I've owned a Gator Pit for almost 20 years, starting with a the original hitch-mounted pit and then a trailer-mounted version. Ritch makes one of the best pits on the market. I use mine primarily for tailgating and it's never let me down. Great job Ritch! Go Gator Pit!
I have had my Gator pit for several years now and have never regretted buying it. The quality and craftsmanship alone is worth it. Dealing with the owner was a pleasure as I relied on his expertise in ordering it. His continued support and willingness to answer questions has uped my barbecue game.
Great Customer service. Gator Pit will go above and beyond to help anyone they can. GP is the only company I can call and speak directly to the Owner/CEO. Best customer service PERIOD!
I spent a year researching offset pit manufacturers before I finally found Gator Pit. Bar none, this is the best quality and most consistent performing pit I have ever found. They aren t the cheapest, and the wait to get one is longer than most, but they are worth every penny!
Ritchey helped me refurb a pot I bought used (and abused). He sent me new metal tags and labels, and guided me on the repaint. Love the pit and only wish it was a 24 .
It just does not get any better than a Gator Pit. The quality is second to none and thats a fact. The owner really knows his craft and will assist you in designing exactly what you want, he is truly an artist. The quality is so good that I will be able to pass it on to my kids and grandkids.
Edit*** I ppurchase two gauges from Gator pits I had for only 5 months used in maybe 6 cooks. I noticed my bbq wasn't coming out the same since I made the switch. My last cook I noticed the gauge read 450 but chamber was almost cool to touch. I used a garage on my grate and it barely registered. I then tapped the front of the garage and it shot down to 150. I have recommended this place to many people. I called in and was given the run around. I then was told to email in so my issue can be looked into, after 3 days and no call back I call in. The lady explains she has no email from me but was told I probably installed it wrong or dropped it. I followed the instructions on installation just like I told her word for wword in the intitially call. So she says is what it is. Then I ask for possibly a break on the next one she says she could sell me one. I ask for a price break again and she replies "he price is what it is" . I guess a 47..0 gauge is more important than a good rep!
I have 5 gatorpits and I wouldn't have anything else. My wife and I do bbq competitions and we use gatorpits and we do well. My competition pit I bought about 6 years ago and have about 200 cooks on it and still in perfect condition. Thank you Ritch for building an awesome pit.
Ritch Robin is a genuine guy . Gave me a tour of the shop we put together my cooker order and deposit im excited to be on the list.
I have done business with Ritchey Robin of Gator pit for years. Bought a backyard entertainer 15 years ago. I have used this pit for all these year and have never regretted paying the price for the pit. It is a well built cooking machine, with unparalleled craftsmanship! I found Ritch to be an honest, straight up, tell it like it is kind of guy. Some people cannot deal with that. I find it refreshing, since there are so many that are not these days. When I want an upgrade, I go back to Gator Pit. My last upgrade was a stainless steel shelf, which was very fairly priced, and made to exact tolerances that I measured for. Ritchey advised me as to how to install it, and it installed perfectly. I am thrilled with it! Ritchey also helped my with a problem recently, where a 4X4" support column burned about 1/2 way through on my cook shack. Ritchey and I discussed a heat shield with his 2" insulation being installed between the firebox and the post. Works like a charm! If you want a great pit I HIGHLY recommend Gator Pit! Yes, you can buy cheaper, but more than likely will not match up to a Gator Pit. If I should ever buy another pit it will be a Gator Pit!
I waited a long time searching multiple pit builders looking to find the best one. Once I decided to go with a Gator pit I contacted Ritch on the phone. He was more than happy to take the time to go over all the options for the pit I wanted and told me how long the wait would be approximately. Once my pit arrived Ritch took the time to answer all my questions via phone or email and never once forgot about me since I was new to using a stick burner. Loved my pit and his customer service so much I purchased a Texas Premier Pellet cooker 8 months later to go with my Ritch's Edition 24 x 48. Thank you Ritch for all the help you have given me along the way. Tony
Well I was in the market for a nice smoker. I took a day to visit fabricators in the Houston area. I had my heart set on a Gator pit. Well I went to the shop and was greeted by an office admin. I said I would like to see some of their pits. Well apparently that wasn't possible because the person who does that and answers questions was not in, admin did not offer to let me just look at any of their work. Told me to go look at any other fabricators I wanted to and come back in an hour. This was a missed opportunity in service and gave a bad first impression. Looked like there was some good trailer products out in the yard but they had fresh paint and said do not touch. Also saw a lot of rust on the lot. I'm sad to say that my gator pit dreams were crushed. Ended up ordering a pit from JJ, where I was greeted and shown different products. Glad they had the time of day for me. My three stars is based on the fact that they obviously make a good product. Customer service is lacking and resulted in a missed opportunity for gator pits.
Gator pit is amazing. The customer service and knowledge is top notch. If your in need of a smoker, I would recommend Ritch over anyone. I have owned Lang s, Pitts and spitts, as well as horizon smokers. gator pit has far surpassed the other companies. My Gator pit holds temp better, has perfect welds, and is a higher quality product. Yes they are expensive, but you get what you pay for. My sons will be cooking on this pit long after I am gone. This is something you pass down to the next generation.
Can't say enough good things about Gator Pit, Ritch and his receptionist Angie where wonderful people to work with. I ordered my pit back in Aug 2015. I bought grills from the big box stores I would go thru one pit every two yrs. Decided to invest in a pit that would last me for life, did the researched and talked to several builders or people that worked there. When I called Gator pit, guy answers the phone "This is Ritch" I was shocked that the owner answered the phone, he was up front and honest about every detail from pricing to build time and when he was out I talked with Angie(super sweet) and if it was something that she couldn't help me with Ritch would call or emailed me back as soon as he got the messages. This is a custom made pit that is just for me Ritch took an idea I had in mind and turned it into a custom hand made 1/4in. steel heavy duty BBQing machine, the quality that Ritch demands in these pits are over the top compared to other builder out there. You'll never find a better person to work with than Ritch Robin he's a man of his word
The facts of my experience with Ritchey Robin and Gator Pits of Texas: 1: I placed an order and paid in full for Texas Premier Pellet Cooker 2036 on 3/25/19. I was given a 12 week delivery date at the time of order and payment. 2: Eleven weeks after ordering and paying in full, I called to check on the status. Ritch was not available. I asked his office personnel if I could still expect delivery in 12 weeks. She said there was a back order on some 3rd party parts and it may take an add l two weeks. I asked to have Ritch return my phone call. He never did. 3: 13 weeks after order and payment I called for an update. The office personnel could not give me one. I asked to have Ritch return my call. He did not. 4: 15 weeks after order, I tried twice to get in touch with Ritch, once leaving a message with personnel, once leaving a recorded voice message. I also sent an email. Neither phone call or email was returned. 5: 17 weeks after order and payment I tried again to get an update and left a message with office personnel. The phone call was not returned. That evening, I wrote an email to Gator Pits info@ address expressing my concerns and that I would be following up with fraud charges for the money I had paid in full for a product I had never received and could not get an update on. About 2hrs after sending the email, I got a return email from Ritch stating I would get an update on delivery the following day. 6: The following day I didn t get any update, so I tried to contact the office during their posted hours. No answer, so I left a voice message and followed up with a 3rd email. I got a response email that said they would be starting on my smoker soon. (17 weeks after it was ordered and paid for, 5 weeks after the original agreed upon delivery). 7: I responded to that email with a final day that I would either pick up my smoker or be refunded in full. Ritch immediately replied he would update to me when the smoker was headed to paint. He never called or emailed to tell the smoker was headed to paint. 8: 2 days before my final deadline I tried again to reach out via phone and had to leave a message with office personnel. The phone call was not returned so I followed up with an email. An agreed upon time for pick up was scheduled. The opinions of my experience: Ritch and his office personnel are very rude and un-concerned with customer service, as evident by their lack of effort to return phone calls or email until talk of fraud charges were brought up and by the way I was treated the day I showed up to pick up my smoker. I shouldn t have been the one trying to reach out and get updates. It s a vendor s responsibility to update clients; more so when a product has been paid for in full prior to start of construction. Ritch states several times on his website and also stated when I ordered the smoker, that all products are tested to ensure they work correctly. It s very obvious that the smoker I picked up has never been tested. The quality of construction is neither better or worse than you would find from any other custom fabricator and welder. The paint was either done in a hurry to meet a deadline, or was not applied correctly, as it is already peeling off on corners before the first use. Ritch s staff did help in loading the smoker when I went to pick it up. I m not here to tell you whether you should use Ritch and Gator Pits or not, only to share that I was completely disappointed with my experience. Your experience may differ, and I hope it does.
I ve been a Gator Pit owner for almost a year now and own a customized 2440 Party Gator offset smoker. After months of researching different BBQ pit making companies and other retail outlets that sell offset smokers, I narrowed my search to Ritchey Robin s Gator Pit company. Review after review and feedback from other Gator Pit owners on Facebook, I made the decision to contact Ritch for my BBQ pit. Never having had a customized BBQ pit, Ritch made it very simple and walked me through the entire process and discussed different options available for my Party Gator. It wasn t a hard-pitched sale, and I placed my order without hesitation. After placing my order, Ritch was always available for any questions and I had plenty. I have been thrilled with my Party Gator since the day it arrived and started cooking with it. You cannot beat the construction quality on a Gator Pit. The only regret I have is not going bigger like The Beast. The Beast is my ultimate dream BBQ pit, but that will be for a later time. It s not just the quality and craftsmanship of each Gator Pit, but also the customer service and commitment to excellence by Ritch and his entire team that makes the difference. Thanks for everything Ritch!
Excellent customer service. Have always answered my questions quickly and honestly. Rich even talked me out of an upgrade because he felt I didn t need it. Let me say that again, Rich talked me out of spending more money! That s just not what most businesses do.
I own or have owned 5 different cookers from Gator. I've always considered Ritch's spec sheets to be a mere formality. The real contract is the handshake; he's done 2 projects to deadlines and has never been late. Good work at a fair price!
Bought the "Backyard Classic" from Gator Pit 7 years ago. It's still as solid as the day I bought it. I use it as a conventional charcoal grill most of the time and occasionally smoke brisket, ribs or pork butt. It's the perfect size for my needs and it's so easy to use because the thick steel holds in the heat for smoking. I've never had a pit, of any kind, that lasted more than about 3-4 years, but this one will be around for my kids to fight over when I'm gone.
Outstanding product and the customers service is fantastic.
I now have a Gator pellet grill. Don't waste your money on the other guys. The customer service is as good as the pits.
Ritch at Gator Pit of Texas makes excellent BBQ Pits. I have been dealing with Ritch for over 10 years and his customer service is outstanding. Ritch and his crew builds amazing work of art that works. His pits tuning plate makes his smoker cooking temp consistent and even throughout the pit. With thick steel gauge on his pit I do not get much temp drop during the raining season down here in South Florida. The double wall firbox makes the difference on how efficient the smoker burns. I am on my 3rd pit with Ritch and it won't be the last one either. Thank you Ritch.
Ritch is truly an excellent craftsman. I looked a many other custom pit builders and Gator Pits is hands down the better built, better designed and with excellent customer service. You will not regret buying a Gator Pit from Ritch. He is truly customer centered will never push you into anything you don't need or want. If you want the best BBQ smoker pit... Get a Gator Pit!!!
Bought a fire poker from gator pits and am wishing i bought it sooner! Great must needed tool for anyone managing fires. Rich and his crew make great products and one day I'll buy a gator pit! Thanks again !
I did alot of research before spending alot of money on a pit. This is by far the best I've seen. Over 10 years and 100's of cooks, mine still looks and performs great.
Rich builts great competition and backyard pit. Great products that come with great customer service.
My Backyard Classic is 7 years old. I live in Chicago with really harsh winters. My Gator Pit looks like it s maybe a year old. Ritch built my pit as if he did it for himself. Great guy, great pit and best of all awesome BBQ!
I have known the Gatorpit staff and owner for 20 years. I have owned a really nice Gatorpit trailer model with gas ignitor and side pot. Their attention to detail is second to none. Don't go there asking for a tin can model (they don't and won't make it) Lately I was in getting some general welding done on our corporate equipment. It was handled carefully, quickly and with a kind attitude. I am on a first name basis with the entire staff and they make me feel like family. If you want a custom pit and want to know that it is being built for you, by hand, from actual craftsmen that take pride in their work, you would be at the right place! 10-4, over and out!
Best smokers in the US! I ordered mine and they shipped it to CO with zero issues. Plenty of phone calls and support from these guys. Each pit is hand built to customer specs and they will make you the most popular person in your neighborhood!
Ritch has treated me with total honesty, quick to return my call or text. I have a Backyard Classic Lone star, and a Pellet cooler. Have nothing but praise for their reliability and construction. You pay for what you get. I buy American! China s cheaper for a reason. I support American workers! Thanks Ritch for two outstanding smokers Brent Colvin
Very passionate pit builder. College educated but blue collar pit expert. In other words not afraid to get his hands dirty. Highly recommended!
Ritch and company will walk you thru building your dream pit, then do one heck of a job delivering it. They also stock a variety of smoking woods cut just right.
I purchased my first pit from Gator Pit in 1999 and it lasted over 20 years despite me leaving it outside in the elements and never covering it. Rita, Ike and all. I had gator pit replace several grates over the years and they provided excellent customer service. Gator Pit sells the best pits available in my opinion.
Best pits around. I cant imagine why anyone would one star this business. Most likely one person with a beef posting the same complaints under different names. Fake news. This company is awesome.
I Have known Ritchie for almost 20 years. You will never meet another man as honest and genuine as him. If you are the right person, he will do anything to help you out. He helped our family out with some amazing BBQ when we decided to take a trip up north to visit family. His food got amazing raves from everyone. If you are shopping for a well built BBQ pit that will be passed down from generation to generation then Gator Pits is the route to go.
I have one of the very first pits made and love it. Then i bought one at a fund raiser and brought to my camp. I really love this one and so does everyone else. Made of top quality
I have 2 Gator pits Awesome equipment. Heavy duty, quality construction.
In response to R P who was turned off by how Ritch talks. Thinks he is condescending. Ritch is not condescending, he speaks with confidence. He s been doing this a long time. I have 2 of his pits that are built with very high quality. Ritch is always willing to help you with any trouble you might have and willing to give tips on bbq in. When it s time for me to upgrade I definitely will get a third gator from him.
The quality and craftsmanship of a Gator Pit is second to none. Traditional designs for decades of use. Service after the sale is sometimes not mentioned as much as it should, however I think that is because you are more like part of the Gator family and service is implied.
My Wife and I really enjoyed the Family type atmosphere at Gator Pit. We arrived at the shop around 3pm on a Friday and really enjoyed our time at the shop and conducting business with Ritchey. He took the time to help me design exactly the pit I wanted for the budget I wanted to spend. I also forgot to add an accessory to my pit while at Gator Pit so on the next business day I called the shop and spoke with Ritchey and he added the accessory I wanted with no hesitation. He also told me customer satisfaction is his #1 priority. He is a really super nice guy who takes pride in his product. His office assistant was really nice also. She had my wife and I laughing the whole time she was there. I would recommend anyone to stop by Gator Pit and shoot the breeze with Ritchey and let Gator Pit build the pit you always wanted.
The woman who handles customer service is completely unhelpful. Tried to correct a simple situation and she wanted to part in helping me
What can one say other than Gator Pit is THE premier bbq Pit designer and fabricator in the USA. Ritch Robin and his staff custom build each pit as almost a one off, with new pipe and world class welds. Ritch s designs can be just a superlative take on a traditional design, or a truly custom work of art depending upon the customer demands. They are stout and built to be legacy pits that many generations will cook on. And though they look awesome, it s how they cook that really matters. With even temps across the cooking chamber, consistent and almost effortless temperature control, these puts will turn out the best bbq you have ever made. That s why they are found across the globe. The deciding factor, though, is customer service. Ritch and his staff are willing to spend as much time one on one with the customer, explaining designs, options, configurations and features so that each person gets EXACTLY what they desire. After the sale, Ritch has always been available to field questions and operating tips regardless of topic. Those are his babies and he wants them to be used and enjoyed to the fullest. If I could give 8 stars I would!
I purchased a Party Gator 24x40 used. Even though I did not buy direct from Gator, Ritch was VERY helpful with advice and tips. Great product and great customer service.
I just saw a video of the owner on YouTube and just from his demeanor and way of condescending way of speaking I would never buy a pit from them. He needs to learn how to speak and actually teach not scold. I could care less of how good the reputation is. Totally threw me off.
Not going to sugar coat anything here. Ritchey Robin and his welders are the best in the business I.M.O. I have personally visited over 15 custom pit building shops looking for the best quality pit available. After walking into the gator pit shop, I knew there were none even close to these pits. If you're looking for a costume made pit from new pipe, get a gator pit. We started a business after the great success we had from friends trying our barbecue. Our first smaller pit paid for the large trailer pit. They still look like new after years of use. Cody B. Owner, Central Texas Pitworks, LLC
Gator pit is the standard in quality and craftmanship in the smoker industry. I've had my 2448 for a few years now and it has never let me down. I use it very regularly in a restaurant setting and it constantly puts out consistent results which are fantastic. Rich and the crew at gator pit make sure you get the best product. Some think the prices are high, but this is seriously a true case of you get what you pay for. Some people think the build out wait time is too long. It is longer than you'd want to wait ideally but its truly worth it. The quality on these rigs are worth the wait. Sure you can run to your local box store and get something much cheaper and it's ready now, but the difference in gator pit is second to none. Best product around.
Ritch and his crew with Gator Pit builds some great custom smokers and grills. Very well built, heavy, and built to last for decades. With the tuning plates, it keeps nice steady temperatures throughout without an extreme hot spot near the firebox. He's been building them for many years and has learned what works well and what doesn't work when building one. Because of high demand, there can be a bit of a wait from the time you place your order until the time of delivery .... but the wait is well worth it in the long run. I've had mine for a little over five years and just now needing a little touch-up with some fresh high temp paint on the firebox.
Hands down one of the best custom pit builders out there I have a few of their pits I am extremely happy, great product and great customer Service
Even during these challenging COVID times, Ritch and his team have been working hard to deliver their products. I just received a VIP treatment, Ritch and his colleague delivering the smoker at my home! (Being just a 10 min drive from their workshop). The build quality and welding quality look great. Eager to start using my smoker!
The customer appreciation side of the business has gone out the window. I would not recommend them based on that alone.
I have purchased two pits from Ritch and his awesome Gator Pit Team. In my opinion, you can t buy a better pit. My first pit I ve had for over 10 years and it is rolling as if it is still brand new. My latest pit is the Entertainer and when I ran into issues trying to tune it (after I messed it up from Gator s original setting) Ritch called me and walked me through the process of tuning the gigantic pit. These pits are awesome because of the detail Ritch and his team focus on. Excellent welds, high quality steel, and great knowledge takes this company to another level than their competitors. I m a customer for life.
I spoke to Rich on October 14th to discuss his building me a food grate for my pellet grill. He asked for specifics about my grill and stated he wanted to do some research and that he would call me back. Within just a few minutes, he called back, asked a few more questions and made a few suggestions. After discussing my wants and needs, we decided on the specific size and dimensions, he gave me a quote and an expected completion date. The quote was more than reasonable, and I was more than pleased with the expected time frame. He said it should ship within the next 7-10 days. To my surprise and delight, on Friday, just 2 days later, I received a ship notification that the grate was finished and ready to ship. I received the item the following Monday, October 19th. The entire process took just 5 days and 2 of those days were weekend shipping. Upon receiving the grate, I was thrilled. It was more than I had hoped for and the dimensions were spot on correct. I am thrilled with my grate and cannot say enough about what a pleasure it was to work with Rich. He spent a great deal of time with me discussing my needs and answering all my questions, while making excellent suggestions. When I thanked him for all his concern with what was a smaller project, Rich stated, "I don't care if it's a $5.00 project or a $5000 project, I just want my customers to be happy," This customer is so much more than happy! Each of our 3 or 4 conversations were a pleasure. Simply put, Rich is just a super nice guy, a master craftsman and an all-around pleasure to work with. I love my grate and look forward to working with him again! I have plans to add an upper grate to my grill and Gator Pits by Rich will be the first and only craftsman I would think of using. Thank you, Rich! I am a Gator Pits fan for life! Brad
I have owned my Gator Pit for over two years and highly recommend buying from them. When I first got it and had a bunch of questions, the owner, Ritchey Robin, was more than happy to answer my questions and even share cooking techniques with me. His staff are hard working, helpful and friendly folks. If I ever buy another pit it will be to buy a bigger Gator Pit. One of my sons will inherit my Gator Pit one day, because I know it will outlast me!
This guy knows what he is doing, best pits hands down. The owner is involved and cares about his customers. Looks like a few friends got together and decided to post negative feedback all in the same week. This business has a great history of satisfied customers. Go check it out for yourself.
I couldn't be happier with the pit that I have from gator pit rich and the guys are awesome I couldn't have started my business without them I'm proud to use a gator pit don't hesitate to do business with Ritch
Gator pits are very high-quality! Rich and his team are very professional and kind. Holy Smokin Barbecue is proud to use a gator pit. Thank you Rich!
Great company, great people, great product! You can t go wrong with choosing a Gator Pit!
Best BBQ Pits on the market. Easy to deal with, great people and super helpful. If you re in the market for a great pit, call Ritch.
No kidding, I had tears in my eyes as I opened the crate of my new Gator grill it s the most beautiful piece of red-blooded American steel I have ever seen. Every weld was perfect, every hinge closed its door evenly, and it s heft screamed quality. The Gator guys are true craftsman. I can t stop looking at it. It took a long time to get, but it was so worth the wait. -Brett in Cloquet MN
Since 2010 I have purchased 2 Gator Pits. Both are SMOKING machines. I have been to the shop twice and work flow is happening non stop. Not enough superlatives to describe Ritch, his employees(family) or his business. Got to get by and take a look at new pellet smoker soon.
Ritch puts out a fantastic product, best in the business. Very helpful staff, always willing to answer questions, love my gator pit, and can count on Ritch to help me with any questions I might have. Gator Pits, are the real deal
I wish I could give Ritch Robin and Gator Pit 10 stars. Gator Pit is an old school run business based on integrity and character. If Ritch tells you he is going to do something for you he will. He values his customers, and will go out of his way to earn your business. After the sale you will have full customer service for life. When you call you speak directly to him. Yes I own a Gator Pit. I have owned it for a couple years now. I am 100 percent satisfied. Couldn't be happier. These pits are built 1 at a time, old school style. Hand made by skilled craftsmen with hand tools, welders and torches. The craftsmanship, fit and finish, and detail is 2nd to none. There are no compromises or cost cutting with these pits. Everything is heavy duty, thick steel, doors shut tight, oil field quality welds. If you take care of these pits your great, great grandchildren will be cooking on it. Just keep the rust away. That's it. Gator Pit got some bad reviews in the past couple weeks from a bandwagon of forum readers that don't own a gator pit, don't know anyone that does, nor have ever even corresponded with Gator Pit. That's a shame, and a shame that some people have so little integrity.
Living in Colorado, there is not enough access to quality smoking woods, so it was a blessing the be able to get a top quality pellet smoker from a premier pit builder. If you are wanting the best and are tired of throw away pellet grills, there is no better place to look than Gator Pit. Rich Robins is an honest business man, and ensures that his customer service and product are top notch.
