Slab

Walking into SLAB, the newest BBQ joint in Pasadena, CA, I was immediately enveloped by an inviting aroma that only true, passionately crafted BBQ can emit. As a Southerner with a deep appreciation for good barbecue, my expectations were set high, and SLAB did not disappoint. The moment the scents of smoked meats hit my senses, I knew there was a skilled pit master at the helm. The flavors were robust and well-balanced, indicative of a meticulous smoking process. Each bite of the brisket was tender, with just the right amount of smoke ring—a clear testament to the expertise behind the grill. The staff at SLAB added to the experience with their genuine warmth and patience. As a newcomer, I felt welcomed and appreciated, making the dining experience not just about great food but also about comfort and hospitality. SLAB has undoubtedly made a strong first impression on me, and it's a place I'm already planning to visit again. The combination of skillful cooking, delightful flavors, and friendly service has me looking forward to many more meals here. It’s clear that SLAB is setting itself up as a staple for BBQ lovers in Pasadena.

A solid restaurant with a great selection of meats and sides. An amazing bbq spot in Pasadena. I ordered their combo that came with their brisket and Tony’s baby back ribs. The two sides were potato salad and coleslaw along with their cornbread with butter. The brisket was flavorful and had a good amount of fat content. It was delicious but the baby back ribs were then best and I almost ordered another set. Now the cornbread is a must have and I highly recommend, especially with their special butter. The sides were ok & I wish I had the macaroni/cheese instead. Overall it was a great lunch experience and the wait wasn’t too long. I’d definitely come back here again and try their other menu items. Limited searing inside but a good amount on the patio. Parking at the rear lot is very limited during prime times and street parking is limited too due to Howlin Ray’s, so plan accordingly.

Heard a lot of good things about this place, and I finally got a chance to try this out. There is a small parking lot in the back, and street parking is also available. There are a few tables inside the restaurant, and at the patio. Servers were helpful and friendly. They offer 3 different BBQ sauce (e.g. bbq, spicy bbq, and golden Carolina). My favorite is the regular bbq sauce. Server recommended us baby back ribs. We ordered baby back ribs and Mac and cheese. I am not a fan of Mac and cheese, so I do not know what is good or bad. The baby back ribs are amazing! The meat was juicy, tender, and flavorful. However, it did not fall off the bone. It will be 5 stars if the meat can fall off the bone next time. Will come back again!

Everything we had was delicious. The Oooh sandwich was perfect, and the pastrami and potato salad were flavorful and seasoned just right. The red velvet cupcakes were authentic southern red velvet, and not too sweet

Came to Slab on a rainy California day for some BBQ. We ordered a half pound of brisket, brisket burger, medium mac and cheese, loaded TX fries, and the march special cheese steak. The cheesesteak was ok. I enjoyed the soft bread and peppers in the sandwich but the chopped up steak and cheese formed a glob. The brisket burger was very tasty, the patty was thick and had a slight sweetness followed by the savory meat flavor. The bun was very soft! The brisket was pretty decent. I had better brisket in Texas but since this is California I have to say it's good for California standards. Very soft, where I did not need a knife to cut a piece off. The loaded TX fries were one of my favorites. I feel like the fries alone without the loaded toppings would have been great alone but with the added toppings they blended well together. I love myself a good loaded fries and this hit the spot. The Mac and cheese was very yummy. Not too heavy but still cheesy enough for a very slight cheese pull. Overall I really enjoyed my meal here and would definitely come back and recommend it to my friends and family.

Came to check out this new BBQ spot. By 8pm they only had brisket and chicken left. They have a pastrami night on Mondays and beef ribs on Sat/Sun. They run out of their meats often I hear so best come early if your heart is set on something. The brisket was tender and juicy, the flavor was decent. I got the small beans, small potatoes and a medium Mac and cheese (big!). The sides were alright to good. $39 for the lb of brisket and $24 for the sides. So pushing $80 with tip and taxes (not including drinks). Is it worth it? I wouldn't get this same meal again. I'll make my final verdict depending on how the beef ribs and wings/chicken taste. Not so many places have beef ribs around here, so it deserves a taste. The best thing was the service but there weren't that many people anyhow.

I enjoyed dinner at Slab on night with friends, starting with their rib sandwich, which is generously sized for sharing between 2 people. The sides were a hit, especially the freshly cooked, piping hot fries. The spacious patio seating is perfect for a group and the parking at the back adds to the convenience. I will come back when I'm in the area.

I've never eaten at Slab before, but Eric was very excited about the new one opening in Pasadena, so I decided to try it. The most frustrating part of dining here is that everything is a la carte. There are no combos, no meals, no meat-and-three. If you want to try a little bit of everything, you're forced to order full servings- including sides. Small coleslaw and small mac-and-cheese? $14 total. The meat is also annoying to order. They offer pulled pork or brisket tacos, but you can't mix and match. It's one or the other, even though the only difference is the scoop of meat. They also don't even offer pickles or white bread unless you order a $100+ take out package. Seriously- no pickles or bread offered. They also don't seem to have found a rhythm with service yet. They don't take cash and don't tell you that until you've ordered, they were out of burger meat and nobody notified the cashier, so you were able to order something that was 86ed and not told until after you paid, and when my order was ready they completely missed my table card and I had to flag the server down to bring the food back to me. The brisket was good, but 3 pieces for $19.50 is on the high end. Adding on coleslaw for $6 and not even offering pickles/bread made my $25 lunch feel way overpriced.

Great service and awesome bbq that's as close to southern bbq as it gets! Definitely recommend it if you're craving bbq with a few friends!

I recently dined in at SLAB BBQ and ordered a variety of items including brisket, baby back ribs, cornbread, collard greens, mac and cheese, and sausage, which was recommended. While the brisket was enjoyable, I found the overall experience to be relatively expensive considering the portion sizes. Although they're known for their brisket, I believe the true mark of a great barbecue place lies in their baby back ribs, which unfortunately fell short of expectations. Many barbecue spots struggle with achieving the right balance and tenderness for baby back ribs, and I've only found a few that truly excel, notably in Northern California. While SLAB BBQ may appeal to brisket fans or those craving Southern cuisine, the high prices and inconsistent quality of the ribs and smaller portions make it unlikely for me to return. Service is great though! We appreciate the love & hospitality. Ambience is casual, dine-in available inside and outside.

Decided to come here after reading the reviews but nothing we tried was good. Also very disappointing that I found a bone in my chicken sandwich. What a horrible experience. Save your time and money and avoid this place!!

came here cause ngl, forgot howlin rays was closed on tuesdays! BUT the food was good. i read a lot of reviews about the texas loaded fries and was excited to order them BUT THEY NO LONGER SERVE IT! sad day. got the brisket burger instead which i thought would be cuts of brisket on a bun but it was actually a thick brisket patty. the burger was juicy and the fries were crispy. the burger came with a grilled chili that was great for a slight kick. bbq sauce is at the counter. the meal was reasonably priced, 16$ for the burger, add 5$ for fries and bottle of mexican coke. we sat in the back patio that had nice shade. it's bigger and shadier than howlin's so that's a plus.

A fantastic BBQ spot next to Howlin' Rays. I showed up late at night about an hour before closing and they were already putting away the tables (At this point it seemed to be mostly takeaway orders) but they still let me sit at one of the indoor tables. (There's also outdoor seating as well) The folks there were very nice and helpful with my order. I ended up getting a combo platter (2 meats, 2 sides) The Baby Back Ribs were very tender and flavorful. It was about 3 bones worth of a rack. None of it was dry or tough, I was very happy with this. My other protein was a set of chicken wings. They asked if I wanted them fried or over a flame. I got them grilled and man, it was perfect. Very tender and juicy. Dipped them in some bbq sauce and I was once again, very happy. For the sides, I had baked beans and mac and cheese. The Mac was delicious and had a very silky cheese texture. The beans had some meat in it and had a very smoky flavor to it. The texture isn't exactly my favorite way to have baked beans (they're a bit firm, I like them mushier) but it was still really good. I can't fault them for the style, especially since the flavor was still on point. Finally I tried the jalapeno cheese hot link. Juicy. Meaty. Not dry at all throughout. Dried out hot link is a danger to watch out for, but here it was perfect. Love it. I'll definitely be back. Consider me impressed!

Slab BBQ in Pasadena delivers a drooling experience for barbecue lovers. Their cornbread is a comforting blend of moist texture and sweet flavor, perfectly complementing the hearty, rich chili beans. The brisket burger is good, but best save yourself for the ribs and chicken. The pork ribs are succulent with fall-off-the-bone tenderness and a smoky flavor. The 1/2 chicken is expertly seasoned and grilled to perfection, offering a juicy, flavorful bite in every mouthful. In all, Slab BBQ serves up the BBQ flavor that satisfies.

Don't spend your money here! Ordered "The Oooh" sandwich, more like Booooo...huge dud! Look, so the flavors WERE there and the presentation looked great and much like when you buy an "air" bag of potato chips, this sandwich had the same characteristics...all air and no content, no weight, no bang for the bucks. Got the mac-n-cheese which was slamming but let's be real, nobody comes to a BBQ joint for the sides...where's that meat typa action ya'know?! Added a Mexican Coke to the order and after spending $32 and walking out hungry, never again will I ever be returning. And shoot, that must be some type of cardinal sin in that industry to have someone leave hungry when it's customary for the portions to be filling, if not FAT so they're getting hella demerits from me. Anyhow, go anywhere else but Slab because there ain't no Slab to be had.

I have a thing about smoked wings, the thing being that the best smoked wings in the nation are a Dinosaur BBQ in NY. I don't make the rules, those are just the rules. So I am always a bit skeptical when it comes to anyone else's smoked wings - but hey, I give it a shot, you know? Slab's smoked wings are CLOSE. SO CLOSE. They have amazing smokey flavor and are ENORMOUS. But they could use a touch more seasoning and they could be a bit juicier. That is like...really nit picky of me to say, because these are really good. The buffalo sauce is also delicious, it's really tangy and not as buttery as most, which I enjoyed. We got it on the side as I recommend you do as well. The wings also came with an enormous cup of ranch dressing which is actually delicious. Dip your veggies in it! Or your arm! Still tastes good! The potato salad was tasty too, the potatoes could have been cooked slightly more but overall not a bad experience. I'm actually looking forward to coming back and trying some more of their items, I will post updates as I do!

My daughters and I were at Howlin' Ray's for some great tasting fried chicken a few weekends ago. While waiting for our Howlin' order, I decided to walk on over to Slab to check them out... they happen to be right next door. Both establishments share the same parking lot. Fried chicken and BBQ baby back ribs on the same lot... sweet! Upon entry, I was greeted right away. Limited inside seating, but lots of outside patio seating. There is a wall of to-go boxes, utensils, and stuff for your use and convenience. They have a really nice setup all around. Staff was extremely friendly and incredibly nice. The gentleman who took my order provided me some recommendations since it was my first time visit. Thank you sir! I ended up getting half order of Tony's BBQ Baby Back Ribs, 1/2 lb of Pulled Pork, 1 Brisket Sandwich, and 1 side of Macaroni & Cheese. The order came with sauces, pickled red onions, and some handy naps (I thought these were happy naps at first... they are basically wet toilettes LOL). BBQ baby back ribs were smoky and tender... just delish! I'll have to return to try their other types of ribs. Pulled pork was on point on flavor and portions. I didn't eat the brisket sandwich since it's beef, but my eldest daughter said it was okay... just wished it had less sauce. Macaroni & Cheese was good, but because we didn't eat it right away, the cheese solidified a little bit so it wasn't as smooth as we would have liked. Overall, I had a great experience. Wait time wasn't too bad. While I was waiting, I can see the kitchen smoking up... it is a smokehouse after all LOL. I will definitely be back for more BBQ deliciousness! Keep on slabbing Slab!

I've been to the Slab in West Hollywood and thought it was pretty good and close to Texas barbeque, so I was eager to try their new location in Pasadena. Parking lot is shared with a Howlin' Rays, so it was packed but we got lucky and waited for someone leaving a spot. We were there on a Friday around 6pm. We got and line and got up to the cashier, but they didn't take our order for what seemed like 15 minutes because they ran out of ribs and needed to resolve online order refunds. Once it was resolved, the line moved quick... but they were out of both kinds of ribs :( The indoor area seating is pretty cramped and the area to get sauces and utensils also kind of created a traffic jam of people, so not the most efficient or comfortable. But there's decent outdoor seating with heaters. The brisket itself was pretty good, but you can tell it wasn't like outdoor smoked like Texas barbeque. I'm guessing there are air quality requirements and maybe land use restrictions that make a lot of LA restaurants use electric smokers... It's just different! But it's still pretty good. I enjoyed all the sauces. Oh but they also ran out of white bread... which was a disappointment. It's like eating a Chinese meal without rice :( They gave us whole wheat buns instead, but it just wasn't the same. So I was kind of disappointed overall. $40 to try and not sure I'll come back soon. Maybe we just need to figure out when they're not out of everything.

I had dinner here and I had The Oooh and The Slab Rib sandwich. The Ooh was bread-y, but I really enjoyed the meat. It was flavorful and there was a good amount of it. The rib sandwich is similar to McDonald's McRib and since I don't eat McDonald's this was a great alternative. The sandwich came with sesame seeds and it tasted so good. The staff was friendly and welcoming. There is indoor and outdoor seating. There's parking in the back and street parking too.

I've been here multiple times before writing this review and have mainly eaten their sandwiches. (Forgot to check in a few times) Parking is always a hassle because it's shared with Howlin Rays. My favorite sandwich has to be the pulled pork followed by the ooh and then the chicken sandwich. The pulled pork has never let me down and the meat has always been juicy + tender. The ooh is sometimes good sometimes bad. As seen in my pictures, the finely chopped one with the bun on the side has been by far the best tasting rendition while the one that looks similar to pulled pork was the worst. The chicken sandwich, although different in style from howlin rays, just can't compete with its neighbor. The fries are average at best because I prefer them crispy or crunchy. Overall, this place could be way better. I ended up giving slab a 3 star because of their poor consistency. Some days the food is incredible and some days its horrendous. I still keep going to this place because it's the closest bbq sandwich shop in my area. I do wish the consistency would be better though. As it stands now, I can't exactly recommend this spot to my friends.

While I'm excited Slab has an outpost on the east side, their food sadly does not compare to their original location. The brisket burger was ground brisket instead of sliced. The fries and the burger both have a slight smoke flavor and both need a lot more seasoning. The wings were burnt and black on the outside. No wonder they aren't too busy during lunch. Outdoor casual seating only. You order at the counter and then find a seat outside. Staff was nice and patient. While Howling Rays was pumping cool music next door, Slab was playing The Carpenters. So that's their vibe. Go figure. Street parking is easier than the free lot parking.

Heard a lot of good things about this place, and I finally got a chance to try this out. There is a small parking lot in the back, and street parking is also available. There are a few tables inside the restaurant, and at the patio. Servers were helpful and friendly. They offer 3 different BBQ sauce (e.g. bbq, spicy bbq, and golden Carolina). My favorite is the regular bbq sauce. Server recommended us baby back ribs. We ordered baby back ribs and Mac and cheese. I am not a fan of Mac and cheese, so I do not know what is good or bad. The baby back ribs are amazing! The meat was juicy, tender, and flavorful. However, it did not fall off the bone. It will be 5 stars if the meat can fall off the bone next time. Will come back again!

I was excited to try the new Pasadena location for Slab since the West LA location is solid. The restaurant is quite small on the inside with about 10 seats, but there's a good amount of patio seating and heat lamps. We tried to order brisket and ribs, but they ran out of both spare ribs and baby back (sadly they even ran out sliced bread and had to give us hamburger buns). We settled on more brisket and got a side of coleslaw. The brisket was fine with a thick bark, but it didn't have much smoke flavor or a smoke ring. For $39/lb I think the quality was disappointing. The coleslaw was tasty and refreshing with lots of fresh dill and parsley. The parking lot is pretty small and is shared with Howlin' Rays, so spots can be hard to find.

I've been wanting to try Slab since they opened up in West Hollywood. Finally they opened up in Pasadena as well that's so much closer to me! It's right next to the popular Hawlin' Ray's. We ordered brisket tacos, pulled pork tacos and loaded fries (was going to order brisket nachos but they are out of nachos that day). The staff are friendly when I have questions about the menu. The food is delicious. The brisket is tender and smoky. The pulled pork is juice and tender. I like the pineapple salsa and pickled onion in the pulled pork tacos. The sweetness and tanginess of pineapple salsa and pickled onion go really well with the richness of the pork. I really like the brisket tacos as well with some of their homemade bbq sauce. The Carolina Gold bbq sauce was too tangy for me but it could go well with lots of pork. I like the BBQ sauce has a fruitiness to it. I guess there is pineapple in the bbq sauce. There is some inside seating and outdoor seating. It's very nice to dine outside in the nice California weather.

I'd heard so much about this place so was excited to try it out. Honestly I was a little surprised by the price of this plate but it was really great. The chicken was amazingly juicy and the pulled pork was super flavorful. Service was great and very nice and the cashier answered all my questions since it was my first time. The baked beans had some meat on them and so good, probably some of my favorite ever. The only reason I didn't give them 5 stars was that the fries weren't that great, recommend skipping them. Also, all you see here came out to $40 which seems really steep for a lunch. Even the lunch special was $28 which is crazy to me, but in fairness, it really is good BBQ.

Gotta say, I wasn't really impressed by this place. First major knock on the place is that the meats were definitely lukewarm by the time they came out to us. Was just expecting something a lot warmer. The brisket was dry and a little tough and honestly I expected a little more salt and seasoning on it. It was a little bland. I did like the ribs and thought they were juicy and the meat fell off the bone pretty easily but I did also want just a little more seasoning on them. I'm not huge into using the BBQ sauce all that much, i just like the dry rub seasoning on it The sides were all just so so. Potato salad was good. Mac and cheese was mushy and just not very tasty. Baked beans looked amazing, like it was chili, and it had chunks of brisket in it, but it just didn't taste very good. A slight bit sweet and not in a good way. It's almost like a mini stew. Wouldn't get it again. The loaded fries were probably the best side dish there. They did fries decently well. I'd get the combo as it seemed like the best value, like 2 meats and 2 sides, around $30 with tax. If I came back again, I'd probably just get the ribs and maybe try the burger or sausage links if they have them. But honestly, I'm probably not coming back.

The reviews are right on! This is a 2-3 star place. We were in the mood for BBQ and this fit the bill. The brisket was pretty good and I liked the coleslaw. We ordered inside and got a close look at the kitchen and it reminded me of early episodes of The Bear... eek The staff seemed overworked and missing some resources (they were out of a lot of stuff but it was dinner on a Saturday). They were nice and helpful and sloooow. We are outside and there was plenty of patio space.

Best bbq in the area here at Slab! Got the Texas fries for this first visit of mine. The Loaded Texas Fries are a big generous portion of fries, brisket, cheese, jalapenos, and onions. I also got a side of mac n cheese. Both were amazing and I can't wait to try their wings and their sandwiches/burgers and other bbq items next time. They are right next to howlin rays on arroyo in pasadena. They have been open for a few months now and I've been meaning to stop by. Luckily I was here on a Tuesday when howlin rays wasn't open, so I was able to find parking fairly easily. They are also on a lot of the food delivery app so I was very tempted to order. I know they have another location in Woodland Hills opening soon, so I can't wait for that location to be open too. The space itself isn't too huge, there's a few tables inside where the line is but there's an even bigger outdoor dining area. There is a small lot in the back that they share and also there's street parking if you get lucky.

I was so excited when I saw a sign about this new bbq place coming to town and they are just steps away from where I live! They are located next to Howlin Rays Pasadena so sometimes parking can be a bit challenging. They have couple seats outside and few tables inside. I think the service was OK, they just opened, so it's understandable that the staff is still learning the flow, so they couldn't find some of the items that I ordered in their register system. I think their brisket is good. It could be too salty for some people, but I find it okay. Spare ribs are good, I'm not a big fan of them tho, but maybe I'll try their baby backs next time. Cole slaw is too sour in my opinion, it's not like regular sweet-ish Cole slaw that you usually taste. Overall they are ok and looking forward for this place to improve their flavor in the future.

Recommended by Julian. Parking was extremely easy because the other extremely popular establishment next door is closed on Tuesdays. They have outdoor and indoor seating. They also have condiments on the tables: barbecue, spicy barbecue, and Carolina gold. For the area, this is one of the better BBQ joint. Barbie Bar-Be-Cue! Ordered the following: 1. Half Baby Back Ribs: 4/5 $22 Highly recommend the spicy BBQ. The Half Baby Back Ribs was tasty and delicious. 2. 1/2 Brisket: 3/5 $19.50 Decent. Fatty and Oily. 3. Fries: 3/5 $8 Lukewarm, on the sweeter side I am super excited to try this BBQ place because I love my BBQ Pork Ribs. The ribs did the job. The BBQ sauce tastes like McD Sweet and Sour. The Spicy BBQ sauce was much better in taste in my opinion. I wish the Ribs and Brisket were warmer in temperature. Slab Grand Opened Monday, October 17. Hours of Operation: Monday to Sunday 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM or Until Sell Out

First timer here and we were definitely impressed! My partner and I shared more than enough food - 1/2 on brisket, 1/2 lb baby back ribs, Mac and cheese, cornbread, $3 taco special (one of each, brisket and pulled pork). Wow! Definitely too much food for the two of us but all of it was amazing! Staff was very kind/fast service and the space itself is smaller with some indoor tables and a lot of outdoor seating! Arnold Palmer was ok and iced tea was passable! We will be back!

This new bbq spot next to Howlin Rays, is good! Went here after my workout, around 7pm, it's not busy. Mac and cheese and tacos pulled pork is MUST to try. Fries is great with brisket. The brisket itself it's kinda dry, it's disappointing. I really enjoy the brisket sandwich tho.

We've been patiently waiting for this time and it has come, Slab has finally opened! Stopped by tonight (Tuesday), parking was easy because Howlin Rays looked closed. I couldn't imagine how hard it would be to find parking if they were open next door... Either way, we ordered: Brisket - was a bit dry but that may have to do with us coming later in the day Mac and cheese - pretty standard, though I added the pulled pork and bbq sauce to it and made pulled pork Mac and cheese which made it significantly better Coleslaw - Pretty good, I like the amount of dill! Brisket tacos - so tasty, especially if you add some sauce, pickles and pickled onions on top! Corn bread - delicious, would definitely order again. Comes with great honey butter Smoked sausage hot link - the star of the show in my opinion, snappy casing, cheese inside, tender meat, I would stop by just to grab a couple of these! In all, I'll definitely be back, maybe earlier in the day so everything is a bit more fresh but amazing food! Lastly, I just want to shout out the amazing workers there! The Great service and friendly environment definitely makes me want to come back!

First time have Slab during Pasadena Cheeseburger Week and it was pretty tasty! From the outside, it looks larger than what it is inside. We came on a rainy Monday so unfortunately their spacious outdoor patio wasn't able to be used. Inside, there are about 5-6 small tables with one-sided booth seating. As a group of 2, this worked for us! There is private parking behind sharing with Howlin Rays. You order at the counter and that's where you can also pick up their sauce (self-service), then at the end of the hallway is the water station, pick-up utensils, and napkins. The sauces were homemade - yellow mustard, and a spicy BBQ and regular BBQ which was a little hard to differentiate the two. We ordered: + Pulled chicken sandwich - solid sandwich, messy to eat as expected with the slaw but good overall and ample toppings! + Brisket Cheeseburger - The patty is pretty large, would have liked more toppings but the patty was the star. + Mac & Cheese - so good! A last minute ordering decision and one of our favorites. The cheese was creamy and had a little nuttiness flavor to it, really good. + Cornbread - also loved this with the sweet butter. A good 'not too sweet' dessert option.

Visited Slab on a Sunday afternoon, and we were disappointed that the chicken was sold out but settled for the brisket and ribs. The ribs were great, but I would pass on the brisket next time. I'd def recommend getting the mac and cheese as a side! Also, parking can get difficult because they share a lot with Howlin Rays (which gets suuuper busy)

Went to Slab because they are celebrating Burger Week in Pasadena! They had a special burger on the menu for the occasion that we had to get our hands on. Along with the burger, we tried the pulled chicken sandwich (my personal favorite), mac and cheese, and corn bread with honey butter. The food was so tasty and the staff there was super friendly!

I ordered the rib sandwich and it was really good. We also order the combo plate with Mac and cheese and that was also very good. The gentleman that helped me was very nice and when my food was ready he brought it out to where I was sitting and thanked us for driving out there.

Better than craft ‍‍‍ the Texas loaded fries are to die for !!! Great service, and small and intimate location if you go dine in Edit : thanks to Joseph upfront, he let me do a little spin!!

Slab is the spot for bbq in Pasadena. Great music great food. Service is awesome A must try

This is a perfect bbq spot. The food is delicious with a very favorable portion for all of the orders. You can get happy, full, and knocked out all at once. Definitely a stop to consider on your way on Pasadena.

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.

I sampled various dishes, and the BBQ grill stood out with its excellent taste; I'm a big fan. The juicy meat was a highlight, although the Mac and cheese portion left me wanting more. Unfortunately, some items were sold out during my visit, so I couldn't try everything. Just a heads up, parking can be a bit tricky.

I was really excited about trying this place. As I walked in my, another guest on this way out was saying how amazing the Beet Ribs were. We ordered the Beef Rib, 6 Chicken Wings, Baled Beans, Collard Greens, Cornbread & Pecan bar.md 2 Iced Teas. The two sides were ice cold so I took them back The Beef Rib & Chicken wings were slightly warmer. I suspect these were the previous nights meats that they heated up. The worse was how flavorless the food was. Such a disappointment. The iced teas were way overpriced too. Won't be coming back.

I got hyped from LA Eater but was very disappointed by this place. I understand it's soft opening, but some of the operational issues aren't understandable when this is their second location. Parking in the lot is a hot mess (maybe you'll get lucky if someone is leaving), but there's street parking around the corner. The outdoor patio is nice to sit at. We got there after noon on Saturday and they were already out of certain foods like chicken and the beef burger already. That sounds crazy to me having opened at 11am. For the food, I get it's Texas BBQ. Some things are sour like the cole slaw. The BBQ sauce isn't much to write home about. The seasoning and meat texture were great for the brisket and beef rib. The beef rib came out cold though. The tacos are very underwhelming--don't get them. Maybe with time things can improve? A lot needs to be fixed however.

Had the brisket burger, fries, and lemonade. I absolutely love burgers. So much so that I pretty much love every burger by default just for existing. And honestly it's pretty hard to mess up a burger. But this burger SUCKED. I didn't really even wanna finish it but I wasn't hungry so I did. It tasted like low quality beef, it was burnt, the flavor was weird and not good, but also pretty bland, there was nothing else on it but cheese that was so melted it wasn't even there anymore, and the bun wasn't that good. And there's nothing else on this burger fyi so it's super dependent on good ass meat and seasonings. But really the main thing that got me was the bizarre flavor while also being a bit bland. Just wasn't appetizing. And this is coming from someone who loves basically all burgers haha. The fries and lemonade were good though. But the woman working there was not very friendly. Didn't seem all that interested in working there or that she had to ring up a customer. Really felt like I was inconveniencing her but existing. But honestly I would still give them a second shot. Maybe the other items are better. It's a BBQ so should judge them based off their bread and butter. But even so, have you ever had a burger at a BBQ spot? They're usually soooooooo good. Good quality meats and seasonings. So I love trying them. But this place, wow, what a fail. I will never even give their burger another chance unless I learn that they change the recipe. It's garbage. But if I go back and whatever other item sucks, then this place is a bust and I'm 99% sure they paid for all those positive reviews. It's what the other BBQ place in Pasadena does ... what's it called? Smoke or something? They 100% pay for reviews. I know this for a fact. This Slab place? TBD. I'd at least try it again.

So good I forgot to take a picture before my first bite. Tender brisket and ribs! Spicy bbq yummy and pickles on the side Definitely coming again

Love this spot!!! Probably our favourite bbq in LA. We used to go to 3rd street one but now prefer Pasadena more. We always get the Tony's Ribs, sausage, Mac and cheese, corn bread and potato salad! First time coming on a Sunday and just found out they have beef rib today so super excited to try!

Food was absolutely delicious !! Loved the Blondie wings and the Alabama white sauce (tastes like the mayo that you put on esquites and elotes). The fries were delicious too, not too salty and a little sweet. Also had some mac and cheese (it was bomb), and the brisket sandwich was really good too :-)!!

Best Ribs ever. Highlight recommend Wings and brisket are really good as well. Don't miss this spot next time you're in Pasadena

First time at Slab. The Oooh sandwich was delicious. Coming back to try brisket burger soon

Pretty good BBQ!! It's on the expensive side tho. The service was fast and the workers are nice.

Fresh, great quality and friendly staff. Will definitely be back. I got the Tony ribs! Everything smells amazing!

We ordered take-away and brought the food home. Truly some of the worst food (let alone BBQ) I've ever had. Ranks as one of the worst meals I've ever endured. We ordered the ribs, beans, coleslaw, and street corn. The ribs are beyond salty; I mean, someone opened up a canister of salt and let it rip. It's inedibly salty and dry. The beans were bland and gritty - my husband commented it felt like eating sand. The coleslaw was the best part of the meal, but that's not a compliment since they were boring. I had better coleslaw in my elementary school cafeteria in the 80s. I couldn't even force myself to finish it. The fries had the same dry seasoning rub and it's just meh and also way too salty. Is the seasoning MSG? Sure tastes like it. I have the hallmark MSG headache now. I'm not sure how you mess up BBQ. I feel all dehydrated, my tongue is dry, and I'm in a bad mood. I usually like to give places the benefit of the doubt, but since I see another reviewer commented on the salty ribs, this place needs to get out of the food business. You're better off getting ribs from the deli counter at Costco. No kidding.

I came down here with my buddy Kurt and we loved the food. Great atmosphere and a lot of different fountain drinks from Mexico.

This is a hard one for me because I can't have much salt. Please take this into your consideration please. They have very good food!!! The Mac and cheese, coleslaw etc they have great food. In other words if I were 20 years younger I'd be eating at slab about once a week.

Trying this new place in Pasadena. The bread was really fresh and soft. We tried the chicken, pulled pork and beef brisket sandiwches, along with the chicken wings and loaded fries. The collard greens was too salty. Mac and cheese was good. Service was great. Happy hour has sandwiches half off. Can't beat that

Our first time here and I called ahead to check in on egg & peanuts since my son is allergic. The manager was very kind and answered all my questions. Even once we got here she reminded me of the foods that contained his allergens. Very kind and helpful! I appreciate her thoroughness since dining out with allergens can be to

Damn! I was really wanting to like this place since it's so close to my house. Half slab of baby back were really fatty and crusty, then this weird sweet taste would pop up every few bites that kinda made me cringe. The collard greens were ok if you didn't get a piece of the rancid meat that was inside. The fries had a decent flavor, but were soggy as hell. My son's brisket burger was over cooked and too dense, with an overly dense bun, which made it a weird mouthfeel. I definitely won't be going back. I'll just have to go back to Gus's, which has gone down hill in the recent past.