The Bear Pit BBQ: Mission Hills, California

There times when nostalgia plays tricks on you and then there are those wonderful times when in fact nostalgia is right on the mark. The Bear Pit BBQ in Mission Hills, California, thankfully is the latter rather than the former for me. 


Every time I go, the first time being 1984 to the most recent in 2014, I get the Bear Pit SPECIAL. Sure they have lots of other fare to select from, including ribs, chicken, beef, pork, and hot links. But why should I mess with blissful gustatory perfection? At the Bear Pit, I can have one of the best BBQ sandwiches in California, nay the county! 

The Bear Pit SPECIAL is a BBQ sandwich like no other I have encountered on my travels across the vast country. Its two large slices of garlic toast for the bread. Then there is a generous amount of sliced ham and sliced beef with just a little of the Bear Pit BBQ sauce spread on each slice of garlic toast. 

Over the past 30 years I've devoured the Bear Pit SPECIAL, it has remained a stalwart in this ever changing world.  

 The Bear Pit certainly do it "old school". When tasting the consistency in their product and looking at their wood fired brick pits you can see why they are still around.

 THE RATING:
 Appearance: 
9 out of 10
Taste:            
9 out of 10
Tenderness:
8 out of 10

26/30 = 87% (+5% for keeping it "old school") =      92% : A-
 If you are anywhere near the 405 and 118, follow your nose to one of the best sandwiches around.