Old Country BBQ Pits Pecos Smoker
Offset Smoker
~$600

Old Country BBQ Pits

Old Country BBQ Pits Pecos Smoker

The Pecos is the entry point into all-welded offset smokers and the model that exposes the gap between a $430 box-store pit and a real one: 14-gauge steel with 11-gauge doors, welded rather than bolted, at 222 lbs on a 630 sq in grate. Old Country BBQ Pits is a Texas manufacturer that sells almost exclusively through Academy Sports + Outdoors, which is why the brand is under-covered relative to how well regarded it is.

Approx. price
~$600
Buy at Amazon

We may earn a commission. Price and availability on Amazon may differ.

Cooking Area
630 sq in
Fuel
Wood/Charcoal
Best For
The buyer who has decided not to modify a cheap offset and wants welded steel at the lowest possible price

Specifications

Fuel Type
Wood/Charcoal
Cooking Area
630 sq in
Build Material
All-Welded 14-Gauge Steel with 11-Gauge Doors
Dimensions
Main grate 17.5 x 36 in; 54 in tall
Weight
222 lbs
Warranty
Lifetime limited
WiFi / App
No
Meat Probe
No

Pros

  • ✓All-welded construction — no bolted seams to leak, which is the single biggest failure mode of budget offsets
  • ✓14-gauge chamber with 11-gauge doors holds temperature far more steadily than the painted sheet steel at this price
  • ✓Lifetime limited warranty rather than the 2 years typical of mass-market offsets
  • ✓Slide-out cooking grate makes loading a full brisket and cleaning the chamber genuinely easy
  • ✓222 lbs for $600 undercuts every bolted competitor on steel-per-dollar
  • ✓Stainless steel handles stay cool without gloves

Cons

  • ✗Academy Sports exclusive — no Academy store nearby means freight shipping or no purchase at all
  • ✗630 sq in is less grate than a $450 Char-Griller Competition Pro; you are paying for steel, not space
  • ✗Ships needing assembly and the paint is utilitarian high-heat, not a finished powder coat
  • ✗No counterweight on the chamber door at this trim level — the Brazos and Wrangler get one, the base Pecos does not
  • ✗Thermometer is basic; most owners replace it with a Tel-Tru
Old Country BBQ Pits Wrangler Smoker
~$750
Offset Smoker

The Wrangler steps the Pecos up from 14-gauge to 11-gauge steel with 3/16-inch doors, and adds a hot plate over the firebox for searing and pot work. Total grate area is 920 sq in across a main and an upper rack. At $750 it is the cheapest 11-gauge offset sold new in the US, and the thickness jump is the reason it runs noticeably steadier in wind and cold than the Pecos.

11-gauge chamber, 3/16-inch doors920 sq in across two racksFirebox hot plate for searing
Wood/Charcoal920 sq in
Best for: Someone stepping past a starter offset who wants real thickness without crossing $1,000
See specs & owner notes
Old Country BBQ Pits
~$1,550
Offset Smoker

The Brazos is the pit that made Old Country's reputation: quarter-inch plate steel, all welded, 429 lbs, with a 5.5-inch grate-level smokestack that pulls smoke across the meat rather than over it. It is the cheapest quarter-inch offset sold new in the US by a wide margin, which is why it is the default recommendation for anyone who wants Texas-pit behaviour without a two-thousand-dollar custom build. The All-American trim is the current Academy configuration and includes the counterweighted door.

1/4-inch plate steel, 429 lbsGrate-level 5.5-inch smokestack1,182 sq in total cooking area
Wood/Charcoal630 sq in
Best for: The serious backyard cook who wants a pit that behaves like a competition rig at a third of the price
See specs & owner notes
Oklahoma Joe's Bandera Vertical Offset Smoker & Grill
~$600
Offset Smoker

The Bandera is the odd one in Oklahoma Joe's line: a vertical cabinet with the firebox offset to the side, so smoke rises through four stacked racks rather than travelling sideways across a barrel. It is the revival of a cult 1990s Oklahoma Joe's model and takes a 39-inch footprint instead of the 64 inches a Longhorn needs. Capacity is 744 sq in primary across four adjustable racks, plus a 248 sq in secondary, and it ships with a rib rack set.

4 adjustable racks, 992 sq in total39-inch footprint — half the width of a horizontal offsetSide firebox with its own grilling grate
Wood/Charcoal744 sq in
Best for: A small patio that cannot fit a six-foot horizontal offset but still wants wood-fired smoke
See specs & owner notes
Char-Griller Grand Champ Offset Smoker
~$729
Offset Smoker

The Grand Champ is the top of Char-Griller's offset line and the heaviest thing the brand sells at 254 lbs — meaningfully more steel than the Competition Pro at 151 lbs for the same nominal capacity class. It runs 780 sq in of primary grate and 1,200 sq in total, with an EasyDump ash pan and a folding front shelf. It is sometimes badged 'Grand Champ XD' at Lowe's and Home Depot; the underlying model is the 8250.

254 lbs — the heaviest pit Char-Griller sells1,200 sq in total cooking areaEasyDump ash pan
Wood/Charcoal780 sq in
Best for: The buyer choosing between a $700 mass-market offset and a $600 welded Old Country, who wants nationwide retail support
See specs & owner notes
Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn Classic
~$730
Offset Smoker
4.3(252)

The Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn Classic is the larger, heavier-gauge sibling of the Highland, built from 2.5mm cold-rolled steel for better heat retention and more cooking capacity — 751 sq in on the main chamber, 1,060 sq in counting the firebox grate. Oklahoma Joe's added "Classic" to the name without changing the grill: it is the same SKU (13201747-50) people still search for as plain "Longhorn".

1060 sq in Total Area2.5mm Heavy SteelCharcoal and Wood Fuel
Wood/Charcoal751 sq inapprox 225–400°F
Best for: Bigger Texas-style cooks and more thermal mass
See specs & owner notes
Char-Griller Competition Pro Offset Smoker
~$450
Offset Smoker

Char-Griller's Competition Pro is a Home Depot retailer exclusive that pairs a barrel grill with a bolted-on side firebox — the same architecture as the Smokin' Champ already in the catalog, but with 720 sq in of primary grate instead of the Champ's smaller chamber, and an insulated body. It is the cheapest true offset in Char-Griller's line that ships with the firebox included rather than as a $99 add-on.

720 sq in primary, 1,010 sq in totalSide firebox included, not an add-onHome Depot exclusive
Wood/Charcoal720 sq in
Best for: A budget offset buyer who wants more grate than an Oklahoma Joe's Highland for less money
See specs & owner notes