What’s on offer?
A love of jazz and blues sparked Jeanette Bryson and her husband Eoin Sheridan’s interest in barbecue. They travelled through six southern US states to explore it first hand.
Initially, they traded from a rented food truck, before a 2021 residency above Grand Central Bar in Derry, where they stayed for over a year. They built up a following, and in October 2022 opened The Dirty Souls at Kinnegar Brewery in Letterkenny and COUPE by The Dirty Souls on Shipquay Street in Derry – both in the same weekend.
Their food is based on central Texas-style barbecue, inspired by Irish ingredients. They use a custom-built offset horizontal smoker, an impressive piece of kit, designed for low-and-slow barbecue. The offset firebox sits to the side, with heat and smoke flowing through the main chamber to cook meat indirectly, using wood supplied by Goodwood Fuels in Co Louth.
The menu features beef brisket, pork ribs, pork belly and pulled pork, and periodically includes turkey and chicken. House hot links will soon be hitting the menu. All sauces, brines, and rubs are made in-house.
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Beef is sourced from Shane McConnell Butchers in Ballybofey, pork (not free range), comes from William Grant’s, and chicken (not free range), is from O’Donnell’s, and from Polish or Hungarian producers.
What did we order?
Brisket box, pork belly burnt ends and Nashville chicken.
How was the service?
You order directly at the trailer window; service is efficient and the food comes out fast.
Was the food nice?
The pork belly burnt ends came as a dozen small cubes, slow-cooked for softness then finished with a caramelised char. Rich, smoky and fatty in all the right ways, they were served with a bun, fries, and two barbecue sauces – a classic red and a Carolina-style yellow with a sharp vinegar-mustard bite.
The brisket arrived in two thick slices, tender with a great bark and clean smoke flavour. Served with the same set-up as the burnt ends – bun, fries, pickled onions, gherkins, and both sauces – it felt like the core expression of what The Dirty Souls is about: straightforward, high-quality barbecue.
Nashville chicken came as three large, well-seasoned pieces with good heat and solid crunch. The spicy mayo added depth. Not as complex as the smoked meats but bold, satisfying and well made.
What about the packaging?
All packaging is recyclable or compostable.
What did it cost?
€44.50 for dinner for three people: brisket box, €16; pork belly burnt ends, €15; and Nashville chicken, €13.50.
Where does it deliver?
Open Thursday, 5pm-8pm; Friday, 4pm-8pm; and Saturday, 2pm-8pm. Delivery locally through Just Eat.
Would I order it again?
Yes. This is great barbecue.
