Welcome to Baltimore, home of the Orioles and Ravens, Edgar Allan Poe, seafood and … barbecue?

Blue Pit BBQ & Whiskey Bar, a Hampden fan-favorite, has been named the best barbecue joint in Maryland by Southern Living. The magazine’s ninth annual South’s Best Awards nodded to Blue Pit BBQ’s no-frills atmosphere, an extensive spirit lineup and barbecue that’s “over the top.”

The South’s Best Awards survey was conducted online by a third-party agency among Southern Living readers from July 10 to Aug.t 21 and garnered over 10,000 responses. Participants were asked to rate their favorite destinations across the South. Blue Pit BBQ & Whiskey Bar was voted Maryland’s top barbecue joint.

“The whiskey list spans hundreds of labels. Metal platters brim with thick slices of coffee-rubbed brisket and slabs of bourbon-glazed ribs,” Southern Living wrote in its awards roundup. “Sandwiches are piled high with pulled pork or chicken, and they’re accompanied by amped-up versions of classic sides, like red chili mayo slaw and loaded potato salad laced with Benton’s bacon.”

Husband-and-wife duo David Newman and Cara Bruce opened Blue Pit BBQ & Whiskey Bar in 2014. Newman worked in San Francisco for chef Nancy Oakes, James Beard Award-winner Michael Mina and others before moving to Baltimore.

When the two Virginia natives found the space on Union Avenue, tthe couple knew they wanted something low-key. Newman, a barbecue and whiskey lover, was constantly barbecuing at home. Blue Pit BBQ was the natural fit.

“When it came time for us to open our own place, we wanted something more casual, something that would be more fun,” Bruce said in an interview. “Not that upscale dining isn’t fun, but, you know, it’s different.”

The menu at Blue Pit BBQ boasts Zeke’s Coffee-rubbed brisket, 18-hour pit-cooked pulled pork, bourbon-glazed St. Louis pork ribs and classic sides from mac and cheese and collard greens to loaded potato salad and cornbread. The owners named the Hampden spot after their blue pit bull.

“Pit is a bbq thing, blue smoke is a bbq thing but mostly it’s our blue pitbull, Sakai,” Bruce said in an email.

Approaching the restaurant’s 11th anniversary in Baltimore, Bruce said she’s “thrilled” at the Southern Living win. This isn’t the first time the eatery was voted Maryland’s best barbecue spot — Blue Pit BBQ & Whiskey Bar took home the same Southern Living award in 2022.

“Thank you to whoever voted for us; that’s awesome,” Bruce said.

The customers make the win worth it to Bruce. The restaurant has a loyal group of regulars who have become more like friends than patrons. Her favorite part about Hampden? “The people.”

“We have awesome customers,” Bruce said. “Most of the people are great; they’re super friendly. And Hampden, the business community, it’s very nice and supportive. People help each other. It’s not super cutthroat or competitive.”

Despite being open for a decade, the restaurant hasn’t changed much. Bruce said the menu is the same, a testament to the “slow-and-low-cooked barbecue” for which the eatery is known. A lot of the staff is the same, too.

“We’re small; we have a small staff, but we’re very lucky with that.”

Being part of the Hampden community is essential for Bruce. The restaurant hosts fundraisers and events in support of the neighborhood and its members.

The food is the main draw, though, with the brisket, mac and cheese and Chesapeake pickleback slaw being Bruce’s go-to order.

Have a news tip? Contact Madisson Weyrich at lweyrich@baltsun.com or on X @MadissonWeyrich.