Red Dog Saloon

If you’re one of those wacky competitive eaters, you’ll be well aware of Red Dog Saloon’s Devastator Challenge. All you need to do is stuff your face with a three-patty burger filled with heaps of pulled pork and six rashers of bacon and cheese. Plus fries, coleslaw and a large milkshake, in less than 10 minutes.The reward is your picture up on their Wall of Fame, and more than likely a bout of indigestion.

For everyone else, Red Dog Saloon does southern BBQ food (or Bar-B-Q as they like to call it), and this Soho branch is their third after Hoxton and Clapham. Aside from burgers and whole joints of smoked meats (such as the pork shoulder, which serves 6 to 8 people and needs 48 hours notice), the menu has hickory-smoked brisket, pulled pork and ribs.
We start with buffalo chicken wings, coated in a spicy crust, and fried catfish which is great, flaky fish in a good crispy batter.

The beef brisket falls apart as soon as you prod a fork in given that it’s been smoked for 16 hours.Zingy sliced green tomatoes have been dipped in a light tempura-like batter before frying, and the barbecued beans are equally moreish.

The combo of ribs and pulled pork is also very good. The ribs have an exceptional amount of meat on them, and again the slow smoking process has rendered the pork incredibly soft. Burnt end pie, not often seen on these shores, is made with tender leftover bits of brisket, topped with creamy mash potato.

In keeping with the theme they stock American beers as well as tequilaand Mezcal, and milkshakes like the banana and peanut butter which you can add 35 ml of spirits into. How many would you need before you start feeling tipsy we wonder, and most importantly,how queasy would you beafter half a dozen Oreo milkshakes with bourbon?

But we leave those challenges to the pros. The boyfriend, who having travelled around the southern States regards himself as something of an expert on all things barbecued, smoked and meaty, is very satisfied.

Red Dog Saloon

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The best Low-and-Slow-cooked food

Low + slow = delicious

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