INGOOD TASTE
Candid conversations with the dining scene ’ s most engaging chefs
Redd Howe , Owner & Chef , Uncle Redd ’ s BBQ
Uncle Redd ’ s BBQ 6535 Saltsburg Road , Penn Hills ; 412.636.7711 facebook . com / unclereddsrestaurant
On the Menu : Southern , homestyle comfort food prepared fresh and grilled daily , including ribs , chicken , chicken wings , pulled pork , kielbasa and hot sausage as well as succulent sides of cole slaw , potato salad , green beans , baked beans and mac ‘ n cheese . Walk-ins , take-out or made-to-order , the menu can be catered for parties , cookouts , festivals and fairs — to name a few .
Describe the moment you found a passion for food .
Q A It was at an early age when I started working in restaurants . I
was 16 and one of my first jobs was at The Oliver Building Restaurant in the Oliver Building , downtown . I was the busboy and moved up to the dishwasher . From there I became a cook . The passion to cook grabbed a hold of me and I knew I wanted to serve people with food .
What led you to open Uncle Redd ’ s BBQ ? In 2015 , my cousin , Posey , had a BBQ restaurant called Mr . Ribbs on Fifth Avenue , next to the Consol Energy Center [ now PPG Paints Arena ]. He had that place for more than 20 years and I was working there for him . Unfortunately , two years ago he was struck by a drunk driver . When that tragedy happened I decided to open my own restaurant to continue the family legacy .
What do you love about cooking ? I ’ ve been cooking all of my life and I can do it with my eyes closed — it ’ s what I love to do . And I do it solo . I start every day at 9 a . m . to get the grill hot . Once it ’ s hot and I start placing my meats to cook and everything else is good to go , I wait for people to come through the door . The restaurant business is up and down and seasons don ’ t make a difference . However , spring and summer are a much better time of the year for me because my grill is in the front of the restaurant and people are out-and-about looking to try something good like my ribs , half chicken , chicken wings and pulled pork . I create lunch specials that I change every few days when I make kielbasa , hot sausage or hot dogs . One of my purveyors is the Restaurant Depot in the Strip District . Everything is fresh and cooked daily .
What kitchen tools can ’ t you live without ? I couldn ’ t do any of this without my grills . I had them made out of an old steel oil tank . The larger of the two tanks is approximately 6 ' x 4 ' and the other is a little bigger than a backyard grill which is only used to whip up my chicken . I don ’ t mix chicken with pork . Some people who don ’ t or can ’ t eat pork prefer not to have the two mixed and they can taste it . To keep my customers happy I put chicken on one grill and pork on the other .
What are your favorite go-to ingredients ? Seasoning salt . It can season everything . Plus , you can ’ t go wrong with it . It has no MSG so people who can ’ t eat MSG can eat the seasoning salt . I keep my customers in mind for everything I cook , from the meats to all the sides . But my wife , Robin , makes the potato salad . She comes in , whips it up and she ’ s gone . Her potato salad is just a shade better than mine .
Best advice for a novice ? You have to have restaurant experience before opening your own place . Before any of that , you have to have a passion for cooking . If you don ’ t have a passion for it , you aren ’ t going to do it for long . This business is knowing how to deal with the public . When people come in with an attitude I find a way to turn the situation around . And , if I do a good enough job , they might give me a tip .
Redd Howe , Owner & Chef of Uncle Redd ’ s BBQ in Penn Hills .
What ’ s the next big food or dining trend ? Mobile units are still hot and I would like to own one for Uncle Redd ’ s someday . I can do access fairs and festivals so much better . Pull my food truck up , open up the sides and I ’ m ready for business in 10 minutes . That would be my next big thing . n
— Reese Randall
Platters of Uncle Redd ’ s BBQ Ribs .
Photos provided by Uncle Redd ’ s BBQ .
Uncle Redd ’ s BBQ in Penn Hills . Uncle Redd ’ s Potato Salad .
10 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Norwin