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Red Dog Saloon: great meats, friendly service

11/12/2012

2 Comments

 
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Red Dog Saloon on Hoxton Square bills itself as 'Authentic American BBQ', a claim made by many, but so poorly delivered upon in the UK generally that we've long stopped getting our hopes up. And readers who know us, the authors of the blog, will be aware that one half of the CC originates from the Southern USA, from one of the 'founding' states of BBQ, so there's no chance of sneaking by us a poor quality substitute, pulling the wool over our eyes on the grounds that 'Brits don't know BBQ', for this was home food, growing up food, comfort food, and is to a Southern US gal what Proust's bloody madeleine was to him, a memory of time gone. Put another way, this is as tough a test as Red Dog are likely to get.

The verdict? This really is the most authentic BBQ smoked meat we have eaten in the UK. There were some other issues along the way but these are forgiven because the most important part of the meal in a BBQ restaurant is what's been sitting in the smoker for 16 hours and here, it was very good indeed. The picture below doesn't do it entire justice because BBQ is usually messy rather than pretty and we ordered the Carnivore Platter for 2 - 'a proud selection of all our smoked meats', which means you get pork ribs, a beef rib, a sausage, pulled pork and a half chicken. Put that all on one plate, piled high, and it's difficult to make it look good but we don't really care, because importantly, it tasted right. 

The sticky glaze is evident immediately the food is set down in front of you, but on tasting, the food is full on BBQ, not just a token nod in that direction, for the impact of the smoker leaves its mark with every mouthful. But it remains carefully tended and the chicken retained all its moistness, the ribs fall off the bone as they should but were similarly juicy (coming too with burnt ends) and the sausage simply felt the business. There's Kansas sauce and Carolina sauce at the table which we used to add a little more pep to the pulled, pork but this plate, the Carnivore Platter, could equally be called the Carnivore Dream and without doubt rates as the best BBQ experience we've so far enjoyed in the UK.
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Carnivore Platter
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a fabulous pork rib
The BBQ mains each come with a choice of two sides per person included in the price, though the sides were less successful than the meat. French fries were okay, but the mac 'n' cheese felt dry and lacked flavour, the coleslaw similarly dry. Onion rings could have enjoyed more substance and were served quite strangely with a Rose Marie style sauce. 
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French fries
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mac 'n' cheese, greens
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onion rings
We liked the sound of some of the milk shakes listed and ordered a banana and peanut butter shake as a sort of pre-dessert to share. It was nice but needed a deeper essence of peanut butter to really pull it off.

But like kids in a sweet shop, we did order actual desserts too as these were also quintessentially American: key lime pie, pecan pie, and Mississippi mud pie. Again, these missed the mark. The key lime pie looked pretty lame when served up but tasted better than it looked (thankfully), albeit it was way too sweet and lacked the tartness a good key lime pie should have.

The Mississippi mud pie, which should be a chocolate lovers delight was, chocolate wise, nothing more than a mass of chocolate ice cream, and even that wasn't that great (and excessively frozen).  
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banana and peanut butter milk shake
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key lime pie
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pecan pie
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Mississippi mud pie
Thus far we have noted memorable BBQ meats, average sides and disappointing desserts, but since the meats should probably have a greater weighting in the balance, it's undoubtedly a net positive. But what, as ever, is additionally so very important to the overall meal experience is service, and that, at Red Dog today, was excellent. 

Every member of staff was smiling, everyone seemed happy and that mood defined the restaurant. It's very informal, as a BBQ saloon should be, and our waitress Rachel was fantastic from start to finish. An office Christmas party in full swing across the room from us was most readily accommodated by staff, including requests for a cheesy Christmas soundtrack that turned the restaurant into one giant festive celebration. Such parties, so often intolerable for others in the room, was a walk in the park for Red Dog and made the restaurant seem even more cheerful, and that is no small trick to pull off.

We will certainly return to Red Dog Saloon, because when we want BBQ, following today's showing, it has to be the go to BBQ place for us. Yes Pitt Cue Co does great food, but it's not classic BBQ. Looking at our own post, we enjoyed pork head and kimchi on our visit: smart and progressive yes, but if you just want a rack of ribs and/or half a chicken, Pitt Cue simply isn't that place. Red Dog is also larger, has more comfortable furniture and takes bookings.

The smoked meats are excellent, the service is excellent. Sides and desserts need a little work. But in sum total, Red Dog Saloon is close to being very good (authentic) indeed.


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2 Comments
Linda
1/1/2013 03:55:34 pm

I am not an American but I am a slavering carnivore with American and North American friends in London. I've eaten BBQ in Harlem, Brixton and Soho and I'd been meaning to go Red Dog for some time.
Sadly, I chose New Year's Day. It was clear from the start they were understaffed and overwhelmed. I don't blame the staff for that, but it was very badly managed.
There were poured drinks stacking up on the bar, and a glass mountain of dirty glasses building on the other side.
They removed the service charge after we complained, but that felt like punishing the server for a situation that was not of her making - after all, she had actually turned up for her shift.
Added to which streams of people looking for tables propped the door open, creating an indoor Arctic chill.
The food - when it finally arrived - was cold, having stood somewhere waiting to be brought to our table. The pulled pork and rib platter was, my friend from Pittsburgh assured me, authentic (if a little undersauced but that was remedied by the table sauces).
But my Burnt Ends sandwhich was a travesty and if I had actually been able to summon anyone I would have sent it back. I expected it to be tender and melt in the mouth but it was like shoe leather.
The onion rings had a strange polenta-like coating that made them gritty rather than crisp and the Marie-Rose sauce was odd.
The highlight of the meal was the hard shake I had dessert. Vanilla and bourbon nicely hit the spot but by the time we managed to raise a bill and a card machine that warmth had evaporated.
It sounds like your choice of the meat platter was the correct one - you make it sound so delicious.
But I think I favour Bukowski's Charcoal Grill (I've only been to Brixton, not Shoreditch). Have you been?
I am posting this just to reflect on how it's possible to have two very different experiences on two different visits (yours and mine) and how the food can pale into insignificance if the overall experience is bad.

Thanks and regards
Linda

Reply
thecriticalcouple
2/1/2013 08:18:48 am

Linda,

thank you for your comment. Sorry to hear that you had a poor experience there and it does truly show how variation can occur within a single restaurant. It also highlights just how critical front of house operations are to the overall enjoyment of a meal: it's never just about the food.

Thanks again for such a comprehensive comment, I'm sure a lot of people will find it interesting.

best, CC

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