Red’s True BBQ in Shoreditch

Welcome to Church. Red's True BBQ makes a deliberate sermon of its Shoreditch room, from the red neon inside and out to the invitation to come and worship. The smoky aroma hits on entry, and downstairs the bar serves naughtier versions of the classics: a Jamaican Mojito, Georgia Hobo and Red's Own Iced Tea. Beer jerky and jerky beer stix are divine bar snacks; the crackling, sadly, was the worst we've had. The tone is sinful, noisy and knowingly excessive, which is exactly the point.

The Good Book menu arrives with its own ten commandments, but the meat platter deserves a more discriminating reading. St Louis ribs are not great, baby backs nothing special and the rib tips are best ignored. Jerk country rib and pulled pork are good; the cheese and jalapeño sausage, smoked sticky chicken and pit-smoked wings are average. Then the beef arrives: Jacob's Ladder is meaty and very good, black Angus brisket is awesome, and the burnt ends are worth a return visit. Five Southern sauces, from habanero chilli to Carolina vinegar, keep the table busy.

The ox-cheek bone luge with bone marrow may be the best BBQ extravaganza you can have, and the Doughnut Burger — two patties, melted cheese, smoked peppered bacon, crispy onions and dirty sauce between glazed doughnuts — was called the best burger ever: disgustingly good, proper sick. Desserts are poor, though the boozy chocolate and salted-caramel milkshake is rich indulgence. Red's is uneven, but some of its beef options are godly, and the gluttony is part of the fun.