The Smoking Ribs

My boyfriend and I came in on a weeknight during dinner time to place a Togo order. The staff was friendly and informative and took their time with us even though it was busy. We ordered the nachos and beef ribs! The nachos were amazing and were not overfilling. The beef ribs were to die for! The meat literally just falls off the bone. We had a couple left over and reheated them the next day and they were still amazing. Thank you for asking if we needed extra sauce and your house bbq sauce has a great kick! Definitely going to come back for more ribs and we are dying to try the briskest!

Delicious ! The beef brisket was tender, the wings were crispy good, the pork ribs were fantastic ! We had BBQ sauce on the side it was yummy. Southern style BBQ in an Asian community.
The side dishes were good too. The only thing wrong with this place is that it’s too small, especially when everyone finds out how good it is.

I was craving some BBQ pork ribs and I found this place randomly searching on Unilocal.I was hoping the ribs here would be superb given the 4.5 stars but I was disappointed.
For a BBQ place, the pork ribs were not tender enough; I was expecting the meat to fall off the bone but instead it took me considerable effort to eat. The ribs were also lacking flavor. Any BBQ place that requires me to add additional BBQ sauce is probably a place I wouldn’t come back to.
I ordered mac n cheese and coleslaw as sides with my full rack. The Mac n cheese was kind of grainy and really dense. I prefer smooth and silky Mac n cheese.
The pulled pork nachos was probably the best thing I had here. The pork to nacho ratio was on point and the red cabbage was very complementary to the dish. I would recommend the pulled pork nachos for sure.
I think it’s probably just difficult to find good BBQ pork ribs in the area but unfortunately Smoking BBQ did not sufficiently satisfy my BBQ ribs craving.

Everything about this venue surprised and delighted us!
We were looking to try something new to us in our area. The Unilocal reviews and offer intrigued us.
Location is in a strip mall and there are very few tables. The servers/​hosts were very friendly and knowledgeable.
The food was amazing, juicy, flavorful, and served quickly. We had the pulled pork nachos, chicken wings, and a sandwich. The tea was fresh and good, the lemonade was perfect. We can’t wait to go back and try the brisket. It was sold out since we were there later in the day. I love that they cook it fresh. The waiter said we could wait about 40 minutes if we wanted it.

I’ve heard enough great things about this place from many of my Unilocal friends to know that the barbecue was going to be good. And it was ! My husband and son attempted to eat here on a Tuesday night before catching a show at unfortunately that is the only night of the week they’re closed. FaSt forward two days, and we made a second attempt. This one was successful, and we only had to wait about 15 minutes.
We all went with the ribs, with my husband and I opting for barbecue beans and twice baked potatoes as our sides. My son went with barbecue beans and the macaroni and cheese. The ribs were perfectly cooked with an awesome smoke ring and just the right amount of sauce. They were falling off the bone tender and I just can’t say enough good stuff about these ribs. The barbecue beans were awesome as well but I did find the twice baked potato to be lacking in flavor. My sons macaroni and cheese looked off the hook good, it was cheesy and Gooey, and the darn kid wouldnt let me have any.
Here’s why only four stars, instead of five… the seating is tight, crowded, and somewhat uncomfortable. It kind of reminded us of a phở parlor. But my big complaint of the night was that they DONT have a wine list. Boo hiss. Yes, I will tolerate a beer, and did… but I really like my wine. (Owner, if you need some suggestions I’m available to help)…
We will definitely return probably earlier in the day because my husband really wanted to try their beef ribs — they were out when we were there.

If you’re a fan of Dickey’s BBQ, Lucille’s or Famous Dave’s…then in the words of the great warrior poet, DJ Khaled,“congratulations, you played yourself.”
The Smoking Ribs is the real deal.
Their dry rub is on point with good flavor and they smoke to the right tenderness («fall off the bone» isn’t always a good thing, folks… that’s more for a crock pot deal swimming in 10 hours of ketchup-​like grossness). Brisket is great, but one could argue it’s comparable to some of the other good BBQ spots in OC. I think their pulled pork really stands out. I don’t even like pulled pork, but theirs is off the charts. Their short ribs (only on weekends) is the key to success, people. Get it.
They do routinely run out of food and the restaurant is small and they don’t take reservations so come early and be patient… but it’s definitely worth it. Hands down best in Southern California (yes, better than’s Phil’s in SD).

Holy smoked meat! So happy my friend got me to try this place out last weekend. I was in a mood for noodles, but my friend said NO! He suggested this place and I was really happy we arrived early bc The Smoking Ribs is pretty small. You can definitely accommodate a party of 8, but come early. There are counter seats as well as tables.
I ordered the brisket and was pretty pleased with how it tasted. People, you get a lot of meat so don’t be turned off by the $ 21 price. Most of it was really tender and fatty. A couple smaller pieces were dryer, but still flavorful. I tried my friend’s beef rib, pork ribs, and pulled pork. All were really good as well. Beef rib is only available on the weekends. Plan accordingly.
I absolutely recommend the Mac n cheese side! It comes out in its own little pot piping hot. If you order a meat dish, you can choose two sides. Next time, I’ll ask if I can get TWO servings of the MnC for sure.
Parking was free in a lot.

Went there today with my wife for lunch and loved the food and service. Most places you’ll get one or the other, here you get both. You will not be disappointed. Atmosphere is amazing as well.
We tried the pork ribs, cole slaw and fries. Will be heading back there shortly to try the other menu items.

I heard, I came, I ate like a king. Kenny the owner of The Smoking Ribs is a true pit-​master. I have been searching for a true BBQ joint for awhile and let me tell they are rare. This is the place. They truly smoke their meats and if they run out that day then you better get there early the next day. I love a place where the owner is so passionate about their craft. A true craftsman.
On to the meaty stuff. I got a rack of ribs, the pulled pork sundae, and a beef brisket sandwich and some of their delicious escargot that Kenny recommended. There goes my diet, but let me tell you it was well worth it. Everything was flavored just perfectly. One word perfection.
The Smoking Ribs has my vote for the best BBQ in OC.

Do I like meat? Of course I do! Am I an expert on BBQ? No but it don’t take an expert to know good from dry and nasty which wasn’t the case here at all! So when my sista from anotha mista wanted to try this place, I was down!
Browsing the pix, I was drawn to the pulled pork fries! Then to add a cherry on top, they had HH, half off starters and BOGO free drinks work! Yea, even more reason to try everything and not have to pay a whole lot in case you don’t like it. Loved everything! A special thanks for correcting my mistake when I ordered the pulled pork nacho fries. They brought out nacho chips loaded when I really wanted the fries loaded. So it’s correct to order «pulled pork fries» cuz the other option is called pulled pork nachos. Honest mistake, thanks for giving me exactly what I wanted, I loved it!!! Tacos, fries, burger, they were really generous in loading up the meat in all those items. It was too bad they ran out of sweet bacon and pork ribs. We’ll definitely return to try those.
It’s a small, casual spot. Liked the ol’ skool jams they were playing, keep the music bumpin’ please!

I wanted to check out this place after reading some reviews and it sure did not disappoint!
I arrived with a friend before the dinner rush so we did not have to wait — but 20 minutes after, the restaurant became packed! The servers were friendly and attentive, constantly checking up on us and refilling our drinks!
I really enjoyed the ½ portion of BBQ Pork Ribs that I ordered. The meat was tender, moist, and juicy. For my side orders, I got blueberry corn bread and mac & cheese. The blue berry cornbread was amazing, whereas the mac&cheese was super cheesy. If you’re not a fan of cheese, you might not enjoy the mac&cheese as much, but it was very well made!
Overall, I had a very good impression of this restaurant and will definitely come back. I highly recommend get pork ribs and blueberry cornbread!
Note: Free fountain drink if you check-​in to Unilocal

I would ranked this as one of top 5 places to eat in Southern California.
Had to try this place three times in the last three weeks to confirm that this is a must go to place for BBQ. It all started when cousins brought some of pork ribs for Thanksgiving. It was moist and very meaty. You can tell they smoked it a long time by how how much pink penetrated into the thick slabs of meat. I have cooked my ribs at home so I can definitely appreciate how much more meat was on the ribs as well as how the long time smoking complements the meat. So good you can eat the tender ribs by itself (without the sauce which was also good). Tried their blueberry muffin and mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes was flavorful and had the right amount of chunkiness that complimented the ribs.
The very next day I started to have craving for more ribs !!! So I set aside time to go to their location. The first good sign that this was a serious BBQ joint place was when I called them to confirm when they will close. They explained that they close at 8:30pm or when they run out of meat. This means they don’t just simply reheat old meat nor do they do other short cuts that can be found in some less reputable BBQ joints.
The next good sign you notice when you arrive is firewood stacked in the front and by the wall. A good sign that this is a serious BBQ joint. Another good sign is that you will notice that half of the restaurant is dedicated to an open kitchen where you can see the smoker front and center.
So for the first two visit I tried Brisket (available after 5pm) and pork ribs. Again in both you can taste the smokiness and flavorfulness of the meat. This confirms my initial impression of the place. Sadly that night they had run out of beef ribs which is what I normally order from any BBQ joint. I also learned that that they had three different sauces to try. The first is the original BBQ sauce which was always good. Next they had hot sauce which had several varieties of chills that had both depth and hotness. Last they had BBQ with spiciness which was my favorite. Beware their spiciness is hot that I had to stop several times just to let my tongue cool down but was so so good that I had to have more.
The next visit I finally got to try the beef ribs. They were huge and just as yummy as the pork ribs. Both the pork ribs and beef ribs are sliced to individual pieces so you can eat right away without using your knife. Also tried the pulled pork fries which had a lot of meat and creamy cheese sauce.
I had to have one more visit before I posted my review to confirm my feeling about this place. This time we pulled out all the stops and order the Tomahawk steak (available only after 5pm Fri-​Sun). And yes it is so worth it. The meat was so tender and yummy. The accompanied sauce match perfectly with the steak. It was so huge but was so good that family members and I finished it in no time. Also order the chicken wings which was crunchy but had to control myself to save space for the steak and ribs. We also order more beef and pork ribs. Which again was sooo good. Also would recommend the mac and cheese. It had the right amount of gooiness that even my wife (who isn’t normally into it) love it. Sadly after being so full we had to finally depart and I had no more excuses not to write this review.
Their ribs are probably one of the best ribs I have tasted in a long time. Along with their ability to BBQ a tomahawk steak, pork ribs and brisket their pit master Kenny (who is really cool to have a glass of beer with) definitely knows what he is doing. Do come hungry because the portions are big. Don’t come here if you are not ready to use your fingers to eat the ribs with. Kenny definitely has been able to keep a consistent high degree of quality which anyone can appreciate. If you are into ribs then this is definitely one place to stop by and try.

Its Five Star Friday again!!!
I’ve been searching for the best BBQ in OC, and I’ve found it! Recently opened Smoking Ribs is on Euclid just south of Westminster in Garden Grove (in the same lot as Café Di Vang — not that I have ever been there — LOL).
We ordered the following dinners: Brisket ($ 21); Short rib ($ 22); Full rack of beef ribs ($ 27), and full rack of pork ribs ($ 27). All of the beef is Angus, and dinners includes two sides. We chose beans, coleslaw, fries, rings, and blueberry cornbread muffins (sorry, not all items are pictured).
First of all, the brisket was mouthwatering tender. It had a nice smoke ring, and was seasoned to perfection: 5 Stars. Secondarily, the short ribs and beef ribs brok da mout (tasted excellent)! The meat was super moist, had a nice smoky flavor, and didn’t need additional sauce. There was so much meat, I could only eat half my beef rib dinner (and I rarely leave koena [leftovers]): 5 Stars. Thirdly, the pork ribs weren’t dry, and had a nice rub on them. They were better w/​more sauce: 5 Stars. Lastly, the sides were all very good. The fries & rings were crispy, the coleslaw crunchy & sweet (from the pineapple), the beans were tasty, and muffins were moist: 4 Stars for the sides.
Regarding the ambiance, its is outstanding. You can see the smoker right as you walk up to order. We had take out, and we watched and talked to the staff as they were preparing our plates: 5 Stars. Likewise, the service was excellent. The staff was super nice, our orders didn’t have any errors, and the food was prepared quickly. One of the ladies also labeled all of the boxes for us. On a second visit, one of the ladies let us place a phone order, when they don’t normally accept them. And to top it off, we received a full rack of baby backs on the house!: 5+++ Stars.
I’d rather come here vs BBQ places in HB, Newport Ribs in Costa Mesa, and now closed Bondi Grill House (I knew that place was gonna close — overpriced mediocre food!). The food at Smoking Ribs is outstanding, the service is excellent, and it is conveniently located (ahem ahem — hehehehehe).

First of all, don’t come here at 7:30pm. You’ll be sh*t out of luck on Ribs.
Second of all, don’t sit down at 745pm. You’ll be shi*t out of luck on Brisket.
By then, they’ll only have pulled pork.
Why? Because Kenny treats this place and his customer like family. Don’t be surprised if he starts giving away bite size grubs towards the end of the night. I literally was crying inside when he gave away all the bacon away before I even sat down.
However, after meeting Kenny the owner here, who happened to be on the same KCBS circuit (See trophies by the bar area) as some of my BBQ friends, I knew I had to come down and give his stuff a try.
Everything here is pretty darn delicious, I have to say. I was lucky to try a few things here:
Smoked mushrooms-​So good! It’s juicy and smokey. He doesn’t tell me how he does it but it’s certainly different and great for you vegetarians.
Brisket-​Great smoke ring, juicy. I did wish I had more fatty pieces because I’m such a pig that way. (Just to let you know, Kenny cut some for me that he had one hiding, if this is not service, I don’t know what is!)
Pulled Pork Nachos-​Must order! Do share between 2 – 3 people. It’s a light spin on regular nachos but all the different flavors in your mouth will not make you regret trying this.
Chicken Wings-​He doesn’t sauce the wings and I honestly love the crunchiness of the wings with their own house made sauces. Speaking of which, the habanero sauce isn’t really that spicy and his regular sauce is delicious.
Overall, great dinner. All dinner plates comes with 2 sides. I highly recommend the blueberry cornbread, even the fries are excellent here. Whoever mans the fryer here does a great job.
I have yet to try the ribs. Make sure you save me some Kenny the next time I come in! You should come too!

Seriously?!? Come here. Now. This BBQ joint is LEGIT. I came here on a Wednesday night for a pre-​thanksgiving date and fell in love instantly. Customer service was on point, the owner/​chef even shook my boyfriend’s hand.
We got there at around 7:30PM and they had already ran out of BBQ ribs (mainly what we came for), so we ordered brisket nachos and the angus beef brisket. Best decision ever! The Angus beef was very tender and good. The meat practically melted in my mouth. The presentation was great as well. The two sides we picked were the Mac n Cheese and the garlic mash potatoes. Very rich flavors all around.
Loved the squeezable bottles of BBQ sauce & spicy BBQ sauce (mixed with ghost peppers & habanero) on the side as well! Careful with the hot sauce though. That thing is HOT.
Overall, the only thing I did not like was some of the hard, over-​cooked, dry brisket pieces. If you can get over that, then definitely try this place. Hopefully you don’t get those pieces! :)
Next time, they better not run out of ribs! Definitely trying those next!

What are you not here having dinner yet? you better get here and eat!
I have long since pondered the pictures and reviews for this place and finally found a date and time that my friends and I could get together and pig out.
Walking in the door my first impression is that this is a pretty cool looking casual place with a giant smoker in the middle of the kitchen. The chef immediately greeted us and cracked a joke which was welcoming walking into a new place. There are several wood tables to pick from, each with a squeeze bottle of the house bbq sauce in case you want to drink it straight from the tap. (i suggest you put it on your food instead of sucking it out of the bottle).
My friends and I just made it in for the happy hour specials, which include half price appetizers and buy one get one free beers. This place also has a check in offer for a free fountain drink or iced tea. My first choice off the half price menu was the pulled pork nachos. I’ve had my eyes on these things for quite some time and I finally got my chance. My second item was candied bacon, unfortunately they were out, but I must return for this amazing piece of baco-​candy. The other item I ordered was chicken wings. The chef recommended that we try the glazed wings instead of naked version.
Shortly after we ordered the server brought out 2 plates of pulled pork nachos and 3 orders of the wings, between the 3 of us this was more than enough food. The pulled pork nachos were absolutely amazing and quite possibly the best nachos I’ve ever had. The nachos are covered with nacho cheese, bbq beans, cole slaw, pork and bbq sauce, topped with a hot chili if you choose. These things are good, no they’re great, and i’d eat them every day if I could. you need to get these if you go, either to share or have yourself. The wings were pretty darn good as well, they were crispy with 5 or 6 per plate coated with the house glaze which is sweet, tangy, and still allowed the wing to stay crispy.
In addition to our attentive server the chef made it a point to share some burnt ends with us. They’re good, They’re really good and I’ll have to get these on another visit. Thanks Chef!
Overall the service was great, food was great, and some day i’ll be back for the tamahawk steak, the chef was kind enough to hold one up and show us what it looked like.

I had been seeing a couple of Unilocal friends really raving about this place and when Unilocal talks I listen. Finally the stars aligned and I came through with some good friends to enjoy a wonderful bbq dinner. First off I really wish the place was bigger. It felt a bit cramped but the limited tables were spaced out quite well. The servers were super duper nice. We were all hungry and decided to order the rack of ribs with fries, mash potatoes and blueberry cornbread. The pulled pork nachos were also ordered because… well…yelp.
The ribs were really good. They weren’t the best I’ve had but I did like them. Very juicy and delicious. The mash potatoes were also pretty good too. It wasn’t soggy as other places were. The fries were a big surprised. I was expecting them to be soggy but they were crispy and well seasoned. The blueberry cornbread was one of my favorites because I’m a sucker for blueberries and strawberries and watermelon and apples and raspberry and well… fruit. The pulled pork nachos tasted really good and was absolutely excellent. The ingredients were all coming together in one basket full of delicious goodness.
I’d probably return again to the smoking ribs. Great customer service, good food and the wait wasn’t long at all (actually we came early so there wasn’t really a wait). Parking is limited but its not that bad. Overall its a nice and much needed change of pace in the complex.

New BBQ spot in my hood and it was pretty damn good! Here’s what I got:
Pork ribs (half or full rack) with 2 sides: BBQ sauce was perfect! I wasn’t a major fan of the ribs though because I prefer it fall off the bone. More on the chewy side so not sure if it was a fluke or always like this…
Beef brisket with 2 sides: soft and tender. So good dunking it in BBQ sauce! My only vice is that some pieces were pretty dry and blah but they can’t ALL be fatty goodness…
Blueberry cornbread: yummy!!! Full of blueberries!!!
Fries: ask for ketchup along with ranch: P perfectly fried and perfectly crispy!
Mashed potatoes: garlicky buttery goodness!
Mac and cheese: al dente elbow noodles and good amount of cheese and sauce mm
Corn on the cob: this off the menu side was just okay. Nothing to talk about

Disclaimer: I was not a bbq fan prior to my visit to The Smoking Ribs.
I’m not a smoky bbq sauce type of girl. Sure, Phil’s down in SD was appealing at times, but if given the choice, I would never ever choose a bbq restaurant as a place to go for dinner. The Smoking Ribs has definitely taken the trophy for turning me onto delicious bone in meat.
We came in on a Saturday night and were pleasantly surprised to find a welcoming atmosphere in Westminster where the staff speaks English! My Vietnamese is fluent, mind you, but I truly did appreciate getting my food adjectives in English.
Our server was Melissa. She was prompt with our drinks, had great information regarding the food, and was overall very attentive to our needs.
On the night that we went, the pork ribs were sold out. We opted for the beef ribs instead and were NOT disappointed! Kenny popped out for a quick second from behind the kitchen line to say hello and made sure we knew our food was on it’s way. The beef ribs combo came with two sides. We ordered the twice baked potato and the bbq beans. I had been craving beans n franks for about 2 weeks and it totally hit the spots. Although, there’s no franks in the beans: P The twice baked potato was a-​mazing. I was bummed that I didn’t order more of them, but my ever expanding waistline thanked me subconsciously.
A fantastic experience at a bbq smoke house. Thank you to Kenny, Melissa, and Hayme. We will be back with friends to try the rest of the menu!

My recent visit to Smoking Ribs was my first eat-​in experience with them, though I’ve sampled a number of their menu items via their presence at craft fairs and other local gatherings … most recently the oc festival. Awesome ribs! Awesome Pulled Pork Sandwiches! (Try yours with a bit of cole slaw on top and just a dab of their hot BBQ sauce. Mmmm Mmmm)
On this recent visit, my wife and I both had the pulled pork with beef short rib. Truly a masterpiece! Moist and flavorful, perhaps the best pulled pork either of us has ever had! The plate also includes two sides. I chose mac ‘n cheese and cole slaw, while she had corn bread and onion rings. Each side had been carefully, perhaps lovingly, prepared with seasonings that made the dish both unique and flavorful. And the cornbread! The cornbread had a mild kick blueberry taste — I think the blueberry had been seeded, so there was just a little bite without the searing pain. Both cornbread and rings were moist and evidently freshly prepared.
Service was cheerful, quick, and very efficient. Our drinks (water and tea) were never allowed to go dry … our server has mastered the art of appearing, as if by magic, to attend to any anticipated need, but never hovered over us. Atmosphere? None of that hokey BBQ joint décor, with loud country music twanging over the speakers! It had a homey, locals’-favorite-eatery vibe.
The Smoking Ribs is easy in, easy out just off Euclid, will find this a very convenient lunch or dinner stop. For those who are in the greater area, this is a great choice for BBQ; one of the best if not THE best in the area. (And there are some mighty good BBQ places in the area.)