Pitmasters Back Alley at Bonfield’s, Brookmont, Montgomery County, Maryland

After I returned from my Georgia tour, I had a text from Senior Deli Correspondent Les Wexler with a photo of a burger at Pitmasters Back Alley at Bonfield’s. That’s how we communicate since we lack a device to flash a light in the shape of a pig or a tongue and chopped liver sandwich in the sky. It was the alert to get together and eat. I hopped in the Fatmobile and was off to grab a burger at Bonfield’s at 6124 Macarthur..

You may be wondering why I, a barbecue aficionado, call it Bonfield’s rather than Pitmasters. Well, I tried their barbecue once before and don’t remember it fondly. I do remember Bonfield’s fondly. It’s been landmark since 1927, a nice old building among the new, and memorable for the sign out front that had a different joke every day, things like “They aren’t making yardsticks any longer.” I’ve always had a fondness for Bonfield’s. And for Dad Jokes.

I drove out with Les and found a large parking area and a nice outdoor patio. That’s Les.

Inside is the Grand Bodega, with seating and a small display counter with prepared foods and Wagshal’s fine meats. Deeper within is a window for ordering and a snug seating area with service station memorabilia

and a window at which you order.

If you want a hamburger you have a choice between two mixtures of cuts of beef for your burger, either brisket, short rib and sirloin, or else chuck, ribeye, and sirloin. You don’t see that option often.

Les ordered a cheeseburger ($15), rare, and a side of “adult” macaroni and cheese, so named for its “kiss of chipotle.”

Here’s a side view.

Now that’s a nice, loosely packed burger with a good grind, and the meat had a good beefy flavor. What it was not was rare, not even close, barely medium. That was a disappointment, but still it was a good burger.

Les did enjoy the macaroni and cheese. Aside from being a hefty portion easily enough for two, it had, well, macaroni and also creamy cheese, which gets you a solid B right there.

By chance I had run into Steve Botorff the day before and he’d rhapsodized about Bonfield’s burger made with “100% Iberico de Bellota Pork”. Spurred by Steve’s enthusiasm, I ordered one ($18) and, in the wake of my 2025 Georgia Tour weight gain, I opted for a Greek salad as my side.  

You need a better view. We both cut our burgers in half and shared them. Here’s an inside look at the Iberico burger.

That’s a finer grind than the hamburger, but it still wasn’t packed excessively tightly. It certainly had the flavor of pork, but it lacked the intensity that I expect from Iberico pork. Indeed, the slight price differential between the Iberico and the hamburger is, in retrospect, remarkable. Costco sells Iberico loin for $50 per pound. But there is much I don’t know, and while it didn’t knock my socks off, nor Les’s, it tasted good.

There were pickles on the tray and I started to add some, but out of caution I tasted one. They were sweet bread and butter pickles, so I discarded them. The container of pink sauce held Russian dressing, and I passed on that as well. I did add some of the sliced onions to the sandwich. Sliced onions add a welcome counterpoint to the rich ground beef. So are hamburger dill chips.

I enjoyed the Greek salad, which I dressed slightly. I did have to break up the large chunks of onions. The salad included plenty of quality feta.

I’m not sure about going back to Bonfield’s. Wagshal’s is noted for their fine meats and I fully credit Steve’s endorsement, but their execution on sandwiches has been uneven. See here. I’d really appreciate if you’d share your own experiences with sandwiches at their various locations.

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