Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on March 26, 2019.
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For our trip to Charleroi, we had two spots in mind- Fourth Street BBQ and Four Points Brewing (located just next door).
However, when we arrived our hopes of eating barbecue were momentarily dashed as we quickly found out they were only open for dinner on Saturdays. It turns out, we mistakenly thought they would be open for lunch as the barbecue joint had lunch hours on Thursday and Friday, and didn't think twice to double check on Saturday.
Oops.
Dejected, we walked next door to Four Points Brewing for a beer and were delighted to find out that we could still order barbecue from a limited brewery menu. Our goal of eating barbecue was back on!
When at Fourth Street BBQ, Go For the Platter
If we had one regret from the entire experience, it was that we had to order from the limited menu that was available at Four Points instead of the rather robust menu found at the barbecue joint itself.
That being said, one particular item caught our eye that more than made up for that small detail, and that was the meat platter.
Since our normal order at a barbecue joint is as much straight-up meat as possible, the meat platter made the most sense. For about $25 you get a fair amount of ribs, pulled pork, brisket, pork belly, a half chicken, and a pork chop (plus five sauces!).
More than enough for us and a stellar price at that!
When it came out, it was a thing of beauty, and we'd argue the most stunning meat tray we've had to date. Toss on a side of coleslaw (extra charge) and you have a meal that could satisfy three or four, or a substantial feast for two.
In most circumstances, we would break down each meat type here, but as we tried so many meats there are two we wish to highlight in particular: the pork belly and the brisket.
These two were some of the finest iterations of the meat types we've had in the region (which is also impressive as they're the hardest to do properly).
The pork belly was cut into large cubes and crispy on all edges, but delightfully fatty and succulent on the inside. The contrasting crunch from the outside and juicy inside made for a really amazing bite that you don't get all too often.
Likewise, the brisket seemed to be a fairly lean cut, served in a bacon-like strip, yet was absurdly tender all at the same time. Toss on a mopping of their garlic butter and you have the makings for a piece of meat that seems like it is fattier than it really is- with all the good things that come of it.
While we really want to encourage you to get the meat platter during your visit, if you want a single meat choice you won't go wrong with either of the above (especially when paired with Four Points Brewing's beers!).
As for the other meats? We actually really liked all of them, especially the pork chop and the ribs (which had a great smoke ring), but it is one of those instances where these already above average meats were vastly overshadowed by two remarkable creations.
That is how good the pork belly and brisket is at Fourth Street BBQ.
As for the sauces, Fourth Street BBQ typically has eight available, so getting five included with the platter worked out well for us.
While all the sauces had strong flavors and were delicious in their own right, we have to urge you to go for the Memphis and Brown Sugar sauces as two of your picks- they are balanced quite well and we almost bought a quart to-go. Perfect to add on to every meat!
Overall, Fourth Street BBQ was quite impressive, and while we did not get to order from the entire menu due to our mistake, grabbing the meat platter from the brewery next door was actually a blessing in disguise.
We can't wait to go back!
Fourth Street BBQ is located at 304 Fourth Street in Charleroi, about an hour southeast of Pittsburgh.
For more delicious barbecue in Pittsburgh, click the previous link!
