Workhorse Pits Off-set Smoker: Backyard Barbecue Upgraded

The Satiated Blonde
Aug 29
2 min read

Updated: Aug 30

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In the spring we visited our friends in Georgia. It was the perfect time to visit because the magnolia trees were just starting to bloom! We had been researching new BBQ smokers to upgrade from our Chargriller that we have used for the past 10-15 years. After many hours scanning online reviews and a couple (very pleasant) calls with customer service, my hubby and I decided to get a Workhorse Pit, specifically the 1975 model on a wagon frame. The lead time after ordering was 110 days since they make them all to order, so ours was in the queue, but since we were in Georgia already, it was only about an hour drive to Cleveland, Georgia, home of Workhouse Pits, El Bandido Grills, Primitive Pits, Wood Fire Mercantile, and soon to be the home of Tex-Ann Barbecue.

Ashley so kindly gave us a personal tour of the facilities and I got to do what I was looking forward to the most: try lifting the lid of the 1975 with and without the counterweight. The smoker is made out of 3/8" solid raw steel, sourced in the USA. Without the counterweight, the lid is 90 pounds. I did it, with a nice clean and jerk movement, haha. Unfortunately, we didn't get that captured on video. We purchased it with the counterweight, but will go more into detail on what we went with in a separate post. (post coming soon)

From soldering to painting to cutting, prep, and more, we got to see it all!

A few views of the '75:

And the 1975t - a smoker on a trailer (this is what my mom wanted us to get, so we could bring it when we come visit, lol):

And the Primitive Pits (their commercial pits) are on another level (I didn't even know pits could be this big!):

This brand is what they use at one of our favorite restaurants, on the top Texas barbecue list outside of Texas! (post coming soon)

The shop was closed, but they let us see it under construction, as it's the site where they'll have their restaurant as well as the retail store soon - hopefully in the next couple months. We're looking forward to coming back and trying Chef Jordan's menu!

You can watch a quick tour of our time here:

https://youtube.com/shorts/4o9iWOIeEWU?feature=share

Afterwards, we took a quick visit to Jumping Goat Coffee Roasters where my hubby got a latte and we enjoyed a spectacular view of the mountains.

Note: since accidentally wearing my shoes to the gym, I took them with me on this visit and they were so comfy!

We're looking forward to cooking on our Workhorse Pit--and sharing the results here! Meanwhile, you can read about some of our other wood-fired cooking adventures and barbecue tastings here: