It's a really sad thing when the final meal of an outstanding vacation is a lousy one. We had spent a week in San Francisco, foodie nirvana, dining on Indonesian, Basque and Moroccan cuisines. On the last leg of our journey we reached Phoenix at about 1PM. We were tired, hungry, and hadn't been able to find the restaurant we were planning on going to, so as a default we ended up at Thee Pitts Again, a BBQ joint on Bell Road at about 57th Ave.
When Thee Pitts Again had first opened it had been pretty good, with a few out-of-the-ordinary entrees, like smoked turkey, available. Over the years, I felt it had gone down hill. This visit more than confirmed my opinion. The place was almost empty. We sat on the side usually reserved for groups (tables and chairs as opposed to booths). It felt like a nursing home dining room, trying to be kindergarten cheerful. I became more depressed by the minute.
We decided to share a slab of ribs - ordering potato salad and fresh fruit as our sides. Our dishes arrived almost instantly, really not a good sign. Especially since it looked like nursing home food. The ribs were on one plate, with pools of orange fat and a lone piece of decorative kale. They had a slightly off smell, but the taste was even worse. Either they had been reheated on a dirty grill, or they had spent a lot of time absorbing odors in the refrigerator (or both). YUCK. The potato salad had turned grey with age and was inedible. It matched my mood. The corn bread was served with margarine... What more can I say?
A few years ago Thee Pitts Again had made it onto the Food Network show Diners, Drive Ins & Dives. The chef/owner had won many prizes at BBQ cook-offs. Too bad there was no competitive spirit in the restaurant. It sure was a loser.