Southwest Pit BBQ

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By JEFF KORBELIK / GZO

Drivers taking the West O Street detour on Sun Valley Boulevard may have noticed the sign for a new restaurant.

Southwest Pit BBQ opened about three weeks ago, taking the place of The Restaurant and Other Room.

The eatery is worth stopping at the next time you find yourself in the neighborhood. Brothers Scott and Todd Bartlett are serving some tasty ribs, pulled pork and brisket.

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The new Southwest Pit BBQ on Sun Valley Boulevard added BBQ selections to the original menu, like this beef brisket with sides of coleslaw and onion rings.(Heidi Hoffman)

The new Southwest Pit BBQ on Sun Valley Boulevard added BBQ selections to the original menu, like this beef brisket with sides of coleslaw and onion rings.(Heidi Hoffman)

“We had been looking to do a restaurant … something that was unique and different to Lincoln than typical bar food,” said Scott Bartlett, who recently moved back to his hometown from Arizona.

Lincoln does have its fair share of bar and grills, and not many BBQ places, especially those with a menu as diverse as Southwest Pit’s.

The Bartletts are keeping The Restaurant’s homestyle menu to go along with the BBQ, knowing that not everybody likes to sink their teeth into messy, meaty ribs.

The brothers are in the process of buying the restaurant from Mike Michel, who, with his wife, Deb, opened The Restaurant at that location just over a year ago.

The Michels, who also own the Ville Grille in north Lincoln, found running two restaurants was a bit much. They agreed to let the Bartletts keep their menu and are teaching them how to prepare entrees such as the broasted chicken.

Southwest Pit BBQ also sells sandwiches, burgers, salads and even a couple of steaks, with entrees running between $7 and $15. The eatery also has a lunch, with dishes, costing $5.95 or less.

 I stopped in for dinner and lunch this week to sample the BBQ. I already was familiar with the rest of the menu, with the broasted chicken, Reuben sandwich and homemade onion rings among my favorites.

Scott Bartlett learned to smoke meat while in Arizona, spending at least one day a week over five years learning the ins and outs of the BBQ trade from a longtime restaurant owner.

 His spare ribs are definitely worth trying. They are a bit smokier than those found at other Lincoln BBQ joints, as are the brisket and the pulled pork. Bartlett also has a semi-sweet, homemade BBQ sauce which complements the smoked meat.

Ribs currently are on special, with half slabs and one side costing $10.50 and a full slab with two sides running $14.99. Brisket and pulled pork sandwiches are $7.50 with two sides.

 To succeed, the Bartletts will need to address a few things, such as diversifying the BBQ menu by adding combo plates, offering “rib ticklers” for smaller appetites and introducing more sauces.

A remodel probably would help, too. The restaurant is clean and comfortable, but looks more like an upscale Italian or French restaurant than a BBQ joint. Bartlett said that will happen down the road.

Right now, it’s about keeping hungry diners satisfied. So far, they’ve been up to the task.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.