Beach Pit BBQ Restaurant

Parking: Free Lot, On Site
All Ages, Catering, For The Kids, Happy Hour, Historic Landmark, Live Music, Outdoor Dining, Take Out Area Classic, Family Friendly, Offbeat, Themed Decor All Ages

Have a side of history with your barbecue in Old Town Tustin. Look up and you can still see plenty of evidence from the venue’s 90 years as a car repair shop. You’re essentially dining in a garage. Old-time pictures adorn the walls and wooden rafters are visible overhead. While your eyes take in the scenery, your taste buds and nose will be drawn to the menu of savory barbecue. Beach Pit serves up Mobile, Ala.-style entrees, methodically smoked in-house over hickory and pecan wood. Choices include the favorite pulled pork, plus tri-tip, ribs, chicken and sausage. The sweet potato fries are a bestseller, thanks to their secret seasonings made to pair with the meat rub. Order at the counter and take a seat in the unfussy dining room or the adjoining bar area, where you can watch the game and order Happy Hour specials. This section may be adult-oriented, but the entire restaurant is very kid-friendly, with specials for young ballplayers in uniform and a kids-eat-free night. The wicked popular Honda Ya Japanese Restaurant is right next door and the party crews are frolicking down the road at the Swinging Door. Between them is Quinn’s Old Town Grill, which does everything from Happy Hour to comfort food to first-class steaks. Neighborhood cafes include Ivy’s Bridge Cafe and Japonaise Bakery & Cafe.

Tips: To best taste the meat’s smoked flavor, order the spare ribs with sauce on the side. Notice the result of the house rub and smoking process. Do as the regulars do and mix the mild barbecue sauce with the ranch dressing then put it on the tri-tip. If you’re not very hungry, get full flavor without the full plate in the tri-tip ceasar wrap.

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