Pit beef is one of those regional treats that Pennsylvania does surprisingly well, and the best versions come from small roadside spots you might drive right past. Thin-sliced, slow-cooked beef piled on a roll with horseradish and barbecue sauce is the star at every stop on this list.
These seven smoke shacks stretch across Lancaster, York, Adams, and Franklin counties, each with its own take on the classic. Grab some napkins and a little curiosity, because these are the counter windows and trailers worth pulling over for.
1. The Pit Beef Shack, Manheim, PA
Slow-cooked Amish beef BBQ is the whole reason to seek out this counter in Manheim. You can order it as a wrap, a sub, or a straightforward sandwich, and it pairs naturally with sides of coleslaw and baked beans.
The move here is pit beef with a little horseradish and a swipe of barbecue sauce, which keeps things simple and classic. It runs as a market food stand rather than a sit-down restaurant, so this is a quick-bite kind of stop…