The Pitmaster: A welcome addition to Amman’s BBQ scene

AMMAN — The last few years have seen a wave of American-style barbecue restaurants take over Amman. After skimming through a list, I decided to once again make my way to Sweifieh Village to try a relatively new restaurant called The Pitmaster. اضافة اعلان

The restaurant is located by the main entrance of the village and is hard to miss. The outdoor seating area was bustling with diners.

We sat down and watched the waiters bring out dish after dish.

Given how busy it was, I was genuinely afraid they might have run out of some items. Lucky for us everything except the pastrami sandwich was available. 

We placed a meaty and hefty order as we haven’t eaten all day in preparation.


The Pitmaster’s chicken tenders, which lacked in the breading department. (Photo: Raja Attar/JNews)

First we ordered the chicken tenders, the smoked chicken sandwich, an order of brisket, and an order of smoked short ribs with a side of mashed potatoes topped with caramelized onions and a side of mac and cheese.

Naturally, the tenders arrived first. There were five pieces of breaded chicken tenders served with honey mustard and tartar.

The chicken was very tender, I felt like the breading could have stood out more as it didn’t have the crispy crunch I was looking for.

We all agreed they worked best with the honey mustard.


The Pitmaster’s three generous slices of nicely smoked brisket with a side of mashed potatoes topped with caramelized onions. (Photo: Raja Attar/JNews)

All three of the main courses arrived at the same time. The brisket looked delicious, but the short ribs looked especially inviting. The short ribs came off the bone quite easily, a sign of a well-smoked piece of meat. We cut into it and dipped it into some barbecue sauce. 


The Pitmaster’s smoky short ribs, which slide off the bone. (Photo: Raja Attar/JNews)

The meat was tender and juicy.

The crust could have been a bit thicker, which would have been made possible by applying more of the rub but overall it was really good especially with the bbq sauce. The order came with a side of mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was very rich and velvety, a bit under seasoned but nothing a dash of salt and pepper could not fix.

Then there was the brisket; three generous slices of nicely smoked brisket with a side of mashed potatoes topped with caramelized onions, some bbq sauce, and corn.

The brisket was very tender, the smoky flavor is definitely present. 

However, I wish they were more generous with the rub on the brisket because it tasted so good. The meat was a bit dry and a touch too flaky for my liking but overall it was seriously delicious. The mashed potatoes with the caramelized onions was a smash hit and perfectly complimented the brisket. This course was easily our favorite.

Finally we dug into the smoked chicken sandwich.


The smoked chicken sandwich, served on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, and mushrooms topped with melted American cheese (Photo: Raja Attar/JNews)

The chicken is served on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, and mushrooms topped with melted American cheese with a side of French fries.

The brioche bun was perfectly toasted, but unfortunately the chicken breast was a bit on the dry side and did not taste smoky at all.

The receipt said grilled chicken sandwich which I could not even find on the menu so I’m guessing there must be an error of sorts. 

Overall, we enjoyed our experience at The Pitmaster. We were served tasty, high quality food, the staff were extremely accommodating and attentive, and the setting was extremely inviting. These are the makings of a successful meal at yet another solid restaurant in a city that keeps on surprising us with its offerings.

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