A couple of folks have written to ask if I can recommend good barbecue places in and around Los Angeles. I'm really not the ideal person to ask that because my tastes are changing and so, it would seem, is the definition of good barbecue. I used to like sweeter sauces than I do now so I'm not even sure if I still recommend all the places I've favored in the past but haven't visited lately. And many restaurants — BBQ and non-BBQ — seem to be ramping up the hot/spicy factor in their cooking, which is a big negative to me.
There's a business called Bigmista's that makes the rounds of farmers' markets and events. Their food looks great. The guy who runs it is funny and clearly dedicated to great barbecuing and very skilled at it…but even asking for his chow at its mildest, I've gotten food that's just plain too spicy for me. The same is true of both locations of Bludso's — the fancy one on La Brea and the not-fancy one in Compton.
Those are probably the two most raved-about sources of 'Q among local BBQ enthusiasts and I'm not saying they're wrong; just that what they're after when they seek great barbecue is not what works for me.
Years ago if you'd asked me about this topic, I wouldn't have hesitated to send you out to Dr. Hogly Wogly's Tyler Texas BBQ, way out on Sepulveda and once well worth the drive. Harlan Ellison took me there my first time, told me it was the greatest barbecue in the world…and back then, he may have been right. But the business changed hands or suppliers or something and…well, my last three visits there were a crapshoot. One was mediocre, one was as good as ever and one was a take-out order than I took home, took two bites of and then stuffed it down the garbage disposal. Really. It was so tough and tasteless as to be inedible. Even my InSinkErator said, "What is this stuff?"
I have not been back in close to two years. I think I'm afraid to go back. If I do and it's bad, I will have to scratch that place off my list forever. If I don't go, I can still think of it as a place where I might once again have the best brisket I've ever eaten.
My fave place for a time was Porky's down on Manchester Boulevard in Inglewood. They did great food and great business but the owner had a dispute with the landlord and he closed down that location to concentrate on his outlet in San Pedro. That's a little too outta-the-way for me but next time I'm in the area, that's where I'm eating. I worry because the last time I ate at the Inglewood store, he was starting to go spicy on me.
I kinda like J.R.'s Barbecue down on La Cienega but my last two times there, which were a while ago, they too were edging towards the volcanic. Not far from them is J-and-J Barbecue which is a two-in-one shack — see the photo above — that looks like it's been a Los Angeles landmark longer than the La Brea Tar Pits. One side of the shack does hamburgers. The other side sells ribs and chicken and other barbecued delights from an ancient smoker. I'd put this place near the top of my list except for one very silly thing…
Their food puts me to sleep. I'm not kidding. Every time I've been there, I doze off as if drugged…and it isn't just me. I took Sergio Aragonés there one day, cautioning him that something about their smoking or their sauce did that to me. We dined, enjoyed our meals tremendously, went back to my place…and then, within a half hour, I had to go in the bedroom to nap and Sergio stretched out on the floor of my office and went off to dreamland. In my lifetime, I have taken exactly one actual sleeping pill and it had zero effect on me. J-and-J Barbecue puts me out.
This is not completely a negative. Sometimes, a great meal and a nap are what you want. I just can't usually fit that into my day.
There's a small chain in and around Inglewood called Phillips' Barbecue that is take-out only and I've been known to visit two of its three locations. I find it a bit of a hassle at both to park, order, wait a long time and make real certain they give me the mild sauce because the hot stuff could weld the fillings in your upper teeth to the fillings in your bottom teeth. The "take-out" aspect is preferable because their food comes drenched in sauce and after you eat it, that's how you'll be. It's easier to eat at home where you can change into old clothes first and then hop into the shower after.
A lot of folks think Phillips' is the best anyway and when it's good, that's an understandable position. But in my experience, it's been variable…not quite as much as Doc Hogly's but enough to send me to a nearby competitor…
When I'm in that area and in that mood, I'm more likely to stop at the Woody's Barbecue at Market and La Brea. There are three other Woody's but I haven't been to any of them. That Woody's has a few tables but it's mostly for take-out and I find it easier than Phillips' to take-out. The cuisine is very similar and there apparently is or was some family connection in the two chains that I won't pretend I understand. But it's pretty much the same dining experience including the part about the food and you both being drenched in sauce.
Other places I've tried? The Lucille's Smokehouse chain is okay, though verging on Too Spicy. Tasty Q was seriously Too Spicy and the web has conflicting reports on whether it's still open…which doesn't matter to me 'cause I'm not going back either way. The one time I took home its food, the InSinkErator began making Shemp Howard sounds and gasping for water.
The Kansas City Barbecue Company out on Magnolia seems to be changing its name to The Barbecue and it's okay for a quick sandwich. It is not related to the Kansas City Barbecue Company in San Diego, right near the convention center, which is a great place for ribs 'n' chicken, especially the chicken.
The Outdoor Grill located next to a car wash over in West L.A. is also a decent place for a modest barbecue experience. I haven't been to its other location. And I think that covers every local place I've been to which isn't long out of business.
Don't bother writing with your personal local recommendations because if they sell ribs, they're already on my "to do" list. And if you live in this area and you crave hot 'n' spicy, don't listen to me at all. The fellow who owns Porky's told me a few years ago that he felt the whole culture of barbecue was heading in that direction and the Big Mister who runs Bigmista's seconded that opinion. If they're right, I probably won't be eating a lot of BBQ in the future. If you feel as I do, maybe we'd better enjoy it while we can.