Pitt Cue London Restaurant Review - Soho's 'No Reservations' Delight

Well worth the wait, Pitt Cue Co is located at 1 Newburgh Street, W1F 7RB but don't think you can book a table!

rating: 4 stars

For the past five weeks there has been a new resident to the trendy Newburgh Quarter €“ just off Carnaby Street €“ kicking up a right old racket. Each night people have lined the street, queuing in rain, wind and snow, to visit the noisy neighbour and partake in some of their mean cuisine, which is said to be among the finest barbecued and smoked pieces of Americana this side of the pond. About a month ago, being so on the ball as I am, I sent a friendly email to the owners asking whether they would be prepared to reserve a table for me, as we were very keen to review them and their food here at Whatculture. I was turned down flat. Pitt Cue has a clear policy: €˜no reservations€™. And true to their word, they made no reservations to their policy by turning down my plea for a reservation. Many a night I have passed through the quarter in the past month, but have always been put off by the size of the queue; however, last Thursday, I and a similarly determined, carnivorous mate of mine, decided €˜we must partake in the Pitt€™. We arrive at 6:30 on the dot €“ optimistic about walking straight in for an early feast. Our optimism is shockingly misplaced. We€™re greeted by a queue thirty deep and inside, the place is rammed and rocking! Pitt Cue€™s premises are tiny; in fact tiny is too big of an adjective to describe it. Upstairs is the bar area: it€™s close quarters, rubbing elbows stuff. There are 6 window seats to eat. And downstairs is the dining area which seats just 20. The lovely hostess, who keeps the queue in line and informs people of their estimated waiting time arrives at us and tells us we€™re about 2 hours from food. My compatriot and I are unabashed meataholics, but queuing for two hours is even too much for us, so we head off to fuel our other addiction; there are two stellar purveyors of that within queue-viewing distance €“ The White Horse and The Shaston. Annoyingly the area is patrolled by a hulking watchman who missed his calling as a standup; which is ironic as he never actually stands up. Leant against the ledge opposite the White Horse and adjacent to Pitt Cue he dispenses with good humour and humorous warnings said with an unflinching straight face of serious bodily harm if you attempt to join the queue with a pint from either pub. And while Michael Caine€™s €˜you€™re a big man but you€™re in bad shape€™ is apt here, I dare say that any attempt to break his policy would result in your alcoholic beverage of choice covering the cobblestones of Newburgh Street and anyone who voiced an objection probably facing a similar fate. So we hit up The Shaston for a few then return €“ still the queue is crazy. On to The White Horse. A few more pints down the line and it€™s 8:30. It€™s eat or die time. To Cue or not to Cue is the question? We refuse to accept defeat tonight and join the queue for Cue, which is slightly shorter but still worthy of a hot night club. And the word €˜risk€™ is now being uttered by the hostess in relation to chances of eating there tonight. She tells us we€™re forty minutes from getting inside, and once in it will be an hour before we€™re seated. One by one the people in front of us start to flutter away and we€™re moving up in the pecking order, getting closer to the door. Passers-by try to scheme their way inside, get their names on the list; others grumble about the waiting time. The hostess handles them with authority and charm. And in no time at all, we€™re inside, in the mix and the atmosphere doesn€™t disappoint. A great selection of tunes blare out €“ loud but not deafening €“ ranging from classic rock to contemporary pop €“ in the space of ten minutes we went from Credence to Madonna to Rihanna then back to Fleetwood. The barman is friendly, quick to welcome and inform us of today€™s special cocktails, which he details with almost as much flair and panache as he displays while mixing them. Upstairs is cramped but the short space just encourages for pre-dinner banter, with the topic of immediate conversation the adventures of queuing and the building anticipation and salivation for the much ballyhooed food. Occasionally plates are delivered to the patrons who have window seats. Slabs of beef and pork waft aromas that make your mouth water. Once we got inside we waited about thirty minutes, which was just enough time to enjoy a beer and/or a cocktail. And for such a small bar the selection is wide. Daily cocktails are on offer in addition to a wide range of lagers and ales from home and abroad and the whiskey selection is impressive to say the least: Pitt boasts more than ten varieties of the good stuff. Downstairs the atmosphere is equally chilled though less vibrant; tables are close but it€™s not like you€™re sitting on top of anyone and you won€™t feel like your conversation is being shared with the couple beside you. The Pitt Cue menu is small; they have adopted the approach, do a little, but do it well, and each day they offer two specials which are handwritten on the menu. We opt for their usual offerings. I go for the beef ribs with chipotle coleslaw while my carnivorous companion goes for the brisket and burnt ends mash. For under a tenner you get a meat, a side and a helping of bread. Everything is served in a mini oven dish - there€™s nothing dainty about the way it€™s served, this is ultimately street food served away from the street and the presentational style is a great touch. The beef ribs are full of flavour. Charred and crispy on the inside with a variety of pinks inside. Yet while full of a distinct flavour the beef is not as tender as I would like and certainly doesn€™t fall off the bone. The brisket is saucy and succulent; it doesn€™t just melt but dissolves in the mouth with heavenly flavours pouring out. It€™s easy to see what else is on offer. The St. Louis Ribs look meaty and juicy with a nice crunch to the outer layer. The pulled pork looks like it could be the diamond in the crown. The chipotle slaw is tangy, crispy and creamy and the burnt end mash is as simple as it is sublime: mashed potato topped with a small serving of the the saucy, succulent brisket, served in a ramekin. Both are flavoursome and moreish and much, much more. Do we want dessert our waitress asks? €˜What€™s on offer?€™ It changes daily but she knows it by heart and is able to give it the Marks and Spencer€™s commercial treatment, it€™s a choice between a bourbon pudding or rhubarb cheesecake. We agree to share one and flip a coin to decide €“ it€™s gone eleven and we€™ve been drinking for hours. Heads €“ bourbon is thrown into the mix of meats and alcohol lining our stomachs. Soft and warm and moist, with a gooey sauce, packing a delicious whiskey kick that lingers long after the bite has finished. The ice cream: creamy and rich, holds its shape just long enough for consumption, every so slowly melting under the warmth of the pud€™. And just like the main portions at Pitt there€™s just enough to leave you thoroughly satisfied and not bloated. There are plenty of critics venting their condemnation of this new breed of €˜absolutely no reservation€™ establishments. €˜Snobby€™ and €˜pretentious€™ are among the words bandied around. To those people I say, if you don€™t like it, you know where you can go€ not to Pitt Cue. The owners know what they€™re doing and do it with great style. They€™re serving simple South-western American cuisines, cooked in a style befitting €˜any smoke house USA€™ and just as importantly served in a friendly and accommodating style befitting a restaurant you would find in the ol€™ South. The hostess was utterly charming: dedicated to getting people seated as soon as possible and keeping all those waiting well informed of their waiting time.I did not see her stop surveying the status of tables once, nor did I see her ever look anything but in her element and happy to be doing what she was doing. And our waitress was absolutely charming: attentive, knowledgeable and brimming with passion for the food and the business. We never felt harried or harassed as you might think for a place so small and in such high demand. They€™re selling an experience here and damn good one at that. Well worth the wait, Pitt Cue Co is located at 1 Newburgh Street, W1F 7RB. A TIP FOR GETTING A SEAT. If you are a two you stand a very good chance of getting a window seat. The turnaround upstairs is quick and it€™s divided into three couples. If you want downstairs then being a pair or a quad is advantageous because the layout of the tables is in twos or fours. In Pit Cue €˜three is a crowd€™ and an unwanted one at that!
Contributor
Contributor

Frustratingly argumentative writer, eater, reader and fanatical about film ‘n’ food and all things fundamentally flawed. I have been a member of the WhatCulture family since it was known as Obsessed with Film way back in the bygone year of 2010. I review films, festivals, launch events, award ceremonies and conduct interviews with members of the ‘biz’. Follow me @FilmnFoodFan In 2011 I launched the restaurant and food criticism section. I now review restaurants alongside film and the greatest rarity – the food ‘n’ film crossover. Let your imaginations run wild as you mull on what that might look like!