"One of the most celebrated barbecue spots in Los Angeles, pitmaster Daniel Castillo has a true Texas-style barbecue with massive outdoor pits, plentiful outdoor seating, and Austin-style lines of smoked meat-loving fans to boot. Brisket is king here, just like in Texas, surrounded by a deliciously dark bark on American black Angus beef. Making some concessions to California tastes, Castillo and company smoke up tri-tip for a more approachable cost. The smoked duroc pork ribs come with a maple glaze — another thing that West Coast palates might prefer. Don’t sleep on the sausages and smoked turkey, either. Castillo recently expanded to a beer-and-barbecue spot in Oceanside and also opened an upscale diner called Le Hut Dinette in Santa Ana, solidifying the chef as a bona fide mover-and-shaker in the Orange County/north San Diego County restaurant scene." - Mona Holmes, Matthew Kang