Today we took a trip to Benson, NC to visit The Redneck BBQ Lab. They’re located just off of I-40 at Exit 319 on Highway 210. You can also get there from I-95 if you’re up for a nice country drive. Just use your GPS or Smart Phones to find the best route. Don’t you just love a smart phone? I’d be lost without mine.

We actually headed towards Smithfield, NC after eating. Made a quick stop at the Carolina Outlets there then headed up Hwy. 301 towards Kenly, NC. Once there we took and even longer route home. It was a beautiful ride through Carolina’s farm land country. Does anyone other than bikers and my fellow Jeepers like to just go for rides anymore? Seems to be a dying experience. Too many interstates and people in too big of a rush to enjoy our beautiful country. Sad.

The Restaurant and Staff:

Anyways, moving along, The Redneck BBQ Lab is located in a gas convenience center. They’re on one end, the convenience store is in the middle and another restaurant is on the other end.

They have a small dining room with maybe 5 tables and some seating at a counter. There are also some picnic tables outside. Everyone there was very nice and they were all working hard to keep up with the crowd that came in behind us. You place your order at a window inside. Once your order is ready they call your name and you pick it up at a different window.

We arrived at the right time and were able to get an inside table. Another young lady kept an eye on the dining room and the guests that were in there. Like I said, they became very busy after we arrived. Inside was very clean. They also have a display of competition awards for their décor. It is quite impressive with many local, state and national awards.

Tammy’s Choices at The Redneck BBQ Lab:

So here we go with the food choices at The Redneck BBQ Lab. The main reason I chose to make this trip today was for Tammy to get some Burnt Ends. Her sides today were Green Beans and BBQ Potatoes. Before I continue let me inform you if you go for Burnt Ends they only have them on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Plan accordingly.

First the sides. The green beans were fantastic. Seasoned perfectly and cooked up nice and tender. They’re home-style country cooking at its finest. The bbq potatoes were just as good. They use new potatoes, cover them in a mild sauce and slow bake them. Just wonderful.

And the burnt ends are awesome. They were worth the 3 hour ride to The Redneck BBQ Lab by themselves. And you order the amount you want. You can get ¼, ½ or a full pound of these wonderful smoked chunks of brisket. They are served with sauce which blends perfectly with the flavors of the meat and smoke. Once you make that decision you decide whether you want 1 or 2 sides. My advice would be to go big and have a cooler for leftovers, if there are any.

My Choices at The Redneck BBQ Lab:

I decided on 3 Meats and 2 Sides for my meal. My meats were Pulled Pork, Sliced Brisket, and Sausage. Baked Beans and Brunswick Stew were my sides. With these meats you also choose how much you want. I went with ¼ pound of each and 1 sausage link.

The baked beans were delicious. They slow cook them overnight with brown sugar and bacon. I simply loved the Brunswick Stew. It had a slight tomato base and just a pinch of heat. Loaded with meat, potatoes, and veggies I will definitely get that again.

Then there are the meats. The pulled pork was great. I now know how The Redneck BBQ Lab has won so many awards. You do not need sauce for this pulled pork. What else can I say? The brisket is in the same category with the pork. It’s just wonderful. Look at the picture and you can see the nice smoke ring and the burnt edges. It’s also tender and delicious.

The sausage was really good. It is a summer sausage and it has a great flavor. I don’t think I’d order it again with the pork and brisket. I’d probably order the pork and brisket in the ½ pound size instead. If I were in the mood for the sausage I’d order it as an only meat and add some sides.

One last thing. Each meal is served with pickled okra and onions plus a piece of cornbread. These were wonderful additions to round out our meals.

Sauces:

I did try 3 different sauces at The Redneck BBQ Lab. First there is the NC BBQ Sawse. It’s a good vinegar based sauce with a touch of sweet to take some of the vinegar bite away. Very good. Next came the Competition BBQ Sawse. It’s a tangy tomato based sauce with a little sweet and a little heat. This one was really good. Finally comes the Competition Beef BBQ Sawse. Similar to the BBQ Sawse but didn’t have the same tangy flavor.

All three of the sauces are fantastic. I just had no need for them. These smoked meats were great without sauce.

Desserts:

Tammy had a homemade 10 Layer Yellow Cake with Chocolate Icing. I tried a bite and it was perfect. I did love it but I chose to let Tammy enjoy her cake. While she did that I finished off her burnt ends and potatoes. That was my dessert.

Final Thoughts:

Wow. We’ve talked about going here a few times but never made it before now. It’s just a long ride for us unless we’re going that direction for something. Well after eating here I’ve decided that The Redneck BBQ Lab is not too far away. I know that we will return. Usually when you find somewhere this wonderful you can still find something not so great. This was not the case here. Everything we ate was top quality. You get fair portions. In fact they weigh it out so you know you’re getting what you ordered. No surprises there. I love this place. Even though they have not been in business as a restaurant long, I’d love to see them expand into a larger location. Can’t wait to go back.

Now For Your Thoughts:

Now let us know what you think about The Redneck BBQ Lab. Have you visited them in your travels? How did it go? Was your experience as good as ours? Get some comments in so I can post them with this review.

What do you regulars think?

How about the regulars? With the crowd we saw come in after us there has to be a huge local following. What are your favorites? What are the people there like? Employees are welcome to comment too. We’d love to hear from all of you. Add your comments and I’ll post them as soon as possible.

I look forward to hearing from you.

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You can check out their website at: http://theredneckbbqlab.com/

You can also find them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/RedneckBBQLab

Enjoy the ride, good eating and thanks for stopping by.