Redemption BBQ and Market Reviews

I will preface this review by stating that I am a complete novice when it comes to different styles of barbecue. But what I do know is good food and Redemption BBQ has some GOOD food. When you walk into this restaurant it feels very quaint. They have 3 tables inside and a few outdoor seating options overlooking the parking lot. Do not let this discourage you, the menu has all of the solid options and amazing sides. I have been twice now and have been able to try their collard greens, mac and cheese, baked beans, cole slaw, corn muffins and fries. My favorites have been the collard greens, corn muffins and their praise the lard fries. Oh my goodness are the fries delicious. They put other fries to shame. Their meats are perfection, I have gotten to enjoy their pork belly and burnt ends both absolutely delicious in their own right. The prices also felt extremely fair for the quality. What truly sets this place apart, though, is the service. Amber, who was working the front of house, was an absolute delight. Not only did she offer us complimentary iced tea, but she was friendly and attentive throughout our visit. I was genuinely impressed when she remembered me from my first trip, it's clear that they make a real effort to create a welcoming, family-like atmosphere. I also love that Redemption BBQ is committed to sustainability. Everything from the containers to the cups is compostable, so you can enjoy your meal knowing that the restaurant is doing its part to be environmentally conscious. Just wow! I can't recommend this place enough, the food is outstanding, the service is top-notch, and the values are equally amazing. It is so hard to find places that have such amazing qualities but the Redemption BBQ fits the bill. I can't wait to frequent this spot for my BBQ fix.

The BBQ was very good and fresh. Good place if looking for a take out place. The fine-in area is very small with only 3 tables.

If you're in the Richmond area or visiting the area this is a must try. I paid a visit to this restaurant while visiting Richmond on business. I was immediately blown away by the amazing BBQ aroma of the restaurant when you first walk in. I was promptly greeted and offered a complimentary sweet tea with my meal. I decided to try the pork belly sandwich that was served with slaw and I opted to get a side of their macaroni & cheese. Everything was superb and truly delicious.

After hearing about this restaurant from a coworker, we decided to give this place a try for dinner. We ordered pulled pork ($9-5 ounces), pulled chicken ($9-5 ounces), brisket ($10- 5 ounces), and a Cuban style pressed sandwich ($14.50). For sides we had the cucumber salad, collard greens, and the corn muffins. I will start with the pulled pork and pulled chicken. Both meats resiliently rejected any seasoning that may have been attempted to be added to them. However, someone did not skimp on the vinegar. Like really, they didn't skimp on the heavy use of the vinegar. Someone only thought to use vinegar and not the other basic seasonings. Both meats not only lacked flavor, they were also about as dry as the Atacama desert. My coworker had the brisket and said it was mediocre, at best. Once again, the flavor, smoke ring, and a beautiful bark was definitely absent. I would say his opinion is deeply rooted in experience, he is an extreme brisket lover and also an avid smoker. Now, the Cuban style sandwich was said to be "ok." It wasn't anything special, it just filled the void in my coworker's tummy. When food is typically good, she raves about the food item and makes these faces that will let you know the flavor profiles are delightful. Needless to say, these expressions weren't present. So, I take her comment as her just being modest. Next up, I endured the destruction of a quintessential soulful side commonly known as collard greens. They were engrossingly overcooked with a disgusting fermented earthy flavor. Someone attempted to add onions to bring some type of flavor, but that was also an epic fail. Totally irredeemable. The cucumber salad was overall a good dish. I wonder does a restaurant want to be renownedly known for just their cucumber salad (insert shoulder shrug)? The two forgettable corn muffins ($3) were stiff and I deemed them totally offensive. They tasted like they came from a corner store box that says just add water.. and that's all they did. Now that I think about it, I don't believe I even tasted any corn meal. I have had plenty of NC/VA style barbecue, and this place doesn't even come close to the well-balanced flavors I have had from some of the previous pitmasters. On their website they boast that they serve only "beyond organic" meats from local regenerative farmers. I must admit, this is great support and dedication. Hopefully, this was just a fluke experience and the pitmaster had a bad day. I'm not saying this place is terrible, I'm only saying we did not have a great experience and I doubt we will be coming back.

From the moment we walked into this small place I knew we had found a gem. Local pastured pork, chicken and beef. The fries a were so very delicious cooked in tallow!!! All details such as compostable food containers as well as cups for the free (!) brewed ice tea to enjoy as you wait for your meal. I had the pork belly which was wonderful with a very special sauce. My husband had a sandwich that had pork. The sides were good we tried baked beans, coleslaw, and collards. All the staff were really friendly and answered questions. Definitely a place we will return to when in the area.

Review caveat: I am completely biased towards eastern North Carolina barbecue. Chopped, flecked with red pepper, sharp vinegar flavor. Is Redemption's pulled pork delicious? Yes. Is it worthy of a feature in Southern Living? Er, maybe. The restaurant only makes a claim of award winning Virginia style barbecue. And that's a style wide enough to drive a truck hauling a smoker through. Last Saturday I was going to make tacos. But my 83 year old mom saw Redemption's Facebook post about their cheese steak special. So I placed an online order and went to pick it up. (Points for ease of ordering.) Redemption is in a strip mall not far from where I went to elementary school, down a few doors from Vinny's, which is a whole nother review. Pick up was easy. It's a cute little place with not many tables, but apparently the iced tea is free. Tables were occupied by people who appeared to be waiting for pick up orders. Driving home, it occurred to me that I couldn't really smell the food. I had ordered fries, which are prepared using tallow. They were ok but left a slightly unsettling aftertaste. This is significant because in all of my years driving with fries, it was the first time all but one of the fries made it home. I'm not sure what mom expected from the sandwich. I've never been to Chicago, so my familiarity with a cheese steak with giardina (requested mild) and provolone was limited. It was too spicy for her, and the sandwich was dry. Bread was fresh tasting. We got sides of collards, potato salad and corn muffins. Potato salad was quite tasty. Collards were spicy. I'll just say that these weren't like my southern grandmothers' greens. Sides are inexpensive but portions are small/adequate. I tried the corn muffin and punted, mom (herself a cornbread-maker) said she could taste the corn meal and pronounced them a good, non-sweet accompaniment. The pulled pork was very good. Tender, juicy, not fatty. It did not have a strong smoky flavor. I put vinegar on it, but it was still just pulled pork. The sauce provided was way too sweet for me. But, lots of people will love that. I will need to return and try a few more dishes. But my experience made me long for a trip to Rocky Mount (NC) and some good old chopped barbecue, chicken slick, and a few hush puppies.