Brisket, chicken, sausages and more: Pit Bar-B-Que brings a taste of Austin to San Angelo

SAN ANGELO, Texas. Texas has a wide variety of styles of BBQ restaurants that vary from one location to another.

From Central Texas to the south, each region has its own unique flavors, and in West Texas, a local food truck delivers Austin-style barbecue to San Angelo.

Pit Bar-B-Que serves menu options such as brisket chops, sausages, pulled pork and more.

“In doing this, I knew San Angelo was going to taste different,” said food truck owner Jesse Sanchez.

Sanchez worked for about 10 years as a car salesman, but in 2015, he and a friend from Austin decided to make the switch and open a food truck.

For 18 months, the couple served hot meals in the Executive Drive parking lot, and in 2018 Sanchez saved up enough money to buy a more permanent spot at 2330 Sherwood Way.

Over the past few years, he has been adding plumbing, electrical, etc. to prepare for the official opening of the building.

“I didn’t want people to follow us,” Sanchez said. “I’d rather just be in the same place and they know we’re there at the same time every day.”

In the Austin-style trailer, the meat is cooked over high heat, and they also avoid using mesquite, which is more common in the West Texas area.

From menu items like Jailbreak to Gonzo, there are plenty of options to choose from.

“We have a large selection of meat,” Sanchez said. “Of course we have your traditional brisket, your pork ribs, your sausage and pulled pork,” and dinosaur ribs, which are larger.

One of the most popular items, Prison Break, is initially skeptical to some customers. That is, until they try the combination of brisket, peanut butter, and jelly.

“Gonzo” was named after Sanchez’s cousin and is a “pitted pie” with beans, creamed corn and other ingredients inside.

After roughly seven years in business, The Pit will open its cafeteria-style restaurant in March 2023, featuring outdoor seating, live music on the weekends, indoor beer and more.

The food truck is currently open from 10:30 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Saturday. but soon they will be open seven days a week with about 20 employees.

“People watched us grow from a small trailer to where we are,” Sanchez said.

His dream will soon become a reality.