Smokin’ Jonny’s BBQ

Stumbled upon this place by chance with a friend and I’m so glad we took a chance on this place! The brisket sandwich was delicious (moist & well seasoned, but could be just a bit more tender), as were the sides. The cheesy hushpuppies were bomb af; the perfect balance of sweet and savory. The service was fantastic! You can tell the owner takes pride in what and how he serves his customers.
Good food. Great price. Excellent service.

If you love Barbecue like me, you’ll find this to be a very good tasting convenient spot to grab some good barbecue, instead of going to Lucille’s or other Barbecue spots Mac n Cheese hit the spot, as well as the Bread pudding style peach Cobbler, food was very tasteful and I was highly satisfied, oh yeah don’t forget the Baked Beans!

My first time here, I ordered a bunch of stuff to get a variety. I can say I’ve had better and far worse. Everything didn’t taste bad, but I strongly suspect they use liquid smoke flavor. I didn’t see the red smoke ring on the brisket.

Very disappointed in the new ownership. Brisket is nowhere near what it used to be. Smh

I never write reviews but this needed it. Jonnys BBQ is flame… Not a good location but when you smell it you’ll find it. The Brisket was tender and the sauce was on point. Had baked beans, Mac and cheese… Fire as well and the cornbread balls put it all together on a rainy day, thanks Jonnys, I definitely recommend.

It’s 1:15 am and I could smell the barbecue cooking for my open screen door, delicious.

New owner, Rich, took over in Oct 2015. He is trying to address some of the problems raised in some of these reviews.
Stopped in to get takeout. Rich suggested the brisket The roll was chewy, the cole slaw was light on dressing, and the baked beans were bland. All of that was offset by the terrific brisket. Tender, moist, and well seasoned, some of the best brisket I have ever had.
The sauces (spicy & mild) are good but try the meat plain and ask for your sauce (s) on the side.
Look forward to trying the ribs.

I’m sorry but I waited 30 minutes for bbq chicken/​mac n cheese, & fried corn bread. Let me say that the chicken I got was burnt tasted terrible and I couldn’t eat it and the mac n cheese had probably been made a few days ago — long enough ago for the noodles to have become 2x the size they are supposed to be and died orange. Dry Dry Dry.
The fried corn bread was ok. Total waste of money and time.

So this place has had a make-​over in the inside and it looks great. I found Johnnys on Unilocal in my hunt for BBQ. I took a chance and drove from Carson to Gardena. The food was great! This is my new BBQ spot. I ordered;
1. RIB Tips-​Good
2. Brisket Sandwich-​Bomb, the brisket was cooked so well it just melts in your mouth.
3. Pulled pork sandwich-​Bomb
4. Mac-​Decent (you know how picky people are with their Mac)
5. Barbecue beans-​Good
6. Cornbread-​Bomb little warm cornbread fritter balls.
Oh and the staff was great, nice and pleasant. Just goid vibes all around.

Food was pretty good.
Lackluster service… awkward at best…
At noon, I was the ONLY customer. The girl was more interested in the news on the tv over my head then me as a customer. She sat at the cash register texting and eating chips… Not good for business.
Would I come back? Probably not. Martinez Bros is cleaner… More cheerful, faster and customer oriented.
I would never let an employee show such disinterest in her job. She would be soooo fired. That’s a management issue.

The Facility: seriously, a ceiling fan in a stuffy enclosed environment on a hot day inside a bbq joint just isn’t going to cut it. Invest in an AC system and your customers will enjoy their eating experience a little better. This will bring in more revenue and you’ll be happy and so will your new customers.
The experience: was just kind of awkward. We Unilocaled this place and since it’s close to home decided to try it, plus we were in the mood for bbq. When we walked in there was no one in there. Except one of the employees sitting in a chair sideways– chatting it up with the other employee behind the counter.
The food: we ordered a family deal and the meats where just ok, the coleslaw wasn’t worth it, and the fries were extremely salty. Not worth it and won’t be coming back.

Honestly I can say I’ve had my fare share of good and great BBQ and this place iss gooood. Thick slices of brisket made this a unique place considering I’m used to having brisket sliced fairly thin, nonetheless I WILL go back again whenever I’m in the area. Almost forgot MUST TRY the cornbread it’s the best way to end the meal !

Could not pass up a good offer from Groupon $ 5 deal ($ 20 value). Only dine-​in with choices of either pulled pork or chicken sandwich, one side plus canned beverage (we opt for water). We got a generous helping of pulled pork in our sandwiches. It was tasty.
Street or parking in the back
Small hole in a wall place
And we got a free fried cornbread by checking on Unilocal.Thanks Unilocal

First thoughts: 1. Where is this place!!! 2. Ummm. I don’t know if I want to go there after all.
After first few minutes… me and the Wife decided to try it.
1. never judge a book by it’s cover! But if you must… judge it again after you try it.
meaning the location and exterior of the location would most likely scare half their clients away.
The inside is very warm and welcoming.
For some reason I did like the fact that they had a Television on the wall. Most of the time, who cares if they do or do not. But, they had it on the food channel, which I think it was a touch that works!
Food: when you can take a bite of food and have re-​lapse of places and friends, you know you have found a new favorite place.
Pulled Pork: Very tender and not dry at all. (most times, other places are dry and hard). Not too big but, they do add enough meat to compensate for the size.
Rib tips: Ordered 8 and shared between the two of us. Easy to eat and had bare min. of fat.
Cornbread Fried: Okay! best ever. ***A must!!!**** took an extra order for the road!
Sauce: ***A must*** you just have to try it!!! :)
The hostess/​cashier/​waitress was a delight. At first she seemed forward (go figure; southern food) but, then opened up and recommended some of her favorites. She was kind to attend to us even when she did get swamped with others. (tip big and cash$$ to the people that do wait on you).
Recommendation for Jonny: Location… location… location! your food will win people over in any demographic. Even that being said, if it is not your demographic, you will still win people over! More finger food and market the heck out of your location! Make it fun and enjoyable for all social class to stop by! Bring the southern out in the restaurant itself! Make a theme and stick to it! s
Twitter, facebook, instagram! get to it!

After a long day of errands all I wanted was some comfort food and this place didn’t disappoint. I came across it while scrolling through Groupon and decided to give it a try.
The customer service is great. The woman at the register was very helpful and patient. The cook introduced himself and was so friendly, we felt very comfortable. Towards the end of our meal an employee asked how our meal was as he handed us moist wipes to end our meal. Perfect!
We decided to try their pulled pork/​chicken sandwiches with a side of potato salad. So juicy! My mouth is watering as I type this (I’m a fat ass lol). They have two sauces on the table, mild and spicy. I went for the spicy and it didn’t disappoint. I didn’t feel the spice of it at first but it sure does kick in. The potato salad tasted like home. Couldn’t finish their serving, it wasn’t big but the sandwich filled me up.
Overall I will be coming back here. I enjoyed it.

I have seen up and down reviews on this place and I know peoples tastes will vary from person to person. BBQ is a very very VERY personal thing. What one person likes another will hate and vice versa. That being said, I tried the place and it was a bit of a mixed bag for me.
I went there because it was on my way and I had a hankering for BBQ. I stopped by and Deon and Lita were there to take me order. I used the Unilocal check-​in offer and got a side of cornbread included in my order.
I am not shy about ordering lots of things at a new place I have never been to. So I got: rib tips, angus beef rib, pork ribs and Deon threw in some brisket for me to try out. The sides I got were: coleslaw, potato salad and beans. Also had some rolls with my meal.
Summary: Food 3/​5, Service: 4/​5, Price: about $ 10-​$ 15 per person (assuming they don’t go overboard like I did)
Here’s how I break it down:
Angus Beef Ribs: 3 stars, not bad and pretty meaty. Nothing I can really complain about but it didn’t make me wanna stand up and dance either.
Pork Ribs: 4.5 stars, now we are talking. Tender without falling apart. My criteria on this, is whether or not I can chew the soft cartilage up. I like the soft yet crunchy texture. Some places cook it till it’s mush or other places don’t cook it enough and its not edible. Jonny’s gets it right for me. So I was really looking forward to the rib tips.
Rib Tips: 3 stars, being that they are tips, they tend to get a little burnt and dried out. Par for the course and well within expectations.
Brisket: 2 stars, kinda dry and bland for my tastes. Was decent with a bit of sauce on it, but the meat should be able to stand on its own like the ribs.
Coleslaw: 3 stars, fresh, crispy and good bite on the dressing.
Potato salad: 2.5 stars, eh? was this the Costco potato salad?
Beans: 1 star, like many previous reviewers mentioned, seemed like it was right out of a can. Overly sweet and mushy for me.
Cornbread: 4.5 stars, basically a hushpuppy. Deep fried cornbread. They got this right too I thought. Deep golden crispy outside, moist yummy cornbread inside.
Next time I roll by, I will just get the pork ribs, coleslaw and cornbread and I will be in my personal little heaven.

No seasoning/​flavor, liquid smoke, dried out brisket. I ordered «The Works»: 3 ribs, a couple slices of brisket, hot link, and two pieces of chicken all dark meat. I also got the fried cornbread for checking in which would’ve been awesome if it weren’t raw on the inside.
The BBQ sauce was even terrible. Watered down with vinegar. I know kitchen secrets because my mother is a chef, that being said, this place is cutting costs at all corners, but the food quality is hurting because of it. At least the ribs and chicken were tender albeit flavorless.
I payed over $ 30 for this experience. This establishment is a joke.

I can’t even tell you much disappointed I was by this place! We wanted to order the catering at my work for 25 people so the guy suggested I ordered the family meals which 1 order gives you 2 choices of meat and 2 sides. We ordered 3 and opt d for the BBQ chicken and pulled pork. For sides we got the cole slaw, beans, and potato salad.
First off, the cole slaw barely had ANY dressing! It rated purely like raw cabbage. Potato salad was mediocre and I didn’t even bother with the baked beans.
This is where it gets really bad… The chicken was extremely dry and chewy and the pulled pork had NO flavor and felt like they minced it! SUPER GROSS! My coworkers hated it and even saw some spitting their food out. I will NEVER order from them again!

Bland Barbecue.
Ordered the Texas Combo, which has 2 St. Louis Ribs & 2 Brisket Slices and one side order. I got the slaw. With a Unilocal check in, I also got a corn bread. Final bill, $ 15.21. Here is the breakdown.
Brisket. Tender and moist. Based upon the smoke ring, I would say that it was smoked for about 1 hour (need about 4). There was no flavor from any smoke, didn’t appear to have any rub. Just basically no flavor by itself. Needed sauce.
Ribs. Generous portion. It had more smoke ring than the brisket, but still no flavor from the smoke. No rub apparent. Again, no flavor. But, my pieces were dry and overcooked. (I must say though, that most people prefer it overcooked and «falling off the bone»).
Slaw. Looked and tasted like store bought cabbage and dressing. The dressing was a little too sweet.
Corn Bread. Almost the size of a hardball. It was crunchy and good. Absolutely the highlight of the meal. I would drive back for that.
Décor. Basic, nothing interesting. It is a hole in the wall joint near Western and Marine. Parking in front and back. There were three families there when I was there, so it doesn’t appear that he is hurting for business, but you don’t need to call for reservations either.

BBQ Ribs goodness!
In search of the best BBQ has led me to place.
I parked right in front and contemplated if I should go in. No one was there (not a good sign), but I smelled the good aroma of smoke. BBQ was happening inside. I’m glad I went in.
The place is small but very clean.
Western décor, TV on the wall and a couple more by the counter with the menu on it.
It’s my first time, but I knew I wanted to taste the brisket and another meat.
So, I got the Texas Combo. «(2) St. Louis Smoked Ribs, (2) Brisket slices, (1) 6 oz side and bread.
The St. Louis Smoked Ribs were very good. The meat was super tender. It still had a bite, but the bone pulls out clean with little effort. It was good by itself, but even better with the BBQ sauce provided. Delicious.
Brisket was also good. It was thick slices with minimal fat. (my preference, thin slice with a lot of fat, lol) The meat was also super tender. The charred area with the small fat was just yummilicious, but there was not much of it (mostly lean meat). Don’t get me wrong, it was good, I just need the fat to moisten that meat. (who am I kidding, I want the FAT, Fat = flavor lol) I can’t say it was dry, but I needed more BBQ sauce for this one.
My side order was BBQ Beans. I liked it. It wasn’t super sweet, just right. It did not have any smoke flavor to it though and no left over BBQ meat in it.
The GOOD:
*Those ribs were just really good.
*I got 4 ribs and 4 brisket slices (instead of the 2 pieces each I was suppose to get), You knew I was a Unilocaler huh! bribe accepted. TY!
The BAD:
*I need more BBQ sauce, specially for the brisket. I got a small container and it was only filled ¼ of the way (take a look at the picture I took). No Bueno. More please.
*One bread and it was wheat bread, what? White bread and two please.
The Ugly:
*Smokin Jonny’s Pig Out Challenge «Finish 7 lbs of BBQ in 45 minutes and it’s FREE» If you try this challenge and loose, you have to pony up $ 65. Ouch. Now that’s ugly lol
The owner was super friendly and helpful.
They have daily lunch specials.
Parking was street parking, but was not an issue for me.
There’s a lot I still need to try, but this place is a solid BBQ joint.
Ribs were outstanding and
I’ll definitely be back.
Solid 4 stars!