from The Richmond Times Dispatch, Wednesday, October 8

Barbecue in, out or catered
WORKING LUNCH: Red Hot & Blue
Wednesday, Oct 08, 2008 - 12:06 AM Updated: 10:13 AM
By OLYMPIA MEOLA

TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

I am not a barbecue expert. I can't tell you which regions certain varieties come from and why folks there do things the way they do.
But I enjoy tearing into a barbecue sandwich every now and again, and this time, I took a crack at Red Hot & Blue on West Broad Street.
It's tucked back from the street, and even its large sign featuring guitar-wielding pigs is camouflaged in the commercial corridor's clutter.
I went early to avoid the lunch crush and was the only customer-- so A+ for speedy service, and for not making me feel like a weirdo for arriving so early for a chicken sandwich.
The blues stars whose pictures hang on the walls kept me company as I waited at the bar, which is separated from the restaurant by a low barrier. For cubicle dwellers who want a little sunshine with their rib platter, there is an outdoor patio. Others may prefer the video poker machine at the bar.
The menu features about what you'd expect: wings, catfish fingers, meat-topped salads, chili, St. Louis-style ribs (half rack for $13.99 and $22.99 full slab), pork and chicken sandwiches, barbecue platters, burgers, stick-to-the-ribs sides and entrees such as meatloaf.
Most of the burgers, barbecue sandwiches, salads and stews won't set you back more than a Hamilton. Several lunch specials -- offered through 2 p.m. -- were also offered.
I ordered pulled chicken, which was piled on a pretty typical hamburger bun. The accompanying coleslaw wasn't too "mayonnaisey," which "Grandma's potato salad" made up for. All that and a pickle cost $7.99. Barbecue sauce comes on the side, and you can pick from a handful of varieties: mild, sweet, spicy, etc.
The portion should satisfy a healthy appetite, though the chicken was a little dry for my liking. The more sauce I added, the better it tasted.
A separate entrance off the parking lot caters to the takeout crowd; you can also order party-sized portions of food. You can pick it up or they will cater.
The Richmond location of Red Hot & Blue joins others in the chain across Virginia, and several other states you automatically think of when you think of barbecue -- such as New Jersey.
Contact Olympia Meola at (804) 649-6812 or Omeola@timesdispatch.com.