A six-foot-tall biker in black leather with long grey hair and a stomach like a brick wall threw up his arms and called to his wife to “take him home” from Red Spice & Blues B.B.Q. He was stuffed, and he only finished half of one of the restaurant’s monstrous pulled pork sandwiches.
These mouth-watering treats made from slow-cooked meat and pulled right off the bone are covered with a sweet, yet spicy barbecue sauce that fools the palate into thinking it’s further south.
Red Spice & Blues B.B.Q. is tucked away in a quaint-looking business complex in Durham. Its interior, decorated with a collection of old license plates and country kitchen paraphernalia, is nothing to write home about, and seating is limited to a window counter and a few small tables.
But these things are just extraneous details to most customers, who order their food to go, often in quart sized containers or in group packages that provide an entire meal for four to six people. For the devoted barbecue lover, Red Spice has all the essentials— meat, classic southern side dishes and—well, more meat.
The star of the barbecue menu, pork has the distinction of being the meat that is most receptive to the richness of the sauce and the flavor-enhancing power of the hardwood smoking method. But for those who prefer poultry and are willing to sacrifice some of the tenderness, there are also three different chicken sandwich varieties to choose from.
Each sandwich is at least two meals. They come accompanied by chips and delicious homemade coleslaw made with cider vinegar instead of mayonnaise. The result of this substitution is a shift from a coleslaw that is saccharine goop to one that provides a light and tangy compliment to the meat.
And if a sandwich is two meals, then the “meals” on the menu would probably feed three. These range from the same succulent pulled pork—this time sans bread—to barbecue pulled chicken to a half or whole rack of ribs.
The combo sampler is a welcome option for the indecisive and hungry. It includes pulled pork, barbecue chicken and ribs.
Each meal comes with homemade cornbread and a choice of two sides. My guests and I sampled the French fries, which were thick but perfectly crisp, and the sweet niblet corn. Potato and macaroni salads, barbecue beans, red beans and rice and small cornmeal dumplings known as hush puppies are also among the side dish options.
Unless they’re prepared to stick to cornbread and side dishes, vegetarians should not come to Red Spice & Blues. There is, however, some hope for fish eaters. On the weekends, the restaurant expands its menu to include a seafood option. These can include a perfectly tender fried catfish, crispy fried shrimp or anything else that happens to be available and in season.
Red Spice serves non-alcoholic beverages only, so if this doesn’t suffice, order to go or BYOB.
With all this southern flavor, it’s amazing that home is still so nearby—just down the road, in fact.
And as our biker friend advised us as he left the restaurant, “Kids, behave yourselves. Because I’ve been down that road before.”
Red Spice & Blues Real Pit B.B.Q *** (three of four stars)
16 Main St., Durham; (860) 349-2300
Take South Main Street (Route 17) to Durham. Red Spice & Blues is on the right.
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday through Saturday; call ahead on Sunday
Atmosphere: Simple, down-home, country kitchen with only a few tables and some smoky blues playing over the speakers
Recommended dishes: Pulled pork in any form, coleslaw, fried catfish
Price range: Sandwiches, $7-$8; meals, $11-$19
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