Andy Nelson's Southern Pit BBQ

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#1 of 12 Quick Bites in CockeysvilleQuick Bites, American, $$ - $$$

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Andy Nelson's Southern Pit BBQ

Review

At a glance

Open until 8:00 PM

See all hours

Website

+1 410-527-1167Improve this listing

About

Our Family has nearly a century old tradition of serving "Serious Barbecue." Andy Sr. Learned his labor of love from his dad, 'Guy Nelson' - Chief Barbecue Man for Limestone County, Alabama. In the 50's, Andy & Betty were not only attending Memphis State, raising a family, and sighting the real Elvis, but they were also developing a BBQ style all their own, integrating the spiciness of Memphis BBQ with the Old Nelson Family tradition. Andy's not famous for his championship years with the Baltimore Colts; he's famous for his hickory smoked BBQ. Ask Andy and he'll tell you that one of the secrets is slow cooking. Our BBQ is smoked many hours over Hickory logs until it falls off the bone, then simmered in our own heirloom sauce. Regularly voted "Baltimore's Best BBQ" by the staff and readers of Baltimore Magazine and the City Paper, this is one "Q" you won't want to miss. So let us take you and your guests down the Ol' Mississippi with great "Q" and maybe a little Elvis background music (streamed from Andy's iPod, of course). We recommend adding some of our Extra Fixin's to compliment your meal. We have been providing the Maryland area residents with the Best BBQ in a family atmosphere for over 30 years. We have been delivering quality BBQ to our local community and have never lost sight of what "The Best Q" means to our family and our guests. When it comes to BBQ, we make sure that everything is always made from scratch and everything always tastes perfect. I guarantee it! -Andy Nelson

Features

CUISINES

American, Barbecue

Meal types

Lunch, Dinner

PRICE

$$ - $$$

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

American Express

BYOB

Discover

Drive Thru

Free off-street parking

Highchairs Available

Live Music

Mastercard

Outdoor Seating

Parking Available

Seating

Takeout

Visa

Wheelchair Accessible

Location

11007 York Rd, Cockeysville, MD 21030-2004

Free off-street parking, Parking Available

Is this a Barbecue restaurant?

Yes

Unsure

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Hours

Suggest an edit

Open until 8:00 PM

Sunday

Closed

Monday

10:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Tuesday

10:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Wednesday

10:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Thursday

10:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Friday

10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Saturday

10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

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4.5

490 reviews

Excellent

330

Very good

114

Average

Poor

Terrible

Pauly

Germantown129 contributions

Mind blowing Awesome Brisket Chili

Jan 2025 • business

Finally had the opp. to bring my #1 Navy customer and my boss to Andy Nelsons BBQ this week and it was AWESOME. The Collared Greens and Corn bread knocked my socks off but their Smoked Brisket Chili was really Out of this World. Can't wait to go back and the Navy insists he return for another bowl of Chili as well.

Written January 17, 2025

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andy Nelson

Hi there, Thank you for taking the time to leave us this wonderful review. It was a pleasure to provide you all with a delicious meal. We can't wait to welcome you back again soon for more Q'!

Written January 19, 2025

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Seaside276333

52 contributions

No shortage of pork here

May 2020 • none

I continue my quest to support local food eateries during our national pandemic. So tonight, all i could think about was pulled pork. I drove down to Andy Nelson's waited 5 minutes in a drive-thru line, and ordered the regular pulled pork sandwich for $7.95 The bad news is I ordered extra Bama sauce, and she forgot to put it in. The good news is the sandwich, as usual, was amazing. Overstuffed w/ lean pulled pork, it melted in my mouth. Pound for pound one of the best sandwiches in town.

Written May 16, 2020

169andyn

Thank you for the review! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your sandwich, and we appreciate you for supporting local. We look forward to your next visit.

Written May 18, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jeff B

1 contribution

Simply one of the best

Jul 2020 • none

I grew up in Maryland and had many a meal by stopping through Andy Nelson's drive thru to bring dinner home to the family. It's a rare thing to find true Southern BBQ in the Mid-Atlantic. After moving to Charleston, SC and experiencing great BBQ from Rodney Scott's and Lewis BBQ I realized just how lucky I was to have Andy Nelson's in my own backyard. Andy serves amazing high quality BBQ. I take a few trips "home" each year to see friends and family and I always make Andy Nelson's part of my trip. The brisket is amazing, the people are friendly and it's a great BBQ experience.

Written January 22, 2021

Andy N

Hi Jeff, We can't begin to tell you how nice it is to hear your words of encouragement, appreciation, and praise. We want every single customer that walks through our doors to experience the same level of service. It is thanks to customers like you, taking the time to tell us what we are doing right, that we are able to constantly strive for excellence. Thank you once again for your wonderful review!

Written January 25, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Cindy B

Bel Air59 contributions

Takeout Mess

Jun 2021 • none

I ordered $17 worth of cornbread but when I got it home, it was a plastic container filled with cornbread chunks and crumbs, nothing that resembled full pieces of cornbread. To make matters worse, the cornbread was warm when they placed it in the container, which created a build up of condensation that made the bread soggy. I called to try to get a credit and make them aware of the situation. When I called, I gave the person my name, she knew I had placed an order online and had prepaid. She placed me on hold for an extensive amount of time. Considering the fact that I had guests arriving any minute, I was forced to hang up. I had hoped they would reach out to me to make things right, but that never happened. Next time I will go to Mission BBQ, they know how to properly package carryout items for groups.

Written June 23, 2021

Andy N

Hi Cindy, We’re very sorry to hear about your experience and want to apologize for falling short on your online order. We are looking into this to see exactly what went wrong, will be using your comments for training purposes with out staff to ensure this doesn’t happen again to you or anyone else. We would be appreciative if you could contact us at the restaurant so we can make things right. Thank you, and hope to hear from you soon.

Written June 24, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Exploration769355

1 contribution

They make it hard to pick up an order placed on line and paid for

Dec 2021 • none

I had the order confirmation from Andy Nelson, the credit card used to pay for the order, the online order details and the name of the person who placed the order. They would not release the order. Seems the pick up customer must specify door dash, grub hub or website even if you have confirmation and the credit card used to pay for the order. Was a total hassle. Go somewhere easier to do business.

Written December 18, 2021

Andy N

Hi there, We’re sorry our online ordering system was confusing for you. We will be sharing your concerns with our staff to see where we can improve to make this system easier for all. We hope you will order from us again.

Written December 23, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

L T

Pasadena1 contribution

1/2 bad

Jan 2021 • friends

Got lunch for myself and my spouse. One turkey sandwich and one yard bird (chicken breast)sandwich. The turkey was good. A little messy but good. The chicken was horrible. It was overcooked, tough, dried out and tough. Clearly it was reheated and a day or 2 old. Whomever made the sandwich had to know the chicken was not good.

Written January 26, 2021

Andy N

Hi there, Thank you for reaching out to us and letting us know we dropped the ball on your Yardbird sandwich. Please know that your situation was an exception, and we won't allow for repeats. It is thanks to feedback like yours that we can tackle issues that may impact our most valuable asset, our customers. Please allow us an opportunity to make amends and receive our most sincere apologies.

Written January 28, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Daniel A

Baltimore2218 contributions

Ribs & Potato Salad

Dec 2020 • couples

Although it has been some time, we’ve been to Andy Nelson’s a couple of times before and finally writing a review. Visited on a Friday night and we ordered for pickup. Called earlier to confirm hours and got an answer but when I called around 5 didn’t get an answer but no worries as they were taking walk-in orders also. We ordered a full slab of the Ribs wet and a Jumbo Brisket sandwich. Ribs were excellent with a nice smoke & the sauce added a nice balance. As a Brisket lover, I had high hopes for the sandwich but was disappointed. Unfortunately, the Brisket was dry and I really didn’t get any of the smoke and seasonings flavor I was expecting. Tough for me as I’ve had some of the best in Texas. Nelson’s version is ok if you add sauce but brisket done right doesn’t need anything except sides. Speaking of sides, we ordered the potato salad which got thumbs up as well the Cole Slaw was very good. I asked about the bbq taters which ended up being large seasoned potato wedges. (Not tater tots). We weren’t sure if they were over cooked or if this is normal as although they were seasoned, the wedges were quite dry. We wouldn’t order this side again. Servers at the counter were friendly and helpful. I see they have many awards and would say they are one of the top options for bbq in the area. Go for the ribs and I remember the chicken was very good also.

Written December 19, 2020

Andy N

Hi Daniel, Thank you for taking the time to share details about your recent visit. We're thrilled to hear that the ribs were enjoyable. We value your feedback and appreciate your support. We look forward to the next opportunity to serve you!

Written December 21, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

jparsick

Silver Spring7 contributions

Best BBQ in the Area

Jan 2020 • none

Great place, love it every time I go there, a lot of NFL football history when the NFL was first forming. The pulled pork is Awesome, and the Baked beans are really good. The Collard Greens are delicious, and the Mac n Cheese is fabulous. You have to go there.

Written February 11, 2020

169andyn

Thanks for the great review, jparsick! We love having you and we hope to see you back again soon. We'll have all your favorites ready for you!

Written February 13, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mike B

Mineral1040 contributions

Good BBQ and Sides

Dec 2020 • none

A quick dinner while we were in the Hunt Valley area for a few days. It was good, and we appreciated the Covid-19 steps they are taking. Good pulled pork, BBQ beans, and collard greens. Not a fan of the potato salad, but the mac n cheese was very good. And the apple cake for dessert was awesome. Because of Covid, we did carryout, but the restaurant looks pretty cool inside, and I would like to come back some day and try a meal in there.

Written December 8, 2020

Andy N

Hi Mike, Thank you for taking the time to share details about your recent experience. We appreciate you trying us out, and we're glad your carryout was enjoyable. Thanks for your support, and we look forward to having you back for a meal in the restaurant in the future!

Written December 10, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

David C

Baltimore457 contributions

Good place with lots of outside seating

Jun 2020 • none

Order at the counter and eat inside or outside. This place has BBQ down pat. And always a treat to see Andy Nelson, Sr there. Does seem like prices are higher recently.

Written July 5, 2020

169andyn

Hi David, Thanks for the great review! It makes us so happy to hear that you enjoy us. Your support is much appreciated, and we look forward to your next visit!

Written July 6, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

David C

1 contribution

Be a swine social member.

May 2024 • solo

Always consistent great food. Born pulled pork and beef sandwiches are super and plenty of it. Add the corn bread. Just sayin!

Written May 31, 2024

Andy Nelson

Hi David, Thank you for letting us know that our pulled pork and beef are delicious and plentiful. We're thrilled that you enjoy dining with us and look forward to taking care of you again.

Written June 6, 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Dcymek

13 contributions

Always a great experience.

Dec 2023 • solo

Whenever I am in the area, I try to stop by for a meal. The food is always delicious and the staff is always friendly and courteous.

Written December 16, 2023

Andy Nelson

Thank you for your review! It's always a pleasure to provide you with a wonderful experience when you're in the area. We look forward to seeing you next time.

Written December 19, 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.