Red’s True Barbecue

“A twisted fairground of worship”, apparently, and if it’s meat you put on a pedestal, then you’ve come to the right place – Red’s True Barbecue is a carnivore’s heaven of a mini-chain, complete with open plan pitmaster action to watch those cuts get the smoking treatment.

There’s 14-hour Texas smoked pork belly and baby back ribs ; there’s brisket and burnt ends. There are wings wings and more wings, including XXXL chicken, smoked then fried for a crispy finish, as well as cauliflower, cooked in vegan batter, all served with your choice of dip, including salt’n’pepper and BBQ. The Pit Tray serves a bit of everything, including the cheese and jalapeno sausage, and there’s a bin lid of scran that’s “perfect for large groups with big appetites”. The selection of sides ranges from mac’n’cheese to meaty pit beans – beans that are smoked with sugar, butter and herbs for half a day underneath the brisket and pork to catch the drips. If meat isn’t your mate, then this would probably not be the place for you, but if you do need it, there are vegetarian and even vegan alternatives, with a separate menu and an “ask your server” instruction available. There are also various burgers and dogs, complete with dirty sauce, and there’s an option to swap your brioche bun for glazed ring doughnuts, because who wouldn’t? Alternatively, order the Sleepy James, and the breaded chicken breast, smoked bacon, cheese, slaw and Unholy BBQ sauce comes sandwiched between two Belgian waffles.

Of course, there’s a waffle stack for afters, here accompanied by vanilla ice cream and maple syrup, and there are other sweet treats such as an award-winning peanut butter chocolate cheesecake. Wash down with a shake; add booze on request.

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