A Taste Of The American Deep South - Red’s BBQ

If you’ve watched the first or second season of House of Cards recently, you may well have found yourself craving some juicy barbecued ribs. 

Well Manchester has just the answer. Red’s BBQ

It’s had Red’s for quite some time now, but with 3 hour long waits a regular occurrence, it’s only recently that I’ve had the chance to taste its offerings. 

Luckily, on a Tuesday night, we didn’t need to wait. We walked straight in and got a table. If we did have to wait though, well it’s just a bit of tough luck. Bookings are few and far between. 

There are no frills here, no beating around the bush. They make no apologies for being popular. It’s good food, and the staff know it; the joint’s going to be busy, and you just have to wait. They could be more welcoming when you wait though. 

But is it worth the wait? 

Yes and no. 

I loved the whole atmosphere of the place, and the branding that the Red’s marketing team have  put to great effect. It’s good brand that carries everything through. You get a real feel for the story of BBQ, and what it might be like to be in a truly authentic joint - with a little bit of imagination of course. 

•  You sit in a canteen style setting with basic metal chairs and tables, with an open view of the kitchen
•  You don’t get a menu, you get a bible
•  Everything is about the meat. 

And in a place like this, that’s exactly what you want. 

The menu or “bible” as it’s been christened (keeping with their whole true believer branding, and the ‘places of worship’), was comprehensive to say the least. In fact, it was a little overwhelming. 

There was just so much to choose from, I didn’t know where to begin. The menu was entertaining enough to read all the way through, keeping up the authentic brand feel, which I certainly appreciated. 

Whilst choosing, I ordered one of Red’s “home-brewed” lagers, which was pretty nice. They make plenty of drink suggestions to pair with the type of food you want to eat, which was a great touch. If they’re not home brewed, Red’s focuses on supporting local breweries, which is always good. 

Ribs, Brisket or Burger? 

Ribs are the big offering here, but personally I’ve never been a huge fan. From what I could see on the menu and from the plates passing the table though, they looked tasty enough. 

And a great choice of sauces to choose from. 

I was torn between getting one of their signatures plates or a burger, and I was struggling to decide. 

First though, we had a starter - deep fried macaroni cheese balls. 

They were nice enough, but with just three on the plate, it was a little disappointing, given their £5 price tag. 

For my main, I really wanted a kind of sampler plate. It was my first time here, and I wanted to try a little bit of everything. 

In many American BBQ joints, you can easily do this. In Red’s it wasn't so easy. 

Their signature plates were pretty much one type of meat only - chicken, pulled pork, brisket, sausage, etc.  

You can buy individual meats to customise your own plate, but they’re not cheap. They lacked the “build your own plate” offering that Southern 11 has for example. 

So, forfeiting those tasty sides like cornbread, I opted instead for the Pit Burger. 

It wasn’t the donut burger which is arguably the most famous, and certainly the most intriguing dish from Red’s (and the most calorific - yes, it really is a beef burger between two donuts!). 

But the pit burger was still a huge offering - 2 juicy beef patties and all the trimmings. And, what swung it for me was the pulled pork and beef brisket which topped it - so I did get a mini sample after all. 

And with sweet potato fries it ended up being an immense plate of food. 

Visit Red’s BBQ in Manchester?

I ate it all, which kind of tells you everything you need to know. There wasn't anything not to like: a big plate of food; a perfectly cooked burger with some tasty extras; and a hearty portion of sweet potato fries. 

However, the waitress could’ve been friendlier, and the BBQ sauce offering was deceptive. 

Unlike Southern 11 which did have some different style sauces, here it was basically vinegar, mustard, ketchup and hot sauce re-labelled and slightly tweaked with a subtle BBQ flavour. 

With a beer and a shared starter, the total per person was £23, which for a huge meal, wasn’t bad, but wasn’t cheap either.

So, because I did leave absolutely stuffed and because the food was good (though still room for improvement), I’d suggest a visit to Red’s. 

It’s not a truly authenticate BBQ joint though, and there’s a lot it could learn both from America and from some competitors closer to home. Something I wouldn’t expect given their branding and their commitment to travelling the USA South each year on a BBQ pilgrimage. 

But still, it’s a decent enough attempt and an enjoyable meal. 

Check them out here: http://truebarbecue.com