Food review: Reds on Call Lane, Leeds – ‘a meat feast par excellence’

Juicy Lucifer. Photo Holly Spanner

Reds pride themselves on being low and slow in their production of the true barbecue, including pulled pork, beef brisket and the famous donut burger. TSOTA’s Gastro-critic Rich Jevons and happy snapper Holly Spanner take in Reds’ venue on Call Lane in the midst of the madness that is Leeds Pride march.

The first thing is to defer to the Good Book for our faves, and first up on the Little Plates are the Swine Fries to share as a side dish. This consists of sweet potato and skin-on fries, smoked pork, topped with grilled cheese, chipotle sour cream, spring onion, sliced jalapenos and salsa.

Ribs and sausage. Photo: Holly Spanner

The mains include authentic pit-smoked meats, sandwiches, burgers and sides. Holly zooms in on the barbecue trays, a menu inspired by Reds’ annual US BBQ road trip and smoked every day by award-winning pitmasters. She elects for the St Louis Ribs and Smoked Sausage which is prepared for six hours (two hour smoke) to produce a delightfully devilish supreme dish. And Holly adds a divine side of creamed corn (amaizeing!)

I opt for the Juicy Lucifer – two patties with a melted 3-cheese centre. This served with smoked peppered bacon, fried onions, pickles, fresh jalapeno and sauces. Plus the fired-up fries and I took a try at BBQ Pit Beans but they were a tad dry (one only minus point). There are also a wide range of sauces on table to try.

Holly found the ribs a revelation with the meat almost melting in the mouth, while the sausage was equally divinely flavoured – and kindly the staff put the remains in a doggie bag for Holly’s cat Buddy (Buddy Holly geddit?!) The Juicy Lucifer was simply delicious with exquisite flavours and some serious meat in the measure. So much so we had to share the Sweet Thing, Reds’ Classical Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake.

It was at this point that the staff, already attentive and friendly, despite the rush on tables, helped us with the dessert photo shoot by making a choco-mess with stripes on top (such attention to detail). The two hours flew with plenty of opportunity for people-watching and we did not make such a mess as on our last visit!

This is Leeds’ meat feast par excellence. It is unsurprising that so many are coming to be True Believers in Reds’ state of gracious divinity.

See http://truebarbecue.com/ for more info.