Somewhere where Chelsea meets Flatiron meets the Garment District (otherwise known as Midtown South), lies the BBQ district. I'm not sure it's ever been called that before, but let's just take a moment to call it that now. There are eight BBQ places in the immediate area, a piece of evidence that the New York Times was right when they wrote of the BBQ boom of 2007, which still continues today.
The Hot Pit purports itself to be a BBQ destination, but being across the street from popular Hill Country, it's hard to believe they get much of a serious foodie crowd. The place looks more like a little bar with a pool table, Big Buck Hunter, and a kitchen.
It is also very close to my work, and the prices are right…which means I stop by regularly. The staff never remembers (this is NYC, after all), but the wings are pretty darn good!
The sauce is the best feature of the wings, with what seems to be a Louisiana-based sauce (or some liquidy equivalent), and not too much butter. It's got a decent amount of spice, but even the hot ones don't create a burn.
The wings are large, plump, and well cooked. But here is where we discover the main drawback of the wings: they're breaded. As nice and as crisp as that first wing is when it arrives from the kitchen, the last 4 are always a total bummer. Nothing's quite as bad as a heavy soggy wing.
The blue cheese dressing that comes is very good, however…and there's always plenty of it, a nice touch. Plus the celery is reliably crunchy. These are always sure signs of a wing place that has hopes of being more a restaurant than just a bar.
So, because of the sogginess, if you're sharing these wings with some friends, go for it…but it doesn't make too munch sense to order them as an entree. The sauce is worth it, but nothing crazily special. But as city dwellers know, even this quality, when this close to work, is worth the convenience. Location, location, location!
3.5 out of 5 stars