Back when I was 14, I was introduced to BBQ over in the US of A.
I am talking about the real, juicy, perfectly cooked, never forget type of BBQ that blows your mind and leaves you never wanting to eat anything else.
Ever since that memorable experience across the pond, I have been searching for somewhere in Europe that can match up. Despite consuming plenty of fantastic BBQ across Britain, and one bloody good attempt in Spain, I have never had a meal that replicates that original American BBQ baptism.
Until now...
Red's True Barbecue in Manchester has been in my crosshairs for almost a year but my wife and I don't head into town that often.
Tonight we ventured out into the big city and decided to have dinner.
Red's was the immediate choice.
The restaurant sets the BBQ scene perfectly, with exposed brick, chain-link fence, leather booths and a smoky open kitchen. I was fully in my element and the wafts of charcoal made me feel like that 14 year old version of myself.
What followed was the most incredible meal I have had, bar none.
Red's serves my favourite type of food and does it better than anywhere else outside of the States.
The meat was clearly handled with love and had a deep and satisfying flavour. Tender, moist, juicy... my mouth is watering from the very thought of it.
I will let the pictures do the talking.
Honey Berry Smash & Mississippi Mud Brownie Malt:
Beef Long:
Tender Beef Ribs glazed in Unholy BBQ Sauce with Sweet Potato Fries and Giant Onion Rings.
The Sleepy James:
Two Southern Fried Chicken Breasts in Waffles served with Peppered Bacon, Shredded Lettuce, Burger Cheese, Slaw, Ranch Dressing and Sweet Potato Fries.
Simply put, the guys at Red's are doing it right. BBQ heaven in the perfect venue and with food that delivers.
Unholy BBQ cow Batman!
I first sampled RTBBQ last summer at the Manchester Grillstock and loved what they were doing, not realising then that they had opened in what used to be Livebait jst off the square in front of the Town Hall. Well, we fianlly got around to trying RTBBQ last week and I will have to call it a bit of a curate's egg. All the flavours and aromas were absolutely spot-on but, in a couple of instances, the textures were not quite up to snuff. The burnt ends tasted wonderful and were very moist but were not quite cooked to a fall-apart consistency, leaving them a little chewy. The baby back ribs, on the other hand, were a little too dry. Again, the flavour from the seasoning and smoking was excellent.
ReplyDeleteIn all, I'll be going back to see if we just happened to catch them on a bad night. I have to add that we were there at 5:30 pm on a Tuesday and the place was already packed, so they must be doing something right!
I definitely dream about going to this party place again. The live music at Venues in NYC was an added bonus, providing a backdrop for the fun hours spent imbibing, tasting, and chatting up with the breweries and beer distributors.
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