Los Angeles isn't a place commonly thought of by BBQ aficionados. The reality is though that it as a great 'under-ground' BBQ culture with many of the best meat coming from small, whole-in-the-wall restaurants.
I was introduced to Woody's by a coworker many moons ago. He would go around the office and collect orders. Then, jump into his car and head east of the 405 and then north deep into Inglewood. There, at a complex intersection, is a v-shaped parking lot that is home to a small, nondescript building.
Lunch specials cover the range from links, ribs, tips, and sliced beef. Each came with a slice of bread. Sides can be purchased separately and include beans, coleslaw, greens/corn bread, yams, and mac & cheese. Guys I worked with loved the links and ribs. I always went for the chicken. The sauce has a good flavor and the slice of bread means you can rationalize that you did have vegetables (wheat's a veggie, right?) with your lunch. :D
If you happen to be near Inglewood at lunch time, swing by and grab a bite at Woody's Bar-B-Que, 475 S Market Street at South La Brea Avenue.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Grady's BBQ
On my recent trip to San Antonio, I decided to stop for lunch at Grady's BBQ. Like most of the Texas BBQ places I have been to, this place doesn't include pork, so my favorites were not on the menu. However, they do have beef (including brisket and sausage), chicken, and turkey. I selected a brisket & sausage combo plate. The meat is served wet (with sauce) unless requested otherwise.
The restaurant is set up with an order window and a pickup window - no table service. The order was ready pretty quick (it didn't hurt that the place wasn't very busy at 2 PM on a Sunday).
The food was pretty good (though the brisket wasn't as lean as I like). Not a bad place to stop for lunch.
The restaurant is set up with an order window and a pickup window - no table service. The order was ready pretty quick (it didn't hurt that the place wasn't very busy at 2 PM on a Sunday).
The food was pretty good (though the brisket wasn't as lean as I like). Not a bad place to stop for lunch.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
BBQ Trip
During my recent trip to Los Angeles, I decided to try out a few Q places. Since I was staying in Los Alamitos (down near Orange County), all the places are near there.
The first one is Beechwood BBQ on Main Street in Seal Beach. I'd been there a couple times for lunch before and thought it was pretty good. I wasn't disappointed this time either.
The restaurant had enlarged since the last time I was there (expanding into the store next door), but it's still pretty small - about a dozen tables and a bar with about 10 barstools. On Friday night, there was a bit of a wait for a table, but take-out was fast.
The bar serves craft beers and imports, and has about 20 on tap, with a nice selection. The place is very relaxed and friendly - seems like a nice neighborhood place.
I had a Brisket and Baby Back ribs combo tbe first time I was there. The ribs aren't bad, but not the best I've had. They seemed a little fatty. The brisket was very good. The meat is served without sauce - they have a selection of sauces in bottles on the tables. The sweet sauce worked really well with the brisket. For sides I had hushpuppies and grilled asparagus - both good.
I liked the first visit so much I went back again a few days later and had their pulled-pork sandwich - also very good. The portions are small compared to a lot of the BBQ places, but it's enough for a normal meal, and the prices are good. I'll definitely be going back to this place.
The second place I tried was Maderas Steak and Ribs in Los Alamitos. I was told that it used to be a Tony Roma's, and it looks the part. I went there on a Monday night, and the place was mostly empty. I had the BBQ plate (Tri tip, baby back, and beef ribs). There was a lot of food, but I wasn't impressed with the quality. The tri-tip was pretty good, but the ribs were a disappointment. The BBQ sauce was also nothing special. The corn and garlic mashed potatoes were bland. I won't be coming back here.
The last place (this trip) was the Naples Rib Company in Long Beach. I'd had ribs from them before, but had never been to the restaurant. I ordered baby back ribs and brisket. The ribs were good - the best I'd had on this trip. The brisket doesn't match up to Beechwood though. The portions were very large - I had enough left for lunch the next day. I will be visiting them again, though I'll make sure I have an appetite.
The first one is Beechwood BBQ on Main Street in Seal Beach. I'd been there a couple times for lunch before and thought it was pretty good. I wasn't disappointed this time either.
The restaurant had enlarged since the last time I was there (expanding into the store next door), but it's still pretty small - about a dozen tables and a bar with about 10 barstools. On Friday night, there was a bit of a wait for a table, but take-out was fast.
The bar serves craft beers and imports, and has about 20 on tap, with a nice selection. The place is very relaxed and friendly - seems like a nice neighborhood place.
I had a Brisket and Baby Back ribs combo tbe first time I was there. The ribs aren't bad, but not the best I've had. They seemed a little fatty. The brisket was very good. The meat is served without sauce - they have a selection of sauces in bottles on the tables. The sweet sauce worked really well with the brisket. For sides I had hushpuppies and grilled asparagus - both good.
I liked the first visit so much I went back again a few days later and had their pulled-pork sandwich - also very good. The portions are small compared to a lot of the BBQ places, but it's enough for a normal meal, and the prices are good. I'll definitely be going back to this place.
The second place I tried was Maderas Steak and Ribs in Los Alamitos. I was told that it used to be a Tony Roma's, and it looks the part. I went there on a Monday night, and the place was mostly empty. I had the BBQ plate (Tri tip, baby back, and beef ribs). There was a lot of food, but I wasn't impressed with the quality. The tri-tip was pretty good, but the ribs were a disappointment. The BBQ sauce was also nothing special. The corn and garlic mashed potatoes were bland. I won't be coming back here.
The last place (this trip) was the Naples Rib Company in Long Beach. I'd had ribs from them before, but had never been to the restaurant. I ordered baby back ribs and brisket. The ribs were good - the best I'd had on this trip. The brisket doesn't match up to Beechwood though. The portions were very large - I had enough left for lunch the next day. I will be visiting them again, though I'll make sure I have an appetite.
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