Food: The Shed BBQ Comes To Red River
These are just a few of the pleasures of eating barbecue at night, pleasures we would be ignorant of if not for The Shed barbecue and their recent arrival as the official in-house restaurant of the Red River favorite The Mohawk. Having ditched the wheels of their trailer for the more elegant corrugated metal of their hastily constructed, well, shed, owners Brett Orrison and Taylor Byrd are making their mark on Central Texas barbecue by appealing to a market with deep pockets and impaired decision making ability: the drunk. It’s a symbiotic relationship, however, and Orrison and Byrd are having as much fun with their homegrown venture as the head-bangers and arm-wavers downstairs.
Built from junkyard scraps and youthful optimism by Orrison’s brother Brad, the original Mississippi iteration of The Shed (barbecue and blues joint) has spread locations quickly across the south, making its first foray into Austin during SXSW. It’s a family affair, as Mr. Orrison Sr., father to Brett and Brad, makes the sauce and dry rubs himself at the family saucery in Mississippi. After 500 miles in the back of Brett’s truck, Mohawk visitors are guaranteed a fully ripened sauce. Brisket, baby back ribs, and a pineapple and coleslaw sandwich round out the menu, but those in the know eat pulled pork, beer in hand.
For such an impromptu vibe, The Shed has held their own in a competitive market. Having been voted the best pork sandwich by the NBBQA (National BBQ Association) and featured on Live With Regis and Kelly (both high honors in our book), the move to The Mohawk is perhaps the next natural stage in its development. One question remains, though: do you want to eat a half pound of meat at 1:15 in the morning? If you do, The Shed has you covered.
The Shed BBQ is located at The Mohawk (10th and Red River) and is open from 8pm-2am on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
