Bandit's Grill and Bar

“If I had to narrow my choice of meats down to one for the rest of my life, I am quite certain that meat would be pork.”
---James Beard

BANDIT’S GRILL AND BAR

1980 Ventura Blvd.

Camarillo, CA 93010

805-455-4742

11:00 AM to 9:00 PM                      Sunday through Thursday

11:00 AM to 10:00 PM                    Friday and Saturday

banditsbbq.com

 

The report from someone Sharon knows was glowing. .They have their own sauce, he said.  Bandit’s is great.  Everything was good from the Tri-tip Nachos to the ribs, so naturally, we had to check it out for ourselves.  We had been intending to get together with a couple who live in Oxnard and they were invited to meet us there at 6:00 on a Sunday evening.  They arrived along with their four-year-old son.

Bandit’s is on a street corner in Old Town Camarillo a nicely revitalized area of a town that was bisected by the 101 freeway.   The exterior and interior décor of this location is Southwestern Cantina.  I have not seen the other locations in Thousand Oaks or the one in Park City, Utah.  The bar is attached but has a separate outside entrance and a closed, connecting door to the restaurant.  This makes it extremely easy to keep the family oriented side of the restaurant separated. There were only two big screen televisions visible in the restaurant area still tuned to the inevitable sports channel.   Although the restaurant had not filled up for the dinner hour it was evident that it could use a larger waiting area.  After a brief wait we were seated at a wooden booth that was large enough for a child and four adults that act like children.

Our server was prompt and cheery and answered the questions about menu items with authority.  The menu is not just barbecue.  There is an assortment of appetizers, soups and chili, appetizer salads, entrée salads, steaks, prime rib, seafood, burgers, tacos, and wraps and somewhere in the middle is the barbecue.  This gave us pause, but we determined to give them the benefit of the doubt and ordered anyway.  The four-year-old was the easiest to order for since he was excited to get an order of the appetizer Cheeseburger Sliders.   The barbecue combo on the menu is a two-meat, two side combo.  We ordered three of them to split between the four of us with a Barbecued Half Chicken, Tri-tip, Pulled Pork, Beef Ribs, Baby Back Ribs, and a Spicy Beef Link.  Since you can add a Skewer of Shrimp to any entrée we had shrimp with that.    The sides were Ranch Beans, Homemade Potato Chips, Corn Off the Cob, Creamy Coleslaw, Homemade Mac and Cheese, and Yams.  All this arrived promptly and nothing was cold that wasn’t supposed to be cold.  After the dinner we shared dessert, Leilani’s Mud Pie, Fresh Strawberry Shortcake and the four-year-old had a Kid’s Sundae.

Cheeseburger Sliders

The sliders were quite large enough that the four-year-old was quite satisfied with one of them.  He was into sharing and passed the rest of them around.  They turned out to be very good cheeseburgers with very good meat that was not overdone.

Corn off the Cob

The white corn was locally grown, fresh and sweet, but unfortunately, still had a lot of the silk in it to get caught in your teeth and gag you.  If the silks had been cleaned out by more careful preparation this would have been very good.

Ranch Beans

Not beans out of the can, but bland, these beans were simply mediocre.  And that’s about all we could say about them without being rude.

Homemade Potato Chips

Homemade style potato chips are usually a little thick and tough compared to almost transparently thin bagged chips.  These were no exception, if fact, they were a bit tougher than most but still tasty.  They went well with the cheeseburger sliders.

Creamy Coleslaw

Should have been a good mix of ingredients for a competent slaw, but it was a little too wet, something that particularly annoys me, and just bland.  While the pulled pork was not that flavorful I still don’t think that the coleslaw would have complemented it in a sandwich.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

The pasta was al dente, but if there was cheese on it you couldn’t find it.  Allegedly, it was supposed to have a white cheese sauce on it, but you just couldn’t find it.  Seriously, the macaroni would have been better off tossed with butter and herbs.  As mac and cheese it was bland and not worth ordering.

Yams

The yams were actually quite tasty.  They were savory without being too sweet and had a nice texture.

Barbecued Chicken

The chicken was done through and tender, but didn’t really taste as though it had spent any time in a smoker.  If you want grilled chicken it’s good, and there’s really nothing wrong with a good grilled chicken, just don’t call it barbecue or claim that it was smoked.  Real barbeque aficionados can tell the difference!

Tri-tip

The tri-tip was not sliced too thin, and had a noticeable smoke ring, but didn’t have the rich meaty flavor that you expect from barbecued tri-tip.  Again, it made us question their method of smoking the meat.  It certainly did not taste like it was done slow and low like most well done flavorful tri-tip.

Beef Ribs

These ribs were meaty enough, but a bit overdone, crispy and chewy.  To add insult to injury, they lacked flavor.  So all in all, they had no redeeming social value.

Pulled Pork

If you have had really good pulled pork, this isn’t it.  It was a bit stringy and while there was a smoky flavor it was barely there.  Again, leading us to question their assertion that the meat was actually smoked in the traditional fashion of low and slow.   The sauce was a bit too much for it and way too sweet.  I didn’t think it was worth taking home to test as a leftover sandwich.

Baby Back Ribs

These ribs were meaty enough and smoked, but the flavor was just not there.  If the meat had a rub on it before cooking, it was impossible to identify.   Or taste.   Soooo disappointing!

Spicy Beef Link

Presented sliced longitudinally like pickle spears, this was an excellent hot link.  It had a good combination of spices and just enough of an after bite so that you were sure that you were getting a hot link.  It was a bit too much for Sharon, but everyone else enjoyed it.

Leilani’s Mud Pie

Sharon tells me that the mud pie was rich and chocolaty, and better than similar mud pie presentations at other restaurants in the area.  I really cannot comment on this since it did not make it to my end of the table.

Fresh Strawberry Short Cake

Camarillo is on the edge of strawberry growing country.  Here, you would expect to have shortcake piled high with fresh strawberries.  Not so.  This is not, necessarily, a bad thing.  The presentation was of a light puff pastry split and stuffed with crème fresh with strawberries around it.  It was very light and tasty with some of the freshest strawberries you would ever want.

I can’t comment on the Kid’s Sundae, since that was not shared…thankfully.  However, it disappeared into the child with alacrity. 

We had fun, more from the company than the food, and it was obvious to us that Bandit’s is trying a little too hard to be all things to all diners.  Maybe they were having a bad day with the smoker, but the feeling we got was that the que is not their main emphasis.  Considering the buildup we had we thought we was robbed.  For the que it rated six and a half.  And that is being incredibly generous

Chris and Pitts #6

“Fat gives things flavor.”
― Julia Child

 

CHRIS AND PITTS  #6

9243 Lakewood Blvd.

Downey, CA 90240

562-862-9069

11:00 AM to 10:00 PM  Sunday through Monday

Closed Tuesdays

http://www.chrisandpittsbbqrestaurants.com/

 

 

When we moved into our house, over forty years ago, there was a Chris and Pitts location within walking distance of our house.  We walked there at least once a week to enjoy barbecue.  I don’t remember it being fabulous barbecue, but it was certainly acceptable and the whole neighborhood hung out there.  It has been gone for years and now there is a Walgreen’s on the site.  The closest Chris and Pitts is in Downey, a half hour away by freeway in light traffic. We decided that in light, early Saturday evening traffic, it would be worth the drive, if for nothing else, the nostalgia value.

Coming off the southbound 5 freeway at Lakewood Boulevard the restaurant is a very short distance on the right.  Nostalgic it is.  Chris and Pitts was founded in 1940, practically Jurassic by Southern California standards, although this location probably dates from the 1950s.  The décor is the same as I remember from the former Valley location, 1940s faux Western hunting lodge right down to the cougar head on the wall which  is the product of a sculptor, not a taxidermist.  There is one feature that contemporary restaurant designers should note.  The take-out waiting area is completely segregated from the dining room waiting area.

The décor is not the only thing that seems not to have changed.  The menu looks exactly the same as I remember it from the early 1960s.  Well not exactly the same… the prices have changed.  While prices have risen, this is still one of the most reasonably priced, sit down, barbecue restaurants around.  There is a lunch and a dinner menu, that have selections that vary slightly, along with specials listed on an extra menu card at lunch and on a blackboard at dinner.  The center section of the menu is color pictures of the various dishes, much in the manner of some Chinese restaurants, and although they are probably fifty years old they still represent the current dishes quite accurately. The menu also includes grilled sea food and steaks, and there are some other sides for those, but it is mostly barbecue served as sandwiches and platters.

On the blackboard this night, was the rib combo from the lunch menu.  We ordered one of these, which includes two Beef Ribs, two Pork Spare Ribs and four Baby Back Ribs along with a selection of sides and a soft drink (eat in orders only) , and a Barbecued Chicken combo, one-half chicken with sides in order to get a good sampling.  The side selections are limited.  Every dinner and combo comes with Baked Beans, French fries and Garlic Toast.  At extra cost you can substitute a Baked Potato or Spaghetti with Meat Sauce for the beans and fries.  The food arrived promptly as the restaurant was just starting to fill up for the dinner hour.

Soup

There are three selections of soup that vary by day.  We didn’t try any of them this night, but opted for the salad.

Salad

This was a conventional tossed salad of lettuce and red cabbage served with packaged saltine crackers and blue cheese dressing.  The salad was fresh and crisp but the dressing was a bit tasteless and rather oily for a dressing that is supposed to be creamy.

Garlic Toast

A serving of garlic toast is a half of a long sandwich roll, slathered with garlic butter and put under a broiler.  It came out not garlicky enough, and a bit tough.

French Fries

These were very good steak fries, crisp and hot from the fryer.   No complaints here.

Baked Beans

We don’t know for sure, but our impression was that the beans were Campbell’s, right out of the can.

Baby Back Ribs

Not the best, but damn good baby backs.  They were meaty, in fact, more meaty than at most places, tender and had as smoky but subtle flavor that can stand up to the Chris and Pitts signature barbecue sauce.  I don’t know which wood they are using but I suspect it is mesquite.

Pork Spare Ribs

Again, these ribs are very meaty and subtly smoked and tasted almost like candy, indicating that the basting solution contained a great deal of brown sugar.  The favor is definitely different from the baby back ribs, but still stands up to the sauce…really good ribs.  Try them “dry” first before trying with the barbeque sauce.

Beef Ribs

While not the biggest beef ribs we’ve been served they are more than ample and quite flavorful.  Two days later, a leftover rib, microwaved to rewarm, was still juicy, tasty and delicious.  Also, try these ribs “dry” first before trying with the barbeque sauce.  That was always Sharon’s favorite way to eat them.

Barbecued Chicken

A bit of a disappointment here, the chicken was tender and done, but had no hint of smoke flavor.  It just seemed to be a good broiled chicken.

Chris and Pitts likes to brag that their food is still “Done the Old Fashioned Way”.  Where the meat is concerned this works.   You come here for the meat because the rest of it is mediocre.   The whole experience, ambiance, service and sides, could be brought up to date.  This would have to be approached with caution since the nostalgia factor may be a major factor in their market.  Even so, the ribs we tasted needed no apologies.  It is what it is, and we give it a solid seven.

Ranch House BBQ and Grill

“Never eat more than you can lift.”

---Miss Piggy

 

RANCH HOUSE BBQ AND GRILL

6157 Van Nuys Blvd

Van Nuys, CA  91401

818-287-0966

11:00 AM to 8:45 PM          Monday through Saturday

11:00 AM to 7:45 PM          Sunday

http://ranchhousevannuys.com/

 

You could consider the Ranch House to be in our local neighborhood, but to be honest, we had no idea that it was here.  It came to our attention as the result of a random Google search.  They don’t have a web site, per se, but are listed on several on-line ordering and review sites.  The reviews were both good and bad, the negative mostly being about on-line ordering.  We place little stock in other’s reviews, preferring to taste for ourselves, so we decided to try it anyway.

It’s in the Van Nuys civic center area across the street from the State office building.  The majority of their business is probably lunch trade from the government workers and police, and firemen.  Considering the neighborhood, it’s not surprising that they don’t stay open late.  Sharon remembers when this location was a Mexican restaurant, and they still serve Mexican food, along with salads, burgers, pasta, pizza, and yes, barbeque.  All this menu diversity did not bode well for the que, but we decided to give it a try anyway even though, when we showed up, on a ninety degree day, the air conditioning was out. 

We arrived at 6:00 PM on a Saturday night and were the only people in the place.  This is one of those places where you normally order at the counter and they deliver it to the table.  Since the server was looking for something to do he took our order at the table. While we waited for our order, a friend we had called to share the experience showed up and placed her order.  Looking around we found that this is one of those places that makes no pretense at décor, it just is.  It’s clean enough to have an “A” rating from the Health Department, but aside from having booths with tables I wouldn’t call it restaurant designer anything. 

Sharon ordered at Brisket and Chicken Breast combo with Mac and Cheese side and I ordered a Tri-tip and Baby Back Rib combo with Peanut Coleslaw as a side.  I also ordered a couple of a la carte Beef Ribs and a Hot Link to get a good sampling.  Our friend ordered a Tri-tip dinner with Mac and Cheese and a Salad as sides.  The que is not at all expensive, but the sides are all a la carte.  We shared an order of Garlic Butter Rolls.  After the meat we ordered Chocolate Cake and Cheese Cake for dessert.  Since there were no other patrons at the time it’s not surprising that the food arrived promptly.

Garlic Butter Rolls

This is simply a good commercial roll slathered with melted butter and sprinkled with herbs.  We’ve seen them elsewhere and here it’s done well.  If you have any left over they are worth taking home and warming up the next day.

Mac and Cheese

The pasta was al dente but the cheese sauce was just a little this side of Kraft macaroni and cheese.  That’s not all that bad, and it’s better than just OK, but not a fabulous mac and cheese.  When you order a small side order it is so I did not get to try it as a leftover.

Salad

For a plain dinner salad this was more than OK.  Everything was very crisp and fresh.  The dressing was tasty.  On the whole it was more satisfying than the usual dinner salad.

Peanut Coleslaw

The dressing on this was oiler than I like and also a bit on the timid side with the spices but I have had much worse recently.  It was described as a small side order and they weren’t kidding.  After sampling it there was not enough left to take home for a test pulled pork sandwich.  .

Tri-tip

Thank goodness, they did not slice it too thin.  It was served in nice thick chunks that you slice yourself.  The mesquite smoke flavor is a bit subtle if you are used to tri-tip done over California red oak, and there was no visible smoke ring, but the flavor was really there.  This is a good piece of meat done properly.  Not the best tri-tip I have ever had, but much better than you get at more expensive barbecue places…very tasty.

Brisket

You expect brisket to be sliced, but this they did slice too thin.  It looked as though they ran it through a deli slicer to make roast beef sandwiches.  Other than that, there was not much to find wrong with it.  It had a good smoky flavor and was quite tender.  This is a brisket worth ordering even if you would like a little more to chew on.

Baby Back Ribs

You’ve seen me write that baby back ribs should not disappoint and these do not.  They are tender, have a good smoky flavor and are relatively meaty. 

Chicken Breast

Someone pounded this almost to scaloppini before it was put on the grill.  It has the mesquite smoke flavor and was done through, juicy and tender.  A slightly different presentation of chicken breast but very good.

Beef Ribs

Big, meaty, and with that flavor that shouts “Beef!” when you bite into them these are excellent beef ribs.  One of them was shared between the three of us and the other came home as a leftover.

Hot Link

A hot link it ain’t.  It’s a sausage, just a bit more spicy than the average hot dog, but with an oddly cinnamon flavor to it.  It’s served with a small serving of old fashioned French’s yellow mustard.  I don’t think that it’s worth it as a hot link, but it is mild enough that Sharon could eat it.

Pulled Pork

Very simply, this is about as good as pulled pork gets.  They don’t have a pulled pork plate on the menu, only a sandwich and take home by the pound.  With a proper slaw the pulled pork makes a great sandwich. The leftovers will make at least four pulled pork sandwiches this week.  Bet they sell a lot of sandwiches.

Chocolate Cake

This is a more or less standard commercial bakery ‘Death by Chocolate’ cake.  It has four layers of chocolate cake separated by chocolate icing with shaved chocolate on the outside.  It’s not bad, but they keep it in the cooler and it would be tastier if it were lightly nuked and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Cheese Cake

The lightness of the cheesecake was a quite pleasant surprise.  It is a simple, creamy cheesecake but quite tasty.

One of the reviews referred to the Ranch House BBQ and Grill as a hole.  Well it appears to be a hole, but a clean one.  What they didn’t find fault with was the food and we couldn’t either.  We didn’t try anything from the extensive menu except the que, so I can’t comment on the other selections; however the que is quite good. I wouldn’t call it destination barbecue unless you live in the Valley, but it’s good enough to warrant repeat visits if you do.  I hate to quote from movies, but “I’ll be back!”  We give it an eight.

Rosie's BBQ and Grillery

THIS PLACE HAS BEEN RELOCATED!  SEE OUR JULY 2019 POST

"Eating is always a decision, nobody forces your hand to pick up food and put it into your mouth."

---Albert Ellis, Michael Abrams, Lidia Dengelegi

ROSIE’S BBQ AND GRILLERY

9012 Tampa Avenue

Northridge, CA 91324

(818) 349-3055

11:00 AM to 9:30 PM          Sunday through Thursday

11:00 AM to 10:30 PM        Friday and Saturday

http://www.rosiesbbq.com

Rosie’s is another of those places that seems to have been a fixture in the Valley forever.  It is located in a glorified strip mall in Northridge that is large enough to have some groups of stores and restaurants standing in the middle of the parking lot as well in a row behind it.  Rosie’s is in one of the standalone buildings.  The outside hasn’t changed much.  The inside seems to have had two makeovers since we started going there and the last one, done in an ersatz cowboy theme, seems to be worn to the point of needing another. 

We came in a bit after six on a Saturday night.  It was busy, but not overly crowded, and we were seated immediately.  Our server was bright, brisk, efficient, and cheerful even though she seemed to be covering more stations than she should.  We took a few minutes to examine the menu and then placed our order.

Although the name of the place begins with BBQ the barbecue is actually a small section of the menu.  There are appetizers, salads, sandwiches and sea foods as well as barbecue.  They had combinations on the menu so Sharon ordered a two meat combo of Baby Back Ribs and Tri-tip with Mac and Cheese for a side.  I ordered a three meat combo of Beef Ribs, Shredded Pork and a Half Chicken with Peanut Coleslaw as the side.  The combos only come with one side, but you can add a salad, trip to the salad bar, a cup of soup or a bowl of Tri-Tip chili.  The Tri-tip Chili sounded intriguing so I ordered that.  They don’t have anything like bread to keep you occupied while you wait for your order, at least we weren’t offered anything, but the food arrived quickly.

Tri-Tip Chili

The chili came as a generous appetizer serving with side servings of sour cream, chopped onions, shredded cheddar cheese, and an undistinguished but acceptable commercial corn muffin.  If you are expecting a lift your head off, spicy Southwestern chili, this isn’t it, but if you want a rich, flavorful chili, with nice chunks of tri-tip in it, you have come to the right place.  It was not loaded with green pepper and onions so even Sharon could enjoy it.  The chili was probably the best thing we had that night and this, alone, is worth coming here to have.  I would have been quite happy to make a meal of the chili.

Macaroni and Cheese

Most places that have an upcharge for a side order give a generous portion in return.  It was in a small ceramic cup with some cheddar cheese melted over the top.  The pasta was al dente, but the cheese sauce was so bland that it was barely cheese sauce.  It’s definitely not worth ordering.

 Peanut Coleslaw

When you look at it you expect great things.  There is a good mix of cabbages, celery, red bell pepper and onions, even if the peanuts are a little scarce.  It comes with what appears to be a good vinegar type dressing; this is until you taste it.  The dressing is way too timid and way, way too oily.  The oil was so annoying that I did not take the leftover portion home to test it on a pulled pork sandwich.

Tri-Tip

Of the things that came on the combo plates the tri-tip was far and away the best.  This was not because of the preparation, but because they started with a damn good piece of tri-tip.  Supposedly, they use mesquite wood to smoke their meats.  Mesquite can be a subtle flavor, compared to other woods used in barbecue, but here it is so subtle it is almost absent.  There is no visible smoke ring in the meat, and it tastes not like barbecue but a well roasted tri-tip.  Although Sharon ordered it medium, it came quite rare and tepid.  It was served with a small container of a very salty au jus. 

Baby Back Ribs

These ribs are tender, meaty and bland.  We ordered it unsauced, but whatever the dry rub is it has little spice and is definitely forgettable.  It is one of those things that are better as a leftover since flavor seems to develop a bit in the fridge overnight.  They also were tepid and definitely not right out of the oven or where ever they were kept, it was not up to health department standards with regards to temperature.

Beef Ribs

Beef ribs that we were served were generously sized, meaty, tender, a bit fatty, and just as bland as the baby back ribs.  They weren’t totally flavorless, since you could tell, simply by taste that you were eating beef, but these ribs did not say “BEEF!” to your tongue.

Shredded Pork

No matter what you choose to call it, it’s pulled pork.  It’s in a rather oily barbecue sauce (Someone in this kitchen likes oil.) That masks the flavor so much that at first bite it’s hard to tell if you are eating pork or chicken.  At this writing I can’t confirm it improves after a couple of days in the fridge since I haven’t made that pulled pork sandwich.

Chicken

The chicken seems to have some sort of smoked rub on it, but it really does not taste smoked.  The white meat was tender and done through, but the dark meat was barely done, something you have to be careful about with chicken.  It was edible, made a decent chicken sandwich the next day, and even passed the kitty test, but it does not qualify as great, or even good, barbecue chicken.

 We remember Rosie’s being a sort of date night place.  Now the clientele seems to be mostly older people (Yes, I know how old I am, don’t remind me.) and families with children.  I don’t know about the remainder of the menu, we just tried the barbecue, but there seems to be no attempt to establish a distinctive barbecue style here.  Instead, it comes off as just above coffee shop barbecue, a sort of lowest common denominator of taste for the masses not true barbeque aficionados.  It’s been here for quite a while, but like some other barbecue places with a long history it does not seem to have improved with age.  We give it a five.

Cookn With Lenny's Smokehouse

"Eating is really one of your indoor sports.  You play three times a day, and it's well worth while to make the game as pleasant as possible."

---Dorothy Draper

COOKIN WITH LENNY’S SMOKEHOUSE

23360 Lake Manor Drive

Chatsworth, CA  91311

818-348-8100

11:00 AM to 10:00 PM        Tuesday through Sunday

http://www.cookinwithlenny.net/

Finding Lenny’s, a couple of minutes west of Topanga Canyon Boulevard, you feel that you have driven to the end of the world looking for barbeque.  It’s in the area above the old Chatsworth Reservoir, now empty, in what is, by LA standards, a sparsely populated area that still retains a rural feeling.  You’re not much more than a mile away from some of the highest rent neighborhoods in the West Valley.   It’s a small, unassuming, place so don’t go more than 30 miles per hour on the two lane road or you’ll miss it.  (And, you may just get a ticket.)  On the other hand, you can’t miss it if you leave your window open…the smoker is right out in front.

The physical impression of the place is, well, cowboy.  It’s all knotty pine, tongue and groove, paneling and wainscoting with stucco above and open beamed wooden ceilings.  The art on the walls is cowboy movie posters, cowboy memorabilia, and cow horns with a few license plates thrown in.  The stated capacity of the room is 45 and there are exactly 45 chairs in the room.  For nice weather, which we have more often than not, there is also a covered patio out back.  There is also a setup for live music which is provided by the staff.  We were told that they have to audition to work there.

We arrived at just the right time, about 6:00 PM on a Wednesday.  They were just getting setup for the dinner hour and there were no other customers in the place.  Lenny’s Smokehouse menu has appetizers, salads, seafood, and sandwiches as well as the que.  In fact, the selection of que is fairly limited.  The only combos on the menu were Family Feasts, feeding 4 to 6 people, which is a bit much for Sharon and I to get our usual sample of the que.  Fortunately, Lenny serves a Duet of Ribs appetizer, a pair of whiskey glazed ribs with roast garlic and pineapple, and a pair of raspberry-chipotle baby back ribs, which allowed us to sample the ribs while ordering other single entrée dishes.  Sharon ordered a Smoked Maple Chicken with Macaroni and Cheese for a side, and I ordered Carved Smoked Tri-tip with Slow Cooked, seasoned Red Beans as my side dish.  During our brief wait for our order other people began to arrive for dinner.  Even though our food arrived promptly, the place began to fill up.  We have been told by other people who have been there that when Lenny’s is full, on a weekend night, the service is not so prompt.

Raspberry-Chipotle Baby Back Ribs

Very meaty for baby back ribs, these have a good, but somewhat different smoky flavor.  There is the sharpness of California red oak smoke but the mellowness of hickory smoke.  I get the impression that both woods are used in the smoking.  The glaze is a bit peppery as is most of the food here.  It seems that Lenny, an actual TV star chef, has a Cajun background.

Whisky Glazed Ribs with Garlic and Pineapple

This is another way to make very meaty ribs with a smoky, peppery, but very savory flavor.  Eating Lenny’s ribs is worth coming out here.

Smoked Maple Chicken

This is a generous half chicken that has a good smoky flavor.  The maple glaze manages to have a slight bite to it.  Our only slight fault to the chicken was that it seemed to be a bit dry,  The leftovers passed the kitty test.

Carved Smoked Tri-tip

This is a strange way to serve tri-tip.  It seems to be marinated, in a rather peppery rub, before being smoked.  Then, it is served with sautéed peppers and onions.  This is something way out of Sharon’s range of taste, but it certainly was tender and flavorful and I rather liked it.

Macaroni and cheese

For a side it was a generous serving of a nice, al dente, penne pasta mixed into a cheese sauce that seems to have more than one cheese.  This is the one thing we tried that didn’t have a Cajun pepperiness to it.  Sharon is partial to macaroni and cheese presentations with the pasta simply mixed into a cheese sauce and rather liked it.  I prefer a baked macaroni and cheese, but this was not bad…not the best I’ve had, but not bad.  It was even good nuked as a leftover.

Slow Cooked, seasoned Red Beans

Another generous serving for a side, this is a simple preparation of red beans in a, guess what, peppery sauce.  Don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad serving of beans, they are not overcooked, overwhelmed by green peppers, or cloyingly sweet, our most frequent complaints about beans.  They are simply a good complement to the meat.

Lenny’s is not one of those places that people who don’t like the Cajun overtones to the seasoning will like.  Sharon, allergic to peppers, has to work at it a bit, but can still find things to eat here and she likes it.  I think that I will probably make the trip out to the west end of the Valley myself.  Be aware that it small and can be crowded on weekends.  Most people will find it an experience and a little gem.  We rate it an eight.

Robin's Wood Fire BBQ

 “I hate people who are not serious about meals.  It is so shallow of them.”

---Oscar Wilde

 

ROBIN’S WOOD FIRE BBQ

395 North Rosemead Blvd.

Pasadena, CA 91107

626-616-0585

626-351-8885

11:00 AM to 10:00 PM Tuesday through Sunday

http://www.robinsbbq.com/index.html

 

When you walk up to Robin’s it looks like the place is a recycled Mexican restaurant.  Inside, the paint on the walls may be garish, but one whiff tells you that this place is the real deal.  They smoke meat here.  We have been here before with a couple of friends and we came here about 7:00 PM on a Sunday evening with the same friends.  Lucky for us most the people waiting at the time were all there for takeout and there was a table available.  We were seated at a table in sight of the kitchen.  The table was painted with a red checkerboard pattern.  There was a roll of paper towel on it along with the salt and pepper shakers and a Mason jar that had the flatware in it.  Looking around from the table we saw the walls covered with vintage advertising signs from all over the country.  No restaurant designer reproductions here.   They are all real.

Our server arrived immediately with our menu and took our drink orders.  Sharon decided on a Garbage Can Combo which has BBQ Chicken, Baby Back Ribs, Spare Ribs, a Beef Rib, Tri-tip and a Hot Link.  This is probably enough for four people.  The only thing I wanted to try that was not on the combo was Pulled Pork so I ordered a Carolina Pulled Pork Plate.  All the plates come with Coleslaw, which Sharon doesn’t like so she ordered the Mac and Cheese as a substitute for the slaw which meant a slight upcharge.  Her other side was Baked Beans.  I ordered the Coleslaw and garlic mashed potatoes as my sides.  One of our friends ordered a Spare Rib plate and the other a Cheeseburger in Paradise.

Real Serious BBQ  Chicken

They named this one right!  This is chicken smoked with authority.  It was tender, had a good smoky flavor and was done through without being dry.  The menu and web site say they use oak and apple wood to smoke, but I suspect they also use hickory.   Many places have roasted or grilled chicken with some liquid smoke and barbecue sauce…either that or they chased the chicken through the smoker.  Not here.  This is the real deal.

Bodacious Baby Back Ribs

Again, this is the real deal.  These are baby backs that make you glad you are a carnivore.  Perfectly smoked, great pork flavor, not quite fall off the bone tender, they are just what you want in Baby Back Ribs.  By no means do these disappoint.

Most Excellent Spare Ribs

The name sounds like something from the Wayne’s World bit on SNL, but they really are excellent.  The flavor is definitely pork, strong enough to stand up to the other flavors on a combo plate, but not over smoked.   These ribs are great in the combo plate or as a plate by themselves.   The leftovers were great nuked a couple of days later.

Apple Wood Smoked Tri-tip

As a Californian (Well, transplanted, but I’ve lived here for 60 years.) my reaction to many barbecue restaurants is, “If you don’t know how to do Tri-tip, don’t.”  Robin’s knows how to do Tri-tip.  It is tender, juicy, has a proper smoke ring and has flavor that would tell any non-Californian just what Tri-tip is all about.  My only objection is that they slice it thinner than I would like.  I can live with this.

Wood Fired Beef Ribs

While the Beef Ribs here are not large enough that you think they came from frighteningly large steers they are certainly more than enough for a serving.  Barbecued beef ribs may be larger at other places, but they don’t come any better than this.  The first bite screams BEEF!

Louisiana Hot Link

At first bite your reaction is that it is not that hot.  Then the heat builds, but before it goes over the top with heat the heat stops and the spices burst into your mouth.  If you think that I am trying to describe the perfect Hot Link you are not far off the mark.  If your macho demands tonsil scorching hot links these aren’t it, but if you crave the perfect balance of heat and spice in a link, this comes closer than most.  The serving was two.  I took one home and it was just as good nuked for lunch the next day.

Carolina Pulled Pork

It tasted more Memphis style, but it was so good that I can’t complain.   This pulled pork is flavorful enough to stand up to everything else on the combo plate including the hot link.  I had the full plate, which is a more than generous portion, so I was able to enjoy the leftovers for a couple of days.  It even passed the kitty test, without causing the kitty any digestive upset, which tells you just how good smoked pork it is. 

Cheeseburger in Paradise

OK, it’s just a perfect conventional cheeseburger with a thick, juicy patty, cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato.  That’s the point…it’s done perfectly…not barbecue but a damn good burger that’s worth $10.95.

Coleslaw

I never before experienced a slaw that was shredded too coarsely, but here it was.   Coleslaw is made from cabbage but this one was like biting into a cabbage.  At least it was not too wet.  I was not that impressed with it on the pulled pork sandwich I made with the leftovers the next day either.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

The mashed potatoes looked like they were made with red skin potatoes with some of the skin left in.  This can be a tasty way to do it but in this case they somehow lack body, if mashed potatoes can be thought of as having body. 

Mac and Cheese

The mac and cheese is a baked version.   This is not Sharon’s favorite since she feels most baked preparations leave the macaroni a bit mushy.  It is certainly cheesy with definite cheddar and what seems to be a white cheese or sour cream in the mix.  It has some little green flecks in it that could be onions or parsley.  We should have asked since they don’t seem to add any flavor.  It looks good on the plate, but the experience is disappointing.

Cornbread

All the meals come with a large blueberry corn muffin, well, actually a cross between a muffin and an individual loaf along with some blueberry butter.  It’s a variation on cornbread that is not unpleasant but not great.  It’s sweet and not quite strong enough to stand up to cold butter but makes a decent pull-apart appetizer while waiting for your order.  We all had the opinion that it probably would not be bad with coffee at a breakfast meeting.

Baked Beans

When the Baked Bean arrived Sharon knew she was in trouble.  The chunks of bell pepper and onion were so large that they stuck out of the bowl.  She passed them to me.  I don’t have any trouble with bell peppers and onions.  I do have trouble with undercooked beans, and these were definitely undercooked.  The sauce was not too sweet, in fact, it wasn’t much of anything.  These beans need to be rethought.

The whole point of barbecue is the meat.  If you judge it strictly by the que, Robin’s gets a 10.  The sides may knock the total barbecue experience down by a point, (or two if you are persnickety), but the meat is so great that our opinion is that you should just go there and enjoy being a carnivore.

Willy's BBQ & Grill Smokehouse

THIS PLACE IS UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT AND HAS BEEN RENAIMED!  We will re-review.

 “Meat isn’t murder, it’s delicious.”

--- John Lydon

WILLY’S BBQ & GRILL SMOKEHOUSE

(Soon to change its name to TAVERN 101 BAR AND GRILL)

24834 Roadside Drive

Agoura Hills, CA 91301

818-991-7227

11:30 AM to 10 PM              Monday through Sunday

http://willysbbqandgrill.com/index.html

We were actually intending to try to find que in the other direction.  The place we wanted to try was in East Pasadena but they are closed on Mondays.  A chance Google turned us on the Willy’s.  The afternoon was free so why not?  When you’ve driven to Palmdale just to sample some que driving to Agoura is no big deal.

Willy’s is easy to drive by if you are not paying attention.  It is a small place on the frontage road at the south side of the 101 freeway in Agoura.  There are many other businesses that are more noticeable.  Willy’s hides behind a tall, blank wooden fence that makes the patio, in front of the building, habitable for dining in nice weather despite its proximity to the freeway.  There is a small parking lot behind it, accessible down a narrow driveway, on the west side of the building.  The lot is shared with some office space behind it.  It’s OK to park on the street.  There is a sign, barely visible over the top of the fence, but we found it because the smoker was going leaving a telltale plume of hickory scented smoke from the back of the building.  We parked in back where the large trailer smoker was intruding a bit into the handicapped access space. 

We entered from the rear where the signage says “Tavern 101”.  I really can’t say that the interior is restaurant designer roadhouse.  This place IS a roadhouse.  It seems to be a somewhat upmarket (7 flat screen TVs) country bar with a kitchen attached.  The woodwork is oak and some reproduction, humorous, bar signs (along with a couple of real pipeline warning signs) are scattered around the room.  The seating is all at tables with the ones around the edge of the dining area and in the bar proper being at pub height.

Since it was at the beginning of the lunch hour on a Monday morning we were the only customers in the place.  We were greeted by a bright, pretty, and very helpful server named Paige who was wearing a T-shirt that had the “Tavern 101” logo.  When asked about the name she said that they were changing it to differentiate them from the barbecue place down the street.  She gave us our menus and took our drink orders.  The setups on the table were real metal flatware wrapped in real cloth napkins.  There were four squeeze bottles of barbecue sauce on the table, Sweet, Mild, Spicy, and Turbo.  Paige also informed us that if the Turbo sauce was not hot enough they also have a Nytro sauce by request.

The Lunch menu says nothing about combo plates, but two meat combos are available by request.  Sharon ordered a Beef Brisket and Baby Back Ribs combo with Baked Beans and Macaroni & Cheese for sides.  I had a Pulled Pork and Tri-tip combo with Sweet Potato Fries and Coleslaw.  We were given a basket of Corn Bread while we waited for our orders.  The food arrived quickly, but Sharon’s meat was not dry, as ordered.  The kitchen made up a new plate immediately.  By this time there were other customers there and they were working on other orders so the response was impressive.

Corn Bread

The basket had four squares of a sheet pan cornbread that was moist but crumbly.  It was not too sweet and had kernels of corn in it.  It was a good appetizer, but is not firm enough to stand up to un-melted butter.

Macaroni & Cheese

The macaroni was a penne regatta and was cooked al dente and mixed with a creamy cheddar cheese sauce.  It was very tasty and good as a side dish but not a main dish mac and cheese.

Baked Beans

This was a conventional side dish serving of beans in a pleasantly not too sweet sauce.  With a little searching I found some small pieces of pork in it.  Again, strictly a side dish and not beans you would be tempted to make a meal out of.

Coleslaw

What I would refer to as a competent coleslaw, multiple cabbages with carrots, it had a cream style sauce that was a bit too creamy and wet to my taste.  However, it did not taste bad and went very well on a pulled pork sandwich made with the leftover pulled pork.

Sweet Potato Fries

We tend to avoid sweet potato fries most places since they are usually underdone and nasty. These were properly done and very tasty.  Not only were these crisp and hot as served, but they were even good the next day as nuked leftovers.

Tri-Tip

It was pleasing to find a nice, juicy chunk of tri-tip on my plate.  If it was sliced too thin I would have no one but myself to blame.  A proper smoke ring was visible when I cut a slice off the end.  The taste lived up to the visual clues…just how tri-tip is supposed to taste.  Tri-tip is usually done with oak and the hickory is a more subtle, but still excellent.

Baby Back Ribs

The Baby Back Ribs were, in a word, great.  They were just short of fall off the bone tender and were just smoky enough so they tasted properly barbecued without overwhelming the flavor of the pork.  These definitely do not disappoint.

Brisket

This is the one place they fell down.  Don’t get me wrong, it was better than many I have had, but this tasted like brisket my mother could have made if she was having an exceptionally good day.  It was a bit dry, too well done and didn’t have the full flavor of the smoke.  A bit of the mild sauce improved it.  The leftovers did, however, pass the kitty test.

Pulled Pork

Proper Southern style pulled pork, this has flavor that was not overwhelmed by anything else on the plate.  Of course, I had to make a pulled pork sandwich with the leftovers, the leftover coleslaw and a bit of the sweet sauce (It has a mustard base.) the next day for lunch.  It was great!  I did not give the leftovers the kitty test.  When it is this good the cats can get their own.

Paige said that they were changing the name to Tavern 101 in order to differentiate themselves from the barbecue place down the street.  Well it isn’t hard.  The place down the street is the original Wood Ranch Barbecue and while it ranks well enough it is not destination barbecue.  Willy’s is destination barbecue.  They smoke with hickory and while hickory smoke is a bit subtle for some tastes it is done right here.  Whatever they want to call the place this is great barbecue.  We give them eight and a half.  If the brisket was up to the standards of the other que it would have been a nine.