2000 E Dixon Blvd, Shelby, NC 28150
“Keep calm, and Pig Out”
Shelby, North Carolina
West of Charlotte, East of Asheville, South of Lexington, North of Greenville
Home Earl Scruggs and Don Gibson
Southern as southern can get
An every-town
A working-class town
A BUY AMERICAN town
Sits Red Bridges BBQ Lodge
A must hit experience in sampling North Carolina BBQ
Iconic establishment
Owner, Lyttle Bridges, recently inducted to the BBQ Hall of Fame for her contribution to BBQ Pork
Restaurant now run by her daughter Debbie, along with her grandchildren- Natalie and Chase
Carrying on the legacy
This place is much much more than their iconic BBQ
This is a recollection of the restaurant, the people that occupy the space, and the experience they’ve cultivated.
Everybody's going out and having fun
I'm just a fool for staying home and having none
I can't get over how she set set me free oh lonesome me
Natalie Ramsey, Co-Owner of Red Bridges
Like family
Everyone is treated like family
Some are literal family
A deep fried southern hospitality
Diners are known, “Bill’s gonna have a jumbo and a sweet tea”
There is intention here
Family and friends growing up around each other
Work families
Childhood friends working together becoming family
Being here not just weeks, months, years, but decades
A care attention to the cook, the diners, the consistency, how they serve and treat each other
A thoughtfulness that can’t be taught or bought, it’s something that is instinctual, something that is passed down, something that is understood
A bad mistake I'm making by just hanging round
I know that I should have some fun and paint the town
A lovesick fool is blind and just can't see oh lonesome me
There is deep pride here
Pride in the hospitality
Pride in the cook
Pride in the consistency
Pride in the product
This doesn’t come easily
Trust has to be earned
Someone is typically here 24/7
“Don’t have enough help”
Time just slows down until it eventually stops
Calendar pages neglected, it doesn’t matter when or where you are
A vinegar-based, deep-fried, pit-cooked paradise
Music blasting Whitney Houston, Earl Scruggs, and other songs of yesteryear
The town coming together sharing this bbq
Unconsciously coming together and forming bonds
No politics here, just a meeting of stomachs
Unchanged
A delicious plate of nostalgia made fresh each day
Clock strikes upon the hour
And the sun begins to fade
Still enough time to figure out
How to chase my blues away
I've done alright up 'til now
It's the light of day that shows me how
And when the night falls
Loneliness calls
I'll bet she's not like me she's out and fancy free
She's flirtin' with the boys with all her charms
But I still love her so and brother don't you know
I'd welcome her right back here in my arms
Keep calm, and Pig Out
Pride in the sauce
Jugs and jugs of fresh made lemonade and sweet tea
We’re hiring tea maker and food preparer
Apply & Be A Part of The Red Bridges Family Today
BBQ Slaw Fills the room, the vinegar grabs hold of your nose
Vinegar base, no mustard here
Freshly guarded secrets kept since the 50’s
Unchanged
Can’t beat fresh pit cooked
A Dying Art
A Dying Craft
Recommend the jumbo plates
Side of french fries, hush puppies, side of bbq slaw, side of baked beans
That’s it
Food you know has stood the test of time, you envision yourself sitting in these counters in the 50s, 60s, 70s having the same food
Well there must be some way I can lose these lonesome blues
Forget about the past and find somebody new
I've thought of everything from A to Z oh lonesome me
“Hot water coming through”
Sounds of chopping the bbq can be heard over the murmurs of the crowds, you know someone is making it fresh. Hands are involved in the chopping.
Cans of Sun Drop being passed around
Not quite a Mountain Dew, not quite a Kickapoo Joy Juice, not quite a Hillbilly Holler
But its own drink
Local to the South
A symphony of phones ringing off the hook, door chimes, catering orders coming in left and right, cashier doesn’t even have a chance to collect herself, but loves every minute of it
Endless diners coming in and out, wanting THIS experience
“Be Right with ya, I’m coming”
“Keep calm, and Pig Out”
“Bye y’all, always good to see ya”
I wanna dance with somebody
The ballet of bodies passing each other, knowing how much room they are taking up, and knows not to get in each other's way
I wanna feel the heat with somebody
The diners love it, they love how much they are being taken care of, they enjoy the show
Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody
The lights in the harbor
Don't shine for me
I'm like a lost ship
Adrift on the sea
With somebody who loves me
“Keep calm, and Pig Out”
The hard way
Pit-cooked
“Don’t go for gas here”
High quality, intentional, consistent, pit cooked, people keep coming back, expecting the unchanged experience
Can’t replicate the BBQ anywhere else
Sincerely authentic
Strict adherence to rules, menu, quality, and original experience
Everybody contributes to quality control
A well-oiled machine
Step 1= the cook of the meat by the pitmaster
Step 2= pulling and chopping meat by the food prep
Step 3= Preparing the meat for service by food prep
Step 4= Serving meat
Step 5= Bussing plates and dishwashing
Everyone knows their place and without each one the machine can’t run as consistent as it should
It’s not about expansion, it's not about building an empire, how can we continue to produce a consistent, intentional product.
Sure, they’ve had to adapt over time, adding chicken to the menu, and trying out new dishes, like BBQ nachos, but diners expect a certain cuisine, and dammit if they aren’t gonna get it every time
Well I'll bet she's not like me...
Oh lonesome me oh lonesome me
I've been in love and lost my senses
Spinning through the town
Sooner or later the fever ends
And I wind up feeling down
I need a man who'll take a chance
On a love that burns hot enough to last
So when the night falls
My lonely heart calls
“Hardest part keeping help, and employees”
No waste
Highly thoughtful and sustainable
Scraps go to dogs/cats
Used in stew
Or brought home
Meat is simply prepared, just the cut of pig, trimmed and arranged
Seasoned with the smoke of the coals and hickory wood
Letting the meat shine
Sea of heartbreak, lost love an' loneliness
Memories of your caress, so divine
I wish you were mine again, my dear
I am on this sea of tears
Sea of heartbreak
“Keep calm, and Pig Out”
We start in the pit
The smell of the fresh chopped hickory
The wood burning
The immense heat and clouds of smoke engulf the pitmaster
The air is thick, heavy, sticky, and smoky
Gets in your clothes, gets in your eyes, gets in your lungs
Shifting of the coals
Almost feels as though we are in the coal mines, or aboard a coal-engine ship of the early 20th century
Typical shift of Big John, the pitmaster
A sisyphean feat, he’s invisible, but essential to the process
Without him, there is no ‘Cue
Every cook is different
The wood for the pits is loaded for him in a truck
But sometimes the truck needs a jump
Arranges the coal, sorting out the new coals from the ash of yesterday
Tidies the pit, so the pork can fit and cook evenly, removed any remnants of yesterday
Gathers the boxes of meat from the cooler, 50 boxes for a friday
Brings them over to the pit
Literal Back-aching work
But knows its necessary and needs to be done
Breaks open the cardboard boxes and cuts out the meat, carefully arranging them along the pit, so they cook evenly
Puts cardboard over the meat
Cardboard keeps heat in, no way to control pits heat distribution
A process that needs to be quick, so that the meat cooks at the same time
Then closes the lid and then the real work begins
Shifting coals
Maintaining proper heat in the pit
Putting the new wood in the pit
Not only a pitmaster, but a weatherman
Maintaining proper temperature, air flow, smoke
Wind, rain, humidity, snow, heat, cold all affect the cook, and needs to be properly cared for
Sitting
Watching
Waiting
Wiping forehead with a towel
Taking sips of his water
The glow of the coals and fire illuminates his face as he
Scrolls on his phone
How did I lose you
Oh, where did I fail?
Why did you leave me
Always to sail
This sea of heartbreak, lost love an' loneliness
Memories of your caress, so divine
How I wish you were mine again, my dear
I am on this sea of tears
Sea of heartbreak
“Keep calm, and Pig Out”
The People of Red Bridges BBQ Lodge
Big John
The Pitmaster
“Born and raised in dairy”
Farmer of hydroponic tomatoes
Volunteer fireman
4 yrs at Red Bridges
41 years in BBQ/food, family had BBQ
Has pit at home, Porky’s Tanning Bed
Came to Red Bridges after being sought after by Chase at a local gym
He is an artisan, someone who shows deep care, knowledge, expertise, and has a deep connection with the meat and the coo
No corner cutting
A dying art
Setting up for others to succeed and do their job
He knows the cook is done from the coals, the smell, the feel, he is the thermometer
BBQ is a higher calling for him
51 shoulders just for a friday night
He knows pitmasters are behind the scenes, not known, but necessary
He dreams of a pit cooking school, a way to teach newbies the art and craft
Intimacy with meat and BBQ, its an extension of the person cooking it and identity of the restaurant
Loves sharing it with others
The BBQ sauna cleanses the pores
Susan
Food Prep
Childhood friend of Natalie, went to HS together
Loves the atmosphere
Enjoys the love shared amongst the staff
The tight-knit quality
She keeps the restaurant running smoothly
Aids in the quality control
That is super important to her
Does everything from scratch
No cutting corners or short cuts
Dee Dee
Hush Puppy maker
Lover of her job
An expert of her craft
40 years at Red Bridges
Loves the family atmosphere
Treats everyone with kindness
BBQ is part of life, doesn’t know life without it
Knows hushpuppies inside and out and the complex frying machinery to make them
“I love it, I love it, I love it”
Makes amazing cornbread too!
Wanda
The Server
The constant
The workhorse
Been there since 1983
Saw 7 presidents come through during her time
The people keep her here
The staff, the diners
The deep bonds and connections formed
People to talk about life with
BBQ Therapy
Knowing their orders, seeing them grow up, seeing them get married, get divorced, have children, have grandchildren
Knowing she has a small part in their growing up
Sure, she’s seen her celebrity or two come through the restaurant, like Vince Neil or Mickey Rooney
She knows when to challenge, when to support, when to play along, and when to have fun
Immensely knowledgeable and skilled at being able to serve the countless diners she’s served over the years
And everyone is important to her
Yes, this sea of heartbreak, lost love an' loneliness
Memories of your caress, so divine
I wanna feel the heat with somebody
How I wish you were mine again, my dear
I wanna dance with somebody
I'm on this sea of tears
Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody
Sea of heartbreak
With somebody who loves me
It's a sea of heartbreak
