Zeke's Smokehouse

“Not eating meat is a decision, eating meat is an instinct.”

---Denis Leary

ZEKE’S SMOKEHOUSE

2209 Honolulu Avenue

La Crescenta/Montrose, CA 91020

(818) 957-7045

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

11:00 AM to 10:00 PM                  Friday

11:30 AM to 10:00 PM                  Saturday

11:30 AM to 9:00 PM           Sunday

8:00 AM to 11:30 AM           Breakfast Saturday and Sunday

http://www.zekessmokehouse.com/ordereze/1000/Page.aspx

We had some personal business in Glendale that involved our friends from Pasadena and they agreed that it would be a good idea to have a barbeque lunch afterward.  Montrose is adjacent to Glendale and we decided to go to Zeke’s Smokehouse.  We had been there some time before we started blogging and it was a good chance for a review.

Zeke’s restaurant is appears to be a typical small storefront barbeque place seating about 40 customers.   It has an open kitchen with a small dining counter in front.  There are three booths, the rest of the seating being tables and there are some tables out on the sidewalk in front.  The décor is small coffee shop with barbeque memorabilia on the walls.  One of the most interesting things photo on the wall in the front unisex restroom (There is another one at the back of the hall from the rear entrance.) of a chamber of commerce barbeque in Austin circa 1930.  That long hall from the entrance gives you a clue to the real depth of the building.  They have enough space to have a small meat packing plant in the back. By the way, there is a parking lot in the back.  If it’s not full you can use the ample public parking lot to the left down the alley.

The service here is very attentive.  We arrived with seven people and they put three   tables together for us.  On the table were three, apparently house-made sauces. Spicy, Mild and a Carolina Style (Mustard based) for pulled pork.  The menu has appetizers, salads, and sandwiches, some Southern style entrees including fish, burgers, and the main draw, barbeque.  The rib selection is Baby Backs, Spare Ribs and Beef Ribs.  The other meats are Pork Loin, Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken, Smokehouse Chicken, Pork Rib Tips, and Hot Creole Links.  As usual Sharon and I ordered two combos to get our usual sampling of meat.  Hers was the Mixed Rib Plate consisting of three Memphis Baby Back Ribs, two Kansas City Spare Ribs and one Beef Rib.  Her choice of two sides was Mac & Cheese and Smokehouse Baked Beans.  My selection was a Zeke’s Combo which is a Smokehouse Chicken Leg and Thigh, Two Kansas City Spare Ribs, Beef Brisket, and a Hot Creole Link.  I went for the two dollar upcharge for white meat and got a chicken breast and wing instead of the leg and thigh.  My sides were Collard Greens and Creamy Cole Slaw.  The food arrived in a reasonable time and each plate had a slice of garlic cheese toast as well as what we ordered.  The quantities of the meats were more than adequate (Keeping in mind that I am not a kid in his 20’s.) and we took leftovers home.  Sharon and one of our friends shared some Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce (Jim Beam).  Two of our other friends tried the fried chicken dinner, another tried the rib tips with fried green tomatoes and hush puppies.  Everyone enjoyed what they ordered and took leftovers home.

Memphis Baby Back Ribs

The baby backs looked good, with a nice smoke ring visible on the cut sides, and were quite meaty.  They were not fall-off-the-bone tender but were by no means tough.  What disappointed was that they were bland.  They use apple wood here.  Apple wood works well for bacon but I find it a bit too subtle for other meats. The strange thing is that these ribs look perfect but have almost no taste.

Kansas City Spare Ribs

The very same thing that I said about the baby back ribs can be said of the spare ribs.  They look perfect, but have very little flavor.

Beef Rib

This certainly does not disappoint.  It was very meaty, tender, and had a good beefy flavor.  It had sauce on it which was a bit peppery for Sharon but she enjoyed it anyway. Very good beef rib.

Beef Brisket

Brisket should have some fat in it.  When you take a brisket out of the smoker and throw it on the cutting board it should quiver.  This brisket looked just right on the plate and was cut-with-a-fork tender, but it was a bit too fatty and while you could taste the subtle apple wood smoke, but not a real taste of beef.

Smokehouse Chicken

The chicken was done through and the apple wood smoke works well with the chicken.  It was just a little on the dry side but perfectly acceptable barbeque chicken.

Hot Creole Link

One look and you know this is an in-house made link.  It has a natural casing and a course, not mealy, texture.  The spice mixture is not really hot.  In fact it is somewhat disappointingly mild to my taste.  Sharon said it had a slight mouth burn in the after bite but you would have to be as sensitive to hot things as she is to notice it.  They do need to be a bit more careful in the preparation since I found two bone chips in the link.

Smokehouse Baked Beans

At first sight these beans appear to be a bit mushy.  They are but the first taste is a surprise.  They are very savory, almost chili like (Not a real surprise since they have chili on the menu.) with meat and green peppers in the mix. You won’t want to make a meal of the beans, but as a side order they are excellent.

Mac & Cheese

As Sharon likes it, this was a sauce mixed mac and cheese, not baked.  The macaroni was al dente and the cheese sauce was very cheddery tasting and had a very good mouth feel.  (You’d think we were at a wine tasting from that description.)  This is an excellent side order mac and cheese.

Collard Greens

The greens were prepared conventionally and were neither mushy nor tough.  My only complaint might be that they were a little too vinegary.  Not the best, but not bad.

Creamy Cole Slaw

If you have followed my blog you know that I do not like my cole slaw too wet.  This was actually a bit on the dry side.  It is a conventional cabbage and carrot slaw with what appears to be a bit of cilantro In it.  The dressing is just a little sweet.  This is what I term a competent cole slaw.

Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

The bread pudding had apples, raisins and cinnamon in it and the Jim Beam bourbon sauce was buttery and may have some cream in it.  I didn’t have any, but Sharon and one of our friends devoured all of it.  They pronounced it quite tasty. 

It’s a bit hard to give a rating to Zeke’s Smokehouse.  The setting is bright and doesn’t try to look like anything but what it is.  Service is attentive and quick and the plates of food are ample and look great.  Beef ribs, some of the sides, and certainly the bread pudding are as good as you can get anywhere.  The problem is that you go to a barbeque place for the meat and most of the meat disappoints.  Considering how nice the staff was we are really sorry, but we have to rate our visit to Zeke’s six and a half.

Bonnie B's Smokin Barbeque Heaven

“Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.”
― Anthony Bourdain

BONNIE B’S SMOKIN BARBEQUE HEAVEN

1280 N. Lake Avenue

Pasadena, CA 91104

(626) 794-0132

Closed                                               Monday and Tuesday

11:30 AM to 8:00 PM                      Wednesday and Thursday

11:30 AM to 9:00 PM                      Friday and Saturday

11:30 AM to 5:00 PM                      Sunday

http://www.bonniebssmokin.com

We were driving our friends home from our visit to Big Mamma’s when I noticed a sign on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street.  It was shaped like an arrow and pointed to a storefront.  The message on the sign was Barbeque Heaven.  I asked our friends if they had tried this place, but they said that they didn’t know it was there until I saw the sign.  A Google search revealed that it was Bonnie B’s Smokin Barbeque Heaven.  We decided to try it the next weekend.

We made a date for the following Sunday with our friends to try the place out.  Since the Google search told us that they closed at 5:00 PM on Sundays, we decided to make it a late lunch/early dinner and arrived at 3:00 PM.  It’s easy to understand why we had not noticed it before.  Bonnie B’s is in a very small, narrow storefront and you would not see it unless you were looking straight at it.  (There is parking behind the building.)  Typically, for small barbeque places, it seats about 40 customers.  There is an order counter at the back where you order from the menu.   The food is delivered to your table.  It has what I call “Local Barbeque Joint” style, with barbeque contest, restaurant review, and civic awards posted on the walls along with photos of notable patrons.  One wall has a mural depicting the owners.  The placemats on the tables are also reproductions of awards and reviews.  If it is your first visit you may well wonder if all this self-promotion is well deserved. Without getting ahead of myself I can say it is.

There are the usually expected meats on the menu: Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork, Beef Brisket, Rib Tips and Ends, and BBQ Chicken, along with a couple of surprises, Smoked BBQ Bologna and Smoked Atlantic Salmon.  These are available a la carte, in sandwiches, and in Barbeque Dinners and Combination Dinners.  Nine different sides are available and three desserts, Glaze-It-To-Me cake, Strawberry/Banana cake, and Cookies.  The barbeque dinners are available in two sizes Value and Big.  The Value size is a lunch portion.  The Combination Dinners are available in 2-meat and 3-meat.  To get our usual sampling of the meat we each ordered a 3-meat combination dinner.  Sharon had Pork Ribs, Rib Tips, and Chicken with Slim’s Mac and Cheese, and Candied Yams for sides.  My order was Pulled Pork, Hot Link, and I had intended to order the BBQ Bologna but the word “Ribs” came out of my mouth, so I had the Pork Ribs along with Baked Beans and Collard Greens as sides.  The plates arrived promptly. Except for the pulled pork and the rib tips, the meat was served dry with your choice of the three house made barbeque sauces on the side.

Pork Ribs

This is Oklahoma style barbeque which seems to be a bit more subtle on the smoky taste than some of the Western and Deep South styles.  The ribs were very meaty and fall-off-the-bone tender, but just a bit on the dry side.  You will probably need just a little sauce to enjoy these ribs.

Pulled Pork

While not the best pulled pork we’ve had it is certainly above average and definitely worth ordering.  Will probably be back, next time I’m in the neighborhood to try a sandwich.

Beef Brisket

This is definitely not your mother’s beef brisket unless your mother had a real wood smoker in the back yard.  It was quite tender, well smoked and had a properly “beef” flavor.  You may have noted that neither Sharon nor I ordered the brisket.  Fortunately, one of our friends ordered a Brisket Meal and generously offered me some.  She still had leftovers to take home.

BBQ Chicken

The piece of chicken was a thigh and Sharon does not care for dark meat so I ended up with the chicken.   This is one of those places that does barbeque chicken right.   It was done through, and had a good smoky flavor.  I had a good taste while I was there and the leftover was good the next day.  It passed the kitty test too.

Rib Tips

Well, you know that they get really good ribs to serve here because the rib tips are very meaty and tender.  They are served with a sauce that is on the sweet side but you can still taste the great meat.  This is one of those places where it is worth ordering the rib tips.

Hot Link

This is billed on the menu as a Louisiana style hot link.  Well, hot it ain’t, but is quite tasty.  It has a good texture, and is not hot, but a subtle spice with a slight suggestion of heat in an after bite.  Even Sharon could handle this hot link without a mouth burn or rush to the emergency room.

Slim’s Mac and Cheese

Sharon prefers a sauce mixed in type mac and cheese with the macaroni al dente, and this is a baked style, but she liked this one.  As she said, and I agree, it was cheesy and had just the right texture.  The macaroni was still firm and not mushy as many baked mac and cheese dishes can turn out.  This is one of those times when “cheesy” is a good thing.

Candied Yams

Here was something we found disappointing.  Don’t get me wrong, these yams tasted OK, but they are done in a pureed, almost creamed, style that somehow lacked body.  We didn’t find up to the standard of the other food here.

Baked Beans

Conventional side order baked bean in a sweet sauce, they are not too sweet and have a subtle hint of other ingredients besides brown sugar and butter.  For just plain baked beans they are as good as they get.

Collard Greens

These are probably the best conventionally prepared green I have ever had, and are probably greens that you might serve to someone that does not like greens to convert them.

Strawberry/Banana Cake

If you enjoy those very moist, old-fashioned cakes that you don’t find in many restaurants or bakeries these days this is your cake.  If I didn’t know that this is a dry establishment (no alcohol here) I would suspect that it had some banana liquor in it.  You can order a whole cake with 24 hours advance notice.

Now you know that I will have to go back to Bonnie B’s just to try that Smoked BBQ Bologna and a piece of the Glaze-It-To-Me cake.  The salmon sounds interesting also, so let’s see, along with the pulled pork sandwich that’s at least three trips back.  You can tell from that we found it a very pleasant barbeque experience.  Fortunately, with friends in the neighborhood we will have a good excuse.  We give them and eight and a half.

Big Mamma's Rib Shack and Southern Cooking - Pasadena

“I like a cook who smiles out loud when he tastes his own work.
Let God worry about your modesty; I want to see your enthusiasm.”
― Robert Farrar Capon

 

BIG MAMMA’S RIB SHACK AND SOUTHERN COOKING

1453 North Lake Avenue

Pasadena, CA 91104

626-797-1792

 

Monday                     Closed

Tuesday thru Thursday               11:30 AM to 9:00 PM

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

Sunday                                             12:00 PM to 8:00 PM

 

http://www.bigmamaspasadena.com/

 

Two friends of ours moved close to Big Mamma’s and alerted us to the fact that it was in the neighborhood.  As it turned out, Big Mamma’s had been there since 2002 and is the latest opening for a family that has owned restaurants for seventy-five years.  We decided to go there with our friends, but the first night we tried; Big Mamma’s was having a special music event and we decided to return on a less hectic evening.  We could have saved ourselves the trouble if we had checked the web site first and noted the special event.    We tried another place that we have visited and reviewed in the past, but they were having a bad night, as any restaurant can occasionally, so the whole evening was a bit disappointing.  We resolved to try to get into Big Mamma’s in a couple of weeks.

We made time to return to Big Mamma’s with our friends the following weekend and arrived before the dinner hours to find it not crowded.  It’s a pleasant space, a bit larger than it appears when you first enter, with both booths and tables.  There is a small bar and an equally small performance area for musicians.  We were seated at one of the tables that are between the performance area and the front window.   It felt a bit as if we were a window display.  The server (a grandson of Big Mamma’s) joked that it would make them look busy.  We retorted that it might scare customers away. 

Big Mamma’s menu is extensive.  They are properly named Rib Shack and Southern Cooking.  The selections give you choices of Southern style, Creole and Cajun dishes.  We’ll leave it to you to examine the menu on the web site.  As much as I enjoy all of the cooking styles at Big Mamma’s we came here for to sample the que, so we looked at their combos.  They come in two sizes, regular and mini.  We ordered mini combos thinking that we wouldn’t have too many leftovers.  The Mini BBQ Combo includes a pork spare rib, a chicken leg, a half hot link, and a slice of beef or pork.  You can get white meat chicken for an upcharge, but other than that there are no substitutions.  The combos also come with a choice of two sides.  Sharon chose macaroni and cheese and yams for her sides.  I selected greens and coleslaw.  One of our friends ordered a plate of ribs with macaroni and cheese and hush puppies while the other ordered a plate of sliced brisket with macaroni and cheese and yams as the sides.  While we waited for our orders our server brought a bowl of corn muffins with honey and some butter.  The orders arrived promptly, but we forgot to order our meat dry, with sauce on the side so it arrived with sauce on all the meat.

Corn Muffins

The bowl of small corn muffins was a real delight.  They did not seem to be made with the usual commercial corn muffin mix that makes most of the corn bread we have encountered but were firm enough to stand up to butter without crumbling away.  The butter provided was, delightfully, not rock hard and melted right into the muffins.  Eaten with the butter and the honey, a bottle of which was thoughtfully provided, they were quite enjoyable.  These muffins are just basic cornbread done right. 

Collard Greens

The greens are done with a totally conventional preparation.  There was no attempt to reach any new culinary heights here.  This is not what I would give to someone who doesn’t like greens to try to change their minds, but if you like greens you will like these.

Cole Slaw

I’m usually not a fan of finely chopped cabbage slaws.  I did like this one; however, since it as good a chopped cabbage and carrot slaw as you will find anywhere.  Again, it’s very basic just, done well, if somewhat on the wet side.

Yams

When they are put on the table you see a rather ordinary bowl of cubed yams in brown sugar sauce.  We all agreed that when you put some in your mouth, Wow!  You don’t find yams this good very often.  The added spices were a puzzle, a hint of vanilla, possibly some ginger and a couple of other things, but whatever they put in them they come out outstanding.

Macaroni and Cheese

The macaroni and cheese is a baked version with a bit of interest in the taste.  Something about this makes it one of the better side dish mac and cheese we’ve tasted.  The macaroni was not too mushy, as with many baked macaroni dishes, made with a cheddar cheese sauce that had a bit too much flour in the sauce to suit Sharon.  She remarked that the mac and cheese seemed a bit bland but a nice counterpoint to the very peppery barbeque sauce on the meat. 

Hush Puppies

The hush puppies had jalapenos in them.  Sharon did not even bother to try them.  However, they do not have too many peppers in them.  Put a little honey on them and enjoy.  They are definitely done in the tradition al manner – fried balls of dough designed to keep the dogs or the diners quiet and content.

Pork Spare Ribs

These are ribs that do not disappoint.   They are tender and meaty with a subtle but noticeable smoke flavor.  They aren’t the greatest ribs I’ve ever had, but they are done well and I would certainly go back to have them again.

Sliced Beef

Both brisket and tri-tip are on the menu.  I suspect that if you don’t specify which cut you want on a combo you get whatever they have the most of in the kitchen.  The taste and texture of this beef told us it was tri-tip.  It was sliced a bit thinner than I would like for tri-tip, but was not tough, not over cooked and quite tasty.  I did have to wipe the sauce off to get a good taste of the smoky flavor but it was very good.  Again, not the best I’ve had, but definitely worth ordering.

Chicken

This was chicken barbecued right.  Make no mistake, it is barbecued.  The smoky flavor gives the clue.  It was tender, juicy and done through.  I had a thigh.  Sharon went the upcharge for white meat and got a breast.  The breast made it home as a leftover and made a good chicken sandwich for her lunch, some chicken chopped for homemade rice and vegetable bowl, and enough for a kitty test which it passed.  You can’t want better chicken.

Hot Links

The hot link was tasty, but more like a mildly spicy hot dog.  The flavor was pleasant with subtle spices and a suggestion of an after bite.  It was too much for Sharon only because it had the sauce on it.  I thought that the sauce was hotter than the link.  This is the only thing here that I thought was just average.

We’re certainly glad that our friends told us about Big Mama’s.  We will probably make it a regular stop when we are in Pasadena, at least until I’ve had the chance to try everything on the menu.  If the rest is as good as the barbeque we will have an enjoyable time.  The barbeque here is Louisiana style, a bit milder, and more subtle than most other regional styles.  The thing about Big Mamma’s is that while they don’t seem to be extending the genre, everything we sampled (Well, maybe not the hot links.) was done traditionally, but done right.  It’s not cutting edge barbeque, but so well done that unless you have to have one of the spicier regional types you will enjoy it.  We give Big Mamma’s an eight and a half.

A Tale of Two Turkeys

“Wow!  This is the best turkey I’ve ever had.  I didn’t know that turkey breast didn’t have to be dry.”

--- One of the guests at our last Thanksgiving dinner

 

A TALE OF TWO TURKEYS

Every once and a while you have to do something yourself.  Barbeque is no exception.  Now, I am certainly not a competitive barbeque chef, but for the last twenty years, or so, I have been barbequing very well received turkeys in a Weber Kettle®.   There is no great secret to this.  I simply thaw a frozen Butterball® turkey, oil it up, loosely stuff it with a chopped onion, garlic and fresh herbs, and do it, by the numbers, just the way the instruction book says.  Admittedly there are a couple of tricks.  I use natural lump charcoal, (mesquite is what’s easily available in this area,) and Jack Daniels® Whiskey Barrel smoke chips.  They come out golden, moist and tasty every time. 

Family tradition dictates that I barbeque one of the Thanksgiving turkeys.  This year I did both of them.  In thanks for handling some family business my siblings gifted me a Big Green Egg®.  I had seen them at some high end kitchen appliance stores, but had never paid much attention to them.  I didn’t even know that they are considerably different from the Weber Kettle®.  My first clue to the difference was when the delivery driver took the box off the truck with a small fork lift.  This thing is heavy. 

After it was dollied back to its position on my patio I opened the box and discovered that it was made of ceramics.  It consists of a glazed bottom shell into which you insert a ceramic fire box with a fire ceramic ring on top of that to support the grill.  The glazed top shell has a spring counter balanced steel hinge for opening which is attached to both shells with steel clamp bands.  The whole thing is supported on a heavy, sturdy steel stand with wheels.  None of the individual parts were too heavy for my wife and me to lift together, so we easily assembled it.

Well, maybe not that easily.  Some years back my automotive tool box was stolen from my car.  Among the contents was my torque wrench.  Shortly thereafter my wife and I bought Subaru cars, which are completely electronic (They don’t even have distributors!) and I stopped working on cars, so I never replaced the torque wrench.  The instructions for attaching the hinge clamps on the Big Green Egg had several torque callouts.  (Yes, I do read the instructions before assembling something.  When all else fails, read the instructions.)  Since the shells are ceramic it’s easy to see why they emphasize the torque settings on the clamp bolts for the straps.  You don’t want to crack anything.  Anyway, I am once again the owner of a torque wrench.

Now that I had it together I had to learn to use it.  Basically, you fill the fire box with natural lump charcoal, (Never use briquettes in one of these.), and light it off.  Once the fire is built you control it with the upper and lower vents.  There is a thermometer that pokes through the top shell to make this task more precise.  Since the whole thing is ceramic, the mass of it retains heat which probably makes it more economical of charcoal since you can build the fire in it, heat the whole thing up, and keep the temperature controlled for hours.  Oddly, the Egg did not come with an instruction manual other than for assembly and safety procedures.  I had to download the cooking instructions from their web site.   I started with a nice roasting chicken for practice.  The chicken takes longer per pound than a turkey.  This may have something to do with the ratio of cavity to meat…the turkey is less dense.  I discovered that it is difficult to control the temperature in my egg below 300 degrees.  This is fine for poultry, cuts of meat that do not require long slow smoking, and things that require higher temperatures like pizzas, but might be problematical for ribs, or brisket.  I only had a couple of weeks to practice, but I felt ready for Thanksgiving.

We had 22 people coming for dinner so we got two 14 pound birds.  Sharon decided to make a spice and herb rub and a cranberry barbeque sauce for the bird done in the Egg.  The rub goes under the skin of the bird.  The sauce goes on the last 15 minutes of cooking.  I decided to use cherry wood smoke chips with this bird.  I started the fire about 45 minutes before the turkey went in to make sure I had control of the temperature which was 325 degrees (F).  The turkey was supported in a V-roasting rack sitting on a grill rack that was atop a shallow roasting pan that was on the grill.  I had the Egg positioned on the patio near one of the den windows so I could check the thermometer without going outside.  The Big Green Egg® does not require as much fire tending as the Weber Kettle®.

The bird in the Weber Kettle® was done in the usual way using the indirect heat method with the two side holders for the charcoal and a drip pan between them under the grill directly under the bird.  This requires fire tending every half-hour since the charcoal holders are small. 

With both birds I started checking the breast and thighs with an instant read thermometer about an hour before they were scheduled to come out to make sure that they were done just right.  They both came out on schedule and were taken inside and tented with foil for a half hour to get firm enough for carving.  Both birds were moist and juicy, and I can’t say that the one done in the Egg was any better than the one done in the kettle.   Twenty-two people devoured 28 pounds of turkey, not to mention all the other things on the menu.  There were almost no leftovers, just enough for a sandwich, a turkey burrito (I live in California, get over it!) and a few tidbits for the cats.  If I had to give my own barbequed turkey a rating it would be a 10.

Here’s the complete menu:

               A Down Home Thanksgiving

                                               Appetizers

Artisan Cheeses                   Soft Pretzels

Other temptations

 

Main Course

Sage and Thyme Smoked Turkey             Cranberry Barbequed Turkey

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy               Sea Salt Sweet Potatoes

Mac and Cheese Cupcakes

Peanut Coleslaw                   Green Beans Gremolata

Baking Powder Biscuits     Rosemary Olive Corn Bread

 

Desserts

Pumpkin Pie             Apple Pie            Pecan Pie

Assorted Cookies

Bludso's Bar-&-Que

“...it was so rich and exotic I was seduced into taking one bite and then another as I tried to chase the flavors back to their source.”

---Ruth Reichl

BLUDSO’S BAR-&-QUE

609 N. La Brea Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90036

323-931-2583

5:00 PM to 10:00 PM          Monday through Friday

12:00 PM to 10:00 PM        Saturday

10:00 AM to 8:00 PM          Sunday (Barbeque starts at 12:00 PM)

http://www.barandque.com

 

Finding parking on trendy La Brea can be a challenge depending on the time of day.  Fortunately, if you are there at the wrong time of day, Bludso’s has valet parking.  This is a storefront location about a block south of Melrose.  A little bit north of Melrose is Pink’s Hot Dogs, which has a line around it, any time of day, that makes you think that they must be giving them away.  Bludso’s certainly is different from a hot dog stand (No matter how famous is the hot dog stand.)

Entering you will be greeted by a bubbling hostess.  Behind the hostess’ station is a chalk board that informs you what meats are still available that day.  The hostess will show you to your seat.  The seat will either be at a wooden picnic style table, or if there is just one or two of you, a plastic chair at a table for two.  If you are in a drinking mood you could sit at the long bar.  (Well, somewhat long, fifteen chairs.)   It appears that people are unusually friendly and intimate at this place as they lean in for conversation.   The interior is all hard surfaces, done in five shades of gray, and with even a few people carrying on normal conversations it gets rather noisy.  They’re just leaning in close to hear each other.  To top it off, there is music playing and there are ten flat screen TV’s around the room.  At the time we were there they were all tuned to the ever present different sports channels.

On the table you will find a paper towel dispenser and a box or bucket of real metal flatware.  Another thing on the table is a dispenser bottle of what appears to be jalapeno vinegar.  Neither of us had the nerve to try it.  Also on the table are a tab card sized menu, (For those of you don’t know what a tab card was or are not old enough to have actually seen one, it is a little larger than a dollar bill.) and a check-the-box style order card such as you would find at a build your own burger bar.  At least you know that you never have to worry about your order being written down wrong.  Oh, yes, everything is a la carte and all the meat items are sold by weight.  If you ask for water, the server brings you each a red plastic drinking glass and a pitcher full of water.  They fill your glass and leave the pitcher definitely comes in handy when the food arrives.

Naturally, with a check-the-box style order card, the menu is a bit limited.   The available meats are Brisket, Pulled Pork, and Rib Tips sold by the quarter, half and whole pound, Ribs sold by the half and full rack, Chicken sold by the half and whole, and Hot Links sold individually.  The only combo is the tray which has all the meats and all the sides intended to serve six to eight people and selling for $95.  Sides available are Mac & Cheese, Coleslaw, Potato Salad, Baked Beans, Collard Greens, Bread and Butter Pickles, and Corn Bread.  Desserts are Cobbler a la Mode, Red Velvet Cake, Banana Pudding (something of a specialty), and Scoops Ice Cream. 

Sharon and I ordered quarter pounds of all the meats, a half rack of ribs, a half chicken, and a hot link to get a good sampling of the que.  Our server took the order (well, picked it up) and the food arrived promptly.  The one thing not listed on the menu was the traditional touch of the two sliced of white bread that came with the order.  Our sever gave us each a small plate and presented the meats, all on a metal baking sheet, and the cups of side orders on another baking sheet.  The meat is served dry, definitely a plus, and there are two sauces, a mild and hot.

Brisket

Texas style brisket should be tender and moist, and this is.  This looked just right, but unfortunately, it was also too fatty, and overdone, to the point that it was tasteless and did not look or taste like it had been smoked.  Since the brisket was highly recommended by the magazine article that brought Bludso’s Bar & Que to our attention this was more than a bit of a disappointment.

Pulled Pork

The article also said that the pulled pork was bland.  So, we were pleasantly surprised that this day the pulled pork was some of the best we’ve had recently.  It was tender and very flavorful with a lovely smoke ring.   I also made a pulled pork sandwich using the white bread and the coleslaw.  If they put sandwiches on the menu here this one will be quite popular.

Rib Tips

Not only were these rib tips unusually meaty, but they were wonderfully flavorful and were probably the best looking rib tips I have seen. The smoke ring on the cut ends was gorgeous!  The rub used is a bit spicy, not a problem for me but it left Sharon reaching for the bread.  They are not fall-off-the-bone tender, but are certainly worth ordering.  The couple at the table next to us loved them so much they make a second order of nothing but rib tips and then took another order home.  They seemed to be determined to run the restaurant out of them.

Ribs

The same spicy rub used on all the meats was used on the pork ribs.  They were a tad dry, but that’s being picky since they were as flavorful as the rib tips and very, very meaty.  Yes, order the ribs.  Note: if you too find the rub used on the ribs a little too spicy, the mild barbeque sauce slathered on them will help to cut the pepperiness.

Chicken

Somehow, the chicken didn’t look barbecued when we cut into it.  Other than the somewhat strange appearance, barbequed chicken doesn’t come any better than this.  It was moist, done through, and had a great smoky flavor.  It also passed the kitty test.

Hot Link

Not bad, but not the greatest we’ve ever had, this hot link is generously sized, and not too hot.  It is just a tad mealy in texture and does not have the juicy “pop” you expect when you cut into a good link.  It is nicely seasoned, and the heat sneaks up on you with an after bite.  There is a surprise after you have eaten it…as my wife pointed out later, “Something garlicky this way comes.”

Mac and Cheese

Now this is one of those places where Sharon and I disagree.  She prefers a mac and cheese where the pasta is cooked al dente and then combined with a rich cheese sauce.  Baked mac and cheese is not her thing.  I like a baked mac and cheese where the cooked pasta is mixed with shredded cheese, maybe with a crumb topping and backed until the cheese is melted and infused through the pasta.  I like the cheesy crust.  The mac and cheese here is baked.  It is rich and has at great cheddary flavor.  Sharon says it’s just OK, but I really like it,

Coleslaw

If you have to do conventionally dressed coleslaw, this is the way to do it.  The cabbage is finely shredded so that the flavors of the other ingredients and the dressing have a chance to mix well and it doesn’t just taste like raw cabbage with some dressing on it.  It’s a little wet, just short of being “overdressed”, but goes quite well on a pulled pork sandwich.  That even applies the next day when the sandwich is made with leftovers.

Baked Beans

These beans are not overcooked, not too sweet, somewhat piquant and quite flavorful.  And, best of all, loaded with chunks of pork.  In short, while not breaking any new culinary ground, they are a bit more than just a competent side order of beans.

Collard Greens

Collard greens are basically poor people’s food.  However, I have found places that have attempted to make culinary art from the lowly greens.  Some of these efforts have failed and some are positively sublime.  No such effort has been made here.  These are a totally traditional preparation of greens (well, almost…).  Not that there is anything wrong with that, since they are really good greens.  They were not overcooked and quite savory.  The slices of jalapeno pepper cooked in with them were a bit of a surprise, but I found them before I ate one.  With the exception of the jalapeno slices, these are greens that I would give to someone who doesn’t like greens in an attempt to convert them.

Corn Bread

This was a sheet pan corn bread that seemed to have a touch of honey in it.  It is better than average for this kind of corn bread, but like most is crumbly and would need very soft butter if you wanted to butter it.

Banana Pudding

It’s a bit visually disappointing for something that is supposed to be something of a specialty.  It arrives as a cute cup of creamy custard pudding with two traditional “Nilla” cookies standing up at one side, a dollop of whipped cream, and a garnish of crumbled cookie.  Digging into the custard we found just a few banana slices.  But, oh the custard!  It was very rich and creamy with a flavor that was strong on vanilla and delightfully subtle on the bananas.  It is quite conventional, but thoroughly enjoyable.

Bludso’s Bar-&-Que is a bit quirky, with a staff that is very cheerful, efficient, and helpful (at least at 4:00 PM on a Saturday).  Their food is mostly above average, but not fantastic, and they were certainly having an off day for the brisket.  The noise factor is a definite negative.  Considering everything, we give it a solid eight.

Hardy's Best BBQ

“[If you hear a] story about how eating sausage leads to anal cancer, you will be skeptical, because it has never happened to anyone you know, and sausage, after all, is delicious.”

---David McRaney

 

HARDY’S BEST BBQ

12903 Moorpark Street

Studio City, CA 91604

818-761-3830

2:00 PM to 7:30 PM            Saturday and Sunday    (Yes, that’s it!)

No Web Site

 

If you don’t know about this, and no one recommends it, you will never find this place.  And, if you live in the area, you might be missing something.  This operation is in a small neighborhood market that has stood on the corner of Coldwater Canyon and Moorpark for years.  The smoker is out in the parking lot so the smell of the smoking meat greets you when you drive in.  Yes, there is a single picnic table between the smoker and the market entrance, but this is strictly take-out.  Go into the market and order at the meat and deli counter.

The menu is simple.  You can order one or two meat combo plates with two sides, sandwiches with one side, half a chicken with or without sides, or individual sausages.  Your choices are Pulled Pork, Beef Ribs, Baby Back Ribs, Tri-Tip, Brisket, Chicken and Chicken or Pork Sausage.  The hot sides are Corn-On-The-Cob, Baked Potato or Spanish rice.  The cold sides are any of the salads from the deli case.  

We ordered two combo plates, Sharon’s with Beef Ribs and Baby Back Ribs, and mine with Tri-tip and Chicken.  I also ordered a couple of Sausages.  All the deli salads looked good but most had some kind of bell pepper or onion in them so Sharon ordered a Baked Potato and a Fruit Salad.  I ordered that Coleslaw and some of the great looking Red Potato Salad.  There were other people ordering at the same time and here we had a problem.  It seems that a little confusion happened behind the counter since when we got home Sharon discovered that her plate had Brisket and Chicken and mine had Tri-tip and Baby Back Ribs.  It wasn’t really a problem since I wanted to try the Brisket anyway, and all the combo plates are the same price, but it was annoying and I’ll bet the other customer was surprised when he discovered that he had Beef Ribs and not Brisket.

Baby Back Ribs

These ribs certainly looked right, properly smoked.  While they seem to be a little dry, they were not tough and the flavor was so good that a bit of dryness could be forgiven.  They are not the best baby backs I’ve ever had and definitely not fall-off-the-bone tender, but not bad.

Brisket

It’s not exactly the Texas style brisket I consider the standard of excellence but it’s juicy, tender and flavorful.  I would prefer a bit more smoke in the flavor, and maybe it could use a bit more rub and definitely cooked not quite as long, but unless your mother is a Texas pit master it’s probably better than the brisket you grew up with.  (Assuming your mother made brisket.)

Tri-tip

This is a good, well smoked, flavorful, tender tri-tip.  They slice it a bit thinner than I would prefer, but it is still juicy and not over cooked with a nice smoke ring.  While not destination que, I would call this better than simply competent tri-tip.

Chicken

Maybe it was because we were there an hour before closing, but the chicken seemed to have been in the smoker too long.  It was definitely a bit dry, but you couldn’t argue that it had been smoked and it did taste good.  It was annoying that we were not given a choice of white meat or dark.  All we got was legs and thighs.  We would have preferred white meat.

Pork Sausage

One look tells you that this is an in-house made sausage.  It is not hot but well spiced, with a delightful combination of herbs.  It is flavorful and juicy.  Great sausage Italian style!  They also have chicken sausage if you don’t eat pork.  Of course, then one wonders why you would be reading a blog dedicated to barbeque.

Coleslaw

The coleslaw is more than competent.  It is a shredded two cabbage with carrots and herbs slaw that is just the way I like it.  And, best of all, for a deli counter slaw, it is not too wet.

Red Potato Salad

It has just the right sized potato chunks with onions, cilantro with a mayonnaise dressing with a touch of mustard and other seasonings.  It is well balanced and smooth without being over mixed.  Again, this is a salad from a deli counter.  How can you go wrong?

Baked Potato

It’s just a baked potato, so what can go wrong?  Well, that’s the problem.  It’s just a baked potato, that’s all.  Beside, this is takeout and the potatoes have a range limitation.  If you drive too far to get home they get cold.  We had to pop it into the microwave for a few seconds when we got home, and then we had to add our own toppings.

Fruit Salad

Another deli counter salad consisting of chunks of watermelon, cantaloupe, casaba melon, pineapple and apples.  It was fresh, moist but nothing special yet refreshing when paired with all the meat.

Hardy’s Best BBQ is probably one of the best kept secrets in the Valley.  They have been doing this on weekends for twenty-eight years and we just found out about it yesterday.  Some of the meats and sides are quite good, but the rest of the meat was mediocre and the mixing up of the orders and the baked potato left us with some negative feelings.   Although maybe we should let it stay a secret, overall we give it a seven.