Barbecue restaurant owned by former OSU football standouts opens at North Market Bridge Park

Columbus can’t get enough of The Pit BBQ Grille.

Earlier this month, the popular barbecue spot officially opened its newest location in North Market Bridge Park (located at 6750 Longshore St. in Dublin), with a grand opening celebration slated for Sept. 4.

The Pit—which also opened a Clintonville eatery earlier this year—now holds three Columbus storefronts.

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In addition to their mouthwatering ribs and brisket, you might also know the restaurant for another reason: it’s owned by two former Buckeyes. The restaurant has four owners total, Mike Johnson, D’Andre Martin, and former OSU football standouts Bryant Browning (offensive lineman) and Chimdi Chekwa (defensive back), who both also played in the NFL for a number of years.

The spot serves up the Cleveland-style barbecue three of its owners (Chekwa is from Louisiana) grew up eating, including items like the Polish Boy, a Polish sausage topped with fresh-cut fries, Cole slaw, and PIT sauce. They also offer barbecue classics like brisket, pulled pork, and an array of sandwiches.

According to D’Andre Martin, the new Bridge Park location isn’t serving ribs yet, but they plan to start following the spot’s grand opening event.

Martin noted that initial sales have been high, citing the style of food they serve as a likely reason. “When you look at it, we’re the only barbecue spot on that strip,” he said. 

But no matter why, Martin is just glad the restaurant’s new location is backed by a supportive community enjoying their food.

 “It’s been awesome, everyone in Dublin has welcomed us with open arms,” he said. “We get people coming up to us saying they’ve been waiting for us to open for a while now.”

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