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Food truck and caterer Red Desert BBQ has finished moving into the 1,400-square-foot restaurant space at 918 W. Prince Rd., which previously housed Polo’s Taqueria. While no official sign is up yet, the restaurant is now open to the public with a special grand opening on Friday, November 3 with discounts and giveaways.
Owner and pitmaster David Martin doesn’t adhere to any one style or region of barbecue, utilizing a blend of hickory and charcoal to highlight the meat.
New to the menu are fries and tater tots, both available “loaded.” Additionally, burgers are available with the option add pulled pork for only $2 more. Sausages will be provided by Forbes Meat Company.
During our visit on Monday, we tried the Pulled Pork Loaded Tots ($6.50), Brisket Plate ($14), and Rib Plate ($14).
The generous portion of Loaded Tots were piping hot out of the fryer with a mound of pulled pork, smoked Gouda cheese sauce, barbecue sauce, sour cream, scallions, and raw jalapeño. While pickled jalapeños are more often in this sort of application, the raw version is an improvement here — it doesn’t double up on the acidity of the barbecue sauce while providing a bright grassiness that aids in balancing the rich flavors.
Our Brisket Plate came with brisket, bread, and lime pickles with coleslaw and beans as the sides. The Texas-influence brisket was straightforward with salt pepper, garlic, a crusty bark, and distinct pink smoke ring. The lime pickles, made with pickling lime and not the citrus lime, has a unique crunch evocative of delicate ice flakes. The flavor is on the sweeter side with a nostalgic food coloring shade of green.
The coleslaw was balanced and not too rich or tangy. The tender beans — Martin’s signature side — is smoked with drippings from pulled pork, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, and green chiles. The drippings make it lip-smackingly sticky, while the green chiles provided a subtle backbone of pepper.
Our Rib Plate came with baby back ribs, bread, and lime pickles with macaroni salad and potato salad as sides. The Kansas-inspired ribs were our favorite, and Martin’s favorite as it turns out. They are glazed during the last 15 minutes of cooking with the popular bottled sauce Sweet Baby Ray’s. The sauce wasn’t too much, so we could appreciate the technique in the tender, smoky rib meat that came cleanly off the bone.
Similar to the coleslaw, the macaroni salad and potato salad were balanced, fresh, and simple.
With straightforward, quality barbecue, Red Desert BBQ is sure to be welcomed quickly in the neighborhood.
Red Desert BBQ is located at 918 W. Prince Rd. Operating hours are 10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. or until the food runs out Monday – Saturday. Keep up with Red Desert BBQ on Facebook. For more information, read Red Desert BBQ Food Truck to Open Brick & Mortar on West Prince Road.
