John Vest

February 29-March 3
Barbecue Cheesesteak

March 7-10
Brisket Pastrami

March 14-17
Corned Beef and Cheddar

March 21-24
Chicago-Style Italian Beef

March 28-30
Philly-Inspired Roast Pork

After one month, we’ve been very pleased with our new hours and menu updates. Being open four days a week is much more efficient and cost effective, and is giving me some needed time away from the kitchen for my personal/family life and non-cooking business. We’ve been selling more barbecue than ever, people are clearly happy to have Midnights and burgers available every day, making pizzas all weekend has been a hit, and doing weekly specials instead of daily specials has worked well for us and for customers. Thanks for your support and for a great start to 2024!

Here are two additional menu updates that we announced on social media over the past month.

Pepperoni Update

When it comes to Chicago-style deep dish pizza, I’ve always been a sausage guy. The only pepperoni pizza that stood out in my mind was one I ate at the original Pizzeria Uno. In my memory, the pepperoni was sliced thick, which I really enjoyed, so that’s how we cut the pepperoni for our pizzas.

Some online comments alerted me to the fact that some people find the thick-sliced pepperoni difficult to eat. I discussed this with my wife, a big fan of pepperoni deep dish. She reminded me that our favorite Chicago pizzeria, Pizano’s, cut their pepperoni thin and layered the slices on the pizza.

So I experimented with this approach and really like the result. It’s the same amount of pepperoni by weight, but sliced thin and covering the entire pizza. Moving forward, this is how we’ll be doing pepperoni pizzas. It’s packed with pepperoni flavor and easier to eat.

Pastrami Update

When we introduced brisket pastrami last spring, it was our Saturday special. We sliced it hot for sandwiches and by the pound, and whatever we didn’t sell was available in the deli case on subsequent days until it was gone. On certain days we would also offer a toasted pastrami sandwich special with the cold-sliced meat.

Week before last, when our weekly special was barbecue cheesesteak, it became clear that offering the toasted pastrami sandwich in addition to the cheesesteak, Midnights, burgers, and hoecakes was a little too much for our small flat top. So, we are switching pastrami to a weekly special that we will offer from time to time like our other weekly specials.

We’re back, barbecue fans! We have a few menu updates to open 2024 and begin our third year on Lauderdale.

First, we’re switching back to local bread. While the Martin’s rolls served their purpose, nothing beats premium local bread to go with our premium local barbecue.

We’re also experimenting with Tidewater Slaw this week, a more traditional Southern slaw with celery seeds and carrots.

Midnight in Virginia (our Cuban-style pressed sandwich) and the Redemption Burger (double smash burger with bacon, cheese, and onions) are back on the menu every day. Welcome back, friends…we missed you.

Speaking of things we missed, the fryer is back in operation, so we’ve got those delicious lard fries you’ve been craving. Praise the Lard!

Moving forward, specials will run for the whole week, so you have more opportunities to indulge. We’re kicking things off this week with the Pork Belly Bahn Mi we experimented with before the break.

Starting next week, brisket pastrami will be sliced hot on Thursday and sliced cold thereafter until sold out.

Finally, as we announced earlier in the week, our Chicago-style deep dish pizzas are now available all weekend: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We still need an hour and we still have limited capacity, so don’t wait until the last minute to schedule your order.

It’s hard to believe that this week marks the second anniversary of opening Redemption BBQ & Market in Short Pump. We are very grateful for the support of longtime fans and new customers alike. It has been a joy and privilege to share our food with you.

Over the past two years we have worked hard at honing our craft in our little storefront on Lauderdale Drive, constantly striving to improve our Virginia-style barbecue and other menu items. We have also experimented with a variety of business hours, trying to strike the right balance between our product, our location, staffing needs, food costs, work/life balance, and a host of other variables.

After reviewing 2023, I came to the conclusion that focusing attention on our strongest business days is the most effective and sustainable way for us to offer the highest quality take-out and dine-in service at this time. So, beginning this week the restaurant and market will be open Thursday through Sunday from 11:30 AM to 7:00 PM. We will be closed for regular business on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. However, you can still schedule catering orders for any day of the week (there is a $500 minimum on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday).

Tomorrow I’ll announce some menu changes for the new year, but one change we’re happy to share in relation to the new schedule is that Chicago-style deep dish pizzas will now be available all weekend—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!