Big Pops BBQ and Grill

“Thanks cows. I appreciate your tastiness.”
---Craig Ferguson

BIG POPS BBQ & GRILL

10755 Glenoaks Blvd.

Pacoima, CA 91331

818-896-5599

11:00 AM to 8:00 PM   Monday through Saturday

11:00 AM to 4:00 PM   Sunday

No Web Site at the Moment - Try Facebook

A friend of mine told me that I just had to try Big Pops.  Sharon and I tried to make it late one Sunday afternoon but we hadn’t done our research properly and did not realize that they close at 4:00 PM on Sunday.  We got there just as they closed.  Now this wasn’t exactly a bad thing since now we knew exactly where Big Pops was and our alternative was a revisit of the Swinging Door which was very worthwhile (and a subject for another post.)  This time we made it.

Big Pops is in a strip mall on the corner of Glenoaks and Osborne which is a somewhat off camber, oddly angled, signalized intersection that clings to a hillside.  The strip mall is uphill from the intersection itself which can make entering the parking lot an exercise in situational awareness.  Be cautious if you drive there.

This is a storefront in a strip mall and is mostly kitchen.  While there is a shelf against one wall with four bar stools where you could sit to eat, if you had to, consider it strictly takeout.  The wall behind the shelf is covered with framed shoulder patches from every fire and police agency in the area, many of them from aviation related units, (There is an airport on the other side of the hill with police and fire stations close by.) so you know where a lot of their business comes from.  Big Pop was out of town with the family so “Big Uncle” was running the show with a girl taking orders and a couple of cooks.  There is a glass wall right next to the grill so you can watch them work.  For those who have never worked at a full sized restaurant grill it’s an education.

The menu includes sandwiches, fried fish and shrimp, burgers, wings, and salads as well as barbecue.   The barbecue is served as single item plates with Seasoned French Fries, Cornbread, and a side.  The only thing that could be called a combo on the menu costs $54.99 and feeds six to eight people. To get a sample of the que we ordered three of the single item plates, a Jr’s Quarter Slab of St. Louis Pork Spareribs, Pulled Pork, and Jr’s quarter slab of Beef Ribs.  All this was ordered dry with the sauce on the side.  The sides were Coleslaw, Collard Greens, and Mac & Cheese.   Of course we couldn’t resist ordering a side of Fried Pickles when we saw it on the menu.  Our plates came as generous portions in large foam takeout boxes accompanied with a sufficient amount of napkins and plastic wrapped setups including plastic knife, fork and spoon along with some wet wipe packets.   Thus armed we took our food home to feast before it got cold which was made easier by the position of the freeways.  Our trip was about five minutes, each way, in Sunday traffic.

Cornbread

This is a very moist, sheet pan cornbread that while firm is not quite able to stand up to an unwarmed butter patty.  The texture is spongy and the taste is almost dessert sweet which is not a bad thing.  It is somewhat different from a usual sheet pan corn bread, good but not great.

Mac & Cheese

It was interesting.  The sauce was creamy, the pasta al dente, and yet is was strangely flavorless with the cheese sauce not even cheddary…a less than pedestrian version of the classic side.

Coleslaw

With a good mix of cabbage and other ingredients in a not too wet mayonnaise type dressing I would call this a competent slaw.

Collard Greens

This was a somewhat underwhelming and a bit bitter standard preparation of greens.  Do not give this one to someone who does not like greens.   It will only reinforce their preconceptions.

Seasoned French Fries

Actually, these are battered wedge fries.  They are good although while the seasoning is different, and the battering fries up crisper, but I would not say they are noticeably better than the wedge fries at KFC.  They certainly don’t have the same taste pop as the original MoJo Potatoes at Shakey’s.  (In truth, I haven’t been to a Shakey’s for a long time so I can’t say that the MoJo potatoes are still as good as I remember.)

Fried Pickles

The breading is a conventional Southern style corn breading not the Panko breading used at some places.  It works well but they definitely needed to start with crisper pickles.   I suspect that the most successful fried pickles, such as the ones at Lucille’s, may actually start with a half-dill pickle which keeps them crisp after the breading and frying. 

St Louis Pork Spareribs

Meaty but not fall off the bone tender these ribs were actually quite good.  The flavor is a bit subtle since even the regular barbecue sauce (The other choice is spicy.) could overwhelm the flavor.  Definitely try dry before you sauce.

Beef Ribs

These ribs were adequate in size and not tremendously meaty, but had very good beef flavor. They were tender without any sign of stringiness, and definitely seemed worth ordering.

Pulled Pork

When I opened the box I found the serving to be a generous amount wrapped in foil.  After tasting it I decided that no one in the South would be ashamed to serve this pulled pork.  While not the best pulled pork I have had I really would have to stretch to find fault with it.

Bib Pops serves competent takeout barbecue.  There menu is obviously adjusted to the lunch trade in the heavily industrial area they serve.  They also can make larger quantities and do a significant catering business.  Having tried it, we do have to disagree with my friend who recommended it, however, in that it is not destination que.  If I were in the area at lunch time and didn’t want sit down service I wouldn’t hesitate to drop in for a takeout pulled pork sandwich.   On our 1 to 10 scale it rates a 7.