Pinnacle Peak

Pinnacle Peak
269 W. Foothill Blvd
San Dimas, Ca 91773
909-599-5312

Pinnacle Peak is the home of the "Famous Cowboy Steak" Well I've been to Pinnacle Peak three times and this last time I thought the quality of the steak has gone down.

Pictured is the steak and ribs combo for $18.99. All dinners come with salad, which is your typical prepared salad you get in a bag and beans, which I didn't have. The steak is a center cut top sirlion cooked medium rare. The steaks are cooked over mesquite wood but I there wasn't any mesquite flavor. Not sure exactly what happened but it was flavorless. Though it was tender and lean, very little to no fat at all. The steak was a little undercooked for medium rare but I like my steaks on the rare side.

The ribs were babybacks and while meaty, they didn't have any flavor, except for the BBQ sauce. The meat was slowed cooked in an oven and was tender but they are your yuppie, suburban ribs. The BBQ sauce was a sweet tomato based sauce. Nothing to write home about, but it did add flavor to some flavorless ribs.

The service was pretty good. The server was being trained and she did well. Though she was a little slow in refilling our drinks and she almost forgot to ask what kind of dressing we would like on our salads. She asked that, just as she was leaving. But she worked hard and was good overall.

I wouldn't go back to Pinnacle Peak because as I said the quality of the steak has gone down. I've had the center cut sirlion before and it was tender and had lots of flavor. But now the steaks are flavorless and while still tender, I wouldn't go back.

Big B's BBQ

Big B's BBQ
1948 Placentia
Fullerton
714-528-7427

This must be a bad ribs week for me. First the ribs at Pinnacle Peak was bad. Now the ribs at Big B's BBQ in Fullerton are among the worst ribs I've ever had. They are even worse than ribs from Tony Roma's.

I ordered the half rack of babybacks, which are the only type of ribs they serve, for $8.89. There were six bones to the rack. As you can see there is very little in the way of a rub on the ribs, just a little salt and pepper. The ribs are cooked in an oven and then finished on the grill. The typical suburban BBQ. YUCK. The ribs were meaty and tender but then again babybacks normally are. But they lacked any type of flavor. The BBQ sauce is pretty good. The sauce is thin and has a kick to it. They add some flavor to the ribs but then again anything would.

Service was pretty good and quick. Big B's is mostly a take-out place but there are four tables. Brian's is a college bar next door that is owned by the same owner as Big B's. Not too tough to figure out what the B stands for. So if you wanted to have a couple beers and some bad ribs, you can also order at Brians. The crowd at Brians tend to be a college crowd but mostly it's a bunch of the typical jerk people from OC. I wouldn't go back to Big B's especially with Blake's Place BBQ so close.

Smokey's Rib Factory BBQ

Smokey's Rib Factory BBQ
6131 Atlantic Ave
Long Beach
562-423-4044

Smokey's is just south of the 91 Freeway, on Atlantic. They will be moving to Long Beach Blvd and Victoria within the next few months. It's clear to see why, since everything on their block is being torn down. I have been here once a few years ago and wasn't impressed with the ribs at all. But I was in the area and said what the hell, give them another chance.

I ordered a half a rack of pork ribs for $11.37. I wish I never ordered the ribs. They had the nice flavor and smell of lighter fluid. The ribs were dry and had a lot of fat. After eating two ribs I started to feel sick and just gave the ribs away to people walking by. The ribs were served hot and the BBQ sauce was very good with a nice balance between sweet and spicy.

The service is good. But when the food is bad, service really doesn't matter. I would not go back, even to their new location.

Phillips-Leimert Park

Phillips's
4307 Leimert Blvd.
LA
323/292-7613

As readers of The New Diner knows, I love Phillips. Since I was in the general area, I decided to head to the first Phillip's I ever went to, in Leimert Park. Well they didn't disappoint. I ordered a pork rib dinner with double macaroni salad and NO sauce for $11.25. The ribs are soooooo good at Phillips you don't need them. The sauce is good though but I would never order the hot version. That is just way too hot for my tastes.

Unless you have perfect timing, expect to wait awhile at Phillips. There are always a line 4-5 people deep. But service is quick. Phillip's is take out only so if you want to eat your ribs, go a few block west to Crenshaw, then go north and there are some fast food places where you can sit down and enjoy the best BBQ ribs you'll ever have.

When my ribs came out they were hot and the smell was so good, I just had to try one. The smoke flavor was awesome. They were tender and very meaty. I was so full after eating one and a half burgers I only ate one rib and then saved the rest for lunch on Sunday. WOW the ribs were awesome even after being in the fridge for about 24 hours. The smoke flavor was still there and the ribs were still tender. The mac salad is very creamy.

Phillips is the best BBQ ribs place in LA. I've been to all three locations and all three locations always serve great BBQ.

Chris and Pitts BBQ

Chris and Pitts BBQ
601 Euclid
Anaheim
714-635-2601

Chris and Pitts has five locations in the LA-OC area. Think of the old time Love's and Victoria Station and you have Chris and Pitts.

I ordered the spares ribs al carte for $11.80. I think the ribs are cooked directly over hickory wood. The ribs were about average in terms of amount of meat and very tough and dry. Sharpen your teeth before eating at Chris and Pitts. A decent smoke flavor was present but not overwhelming. The sauce has a very strong flavor, not spicy, just strong as though one ingredient overpowers everything else.

Service was good and quick. I did hear and see, a couple return their plate of ribs, chicken and beef because the meat wasn't cooked. I personally didn't experience that, as the ribs were overcooked but it did happen right in front of me.

I wouldn't go back to Chris and Pitts. Prices are high and the food isn't worth the high prices. I would much rather go to Phillips in LA and Blake's Place in Anaheim.

L & L Hawaiian BBQ

L & L Hawaiian BBQ
515 Grand Ave
Walnut
909-444-0030

L & L Hawaiian BBQ is a chain that started in Hawaii and has spread like crazy in California. I have been to L & L before and I was impressed with their prices, quality of food, and amount of food. But this time I was only impressed with the amount of food.

I order the seafood combo for $8.43 which includes fried mahi mahi, fried shrimp, and teriyaki steak. Included in all plates and combos is two scoops of rice and one scoop of macroni salad.

L & L cooks everything to order. There are no heat lamps and junk like that, so expect to wait for your food. They gave me at least half a pound of the teriyaki steak, the shrimp was huge and the mahi mahi was a good size. The macroni salad is very good, better than most mac salad I've tried. The rice is a sticky, sushi type rice. The fried shrimp was nice and hot but too hard and crunchy. The fried mahi mahi was very salty and just didn't seem to be fresh at all. I wasn't impressed. I did like the teriyaki steak, nice flavor and tenderness but it had too much fat for me tastes.

While I didn't go home hungry, I wasn't that impressed with L & L this time. I wouldn't rush back. A good value to be sure but the quality has gone done while the prices have gone up. Not a good combination.

Blake's Place

Blake's Place
2901 Miraloma Ave.
Anaheim
714-630-8574

As mentioned in my review about Mr. Berry's BBQ I decided to vist Blake's place in Anaheim. I was in a very bad mood before going to Blake's. So I wasn't in the mood to take a lot of BS or anything. But for the moment I walked into the door my mood got better quickly. I was greeted with a warm smile and "Hi. How can I help you?" After she who took my order, she answered the questions I had about their Chino location. They sold their Chino location about two weeks ago. She was saying what a great person the new owner of Mr. Berry's is. She mentioned that she is the owner along with her husband. They really know how to treat customers and customer service is awesome. This experience reinforced a lesson I've learned but don't always follow; you can make somebody's day just by smiling.

I ordered the half slab of pork spare ribs for $9.64. The pricing at Blake's and Mr. Berry's are almost the same. So I didn't want a pork rib plate for $13.95 when I could get more ribs for much less. I don't go to a BBQ place for the sides. They use a small amount of rub, which is kinda bland. They use hickory to smoke their meats but the ribs could use more time in the smoker. The ribs are huge with lots of meat and little fat. They are a steal at $10. The sauce has a sweeter taste than I like but it added a nice flavor to the ribs.

As mentioned earlier the service is awesome. I will go back again. Nobody will beat their service. I don't know if they the service would be different if the cashier was a hired worker instead of the owner or if the owner wasn't there. But the service I got was the best. This is the best place for BBQ ribs in Orange County.

Ruth’s Place

Ruth’s Place
1236 Civic Center Dr.
Santa Ana, CA 92703
714-953-9454

Near the Santa Ana Civic Center is Ruth's Place. Billed as a soul food restaurant more than a BBQ restaurant so taking that into consideration I still wanted to try the ribs. The ribs with two sides, I got double mac and cheese, were $9.64.

First the mac and cheese. Not good at all. Really it's macaroni and small pieces of cheese mixed in. The macaroni was tender but with very little cheese it was dry barely edible pasta.

The ribs weren't much better. The ribs were very thin with a small amount of meat. What's worse it that the ribs were dry and just plain terrible. The tomato based sauce, did add some flavor but nothing could hide the dry, bad tasting ribs. The ribs are not smoked. So for you BBQ purists this isn't a place you want to try.

The cornbread was actually good. A very nice crunch on the outside and moist inside.

Service is good and while there are two tables inside it's mostly a take out place. I wouldn't go to Ruth's again. If you're in the neighborhood, go to Burrell's. It's much better.

Mr.Berry's BBQ

Mr.Berry's BBQ
5670 Schaefer Ave.
Chino
909-902-5222

Mr. Berry's is in an industrial area and it would be very easy to miss their location. As you can see the only sign is a BBQ sign so look for tables with umbrellas and you should find Mr. Berry's. Mr. Berry's used to be another BBQ place called Blake's Place. Blake's still has a location in Anaheim which will be reviewed soon. Blake's Place Review


I get there about 1pm and I take a look at their menu. Lots of items are crossed out because they sold out. So I said what the hell, did somebody forget to fire up the pit? Luckily a batch of pork spare ribs were ready but for whatever reason, they didn't tell the cashier.

So I order the pork rib plate, with beans and cole slaw, for $12.99, only later would I realize how stupid that was. The plate had three huge pieces of ribs and one tiny end piece. While it maybe hard to tell, there was a small smoke ring. There wasn't an overwhelming smoke flavor and the ribs were on the dry, tough, chewy side. They also had a lot of fat and was average at best. The sauce had a very strong paprika taste and was on the mild side.

Serve was OK but if another lady didn't tell the cashier they had pork ribs, they would have lost a sale. What I meant by how stupid it was ordering the pork plate was as I looked on the menu a half rack of pork ribs al carte was $7.95. Let me tell you the beans and cole slaw wasn't worth the extra four dollars.

Tulsa Rib Co

Tulsa Rib Co.
954 N. Tustin Ave.
Orange, CA 92867
714-633-3760

Tulsa Rib is one of the best places for BBQ ribs around. The ribs are baby back and while they do not smoke them, they are great. They also have more meat than almost every other place that serves ribs.

I ordered the lunch portion for $12.88. The lunch portion is half a rack of baby backs with baked beans, cole slaw and your choice of potato, I got the Tulsa potatoes. The ribs are very tender and have so much meat on them. The BBQ sauce is a little on the spicy side and I really like their sauce.

Cole slaw is OK, nothing special. The beans are nice and a little spicy as they use the BBQ sauce. I'm not really a baked beans fan but these are pretty good. The Tulsa potatoes are thick cut and deep fried a nice golden brown. I like them much better than regular freedom fries.

Tulsa is a great place for dinner. Very fast service. I think the lunch portion is a great value. I was stuffed after three pieces of rib and a few Tulsa potatoes. I always go back and I have always had great meals there.

JJ's Fish and BBQ

JJ's Fish and BBQ
814 Mountain
Ontario
909-460-7727

The "909" doesn't have many good BBQ places. JJ's would be about the middle of the pack. JJ's isn't bad but it's not great either. There are two tables at JJ's but this is a take out. If you can't wait to eat the BBQ, take the food into Jack in the Box, which is in the same parking lot, buy a soda and dig in.

I ordered the rib lunch, with rice, for $7.75. I saw a smoker in the back and I was informed that mesquite is used to smoke the meat. Well there isn't the classic smoke ring and there wasn't any smoke flavor. The ribs are rubbed with lots and lots of paprika. But the ribs are on the tough and small size. Also I think he uses a microwave oven to reheat the ribs. I liked the tomato based sauce. Very good combination of spices, again lots of paprika.

JJ's is OK but I don't see the need to go back. Service is good.

Prayer Assembly Church BBQ

Prayer Assembly Church BBQ
442 E El Segundo Blvd
LA, CA 90061
310-523-2481
Friday and Saturday ONLY until 9pm.

Yes I know it may seem different for a church to serve BBQ but Prayer Assembly Church serves up good BBQ every Fri and Saturday.

Driving on El Segundo Blvd, just west of Alavon, you will see a very long line and smoke coming from the BBQ. I ordered the pork ribs dinner for $9.99 with beans and potatoe salad. The ribs can be on the dry side but have a good smoke flavor. A couple of the ribs I had were very tough on the outside, as though they were on the smoker a little too long. As you can see they give you a ton of ribs. The sauce is on the sweet side and adds little to the taste of the meat. The beans are good and the potatoe salad is one of the better potatoe salads around.

Besides the tough and dry ribs, the line can be very long and slow. I must have waited 45 minutes in line before I placed an order. There are so many better BBQ places close by that I wouldn't return.

Bad 2 Da Bone BBQ

Bad 2 Da Bone BBQ
4566 Century
Inglewood
310-671-6600

What could be better than a late night BBQ or a good BBQ meal before flying out of LAX? Well Bad 2 Da Bone offers very good BBQ, close to LAX and they open until midnight.

I ordered the lunch portion of ribs for $6.25. The ribs are St. Louis style with a very nice and spicy outer crust. I love the blend of spices they use. The ribs are very well smoked and tender. The BBQ sauce is spicy about medium, but I don't like the sauce too much. But the ribs from Bad 2 Da Bone are soo good you don't need any sauce!!!

Dinner portions offer two sides and a dessert!!! Try the sweet potato pie or the lemon pound cake.

Service is very good. This is a take out place only. So I will go a couple blocks west on Century to a fast food burger place and order a soda there and eat this great BBQ there.

Bam Bam Bar B Que

Bam Bam Bar B Que
853 E. Route 66
Glendora, CA 91740
626-914-4754

I found Bam Bam while driving on Route 66. I wish the BBQ here was better because I would come back. I ordered a lunch special, one beef rib, one pork rib, one hot link, corn on the cob, and coleslaw for $6.99.

All the meats are stored in steam trays. They take the meat, then dip the meat into a sweet BBQ sauce. The meats are not smoke but cooked in an oven. I think they are overcooked because the meat is just too soft and mushy. Sure it's falling off the bone but I hate that.

The pork rib did have a lot of meat but the meat was flavorless. The sauce didn't add much as it was too sweet and very thick.

The beef rib, suprisingly had a lot of meat on it. But again the meat was flavorless.

I did like the hot link, more on the mild side than hot, but I think it would make a great hot link sandwich.

The corn on the cob was drown with butter but wasn't sweet and pretty flavorless. Coleslaw was OK but "dry" not much mayo on there.

Nice service by the young lady there but I wouldn't go back to Bam Bam for the ribs.

Texas Rib & BBQ

Texas Rib & BBQ
23600 Rockfield Blvd
Lake Forest
949-830-8700

Texas Rib and BBQ is a one of the better BBQ places in South Orange County. But that's like saying somebody is the best snowboard in Arizona. Meaning it's not that big of a deal.

I ordered the rib and one meat combo, tri tip, with double macaroni salad as the sides for $11.84.

Within ten minutes, three very small sized ribs and about 1/4 lb of tri tip were sitting in front of me. The ribs had a nice flavor but not a smoked flavor. The spices they use help bring out the flavor in the meat.

The tri tip was on the dry side and was tough.

Both the tri tip and ribs were on the warm side.

The BBQ sauce is on the sweet side and really adds nothing to meat.

I think TexasRib and BBQ is overpriced for the amount of meat you get. The ribs are good, not great but when you pay almost $12 for the ribs combo, you would think you would get more ribs or at least bigger pieces of rib.

I wouldn't go back even if I was in the area.

Rib Factory #1

Rib Factory #1
10113 Artesia Blvd.
Bellflower, CA 90706
(562) 866-0223

Rib Factory claims to be the #1 ribs in Southern California. I don't think they are even the #1 ribs on Artesia Blvd. Chris and Pitts is a couple blocks down the Artesia and the ribs there are better than the ribs I got at Rib Factory.

Rib Factory opened in 1977 by somebody named Norm Calvin, who was from Texas. I never went to Rib Factory when Mr. Calvin owned it but the new/current owners have no clue about ribs.

Pictured is the lunch portion of the pork ribs with hush puppies, for $6.40. They normally serve lunch portions from 11-3 but they were nice enough to serve it to me. So I'll give them some props for that. The ribs were so small and thin. Some parts were burnt and very tough. They lacked any kind of smoke flavor and most of the ribs were fat.

The hush puppies were served cold as was the Texas toast. The toast was pretty good but would have been much better served hot. The hush puppies were not crunchy at all and seemed as they have been sitting around forever.

Not impressed at all by the Rib Factory. I wouldn't go back and like I said Chris and Pitts would have been a much better option.

Big Mama’s Rib Shack

Big Mama’s Rib Shack
1453 Lake Ave
Pasadena
626-797-1792

Big Mama's Rib Shack is more of a Soul Food restaurant than a ribs place. I ordered the BBQ ribs lunch portion with double mac and cheese for $9.18. Which included an extra 25 cent charge for take out orders.

Three big pieces of ribs came out nice and hot. But they were not smoked, they were grilled over hickory wood. But the ribs are good. They are nice and tender and have a nice seasoning on them. The BBQ sauce was tomato based and was on the spicy side but I wasn't impressed with it. Too thin and it didn't add to the flavor of the ribs.

The mac and cheese was nothing special. I don't understand what part of mac and cheese people don't understand. It's not 90% mac and 10% cheese. This batch of mac and cheese barely had any cheese.

Service is pretty good. Though the wait was a little long, about 15 minutes for the ribs.

I would go back but I wouldn't rush back for the ribs. I would try some of the other items on their menu like smothered steak and their jumbo.

Buckboard BBQ &Grill

Buckboard BBQ & Grill
1386 E Foothill Blvd
Upland, CA
909-608-7393

This is a Santa Maria style BBQ restaurant but it rates a distant second the the Santa Maria BBQ in Culver City.

I have been to Buckboard three times. The first two times I ordered the Rustler Combo for $8.95. Sliced tri-tip and beef rib. The rib was just ok. Not as meaty as some other places with beef ribs but the tri tip was very tender and juicy.

The last time I went to Buckboard they have pork ribs on the menu!!! They will combine the pork rib and tri tip for $8.95. The tri tip is good as always and they give you a ton of tri tip. The pork ribs were not good, very thin, overcooked and lack any kind of smoke flavor or smoke ring. The BBQ sauce is too sweet.

All dinners include a salad, I ordered the green salad nothing special and garlic fresh bread.

A great meal would be pork ribs at Red Hill across the street and tri tip at Buckboard.

I like Buckboard. Prices are great and the portions are huge.

Nice service and friendly people. They allowed me to sample their Tri-Tip Chili and it was very good.

Gerald Whilhitte's Spices BBQ

Gerald Whilhitte's Spices BBQ
10431 Lemon Ave Ste H
Alta Loma, CA 91737-3763
909-948-9854

I've been here three times. Once I got the Combo plate that included ribs, brisket, and hot link. The next time I got the chopped pork sandwich. The third and final time for a lunch portion, pork ribs for $7.58.

I do not like this place at all. On the high side in terms of price and the food isn't good. The ribs lunch at Red Hill BQQ about five miles south is much better and is a dollar less. The Ribs lack any kind of smoke flavor. They are also small and thin as hell. And they were tough, almost burnt. Not a good combination at all. The BBQ sauce is awful.

The brisket has too much fat and the chopped pork sandwich was so dry, I almost choked on the meat. The BBQ sauce must have been an afterthought.

I only went back the second time to get Whilhitte's autograph. He played for the Denver Broncos. He also has photos of that horse face, crybaby QB, which of course get on my bad side. I went back the third and last time because a friend wanted to try BBQ places in the area so we went to RedHill and Spices. Also I was able to take pictures of the sorry excuse for ribs.

I would not go back again. To be honest, with how bad the food is, I'm surprised the store is still open.

Redhill BBQ

Redhill BBQ
8111 Foothill Blvd Ste B
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730-3108
909-920-0558

The first time I ever had the BBQ at Redhill, I thought their BBQ sauce was the worst ever. Redhill was part of a BBQ tasteoff with Woody's and Wilhitte's. We ordered the pork ribs, beef ribs and sliced beef from each location. The ribs were good. Great smoked flavor and full of meat. The sliced beef is brisket and is ok.

After the first time, I decided to try again. This time for some reason the BBQ sauce was much better. The sauce had a lot of flavor and a good kick. So I've been back many times and the sauce is always the same. Not sure what happened the first time. But the meat is always good with a good smoked flavor.

Pictured is the pork rib plate for $6.45 which is a lunch portion.

You can see the BBQ pits and the mesquite wood they use. Many times those pitts are giving off that wonderful BBQ smell as you drive up to Redhill.

This place is my favorite of the three in the general area. Mostly take out but there are a few tables.

Joey’s

Joey’s
117 W.2nd St.
Pomona.CA.91769
909-865-0699

Joey's menu says Mesquite Charcoal and Hickory wood cooking, good thing they say cooking instead of BBQing. Joey's cooks their meat over high heat. They do not smoke their meats. But that being said, it is a very good BBQ place and one of the few options in the area, unless people want to drive up to Woody's or Red Hill BBQ. Joey's has three locations but I think the Pomona location, at the corner of 2nd St. and Garey, has the better surroundings. After eating you can walk around antique row and look at all the older brick buildings, wonderful architecture.

The porks ala carte is $6.50 and they are nice enough to give you a large piece of garlic toast. The ribs are huge, well worth the $6.50 price. There is a ton of meat on the ribs and they are nice and tender. Again the ribs are not smoked so they lack the smoke ring. But the ribs are very good but at times can have a little too much fat. A lunch portion of BBQ ribs is $10.75 and includes two sides. I usually order the corn cobbette and fries. Nothing special about either, so ordering the ribs ala carte maybe the better way to go. The BBQ sauce is a thick tomato base and too sweet for my tastes.

Good service and the meals are served quickly.

The Chino location has a singing Cowboy every Saturday. The Upland location is a little hard to find as they sign is kinda of hidden. But I haven't been to either of location.

R & W Bar B Que

R & W Bar B Que
522 W Willow St,
Long Beach, CA 90806
(562) 426-2129

R & W is about a mile east of the 710 Freeway on Willow. Pictured is the Pork Rib with cole slow and rice and gravy for $8.95. The ribs are smoked but aren't smoke enough. This is more like a Santa Maria BBQ, when they grill the meat over hickory wood. So it cooks faster and has some smoke flavor but lack that good overall smoke flavor. But the ribs are tender, maybe just a little too tender. As you can see they give you a good portion and the ribs are very meaty. The BBQ suace is just run of the mill.

The cole slaw is nothing to write home about. The rice and gravy is bland.

Overall I think R & W is good but LBQ is much better. One thing service while friendly is very slow. It took 25 minutes to get my order ready and I was the only person when I ordered.

The Swinging Door BBQ

The Swinging Door BBQ
11018 Van Owen
North Hollywood
818-763-8996

The Swinging Door is a new BBQ place that has many of the idiots at Chowhounds debating about what real BBQ is. Well Swinging Door is real BBQ. They smoke the meat right in front of the restaurant. You can smell smoke a mile away. I guess The Swinging Door was having issues with running out of meat, especially beef ribs when they first opened. Well beef ribs are not on the menu anymore. But I'm sure the idiots on Chowhounds will find something else to cry about.

I ordered the Basket of Ribs with one side for $9.50. The ribs are listed as ala carte but the Swinging Door is nice enough to give you a free side order, I ordered Mac and cheese.

I loved the ribs. They were nice and tender. Had a great smoke flavor, look at the smoke ring in the picture of the ribs. They are great. The BBQ sauce is a light, sweet tomato based sauce that was OK. But the ribs are the best ribs I've had at a BBQ in the Valley. The mac and cheese isn't anything special but when the ribs are great, who cares?

The service is great. Friendly and helpful. They even allowed me to sample their links, brisket, and chicken breast while I was waiting. I saw them slicing the tri tip and it looked sooo good, next time I am order the two meat combo and get the ribs and tri tip. The link was good, mild and not too spicy. The brisket was nice and tender and the couple slices I had there was no fat. The chicken was a little overcooked but I liked the flavor and would order it again.

I think I found my favorite BBQ place in the Valley. Great service and great food is a combo that can't be beat.

Ribs USA

Ribs USA
2711 W Olive Ave.
Burbank
818-841-8872

Rated as one of the Top Nine BBQ places by9 On the Town, Ribs USA is in the shadow of many TV studios in the Burbank area. Many actors and actresses have autographed photos on the wall for Ribs USA. I can't see how Ribs USA was rated in the Top 9. They serve babyback and beefs ribs. As you know, I got the full slab o babyback ribs for $20. Good thing I was going to split the slab with a friend because the ribs were not any good.

The ribs from Ribs USA are not smoked. If you been to Tony Roma's, you know the kind of ribs at Ribs USA. The ribs are slow roasted in an oven and they lack flavor and they are not meaty.

The BBQ sauce is a very sweet, tomato based sauce that adds nothing to ribs.

I understand everybody has different taste but I don't understand how Ribs USA is ranked in the Top 9 of BBQ places in LA. I could go to any Tony Roma's and get as good or better ribs.

Mom's Bar-B-Que

Mom's Bar-B-Que
1050 W Imperial Hwy.
LA
323-756-8405

Mom's Bar-B-Que is a small little shack on Imperial Hwy, just west of Vermont. I will make a stop at Mom's when taking the 105 freeway. I love this place. Mom's is take out only. At the corner of Vermont and Imperial Hwy there is a Louisiana Fried Chicken that you maybe able to sit down and eat. The BBQ travels well since I only eat the BBQ about 45 minutes after I ordered.

I ordered the lunch order of pork ribs for $8.50. The ribs are smoked over hickory wood. As you're driving on Imperial Hwy, you can smell and see the smoke coming out from Mom's. The lunch order has four ribs and one side. Dinner orders have five ribs and two sides. The sides aren't anything special and I usually ask for double bread and they will give it to me for no extra charge. The ribs are great. Nice smoked flavor, tender but not falling off the bone tender. There is very little fat on these ribs. This place is the Rib Nest minus the attitude.

I'm not a big fan of the BBQ sauce, too sweet, even the medium, for my tastes. But the ribs are so good you don't need BBQ sauce.

I do not believe this Mom's has anything to do with the Mom's in Van Nuys. I have never had a bad meal at mom's. They get it right every time.

Phillips Bar B Que #2

Phillips Bar B Que #2
1517 Centinela Ave
Inglewood
310-412-7135

I finally went to all three Phillips Bar B Que locations. There is no difference between any of them. They are all great and some of the best BBQ in the LA area. All Phillips are take out only. Phillips #2 is on Centinela just east of La Tejeria.

I ordered the pork ribs for $11.50 which includes a 25 cent charge for sauce on the side. I understand why they charge for sauce on the side and I don't care because Phillips is great BBQ. The ribs are excellant. They have a great smoked flavor and are tender. I ordered the mix BBQ sauce. Well it's very spicy for my tastes. It's hotter than most hot versions of salsa. It's very spicy. I will stick to the mild sauce which is tends to be on the sweet side.

But Phillips BBQ is so good you don't need BBQ sauce. The meat is so good and right under your nose is a wonderful smoke flavor.

The two sides were mac salad and cole slaw. I didn't care for the cole slaw but the mac salad was very creamy and fresh.

The Phillips on Crenshaw and Adams is the newest location. The first location is in Leimert Park. I don't notice any differences between the three locations. One of the best BBQ in the LA area.

Santa Maria BBQ

Santa Maria BBQ
9739 Culver Blvd
Culver City
310-842-8169

I have found the BEST Santa Maria style BBQ place in LA. Santa Maria BBQ in Culver is just plain AWESOME. I ordered the two meat combo with babyback ribs and tri tip with cole slaw and a salad as my two sides. Well worth the very inexpensive $9.25 price as the portions are huge.

I always eat one rib without putting any sauce. After my first bite of the baby back ribs, I knew I wouldn't need any BBQ sauce. The ribs were very tender and the flavor was awesome. Just the right amount of spice and smoke flavor. Next time I go it will order a full rack of baby backs. The tri tip was lean and had a nice smoke flavor. There is no need for any kind of BBQ sauce or salsa with any of the meats.

The coleslaw was ok. Nothing special. The salad was very fresh and the honey mustard dressing was so creamy. Not sure if the dressing is a home made or bottled dressing but it's great.

I will certainly go back soon. The service was very good and the people were nice. I went around 1pm and there were some very good looking women eating there. I love that kind of scenery. They will be moving to new location, a couple blocks north, of their current location, on Culver.

I can't wait to go back to Santa Maria BBQ!!!! They are closed on Sundays. Parking can be a bit of a problem.

Texas Barbecue King

Texas Barbecue King
867 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-437-0885

Bobby Flay did a profile of Texas Barbecue King on the Food Network. Barbecue King is on the corner of Sunset Blvd and Figueroa in what looks like an industrial building, with the bbq pitts smoking away in the front.

Pork spare ribs with mac and cheese and well done fries and a medium drink was $14.59. The first rib I had was burnt on the outside. Not a good start. The rest of the ribs had way too much fat on them. They lack smoked flavor and even though I know they do smoke the ribs, they don't smoke the ribs long enough. The BBQ sauce is on the sweet side. This is actually my second time at Texas BBQ King and the first time the ribs were very tough. This time the ribs were too tender also mushy. Not good.

They just finished making the mac and cheese and I wasn't impressed. They basically melt cheese on top of cooked macaroni. The fries were terrible. I asked for well done and they were cold and needed another 2-3 minutes in the fry to just be done.

The service was nice and friendly. But if you go at night, either make a camp fire or bring your own flashlight. The dining room is very dark.

Overall not a great BBQ place. I won't go back.

Outdoor Grill

Outdoor Grill
18697 Devonshire St.
Northridge, CA 91324
818-363-6500

I've seen the Culver City location driving to Tito's Tacos but never stopped in. So I'm in Northridge and decide to try Outdoor Grill. The Northridge location is just west of Reseda Blvd in the Albertson's shopping center.

I order the rib combo ala carte for $10.77. The rib combo included two beef ribs and four baby back ribs. The Outdoor Grill cooks their meat in an oven and then applys BBQ sauce over the ribs. I tried the baby backs first and wasn't impressed. The ribs were small even for baby backs and the ribs were charred all over the place. They were a bit tough to chew and lack any kind of flavor. The spicy BBQ sauce added some flavor to the ribs but the regular BBQ sauce was just glorified ketchup.

The beef ribs wern't any better. They were also charred and tough. Again the spicy BBQ sauce added flavor to the ribs but not enough.

I saw people order the tri tip and it did look very good but I wouldn't go back to the Northridge location nor would I try their Culver City location.

Mr Cecil’s

Mr Cecil’s
12244 Pico Blvd
LA, CA
310-441-1550

I wanted to try the original Mr. Cecil's and see if it's better than the Sherman Oaks location. Interesting that the Mr. Cecil's on Pico is near an adult book store. The Pico location isn't as upscale as the Sherman Oaks location. But the food maybe worse.

I order the 1/3 rack of St. Louis spare ribs to go. The waitress forgot to give me napkins, so I went back and got some. The ribs were small and there wasn't any type of smoke flavor. The ribs were $9.69. The sauce I was given was so sweet and terrible, was is the use?

I will not return to any Mr. Cecil's location again. The ribs are not good and the service at the Pico location can improve.

Rib Nest

Rib Nest
1766 W El Segundo Blvd
Gardena
310-329-6378

The Rib Nest is just west of the 110 Freeway on El Segundo Blvd. There are a few tables to sit and eat there but it mostly take out orders. I order the half slab of pork ribs with sauce on the side. The ribs are very good. They lack any kind of rub but there is a good smoke flavor and the BBQ sauce is good. It starts out sweet but then the spices hit and makes for a wonderful combination with the ribs. One of the better ribs places I've been to in a long time. And after having skinny St. Louis style ribs the past few times I've had BBQ, it was good to see huge pieces of ribs.

I would go back to Rib Nest if somebody else worked behind the counter. ATTITUDE with all capitol letters!!! She was OK enough taking my order but I only ate two pieces there and wanted to take the rest home. I asked for a wetnap and very rudely she said they don't have any. So I asked her to wet some napkins so I can clean my hands. After a couple minutes to think about she finally went and watered down a couple napkins.

Then I want to put the ribs in a syrafoam container. As the picture shows, the ribs came in a paper basket. I know that won't travel too well. I saw people with the syrafoam containers and asked for her one. She said I can give you a bag. I told her, you gave other people those containers. She saidwe don't put the half racks in those containers and if we did it for me, they would have to do it for everybody. Well duh. She finally relented and gave me the container.

I enjoyed the ribs, one of the better ribs places in LA. But the terrible service and attitude isn't something I want to deal with. If you can put up with the attitude, you will have some of the best BBQ in LA.

Update April 26, 2009

I finally went back to Rib Nest, three years after I first enjoyed their great ribs.

I got the lunch portion ribs with mac and cheese, $8.15. The ribs still had the great smoke flavor, a wonderful bark, and were tender. But this time the ribs had a lot more fat and grizzle!! Not sure why, maybe the Rib Nest is using lower quality ribs? Not sure what the exact reason is, but I didn't enjoy these ribs as I did before, because they just had too much fat.

The mac and cheese was pretty good but I think they could have had more cheese. Tender, well cooked pasta but not much cheese. The small amount of cheese was nicely melted and tasted good, they just need to add more cheese.

Service was much better. A young man was very nice and friendly. There wasn't a fork for the mac and cheese and the guy was nice about giving me a fork. No attitude. He even said sorry for not putting a fork in the bag. Service was much improved.

I still would go back to Rib Nest, they smoke their ribs right. But I wasn't impressed with the amount of fat on the ribs, during this trip.

Ribs on the Run

Ribs on the Run
24881 Alicia Parkway #C
Laguna Hills
949-380-7427

Ribs On the Run is just south of the 5 freeway in Laguna Hills. They like to brag that the Yankees, Angels and other major league baseball teams order ribs from them. Well I think the teams could find another place to order ribs from.

I order the 1/3 rack of St. Louis ribs with double mac and cheese for $9.69. Once I saw the guy place the ribs on a grill and start "finishing" them I didn't hold up much hope that this was going to be a good place. I was right. The ribs lacked any kind of smoke flavor. No question the ribs were cooked in an oven and finished on the grill. I don't know what it is but the past few times I've had St. Louis ribs they have been on the small side. The BBQ sauce was just a spicy ketchup mixture that didn't add anything to the ribs. The mac and cheese was mostly hot mac and about 1/4 teaspoon of cheese. The idea of mac and cheese is equal parts mac and cheese. Not 98% mac and 2% cheese.

I noticed they had Nathans hot dogs there so I decide to order a Chicago style hot dog. Big mistake. The hot dog didn't come with mustard, an important part of a Chicago dog. The hot dog itself didn't taste like any Nathan's hot dog I've ever had. The onions were fresh but they were cut in bigger portions than normal. The relish seemed like any relish on the supermarket shelf.

I will not return to Ribs on the Run.

Johnny Reb's

Johnny Reb's
2940 E. Chapman Ave.
Orange
714633-3369

Johnny Reb's was listed as one of the Top 9 BBQ places in the LA area by 9 On The Town.

http://www.9onthetown.com/Segments/1199top9bbq.htm

So I decide to try what it's all about. First thing I find out Reb is short for Rebels. Not politically correct but the servers are far from being a Southern racist idiot.

I ordered the half rack of the St. Louis Style ribs for $12.29, with Texas caviar and well done fries as my two sides. I only ordered the Texas caviar as a way to say Thank you to the T-sips for beating the FRAUD usc team the other night. Texas caviar is black eyed peas in a vinaigrette, served chilled. I like black eyed peas but Texas Caviar isn't for me.

The well done fries were ok. A little better than normal but when I first tasted them, they weren't that hot. So either it was sitting around for awhile in the kitchen or the server took a while to delivery our order.

The ribs lacked a rub or at least I couldn't taste any rub. The ribs weren't that meaty and they had a little too much fat for my tastes. Backwoods had more meat on the ribs. A good smoke flavor though not overpowering. The BBQ sauce was very good, maybe the best BBQ sauce I've had in a long time. Just the perfect blend of sweetness and spice. The sauce doesn't overpower the ribs.

I liked Johnny Reb's and enjoyed eating there. Johnny Rebs is about two blocks east of The Rib Trader. I would like to go back to try their chicken fried steak and their Southern breakfast.

The Rib Trader

The Rib Trader
2710 E. Chapman Ave.
Orange, CA
714-744-9288

The Rib Trader is just off Chapman Ave, east of the 55 freeway. A very nice, friendly place. I ordered a rack of St. Louis Style ribs to go. The guy taking the order was great. Very nice and welcoming. The Rib Trader has a Merlin's Magic Dinner Theater. The server answered all my questions and even gave me discount tickets to the show. I'm not sure if the server was the owner or not. But he knows the meaning of customer service.

Now for the ribs. The ribs were $16.11 for a full rack. The ribs lacked any rub. They were tender but not all that meaty. They lacked any smoked flavor. The grill marks show the ribs were finished off on the grill after baking in the oven. The sauce was very sweet.

I wouldn't go back to The Rib Trader for the ribs. I would go back to try their steak and prime rib. I would also go back to see the Magic Dinner Theater.

Backwoods BBQ

Backwoods BBQ
4300 Green River Rd Ste 102
Corona, CA 92880-1506
(951) 371-7227

I found Backwoods BBQ while doing a search for BBQ places in the Inland Empire. So after about a year, I decide to finally try Backwoods. It's pretty easy to get to, right off the 91 freeway at Greenriver.

I go at about 4pm and nobody was in the restaurant. But the restaurant is huge and has a few pool tables and a couple TV's to watch games. I order the one meat dinner with tri-tip chili and macaroni salad as my two sides. for $9.69. I wait about ten minutes for the food to arrive. The cashier seemed like the only worker actually in the restaurant. Two other workers are outside on a smoking break. One of the worker comes back and I gets my order ready.

The meal finally arrives and it looks good. Four decent sized spare ribs and nice cups of chili and mac salad. I taste the tri tip chili first. Big mistake. It is very spicy and spicy food isn't for me. There were small bits of tri tip in there but mostly it was filled with beans. I would have liked to seen more balance between the tri tip and beans. To calm down the spice, I try the mac salad. Nothing special about it, I bet it's one of those premade mac salads you buy at Costco.

Finally I go onto the ribs. Not that impressed. First of all it seems as though the ribs were reheated in the microwave and not on a grill. The ribs were very tough and they left that membrane on. Hey if you're going to have a BBQ place, please take off the membrane. There was no smoke flavor, even though they say it's mesquite smoked. The BBQ sauce is ok but nothing special.

I wasn't impressed with Backwoods and I wouldn't go back.

The Pig

The Pig
612 N. La Brea
LA CA 90036
323-935-1116

The Pig bills itself as Memphis style BBQ. It maybe Memphis style but it doesn't compare to Jay Bees for the best Memphis style ribs in LA. I ordered the 5 bones of the St. Louis style spare ribs for $10.28.

The ribs lacked a true smoke flavor. I thought I was eating Tony Roma ribs. They were a little too tender. Again falling off the bone is too tender for my tastes.

I like the Smokin Spicy BBQ sauce. Maybe the best BBQ sauce in LA. The Pig's regular sauce is way too sweet. But the ribs overall are just OK though the portions are big.

I went on a Saturday and there was a gorgeous woman eating there alone. Not sure what's wrong with her but somebody that gorgeous shouldn't be eating alone at any time.

Parking can be a problem on La Brea. The Pig is on La Brea about half a block south of Melrose. The Pig used to have a location at City Walk but that has closed.

The Beach Pit BBQ

The Beach Pit BBQ
1676 Tustin Ave.
Costa Mesa, CA
949-645-7487

The Beach Pitt BBQ is owned by the son of former Baltimore Orioles and California Angels Doug DeCinces. (The Angels were called the California Angels when DeCinces played for them thus the name)

But just as Doug DeCinces could never replace Brooks Robinson, Tim DeCinces should NOT own a BBQ and try to pass if off as real BBQ.

I walked into the Beach Pitt and went inside to the counter. The man behind the counter asked "For here or to go?" I said "I'll eat here" He replied to take a seat anywhere outside and he'll take my order.

So I go outside find a table and sit and wait. And wait and wait. I must have waited ten minutes before the he came out to take my order. What the hell he was doing, I have no idea. NOBODY was in the restuarant.

Well he finally comes and I order the big portion of the ribs for $11.95 with sauce on the side and a double order of cole slaw. What is really stupid about the pricing is that the "bigger portion" is $13.95 and you only get one more rib. While the cost per rib is about 50 cents cheaper when you get the "bigger portion" it's still not my idea of a good value.

I wait about five minutes and the order comes out with the sauce on top of the ribs. I told him, I ordered sauce on the side. He takes it back and I get a new order of ribs with sauce on the side. If he would have bought back the ribs with the sauce wiped off, I would have walked out. But he didn't so I start in on the ribs. Big mistake.

The ribs were way to tender, like they were over cooked. They didn't have any real smoke flavor and they were same of the smallest ribs I've ever had. The sauce is good. A nice flavor that would enhance a good piece of ribs. Too bad the Beach Pitt doesn't make a good piece of rib.

I would not go back to the Beach Pitt. The service is terrible. Nobody is there and I wait ten minutes for somebody to take my order??? What the hell? Prices are a little high and the ribs are very average. Not a good combination.

My Brother's Bar B-Q

My Brother's Bar B-Q
21150 Ventura Blvd
Woodland Hills CA
818-348-2020

They only serve baby back ribs at Mr. Brothers. Stepping into My Brothers is like stepping back in time when Love's Restaurant was around. Mr Brothers has the same decor as the 1970 and 80's Love Restaurant chain.

We got their in time for the early bird special and I got the baby back ribs. The baby back ribs are OK though they are not smoked at all but for $12.95 they are a good deal. The ribs were a little too well done for my tastes. Some ribs were almost burnt. The BBQ sauce was just too sweet. I got fries and the garlic mashed potato. Fries were done just right. The mashed potatoes were OK. Service was very good.

I wouldn't go back to My Brothers.

Mr. Cecil's

Mr. Cecil's
13625 Ventura Blvd
Sherman Oaks 91423
818-905-8400

Mr. Cecil's in Sherman Oaks is the suburban BBQ. What is suburban BBQ? A place that thinks cooking a piece of meat in an oven and drowning it with BBQ sauce makes it BBQ.

I ordered the 1/3 rack of St. Louis Style Ribs for $9.69. Not worth it at all. The ribs lacked any kind of smoke flavor. The liquid smoke they used must have wore off. :) The ribs were tender. The bbq sauce was one of the best I've had, a nice blend of sweetness and spice. The 1/3 rack doesn't include any sides.

I would not go back to Mr. Cecil's though I will go to their LA location on Pico and try it.

Nick's Taste of Texas

Nick's Taste of Texas
545 N Citrus Ave
Covina, CA 91723-1508
(626) 331-2824

A Tex-Mex place near the Covina stop of the the Metrolink. Nick's Taste of Texas is ok. The ribs are slow roasted in an oven and then finished on the grill. Nothing great about the ribs. They have a combo that gets you four beef and four pork ribs for about $16. The ribs are very chewy and tough. The BBQ sauce is along the lines of a sloppy joe.

Monday Night Football special gets you a $4.25 One Pound Hamburger. The burger is pretty dry.

Service can be slow. I wouldn't go back here for the BBQ.

I may try some of their Tex Mex items. The tacos look good.

LBQ

LBQ
1782 Martin Luther King Jr Ave.
Long Beach CA
562-218-0040

A nice small BBQ restaurant just south of PCH on Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. I really like their sauce. Not too sweet and has the right level of spice.

The lunch order of the pork ribs is pictured. $6.98 with two sides. A very good price and as you can tell by the picture, the ribs are huge. Nice smoke flavor and tender. Good quality and good prices make this the best BBQ in the area.

Jaybee's BBQ

Jaybee's BBQ
15915 S. Avalon Blvd
LA, CA
310-515-9221


I went to Jaybees back in April and again on Fri, Aug. 5th. As always I had the large order of pork ribs with double potatoe salad. I was little disappointed this time. The first time I got five huge pieces of ribs with a wonderful rub and sauce that was a little on the sweeet site. I thought the ribs were great, nice smokey flavor and done just right ro me, which is a little chewy but not falling off the bone tender.

When I went on Friday, I got small pieces of rib with little meat on the bone. They also didn't take the membrane off the back of the ribs. That was weird because they did take the membrane off the first time I went. The ribs had the smokey flavor and they were a little chewy and not falling off the bone.

I'm not sure if I would go back to Jaybee's. The inconsistency of the food isn't something that makes me want to go back again soon. Plus there are tons of other BBQ places that I want to try.

While driving to a friend's house, I saw there there was an M & M Soul Food on Avalon Blvd, across from the Home Depot Center. Since I will be going to the Home Depot Center I may have lunch at the M & M and give a review.

Woody’s BBQ

Woody’s BBQ
11897 Foothill Blvd
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730-3910
909-291-8125

This is one of three locations, the other locations being Inglewood and LA.

I have been to the Rancho location four times. Three of those times I got the pork ribs dinner. They give you 4-5 pieces of ribs and they ribs are very meaty. The sauce is good but a little on the spicy side. The ribs are tender but I find they lack a smoke flavor. Pictured is the pork rib dinner with two sides, baked beans and potatoe salad for $11.26. Again good size ribs with lots of meat. But I still can't taste any smoke flavor. The beans are drowned in the bbq. The potatoe salad is served cold. Which I like. But both the baked beans and potatoe salad aren't anything to write home about.

The other time I went to Woody's a buddy and I did a taste test. We tried Woody's, Redhill and Wilhitte's all at once. We got the three meat combo from each place, pork ribs, beef ribs, and sliced beef. The beef at Woody's is very good. First they use tri-tip instead of the more fatty, brisket. They also slow smoke the beef for a long time, so it comes out nice and tender. I rarely order sliced or chopped beef at BBQ restaurants, but I would order Woody's sliced beef.

The Rancho location is on the north side of the minor league baseball stadium. But I wouldn't go to a game there anymore. The last time I went, my car was broken into and the help by the stadium officials and police was sorely lacking.

Burrell's Bar-B-Que Pit

Burrell's Bar-B-Que Pit
305 N Hesperian St
Santa Ana, CA 92703-3751
714-547-7441

Burrell's is in a residential neighborhood. They have picnic tables in the back yard. Pictured is a small order of pork spares ribs with mac and cheese and cornbread for $8.08.

The ribs are just OK. They seem to more like rib tips than regular ribs. Many of the ribs were burnt and that doesn't make for good BBQ. The ribs that were actually ribs were ok. Decent smoke flavor and tender. The BBQ is decent, not that sweet or hot.

The mac and cheese is very good. One of the best mac and chesse I've ever had.

Good service and prices are about the same as other BBQ places.

Harry's Smokehouse BBQ

Harry's Oklahoma Style
Smokehouse BBQ
25501 Narbonne Ave.
Lomita, CA 90717
310-326-9842

I'll admit Oklahoma isn't one of my favorite states. I've never been an OU Sooners fan. Always hated players like Billy Sims, Marcus Dupree and Brian Bosworth and Barry Switzer. But I went to Harry's with an open mind. If they have good BBQ, I don't care where they are from.

Harry's has terrible parking, about five spaces in the back and some very limited street parking. I go and order the 1/2 rack St. Louis cut rib dinner with baked beans and cole slaw for $11.90. The lady, who I believe is the owner, slides my change on the counter instead of handing it to me. A very rude thing to do. But again I have an open mind. Their daily special for Wednesday, Oct. 12 was a free cobbler with any dinner purchase.

So I get my order and I open up the container and I'm not impressed. The ribs looked burnt or at least too well done when I opened the container. I took my first bite and I was right. Way too well done. I asked for BBQ sauce in the side. They give my about half an ounce of BBQ sauce, not enough for the five ribs they served. The sauce was very sweet which I do not like.

The beans are included with every dinner and there are no substitutions. I never order baked beans but these beans tasted as though they went to the local supermarket and bought out all the canned beans!!! The cole slaw was ok but I was a little concerned because it wasn't cold or even cool. Seemed to be room tempurture and that's not good.

Funny thing happened while I was not enjoying this meal. While sitting and eating at the tables right outside the restuarant, somebody in a truck, waiting for the light, shouts out "How is it?" I said "TERRIBLE, Don't come here."

TERRIBLE service, TERRIBLE food, and a pain to get to. A big mistake going and I will not go back!!!!!

Mike's Memphis BBQ

Mike's Memphis BBQ
11513 Knott Ave
Cypress, CA 90630
(714) 799-6222

The first time I went here, I ordered the rib tips. Big mistake. Tips were burnt, no flavor, little meat. I went today, Sept. 27th and ordered the pork ribs lunch with mac salad for $8.18.

The ribs were OK. Though they lacked some smoke flavor. The ribs were fairly tender but they seem to lack any rub. The BBQ sauce was great. Just a little spicy but very nice flavor. Maybe the best BBQ sauce around. The mac salad was very creamy and fresh. I really enjoyed the BBQ sauce and mac salad. Now they just need to work on making better BBQ.

If I were in the area, I would go back. But I wouldn't make a special trip.

Mom’s Bar B Q House

Mom’s Bar B Q House
14062 Vanowen St.
Van Nuys CA 91405
818-786-1373

Simply put, I love this place!!!! The pork ribs are so good. Nice and tender. The sauce is a little on the spicy side for me but one of the better sauces around.

Lunch specials include a three piece pork ribs with two sides for about $7.50 tax included. The macaroni salad is good. The corn on the cobb is fine, not that sweet but I don't go to a BBQ place to eat corn.

The parking lot is very small and service though friendly can be slow. But those are easy to put up with when you have the best BBQ pork ribs in the Valley.

Update June 14, 2009.

I went back to Mom's Bar B Q House and ordered the half rack of pork ribs, $9.99, and a fried chicken breast, $3.00.

They couldn't fill a complete order for the half rack, so they said they would give me rib tips to make up for it. Well this order was huge!!!! I got about five ribs, which is close enough to a half rack. But I must have gotten 2lbs of rib tips!!!! So this was well worth the price. The ribs were tender, had a nice smoke flavor, and the sauce added, but didn't overpower the ribs.

Mom's also serves soul food items like gumbo, smothered pork chops, and fried chicken. So I got a fried chicken breast. The skin was crunchy and flavorful. Inside was moist and tender. If I lived in the Valley, I would come to Mom's for fried chicken. This maybe the best place in the Valley for fried chicken.

Service was good but still a bit slow.

Hungry Al's Bar B Que

Hungry Al's Bar B Que
116 N Vincent Ave,
West Covina, CA 91790
626- 967-6998

I went to Hungry Al's today, August 20th. I got the three piece pork rib lunch with their mixed BBQ sauce and potatoe salad for $6.50. The ribs were fairly large and the sauce was pretty good. It had a nice kick but still a little on the sweet side. But the meat wasn't impressive. They use oak wood and while oak makes great furniture, it's not a good wood to use to smoke ribs. The meat was kind of dry and while there was a smoke flavor, it would have been better if they used another type of wood to smoke the meat.

Even though it's the only real BBQ place in the area I wouldn't go back to Hungry Al's.

Smokin' Mo's BBQ

Smokin' Mo's BBQ
301 Main St. #107
Huntington Beach, California
(714) 374-3033

I went to Smokin' Mo's BBQ in Huntington Beach today, Saturday July 9th. They claim to be a combination BBQ. Santa Maria style (tri tip and beef ribs cooked over oak wood) and Memphis style BBQ.

I order the half slab rib combo. Six ribs, two each of Mo's Memphis, Philthy's Phil's and Sweet Carolina, pork ribs for $15.03, tax included. Baked beans, corn muffin, potato salad and coleslaw were included.

The ribs did not have any smoke flavor at all. The were baked in an oven and finished over a gril. But I was impressed with all three sauces and Iusually hate that mustard based sauce. I really liked Mo's BBQ sauce. Nice flavor, not too spicy and not too sweet. In another surprise, I liked the sweet BBQ sauce. I'm not sure why I liked them. But they weren't too sweet, some sweet BBQ sauces are as sweet as jelly. This sauce was thick and had just the right amount of sweetness.

The sides were typical sides. Nothing special. They claim they copied the recipe for their coleslaw from The Counter in LA.

Overall Mo's was good but not great. Prices are on the high side. I was expecting more of an real BBQ. Slowly smoked not slowly cooked in an oven. But I didn't see one smoke ring on any of the ribs. If I'm in the area, I would go back again. I wouldn't make a special trip.

Update Jan 10, 2009.

I went back to Smokin Mo's and got the tri tip sandwich, $8.45. The sandwich was on a French roll. The meat was a bit salty and lacked smoked flavor. It was tender, very tender matter of fact. But then again it's tri tip, a sirloin cut. I thought there was a pretty good portion of tri tip on the sandwich, but I still thought the $8.45 price was a bit high. The menu says BBQ sauce and salsa come on the side but as you can see they put the BBQ sauce on the meat. I wasn't too impressed with the sandwich.

Service was good and quick. Nice people.

I know it unusual to see me review anything other than ribs but since I've already been to Smokin Mo's and didn't care for their ribs, I didn't want to waste, $15.99, for their ribs. I wasn't impressed with their tri tip sandwich.

During January and Febuary, Smokin Mo's is having a special on Mondays. An all you can eat BBQ special, ribs, chicken and pulled pork for about $16. Not a bad deal but don't expect great ribs. Even with that, I won't go back to Smokin Mo's.

Benny's BBQ

Benny's BBQ
4077 Lincoln Blvd (just South of Washington Blvd)
Marina del Ray, CA 90292
310 821 6939


For me, BBQ is only one thing: PORK SPARE RIBS!!!!!!!! None of this pulled pork, choped pork, beef ribs or sliced beef stuff. Give me a rack of pork spare ribs, a good BBQ sauce, on the side, that isn't too sweet or too hot, and I'm a happy man. I love authentic BBQ, where the meat is coated in a nice rub then cooked with the smoke of hardwood like hickory, mesquite, or apple and cherry wood.

Most people prefer having their ribs "fall off the bone" but to me that is too well done. I prefer the meat to have some resistance when I'm tearing the meat from the bone. I do not like the St. Louis style rib. I like the entire long end ribs.

But I do not consider myself a BBQ snob. I can enjoy ribs from Tony Roma's and Lucille's BBQ which are cooked in an oven at high heat and "finished" on the grill and brushed with BBQ sauce.

Most BBQ places offer two sides, like mac or potato salad, beans, mac and cheese or cole slaw. I sure as hell don't go to BBQ for the sides and I usually only think of sides as icing on the cake, so to speak. If a BBQ place has great ribs and the two sides are terrible, I still will go back just for the ribs.

Tonight, Saturday July 2nd, I went to Benny's Bar B Q in Marina del Rey.

I had been there about six weeks before but in a very rare instance I ordered the beef brisket on a bun. The sandwich is pretty darn good. The sauce was on the sweet side but I liked it. The service was very good and the girl behind the counter was one hell of a good looking woman.

Tonight I order the Long End pork ribs for $10.77 tax included. You get 6 ribs and cornbread. The ribs lacked the rub and worse, they did not take off the membrane that allows for the spices and the smoke to pentrate the meat. But the overall the ribs were good. They weren't falling off the bone, which to me is a huge plus. The ribs were meaty and well worth the money. I was full after three ribs.

The hottie from my other visit wasn't there but a pretty friendly girl was helpful and service was good. Though she was wondering why the hell I was taking pictures of the food and restaurant.

Benny's in mostly take out but they have about 5 tables. There is plenty of street parking and there is a side lot. Remember that Lincoln Blvd is a very busy street.

If you're going or coming from the LA airport (LAX) Benny's is about 7 miles away. I will review another BBQ that is about two miles from LAX later.