Cattle Grid - Leeds

Friday night, after our disappointing start at Reds, I suggested we go to Cattle Grid. The restaurant is located just around the corner from Red's and I thought they just might serve barbecue. I walk past it all the time on my way to Kirkgate Market and had looked at the menu once before. We were glad that I mentioned this place, the food was really good and the service was by far the best we've had since coming to England! We ordered pints to start with, Dan a Beck's and me a Stella Black. Both were 3.90 pounds, which is a great price here in Leeds. We also started with a Half Rack of Baby Back Ribs for 9 pounds. They were meaty, sticky, sweet, spicy and delicious. We got our BBQ fix, finally!

 

 For dinner, Dan ordered the Hamburger with Brie and Bacon for 8.75 pounds. He ordered it  medium-well and knowing here in Britain they tend to undercook the burgers, he stressed to our server to make sure it was cooked through. The burger arrived at the table, cooked to perfection. Dan cliamed it was the best burger that he has had since being here. I ordered the Brindisa Chorizo Sandwich with Pulled Pork for 8 pounds. It came with arugula and onions and was also very good. We ordered chips(3.25) and mac and cheese(3.75) as sides. The chips were crispy and tasty and the mac and cheese was okay, nothing to write home about.

Overall, this was one of our favorite places in Leeds. They have a great menu that also includes steaks and the prices are very reasonable.  I wish we had found them earlier, but we still have a little time....
They are located just behind the Corn Exchange at Waterloo House Assembly Street Leeds LS2 7DE
www.cattlegridrestaurant.com

 

 

 

Reds True Barbecue - Leeds Second and Last Visit

This past Friday night, Dan asked me what I wanted for dinner and I said BBQ. Being from Kansas City, you really start to miss certain things, like good BBQ, Mexican and Chinese. We had been to  Red's True Barbecue-Leeds for lunch once before and it seemed about as close to KC as we could get. We sat down and ordered beers and perused the large menu. We both decided on combo plates that had St. Louis style ribs. After taking our orders the server returned to tell us that they were out of ribs!! This was at 7PM on a Friday night, no less. We told her we would look at the menus again, so she gave us a few minutes. I decided on the pulled pork sandwich and Dan ordered the chicken. So sorry, but we are out of chicken too!! We told her to bring us the check for the beers and we would dine elsewhere. She apologized and I told her not to worry, it was not her fault. The fault her lies with the owner, the management and the kitchen. You cannot call yourself a BBQ restaurant and not be prepared for Friday crowds. It all turned out great, we just walked around the corner and tried The Cattle Grid.

Red's True Barbeque-Leeds

Red's True Barbeque is about as close to American BBQ as you can get. From the smell of wood fire to the décor, this place seems like it would fit in most cities in America. Of course, it's not as good as KC BBQ, but I'm glad that it's within walking distance of our apartment. They even feature a Kansas City BBQ sauce on the tables along with about 5 other sauces.

The menu is quite extensive, so we'll go back to try other items. They even offer up a KC Strip. Their sides include large onion rings, fries, slaw, fired corn on the cob, baked beans and more. Lots of American craft beers are also featured on the menu.

I ordered the brisket sandwich with gravy which was 6 pounds 25 and Dan had a chicken sandwich topped with slaw for 6 pounds 95. Both sandwiches were good and filling, in fact we both ended up leaving the bread. We both got fries and a side, me an awesome slaw and Dan baked beans for an extra 6 pounds total. The service was very good and the waiter loved the fact that we were Americans. They don't see too many of us over here!

They are located on Call Lane 0113-8345834 www.truebarbecue.com