire Pit on Urbanspoon