Pit Take to bring Southern barbecue to Greensburg

Dan Czerpak knows a thing or two about barbecue.

He studied under “pitmasters” in Georgia, filled notebooks with detailed descriptions of his smoking experiments, and took a 14-state tour, tasting the best barbecue from across the South.

Now, he’s bringing his passion to Greensburg. His restaurant, Pit Take BBQ, is set to open next month at 640 N. Main St.

“This is what I love to do,” he said. “I love to grill. I love to barbecue.”

He and his wife, Heather, started Pit Take in 2018. They worked out of a trailer, serving ribs & other dishes at breweries and events.

Czerpak’s barbecue won several awards, and the trailer was doing well. However, Czerpak was hesitant about opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

Then he got stuck in traffic in Greensburg — right outside a vacant building on North Main Street.

He and his wife had noticed the building before, and talked about moving in, but the traffic jam made up his mind.

“I was thinking maybe it’s worth something with this much traffic,” he said.

Preparations are going well, and Czerpak has tentative plans to open March 20, pending final approval from the city.

Pit Take Barbecue will be open for lunch and dinner six days a week. It will be closed Mondays.

Diners will be able to bring their own beer.

Pit Take will occupy the building that housed Mister Bones restaurant for 16 years, until it closed at the end of 2017.

A convenience store moved in in May 2018 but closed within two months. Yumzio Bistro opened in October 2018, but moved to a new location up the street six months later.

Czerpak grew up in Greensburg and lives in Plum. He’s been a chef for about 15 years, mostly contracting with corporate kitchens.

Now, he’s doing what he’s always wanted.

“Pit Take Barbecue is my passion that I’ve had for years of cooking real, traditional Southern barbecue,” he said.