David C.
Yelp
I don't know. I wanted to try this place forever at their west side location. Everything pictured on Yelp looked great all the time. Now they've opened in South Pasadena, which is very close, so I got to try them. I know they've only just opened, but they have a lot of things to fix, and I mean like pronto, cause this was not good BBQ. It also isn't cheap, which means I'd rather spend the money on gas to drive to Melrose to eat at Bludso's or Van Nuys to eat at Dr. Hogly Wogly's than eat here again.
Two of us shared 1 cornbread for $8 (that is for one slice!), 1/2 lb. brisket lean, 1/2 slab spare ribs, regular fries & an IPA. This came to $70 for totally unremarkable food. A lot of other reviewers have commented how the meat is overcooked and dried out. It's true, unfortunately. It looks like a hot kitchen where things have been cooking a long time (as BBQ rightly does) but then almost just kept warm waiting to be sold to customers until it dries out. Now, I like my meat extremely well done, and dry isn't a problem overall. But this BBQ had zero moisture left in any of it. The flavor wasn't awful. It just felt like they haven't gotten down how to use the kitchen probably the way they do at their original location. Everyone working there seems crammed in the small kitchen space, and they all seem slightly frazzled and hectic, despite there not being many customers at least when we went on a weekday for lunch. The fries were fine. The corn bread is actually good if wayyyyy overpriced. There was enough food for two people, so that wasn't a problem. Some other places, it can be. They just need to work out the kinks with the meat to make it less dry, so it doesn't feel like it's be worked to death.
Otherwise, service was okay and friendly enough. There were supposed to be BBQ sauce on every table (that's what we were told), but there were no sauce bottles on any table inside or outside. When we asked for sauce, they seemed stingy with it. You order at the counter, so there is no table service. There are only a few bench seats inside, otherwise you have to eat outside in back. You have to get your own napkins. They give you useless plastic utensils but then have a holder by the napkins with real cutlery. However, while You're supposed to dump your own cafeteria trays, it's unclear where to put the silverware you used (since it doesn't get tossed in the trash). They really need to get all these minor kinks worked out to make the customer experience more seamless. Bottom line is you could do worse, and you can do better. If reviews went up here, I might give them a second chance after they've had more time to settle in. However, for now I'm gonna reserve my BBQ business to Bludso's and Hogly Wogly's. Just one man's opinion.