As you turn off Chagrin onto Central Pwky, toward PF Chang in Beachwood, just beyond the parking lot and nestled at 25800, is The Pit.

KEVIN 'CHILL' HEARD

Managing Editor

As you turn off Chagrin onto Central Pwky, toward PF Chang in Beachwood, just beyond the parking lot and nestled at 25800, is The Pit.

What looks to be a small palace having something to do with Asian cuisine, The Pit contains some of the tastiest southern style barbecue to be found in all of Ohio. Gourmet ribs, juicy steaks and delicious seafood is how they get down and it’s all being served by none other than Caesar Burkes.

A name synonymous with tasty success in the Cleveland area, born in Birmingham Alabama, Burkes is a grand master of cooking up barbecue. On October 19, after a much-deserved retirement, the legend was back in the building.

As to why he is out of retirement, Burkes’ answer is short and sweet like the ribs he serves, “Because I have a passion for cooking and I believe that there is no one better than me at cooking barbeque in the kitchen.”

How Burkes got to be so good in the kitchen goes back to his childhood in Birmingham, where he would watch and old school cook he fondly remembers as “Bruh John.”

“Bruh John cooked on this big charcoal thing, something like Hot Sauce Williams used,” says Burkes.

Burkes came to Cleveland when he was about 13 years old and went to school in the Kinsman/Woodland area. “I didn’t like it at first,” he laughs, “I called my grandmother and asked her to send for me. I wanted to go back to Alabama.”

And, she sent for him.

But Cleveland was ultimately in his future. In 1959, he came back for high school. Burkes smiles, adding, “I’ve been here and have been doing good ever since – Cleveland has been dog gone good to me.”

The truth of the matter is that, while Cleveland has been good to Caesar Burkes, he has been good to and for Cleveland. If you were a Black child growing up in Cleveland, during the ‘70s, his name loomed large as a real and tangible role model to aspire to. Burkes was a successful owner of seemingly every McDonald’s on the eastside of the city during a time when urban youth were unaware that such a thing was possible.

Caesar Burkes made the knowledge and possibility of such things doable.

Even today, to hear him run down the dates and locations is inspirational.

“In 1971, I bought my first McDonald’s at 105 and St. Clair, almost 40 years ago exactly,” he smiles. “I bought the second one at Lee and Judson in ‘74. Bought the third one at 30th and Carnegie in ‘79. I bought my fourth and fifth in 86 on the Ohio Turnpike. Then, I bought three in ‘88 – Cedar and Lee, Noble Road, and 152 and St. Clair. In ’92, I bought the one on Chagrin and Brainard,” he smiles and says, “That’s nine.”

In addition to his Golden Arch Empire during that time, he also owned about 14 BP gas stations.

Sitting at The Pit and drinking iced tea with Burkes was a chance to see a man very much in his element. He is a master at what he has created and at what he does.

“I love to cook ribs the most,” he beams with pride, “but I love my pulled pork and my brisket. They cook 14 hours.”

Now the secrets of his craft begin to unfold. “We cook with fresh hardwood under two months old. It gives it a better flavor.”

In speaking with Burkes about cooking meat, especially meat to be barbecued, is a lesson from an expert. The key to Burkes’ tasty beef, pork and chicken is his process.

“You don’t have to go down south for good ribs,” says the master, “We are not used to smoked ribs. Smoked ribs have a red ring around it. You may think it’s not done, but it’s done.”

A few years back, on a trip to Birmingham for his father’s funeral, Burkes found himself in Nashville, Tenn., with some time on his hands. “While I was there,” remembers Burkes, “I took a cab and had him take me around to all the barbeque places. I was going to test and sample the ribs… and you know they love barbeque in Nashville.”

It was a chance to check out how they do things down there.

“They use those Southern Pride Cookers,” asserts the master. “I tasted what they had and the sides, just to see how I could make it better. Southern Pride uses wood and propane. I never use that. Some people have said we use kerosene, no, not here.” He smiles and quips, “Just wood.”

Done sipping on his iced tea, Burkes takes me to where all the magic happens – the kitchen. With workers diligently cutting, chopping, mixing and saucing, the cause of all the commotion was a big black contraption dominating the corner of the room.

Burkes proudly refers to as “The Pit Master.”

The way he opened this smoking beast of a machine, I knew something good was inside, and it was! The ribs were beautiful and the chicken was lovely (was I getting some samples or what?).

“In about 2005,” he says, “I toured the country looking at different places and what kind of machines they used [to cook] with, and that one I have is one of the best ones made.”

Burkes said he not only looked at the new machines but cooked on them and he even brought his sauce.

In Mesquite, Texas, outside of Dallas, he went to six restaurants in two days. He went to Memphis, Austin, Birmingham, Buffalo and even Rochester’s famous Dinosaur Barbecue to see how they cooked their food.

“The way they cooked their ribs was fair,” remarks Burkes, “but their sides were not like mine. All of my sides are fresh, except for baked beans, you can’t cook baked beans that way but everything else in here is fresh.”

When asked what his customers like most, he responds, “The people like everything. I treat them good. I greet everybody that comes in and I go around to check on them. They ask me what to eat.”

And, just in case you were wondering, his Sunday Brunch is to die for!

“Oh, the brunch is outstanding,” he says like a proud father bragging on his children. “We serve beef, chicken, or ham on a particular Sunday. We do ribs. We do a catfish that is out of sight. Salmon, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, peach cobbler, we got it all.”

For those looking for more traditional breakfast food at brunch, The Pit also serves eggs, omelets, pancakes, potato and waffles. Burkes saves a little extra bragging on his cornbread.

“It’s hearty. I put a little jalapeño in the cornbread. The people love it!”

The brunch includes all the previously mention foods and a whole lot more, so be sure to bring your appetite for this feast that only runs $16.85 and $10.85 for kids. This under $20 deal is incredible and the owner adds, “I’m almost giving it away. I’m just letting the people know I’m here.”

His final word on the Sunday Brunch is “When you eat here on Sunday, you shouldn’t have to eat again until Monday evening!”

Happy hour at The Pit’s bar is from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. with $4 dollar martinis.

Burkes says that everybody loves soul food and that he takes pride in giving you good food. Some of his favorite folks to cook for include: George Forbes, Clarence Rodgers, Judge Mabel Jasper and Call and Post Publisher and promoter extraordinaire, Don King. Burkes recalls, “Don came in one Sunday and he had to have fried bass, grits, all that stuff. It was a fun day.”

He finds it a bit humorous that his food draws crowds. When invited to cook at various events that sometimes are not well attended, it suddenly gets sold out if they know he’s cooking.