REDS True Barbeque, Leeds

Occasion:                      Night out

Party Size:                    5

Overall Rating:              ***** Excellent

Date Visited:                 October 2012
Price Per Person:           £8-£25+ ppn 1 course plus Drinks

Reds True Barbeque is located on Cloth Hall Street opposite the Corn Exchange in Leeds city centre. This place is going down a storm in Leeds with a strong reputation for outstanding food being cast on Facebook and Twitter.

I have been trying to get in here for several weeks since it opened in September 2012. At present the restaurant is proving so popular (even amongst celebrities, with Jimmy Carr being spotted dining here on the 13^th October) Reds are only taking bookings for large groups. So if you turn up at 7pm the chances are you will have to go back at 9.00pm when a table becomes free. The staff however, are coping with the demand well, we dropped in added our name to the waiting list and they gave us a call the minute a table became available. This worked well for us on a Friday night as we took advantage of having a few drinks on Call Lane.

So if you don’t know anything about Reds then their home page pretty much sums it up:

 “Like a lightning bolt from the heavens it dawned on Red. The people of this island knew nothing of True Barbecue….

Of prime cuts, smoked low n’ slow, infused with flavour, dripping with taste. The people were ignorant of glazes and rubs so mouth-wateringly glorious that they made angels weep with joy. They had been cursed with a plague of bad sausage, bog-standard burger and rodent-sized ribs.

Red knew that the people must be saved. He swore that no rib, sausage, breast nor burger would be cremated in his name. The people of Britain must be led to the light by a true saviour. Let there be Meat. Let there be flavour. Let there be Red’s. Feast and be thankful. Red will save you from the evils inflicted on your gentle souls. True Barbecue is here.

At Red’s we don’t commit the sins of less holy eateries. Red prepares your meat way in advance of it reaching your plate, giving it time to soak up the rich flavours of our trademark blend of rubs and marinades for no less than 24 hours. Then, it’s cooked low n’ slow – for up to 18 hours – over Hickory and fruit woods inside our custom Oklahoman smokers. Then we’ll add the best sauces and sides your tongue will touch and serve them to you, our faithful flock.

Our cooking has its roots in the deep south, but our food and ingredients are sourced from Yorkshire, God’s country. World-class quality, locally sourced”

So the target audience is lovers of meat, if you are a vegetarian I’m not sure this place would appeal but it is worth checking the menu as they do some fabulous sides such as macaroni cheese, sweet potato fries, cornbread, BBQ rice, and deep fried prickles to name a few.

The venue itself is fairly big with a buzzing atmosphere, the low lighting and candles on each of the tables cast a subtle glow creating a relaxed and informal ambience. There is lots of charm to this place with rustic beams, solid wood features and exposed brick walls. Reds is ideal for groups as the tables are large solid wood benches but bear in mind if you are a small group then you could get other diners placed at the same table as yourself. However, the vibrant atmosphere detracts enough that your conversations will get lost in the buzz still creating privacy for your party.

The kitchen area is central to the restaurant so you see the hustle and bustle and the turnover at the pass. The smells surrounding this place are amazing and every time we saw the food being taken to tables we were literally drooling in anticipation. The staff were attentive and managed the tables well to say how busy Reds were. It was refreshing to see the chefs all smiling and bantering as they worked, adding to the informal vibe of the place. The background music was impressive and after speaking to the Manager we realised he had mixed the playlist himself to include a mix of old and new, with bands such as the Black Keys thrown in.

The menu had a wide choice so much so I just went with the first thing that sounded good! The range of options means I have to go back and work through the other dishes. The price range was very varied for the meals so literally it covers all budgets ranging from £8-£25+ per person.

As a group we just had main courses. A couple of us had the pulled pork priced at £8.95 which included skin on fries, fresh coleslaw and a side option e.g. rice, cornbread, macaroni cheese etc. The meat was so tender, juicy and flavoursome. The crackling complimented it perfectly and the amount of meat you got was very surprising.

If you get the Bucket of Bones at approx £20 then good luck! It is literally a dustbin loaded with ribs and as Reds claim on their home page these are definitely NOT rodent-sized ribs! Plus you get your sides as well so you could easily share this. All of our party tasted the ribs and we all agreed they were amazing.

The Pit Burger was another option a friend tried priced at around £15 and this was impressive and served with a giant onion ring and loaded with pulled pork. If you enjoy burgers you won’t be disappointed with this version it’s substantial so you may want to strip away the bread and just go for the meat. In fact the portions here are generous across the board and we left with a couple of takeout boxes. (Point to note though if you do a takeout box remove the paper lining – I found this went soggy and broke up amongst my left over’s!)

On the table Reds have a rack of sauces including Hot and Spicy, BBQ, South Carolina and classics such as Ketchup to compliment the dishes, the South Carolina was particularly good.

Reds do a great selection of beverages, and alongside each dish on the menu they pair the dishes with a suggested drink such as American beers. A friend had the Apple Martini priced at the usual prices you would expect to pay in Leeds £6/7 which tasted good and was well presented.

So with all reviews I have to be constructive so my only gripe with this place was that my meal only came with a fork and no knife so I had to get up and get my own. And the waitress gave my order to someone else within the group who had already started eating. When I pointed this out she said “just swap”. Even though we tried to reiterate that he had already started eating it - she looked perplexed like she couldn’t see the problem! Anyway as she was not going to replace the meal we agreed to just have each others order. So that was a little disappointing.

In summary, if you are a lover of food then I recommend this place. If you are a lover of pulled pork I recommend this place. If you are a lover of ribs then yep I recommend this place. They deliver in what they say – excellent quality meat, cooked perfectly and full of flavour. As my friends quoted:

Sadie Parker “I loved it, informal, delicious, honest food with a buzzing atmosphere!!”

Anthony Richardson “I have travelled around the world. And for the first time England has given me the best type of food I have ever eaten. Today, I make the following claim: Reds BBQ in Leeds makes the best ribs I have EVER had the privilege of eating. Period.”

One final word to sum this place up AWESOME!

http://truebarbecue.com/