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Mark's Feed Store Bar-B-Q & Catering

4 star rating
based on 35 reviews

Categories: Barbeque, Caterers  [Edit]

1514 Bardstown Rd
Louisville, KY 40205
(502) 458-1570
Hours:

Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Attire:
Casual
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street, Private Lot
Price Range:
$$
Good for Groups:
Yes
Good for Kids:
Yes
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
Yes
Good for:
Lunch, Dinner
Alcohol:
Beer & Wine Only

35 reviews for Mark's Feed Store Bar-B-Q & Catering

Review Highlights   

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"It's worth the trip for the deep fried pickles alone." (in 7 reviews)
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"The ribs are very tender- the meat falls right off the bone." (in 4 reviews)
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"The ribs are tender, smoked, yummy heaven for carnivores." (in 16 reviews)
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Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Elites'
Photo of patrick t.

Elite '09

16

111

patrick t.

Long Beach, CA

4 star rating
6/15/2009

I wish we had one of these back home in Long Beach.  It'll never beat Famous Dave's or even Johnny Reb's, but I think it's right up there.  And I can tell you that their takeout window service was top-notch.

We had originally wanted to eat there, but we decided it would be better served in the hotel room so we took it to go.  The way they wrapped up my ribs, baked potatoes, and fries was nothing short of incredible.  Twenty to twenty-five minutes after ordering, my food was still as fresh and hot as ever.  Even the fries were still soft and not the least bit soggy.  The ribs were juicy and tender and fall-off-the-bone great.

I don't know about the other branches, but this Mark's was a definite nice way to cap off a pretty good day.

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Photo of DooManCh u.

 

0

10

DooManCh u.

Torrance, CA

3 star rating
9/21/2009

Mark's is a nice place with good service. The baby back ribs are tasty and not soaked in sauce so that you can taste the ribs. That said, if you are looking for a smoky flavor, this is not the place for you. I had the variety plate the consisted of the ribs, pulled pork, pulled beef and chicken wings. The ribs were by far the best out of the 4 with the pulled pork and beef being very standard. I also got the fried pickles and corn. FYI, they fry their corn. Very tasty, but it is like eating a corn sponge full of grease, not my favorite.

I went on a Monday night and it was free desert day. Not that the desert was any good, but at least it was free.

If you can, look for something else. There are a lot of restaurants around that area that offer you more. That said, if you MUST get BBQ, then you won't be disappointed with the ribs. They were the difference between a rating of 2 or 3.

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Photo of Elizabeth M.

 

4

33

Elizabeth M.

Louisville, KY

2 star rating
10/10/2009

I would give this a 2.5, but I can't. This place is certainly not the best place to eat on Bardstown Road, but not miserable. Read a longer review on my blog at http://wannabeafoodcri...

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Photo of Geoff S.

 

2

28

Geoff S.

Temecula, CA

2 star rating
5/25/2009

First, if you are expecting a "real" BBQ joint that slow smokes it's meat; has wood stacked up outside; and has a smoke smell wafting thought the joint; you'll be disappointed.  This is a glorified Tony Roma.

I ordered the full rack of ribs.  They are listed as "baby back", but these are way too large to be baby backs; more like loin back ribs.  Which is fine with me because I love loin backs.  They had a fantastic amount of meat on them and were well trimmed.  

They arrived looking like they were taken out of a steamer, slathered with sauce and finished on the grill.  If these were smoked, I don't know by what.  Zero smoke ring, zero smoke flavor, zero bark, zero color other than gray.  Like I said, just like Tony Roma.  

The sides were fine.  I had slaw and a sweet potato.  Service was good and the place was empty when I ate at 2PM on a Tuesday.  

If you are looking for real, smoked BBQ; you won't find it here.  I know the menu says they slow smoke their meats for up to 12 hours, but they must smoke the meat for the pulled pork because they sure don't smoke the ribs.  

I would not go back again.

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Photo of Nicole W.

 

11

127

Nicole W.

Louisville, KY

2 star rating
4/16/2009

Not bad, but okay.

First, I should admit that we make our own BBQ and ribs at home with our own smoker. Second, I should admit that we mostly like sweeter sauce. As a result, I wasn't too impressed.

I ordered the pulled pork lunch sandwich with smoked beans. The beans were fantastic. The pork wasn't bad, but just okay.

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Photo of Gina S.

Elite '09

49

199

Gina S.

Chicago, IL

4 star rating
12/3/2008

I was hesitant about trying this place on a recent trip to Louisville due to the fact that it's part of a chain. I still happened to squeeze it in as the last meal before heading over to the airport and am I ever happy that I did. The food is soooo good and the portions are huge. Two of us split a half-slab plate, some honey wings and an order of deep fried pickles. Delicious! The ribs were juicy and meat-y, the honey wings made me tingle and the deep fried pickle was divine.

Overall, for two of us there was way too much food (but we managed to finish). The next time I travel to Louisville I will stop back! Droooool.

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Photo of carolynne r.

Elite '09

331

703

carolynne r.

Chicago, IL

5 star rating
7/31/2008

With a name like Mark's Feed Store, I was a little skeptical of quality.  Would this be some laminate-covered, tray-wielding cafeteria set up where people ate as though from troughs?  I didn't have high hopes to tell you the truth.

But this place rocks!  Its in this cute brick building, with old vintage signs hanging up and a very fun vibe inside.  I was so glad I skipped lunch that day too because portions are VERY generous.  

We ordered the fried pickles because, well, you just have to!  Fried pickles are ridiculous and crazy and downright delightful.  Then I ordered a half slab of ribs.  This came with a huge piece of toast and two sides.  The coleslaw I got was terrible and I didn't eat it.  But I am very picky about my coleslaw so don't go by my recommendation on that.  I also got the baked apple, which was nice & sweet and complimented the sauce on the ribs nicely.  Ribs are wet BBQ, and you have a choice of 3 sauces on the table to add more flavour if you want.  The yellow one, which I think was mustard based, was the best.  

Prices were SO good for what we got.  All this plus prompt, friendly service?  ooh, that's dangerous.  Glad this place is 6 hours away from me!

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Photo of Andy M.

Elite '09

115

246

Andy M.

Chicago, IL

4 star rating
8/5/2008

Large Portions, Great BBQ sauce and good service is the theme of this wonderful eatery.  It's worth the trip for the deep fried pickles alone.  But the Ribs that I ordered were so tender that the meat fell off of the bone.  
Mark's is not for any of you light eaters or anyone on a diet.  But if you have a craving for a great BBQ dinner in a fun environment.  I would suggest that you give Marks a try.

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Photo of Denis S.

Elite '09

192

838

Denis S.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
8/18/2008

This was some great BBQ.  Great fried pickles (you heard me), great baby back ribs, really really really good chicken, and some OK (somewhat dry) beef, and honey wings.

The meat slid off the ribs and had no fat on them whatsoever.  The honey wings were good, but the honey sauce was a bit too vinegary for my taste.  The beef was dry and was only somewhat saved by the BBQ sauces.  By far the best was the chicken.  I've never had chicken this tender.  I didn't even know it was possible.  Now that I know, it'll be hard to eat other chickens.  

Now onto the sides. There were baked beans, which my friend was obsessed and called the best beans he'd ever eaten. There were fries, that were not fried enough for my taste, but very fresh.  There was killer corn on the cob, which I devoured, and

Then we got free dessert (because it's Monday, of course).  I got the hot fudge Sunday, with nuts.  When the say "with nuts" they really mean it.  They were very good and very fresh nuts.  But enough about their nuts.  My friend got the buttermilk crunch, which he said was incredible, but recommends getting the buttermilk pie instead.  

All that for $36 flat, not a bad deal.

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Photo of Frank F.

 

0

13

Frank F.

Miami, FL

4 star rating
7/7/2009

Very good bbq, pulled meats aren't smothered in sauce so u can really enjoy da que. Baby back ribs were xclnt too. Definately check it out again.

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Photo of lane h.

 

40

38

lane h.

Alameda, CA

2 star rating
8/3/2008

I heard good things about this place and was eager to try it out. But I've had better.

We had the pulled pork sandwich platters. I ordered their deep fried corn on the cob, coleslaw and baked beans for my sides.

The coleslaw was terrible, it could have been dressed with dishwater it was so flat and flavorless.

The deep fried corn wasn't all that interesting and when I asked for butter for it, the waitress gave me a look like she'd never heard of buttered corn on the cob. When she brought me a few packs of country crock margarine, I gave up all hope.

The pulled pork was ok. my homemade BBQ sauce is better. Their beans were good and that was about it.

I wouldn't eat there again, I don't think.

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Photo of Leon I.

 

5

26

Leon I.

New York, NY

3 star rating
4/9/2009

I'm not an expert on Kentucky Bar-B-Q, and although I didn't have a huge problem with the food at Mark's Feed Store, I don't think it represents authentic local cuisine. Most of what I had was good enough (the pork tasty was tender if a little dry, and needing the sauces on the table), but the green beans were watery and listless.
There is a thing about a place like this that always bugs me. There's a kind of manufactured charm. It's only a step away from the TGIF "Wacky Things on the Wall" kind of atmosphere. It's all set up to seem more rustic than it is. There's a fine line here because sometimes this kind of thing works, but here I smell corporate board rooms and marketing consultants.
I get the feeling that there is something going on here other than a strong opinion about how Bar-B-Q should be done, on the barrel-head, challenging all comers.
That being said, it's certainly not a place to be avoided...

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Photo of Jesse L.

Elite '09

10

101

Jesse L.

Hoffman Estates, IL

5 star rating
4/18/2008 1 photo

The family and myself were looking for a real nice sit down BBQ place, so I went looking on Yelp and I found this place. It had so many good reviews, we decided that this would be the place to try.

It's on the corner of Sherwood and Bardstown and it's in a building that looked like it could have been an old apartment building. It was really cool! We walked inside and waited to be seated and let me tell you that the hostess was so cute and polite. I never see anyone act this friendly in Chicago. She gave us the rundown of what the good choices on the menu was while we were waiting, and then eventually seated us.

I ordered the honeywings dinner and let me just tell you that these were the best wings that I've ever had, hands down! Oh my god! They were covered in the wonderful honey glaze that was reminiscent to a sweet french-toast-with-syrup taste. Too weird? Yeah, well so am I. It was amazing!

What I liked about how the food is presented is that they aren't on dishes, they're in baking pans. I loved it! The hostess recommended the corn on the cob that I also tried it. She said it was dipped in soy and even though it sounds weird, it was really good. Man, was she right. The flavor of the corn has this extra kick of flavor to it. It really does add a lot to the corn. Even the fries were great, and although they weren't the crispiest I've had, still had this awesome seasoning which made up for lack of crispiness.

Our waitress was on top of her game. She made sure to come by and check on us often enough to help us, but not enough to bug us. She even had a good sense of humor about how we can't say "Louisville" properly. Apparently, it's pronounced "Lou ville." We all had a good chuckle over it.

Overall, this is the place to go if you want some amazing barbecue. Seriously. You really should try it. I'm shocked this place hasn't been on the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." It's just that good! And how cool is the name of the place?!

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Photo of Matthew S.

Elite '09

98

308

Matthew S.

Brooklyn, NY

4 star rating
5/12/2009

been to mark's about 34,398 times (and another 12, 567 times when it was Another Place Sandwich Shop).  'effing delicious bbq.  it's not quite the quality you'll find on the back roads of north carolina or down in memphis but it's solid, delicious, traditional bbq.  the sides are just as great: corn on the cob, fries, beans, amazing slaw and burgoo.

go with the pulled pork.

eat here and then go browse ear-x-tacy for a couple hours.

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Photo of Andrew d.

 

2

36

Andrew d.

Newburyport, MA

1 star rating
10/21/2008

Below typical chain restaurant food. (BEWARE: they have four locations.)

Perhaps it was just an off day but when you expected real Southern BBQ and you get to chose from maybe six items and the atmosphere is generic you are left wanting.

With a restaurant name with 'feed store' in it you expect the food to be something extra special to make up for its name.

One of our guests - and there were 7 of us, said that her Burgoo (think stew/gumbo) smelled like a urinal. Only one of us enjoyed their meal [ribs] but I too had ribs and didn't think much of them. All of us felt that the service was great, as our waitress was attentive and very nice.

Barely edible.

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Photo of brian b.

 

1

105

brian b.

Chicago, IL

4 star rating
5/11/2009

I was not expecting much here but was surprised at the quality of the BBQ. It's a very casual, unfancy sort of place. The BBQ in my opinion was excellent. Great ribs and pulled pork. BBQ chicken also fantastic. Decent size portions with cold bottled beer to wash it down with. Every BBQ joint bottles and sells it's own BBQ sauce but this is one of those places that you need to buy some to bring home, it's that good. I'd go here agin anytime.

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Photo of Mel S.

Elite '09

188

115

Mel S.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
6/11/2008

Nothing but fond memories of this place.  I haven't been here in years, but I'm sure it's still as delicious and cheap as always.  This was always where I made my best friend take me when visiting him back in our college days.

I LOVE YOU MARK'S FEED STORE!

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Photo of Jesse W.

 

18

323

Jesse W.

Hilo, HI

4 star rating
1/10/2009

12/31/08: New Year's dinner here before heading out for the night. On a normal night, I'm told that this place is packed, we didn't have to contend with a crowd (about half full) and got excellent service. I ordered the pulled pork dinner, it came with their homemade coleslaw, fries (proud to say that i resisted them and didn't eat them), greenbeans and country toast (slathered in butter). My wife ordered the BBQ rib dinner with mostly the same sides - both entrees were well prepared, came quickly and tasted great. We also tried the deep fried pickles, very unique taste and quite different than what we expected.  Our server was very helpful and checked on our table regularly.

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Photo of Victoria L.

Elite '09

99

470

Victoria L.

Seattle, WA

4 star rating
1/21/2008

I absolutely LOVE the red sauce.  Hands down, the best sauce ever.  The ribs are tender, smoked, yummy heaven for carnivores.

The cole slaw sucks.  The potato salad is bland.  The fries do not impress me.

But, dammit, the ribs are awesome.

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Photo of Jasson S.

 

0

33

Jasson S.

Mountain View, CA

2 star rating
9/22/2008 1 photo

I went here based on the Yelp ranking but I have to admit I wasn't impressed.

The wait staff was great but the food definitely did not live up to the hype.

The mixed platter was a ton of food, but must of it was lukewarm and the chicken wings were cold on the inside. The sauce was added as an after thought and the meats wasn't cooked with it. Not that the sauces were all that impressive... the ones that came with my dish were either super-sweet or tasted like they used way too much vinegar.

Don't get me wrong, their BBQ is better than we have out here in California, but I've most definitely had better.

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Photo of Mr and Mrs G.

 

7

97

Mr and Mrs G.

Louisville, KY

5 star rating
3/19/2008

Mr says.... love the corn! Burger is more than enough for me...

Mrs says... end up eating here by mistake but surely a PERFECT mistake. I would say this by far the best bar-b-que place in town. Ribs are just so tender and succulent. Sauce is not over powering. Just the right taste. Sides are ok but just come here for RIBS and you'll never go wrong!

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Photo of Lisa H.

 

7

50

Lisa H.

Reno, NV

4 star rating
6/29/2007

Pretty good barbecue for not a lot of money. I was here for a conference a few weeks ago and the food was good. The portions are fairly large size overall. The ribs are very tender- the meat falls right off the bone. I had a side of the grilled sugar corn and that was great- decent cole slaw as well and a ginormous cup of sweet tea to wash it down. For appetizers we had fried pickles and onion strings which were great. I love fried pickles!!! We had some kind of sweet pie for dessert and I can't remember the name- but it was very very sweet.

The waitress was fantastic- very quick and friendly. She even took a picture of our group for us. Overall it was a fun time and great for a hungry group.

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Photo of Ryan C.

Elite '09

39

148

Ryan C.

Chicago, IL

5 star rating
10/1/2007

The absolute best BBQ.  The mustard BBQ sauce is my favorite. It's pretty cool that you are eating in what used to be an animal feed store (Bardstown Road Location).  Of the many places that I've had BBQ, nothing compares to Mark's.

The burgoo is excellent and spicy.  If you are a toast fan, like myself, then you'll love the Texas toast.  

If you don't mind the heartburn, get a huge helping of the Onion Straw. I'm sure your cholesterol level will go up, but it's soooo worth it.  I recommend getting the combo plate to taste all of it.

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Photo of Jay R.

 

0

34

Jay R.

Louisville, KY

4 star rating
7/10/2008

Mark's Feed Store has a good atmosphere for kids  where Tuesdays kids eat free and once a month they have a little craft thing for the kids.  Their bar-b-q sauces are great.  Decent size rib portions and the pulled pork is usually pretty good.  Get the fried corn as a side.  You won't be disappointed.

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Photo of Jesse W.

Elite '09

14

89

Jesse W.

Atlanta, GA

4 star rating
7/16/2008

The memories I have of eating at Mark's is as good as the bbq. If your a fan a cooked meat covered in delicious sauce, this place is for you.

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Photo of Emily M.

 

0

9

Emily M.

Chicago, IL

5 star rating
6/7/2008

Fantastic bargain - husband and I eat there for usually under $15.00 .  Consistently great barbeque, sides are good (especially the spicy fries, sweet corn on the cob, and potato salad).  Plus Mondays are free dessert  nights - yum!

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Photo of Anthony P.

 

5

5

Anthony P.

Cuyahoga, OH

4 star rating
7/27/2008

Very friendly staff, good food, reasonable prices. I can't think of anything about this place that would be a reason to not check it out.

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Photo of The D.

 

1

17

The D.

Louisville, KY

4 star rating
7/13/2008

I had the pulled pork platter with "fried" corn on the cob. I was not dissappointed with any of it. After finishing the plate, the spicy ghost of the BBQ sauce stayed with me a good 15mins or more. Ah, gotta love the phatom sensations! The presentation was apropos to the venue.
If I were to give it a zagat review it would be:
Food 26, Decor 18, service 28 price Moderate.

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Photo of Claire P.

 

33

95

Claire P.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
6/12/2008

I miss this place....a lot. Mark's is one of my favorite restaurants in Louisville. I love the pulled pork, love the potato salad, and they have this pie sundae dessert thingy that's just awesome! I also like that they serve diet doctor pepper. Great food and great prices!

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Photo of Penelope B.

Elite '09

5

48

Penelope B.

Boulder, CO

4 star rating
8/13/2008

Thanks to Yelp and a GPS we ended up here while road tripping to Tennessee. It was very good, extremely reasonably priced with friendly and efficient service. We had chicken, as we had eaten ribs in Kansas City the day before. The chicken and sauces (we liked the sweeter one) were delicious. Tender, moist, and flavorful. Good fries. I tried the fried corn on the cob as I'd never seen that on a menu. Interesting, but I prefer corn grilled in the husk. The rib portions looked gigantic. I asked about the Buttermilk Pie and our server comped me a small slice. It was tasty and very hard to describe. This was the only part of Louisville we saw but it appeared to be a neat neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops.

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Photo of Greg B.

Elite '09

242

257

Greg B.

Sacramento, CA

5 star rating
7/10/2007

Mark's Feedstore is where I passed a kidney stone in the urinal.  What a relief! It's also the place I took my wife on our first date. And no, I did not pass the stone on that said first date. This place kicks ass! It's a got-damned jewel in the Highland's. The ribs are amazing. They fall off the bone and are juicy juicy tender. The BBQ sauce is tangy and deliciouso. The fries taste perfect with the ribs. The corn on the cob is also one-of-a-kind spacial. This rib joint has the checkered tablecloths the ceramic pig out front and great service too. One of my Louisville favorites.

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Photo of Aaron H.

 

4

75

Aaron H.

Boulder, CO

4 star rating
8/29/2008

Oh man. Went here with Grandma when I was in town to visit and it was great. Glad I don't live in Louisville or this place would have me halfway to a heart attack. The honey wings were sweet and crispy.  The barbecue was perfect with the tangy sauce. The burgoo was not anything to write home about but one miss isn't bad. I love Mark's!

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Photo of Tre P.

 

3

7

Tre P.

Louisville, KY

4 star rating
4/14/2008

If you like Bar-B-Q then Mark's is a great place. Service is friendly, food is a solid value for the money. Good stuff!

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Photo of Jim G.

 

12

184

Jim G.

Louisville, KY

4 star rating
7/5/2007

This is affordable, solid, bar-b-q.

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Photo of Mike E.

 

9

191

Mike E.

Tucson, AZ

4 star rating
6/8/2007

Good consistent barbecue. In the fall they had the most delicious pumpkin pie spice cake. It had an unusual, dense spice cake topping on pumpkin pie. You can buy the sauce here or in the stores.

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