Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge Again the Same Day, Shelby, North Carolina

After my 3:00 pm meal at Red Bridges, I went back to the car where Nancy had sat out my fourth meal of the day, and we drove over and checked in to our hotel there in Shelby. We drove into town and got out for a nice walk around the courthouse square and its environs. Shelby is named after Col. Isaac Shelby, the hero of the Battle of nearby Kings Mountain. After a series of Patriot defeats at the hands of the British and the Tories, notably under Banastre Tarleton at the Waxhaw Massacre, Shelby’s Patriots attacked and destroyed the Tory forces at Kings Mountain. It a major Revolutionary War victory for the Patriots. Today 11 states have a Shelby County, and other cities, towns, and communities also justly honor Col. Shelby.

Then Nancy said, let’s get dinner at Red Bridges. Why not? After all, I hadn’t been there in nearly three hours. So off we went. It was getting near closing time but the joint was still jumping.

Well, there were a lot of folks chewing. Eager to join them, Nancy and I ordered. Nancy chose a chopped barbecue chicken plate with slaw and deviled egg salad.

Nancy was very enthusiastic about the chicken, which was tender, juicy, and smoky. Nancy ends up eating lot of smoked poultry and is a demanding judge. It’s not often that she’s so pleased with a dish, but this one was a big hit. She liked the slaw as well, with the fresh cabbage and tangy dressing. And it’s hard to overdress red slaw.

The deviled egg salad actually was a sandwich rather than a side, but we worked that out and Nancy enjoyed it. Actually, she couldn’t eat it all and turned to me to finish it. Now with four meals already hanging over my belt that day, it occurred to me to decline. But it was just a couple of days before our 50th wedding anniversary, and I’ve found that the secret to a successful marriage is both of you doing what the other person wants, trying to make your spouse happy. So I helped her out with the deviled egg salad, which I admit looked good and tasted better.

I opted for a dietary change and ordered a hamburger

and a pimiento cheese sandwich

and some red slaw of my own.

The cheeseburger meat had been loosely packed. This was not your usual preformed stamped patty.  The flavor was excellent and reminded me of the burgers at The Tavern in St. Leonard, Maryland, and Winstead’s in Kansas City. It was definitely an Old School burger that tasted delicious. It came with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. I usually get burgers with mustard, pickles, and raw onions but this was good, too. It was nice to have a change. Of course, they’ll dress it to your order, but you don’t want to get stuck in a rut.

The pimiento cheese came on white toast. It looked a bit overdressed when I picked it up, but it really tasted good. You need to have a pimiento cheese sandwich every now and then. I need to make some up. Here’s my recipe — just the essentials.

I also had some of Red Bridges slaw. I am, as you know, a fan of all the major types of North Carolina slaws, white, yellow, and red. This may well be the best red slaw around. The red comes from the bit of ketchup in the Lexington style barbecue sauce, and the terrific tang comes from pepper and vinegar. Sensational.  

All in all, it was another great meal, and confirmation of the evidence of other diners there who order something other than barbecue. I don’t know that I’ll ever depart from the pork path again in a place that good, but it’s good to know it’s there.

I mentioned in my first Red Bridges post of the day that every time I go there I talk to someone fascinating. I did this time, too. Nancy and I were only two days from our 50th wedding anniversary. She’s most interesting person I’ve ever met. You should do something nice for your husband or wife. Take the one you love to Red Bridges.

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