This barbecue pit includes a firebox having a pit portion housing gas burner units; log grates; and a flame quenching system. The gas burner units, which include drip protecting guards, provide the primary cooking heat source and are located below the log grates and sufficiently close to the logs to ensure that they will smolder and impart smoke flavoring to the cooking products. The quenching system which allows smoldering of the logs without excessive flame-up may be operated semiautomatically by a push button or fully automatically by a flame sensitive element.