Pappa's Place

THIS PLACE IS GONE!

“I'm pretty sure that eating chocolate keeps wrinkles away because I have never seen a 10 year old with a Hershey bar and crow’s feet.”
--- Amy Neftzger

PAPA'S PLACE  “A Mecca for Barbeque”

1525 W. Avenue K

Lancaster, CA  93534

(661) 726-0066

(No web site found)

On a trip to the antelope Valley this week to attend a meeting, a colleague and I spotted Papa’s Place at the Avenue K off ramp of the 14 freeway.  We decided to challenge the statement that it was a “mecca for barbeque” and try it on our way back to our office after our meeting.  The restaurant is located in a former Coco’s that has been several other things since the Coco’s closed.  We were greeted promptly and seated at one of the many empty tables.  The restaurant was divided into two sections; the dining section and the “sports bar” section which naturally had the big screen television tuned to a sports channel.  There is also a bar you can sit at and chat with the bartender while you drink your lunch.  The restaurant is obviously just getting started and hasn’t found their identity yet.  The tables were covered with black tablecloths but lacked the customary sampling of sauces and did not even have salt and pepper shakers on the tables.  There were a couple of paper towel dispensers on the walls but the whole place just lacked atmosphere.  On the whole it was cold and uninviting.

Our waitress appeared promptly and took our drink orders while we perused the menu.  I noted that they had both collard greens and gumbo, two of Howard’s favorites.  I texted him the information and we agreed to make this a road trip at a later date.  I ordered a sampler of beef ribs, tri tip, a half chicken, pork rib tips and two sides: mac ‘n cheese and pit beans.  My lunch companion ordered the pork spare ribs with French fries.  I ordered a basket of fried pickles to see how they made them.  The menu included several traditional Southern items like fried green tomatoes and the previously mentioned gumbo.  Our server returned and apologized that they were out of beef ribs, so I had the pork spare ribs as well.

Fried Pickles

I would like to report that these were just as yummy as the ones at Memphis Championship or Lucille’s but I can’t.  They were tasty but were breaded with a cornmeal breading that made the thinly sliced rounds very dry to the palate.  They were sprinkled with a white cheese, maybe Monterey jack and served with a peppery dip.  The menu said they would come with Ranch dressing but if it started out as Ranch, it was heavily laced with a hot pepper sauce that made it a reddish color.  It was a little too peppery for my taste, but my lunch companion seemed to like it.  Our meal arrived promptly and I was aghast to note that everything on the plate was drowning in the same bar-be-que sauce.  Note to other barbeque fans: ask for the sauce to be on the side unless you like everything to taste the same.  

Mac ‘n Cheese

The mac ‘n cheese was obviously baked and had a nice custardy texture and flavor to offset the overcooked macaroni.  It did have a nice blend of flavorful cheeses but the baking process made the pasta soft and on the mushy side. 

Pit Beans

Again, the beans were overpowered by both red and green bell peppers.  It had an indistinct sauce of no identifiable regional origin and some bits that I think were pork.  All in all, they were not that great.   

Tri Tip

There was a generous serving of sliced tri tip with a distinctive smoke ring.  It had a nice smoky flavor, but not distinctive enough to tell the diner what type of wood was used.  It was not overcooked but the generous portion of barbeque sauce on it made it difficult to fully appreciate the subtly of the smoking process. 

Chicken

This was a generous portion but definitely not smoked and somewhat dry.  Most likely roasted and thoroughly cooked (a good thing with chicken) but the only flavor came from the bar-be-que sauce slathered on it.  

Spare ribs

The two spare ribs were meaty with a good smoked flavor.  They were not fall-off-the-bone tender but neither were they stringy, over cooked or hard to chew.  I would have preferred to try them initially without the ever present bar-be-que sauce to appreciate their flavor before putting something on them, if anything. 

Rib Tips

These were surprisingly meaty for rib tips with good smoky flavor.  Rib tips are always a little on the chewy side, but these were not particularly chewy, nor were they stringy.  All in all, they were quite excellent.   

In sum, Papa’s Place is not yet a “mecca for barbeque”.  They definitely need to find their identity and make this former Coco’s into their own special place where they can showcase their personal take on barbeque and establish their place in the barbeque hierarchy.