Charcoal BBQ

Great spot love the St. Louis ribs and cocktails delicious. I think I would suggest maybe having one more server on. Two for both restaurants seemed like and looked like they were overwhelm. I felt a little neglected. Overall great. My second time here.

Food is good but hurry up and wait. Been Here three times and each time the service is the terrible. I think they have 2 people working at all times when they need 10. You will at least wait 20 minutes after being sat before you see a waitress and you will probably need to wave her down. After that you won’t see her again until you wave her down for you check. Plan on it taking at least an hour to hour and a half to get in and out.

I went here on a summer Tuesday night with two friends for the all-​you-​can-​eat ribs and I was not disappointed. They only have two rib choices on the menu, but they are so well-​done and come out so quickly that you won’t even care about the lack of options. The service was great — giving us great beer recommendations, and always asking us if we wanted more (with no judgement!) It was definitely a lot of food for such a short amount of time, but I will 100% be returning.
The ambiance was casual and kind of a country haven in the heart of east LA. There are many tables, and some of them can accommodate larger groups, so don’t hesitate to bring everyone. I can’t wait to come back on a normal night and try all their side dishes (one of the best parts about BBQ) and more of their IPAs. I definitely recommend coming if you are in the area!

Came in on Memorial Day looking to try the Full Rack and cornbread. The bar appeared to be comfortably/​pleasantly busy. After standing in front of the ‘Please wait to be seated’ sign with 5 others for no less than 10 minutes without being addressed, I approached a server who rolled her eyes when I stopped her. I politely asked where I could place a ‘to-​go.’ She sighed, rolled her eyes again (as though I had committed some crime of annoyance) and told me that «they weren’t taking to-​go orders for at least another hour; the kitchen was too backed up.» I smiled, reeling inside and happily exited.
Avoid if you prefer your BBQ smoked with wood, not garbage service.

I’m from the South and haven’t found BBQ this good since I moved here. We had brisket, ribs, and pulled pork — delicious. I did find it confusing with the mulitple menus, I think there were about 5 different ones because there are basically two restaurants in one. Other than that, bravo!

Bad, bad service. Food came very cold. It took forever. I will not come back. Food not that big deal
Save your $$$

Review#2:
Came here a second time. Big difference with the food and the staff. Will be coming because their brunch biscuits with gravy and brisket were amazing.

This is based on roughly 5 experiences with this place, both dine-​in and pickup.
Baby back ribs — very good, falls off the bone
Brisket — not good
Sausages — very good
Mac and cheese — good
Quesadilla — pass
Fries — ok
The service here is bizarre. It feels like most of the staff has never worked in the restaurant business. They are nice enough people, kinda just oblivious. The manager is a nice guy but I get the vibe that the employees are either friends or family with their lack of caring and awareness.
Overall I come back every couple months because I like the ribs alot.

The reason I’ve heard about this place was because of the All-​You-​Can-​Eat ribs on Tuesdays. For $ 19 it was not too bad of a price. Parking is hard to find as street parking is to a minimum and the lot they have in the back is very small. I came on a Tuesday, and they were filming that was pretty cool. The overall atmosphere and set up of the place was definitely set to a dark dinner atmosphere. Our waiter was nice and polite too checking up on us.
The disappointment was the food. For the first round of ribs we got both the pork rack and also the St. Louis ribs. One of the plate of ribs wasn’t that hot when served. If anything it was warm that it was probably sitting around. In terms of the flavor of the sauce, I hate to say it but it tasted like I was eating Costco ribs. The BBQ sauce was nothing special. I think they just really had me on e fact that my food wasn’t really served hot. It comes with pickles and pickled cauliflower. We also got the side of fries which were crispy and good compliment. A positive of the ribs was that they were really tender. The meat practically can be pulled off.
Yet my biggest qualm would probably be the fast of the ribs. It was nothing special or nothing that really elevated the taste to a good rib joint.

Nice, low-​key environment with fun kitschy décor and great happy hour menu, but the BBQ itself is hit or miss.
I came by on a Friday night and was able to catch the end of their happy hour. The happy hour menu is awesome — wide selection of appetizers, entrees, craft beer and cocktails. Cocktails are excellent as the restaurant shares the bar with Barbarella right next door.
The service was great, but it was quite empty. (Not that we minded, made it easy to find a table.)
We tried an array of appetizers and the fried okra was the big winner. Super light batter with a nice sauce. The cornbread tasted like cardboard and had too much butter. The mason arugula jar salad was cute but the dressing didn’t pair that well with the candied nuts.
The burnt end quesadillas had low quality cheese and the sauce to rib meat ratio was all wrong.
The pulled pork sandwich was fine (and had nice coal slaw on the sandwich) but the meat in the sandwich wasn’t that great and the BBQ sauce tasted like syrup.

Definitely the best ribs in town! My husband and I were hesitating about going here at the beginning due to Unilocal reviews. Now, we are starting to be doubting about the accuracy of the reviews that people write about places. Real foodies should write food reviews.
We ordered ribs and briskets and they were the best we have had up to the moment in Los Angeles. Excellent service. Our waitress was very attentive, too.

I came here for Happy Hour, so my review will be for strictly that :)
My friend and I were planning on going to Hyperion Public, but we parked on the opposite side of the street and were too lazy to walk all the way up the street to cross and it was too scary to run across the busy traffic. The truth comes out!
My friend is not a big meat eater and I do not eat meat, so I’m not sure why we went here but nonetheless it was good.
The space is pretty huge, large bar, lots of seating, and happy hour throughout the place not just in the bar area. There were a lot of good happy hour options, but we ended up getting the quesadilla (this has meat it in, fyi-​but they removed it for us) and the mac n cheese. We each got a beer to top it off.
The server was attentive and friendly. The food came out quickly and everything was tasty. Happy hour lasted until 7pm so it worked out perfectly for us.
Mac & cheese is delicious. I highly recommend it. It’s baked and has a nice, crispy top. Large enough to share.
Quesadilla was good but not the best one I’ve ever had. It had a variety of cheeses and some marinated onions. I’m surprised they didn’t say it had meat it in. I had asked if the mac & cheese had bacon (it does not) so luckily when I ordered the quesadilla the waitress let me know, assuming we did not eat meat.
Beer was good and a lot of options on tap. Basically all their drinks were on happy hour (wine and mixed drinks, too).
It’s worth checking out if you’re a meat eater, because they did have a lot of options on HH! Parking is hit or miss, but if you drive around a few times you will likely find street parking, which is metered until 8pm but takes card.

Candied Bacon. That is not all.
The brisket is fatty and delish. Great bark. Reminds me of a specific Texan place with a long ass line.
Love the Bourbon selection, and also all their different happy hours, 2−4−1, etc.
Where Barbarella used to be (well, it looks like they are still there but much smaller). Good location, eastside BBQ. wohoo!
Oh, they also deliver.

The DineLA restaurant week deal is amazing! For $ 29, I got a burnt ends quesadilla, a full rack of St. Louis short ribs, and a chocolate cake dessert.
Burnt Ends quesadilla is not on their regular menu, but it should be. It’s basically a quesadilla stuffed with the end bits of the brisket. Very tasty.
The St. Louis short ribs were pretty good. Not the best I’ve had though. It was definitely cooked to the point where it was fall off the bone, but parts of it were a bit too burned. There was one rib that I couldn’t eat at all because it was so charred. The flavor was decent, but the rub they use can be more flavorful. I always get my ribs dry since I’m not a fan of bbq sauce. I still needed to dip these ribs in some sauce to get more flavor.
The chocolate was just fine. I’m not a huge fan of desserts, so I’m not the best judge. It was good, i just can’t take too much of it.
I also tasted the 1 lb brisket entrée. That had very good flavor and didn’t need sauce. The meat was very tender.
Parking is not great in this area. There’s valet parking or street parking, but it’s pretty hard to find street parking during peak hours.

Delicious and cheap.
I happened in to Charcoal BBQ after attending an event at The Borgatta next door. I’m glad I did as the BBQ was among the best I’ve had anywhere outside of Texas and the sides were delicious. Let’s break it down.
Brisket Sandwich: 3.5÷5 Delicious but not up to the standards I’m used to from places like Stiles Switch and Franklin in Austin.
Cornbread: ⁵⁄₅ Absolutely awesome, one of the best three or four cornbread I have ever tried, wish I had got more.
Coleslaw: ⁴⁄₅ Delicious Vinegar based coleslaw consisted of the usual plus an added delight in the use of peppers. I really enjoyed this, much more than i expected I would.
Service: ³⁄₅ Friendly but not completely informed about the menu, food availability, and allergens. Sufficient, but could’ve been better.
Value: ⁵⁄₅ I got a full meal consisting of freshly prepared meat, and sides for less than $ 15. That’s fantastic in my mind.

I’ve wanted to try this place for a little while now and was excited that it showed up on the DineLA list this year, it seemed like a no brainer but unfortunately (despite some pretty awesome cornbread) the anticipation of finally eating here was the best part of our meal.
A tried and true Texan, maybe I was spoiled by great BBQ as a kid (it is my birthright after all), maybe I have a stupid high standard whatever the case this place doesn’t make the cut. Really I wish I could at least say that it’s a good fix if you’re from LA and have never been to the south for real BBQ but with places like Baby Blues and Horse Thief who NAIL IT and do a good job (respectively) I can’t honestly say that either.
The Good:
Service was great
Very large comfortable seating area
Has a HUGE bar
The Bad:
In short the food…
Outside of a pretty decent corn bread and baked mac n cheese, the food was pretty poorly executed and a lot of things tasted store bought.
Brisket: a bit too well done and very dry, two separate issues, when cooked right even a well done piece of brisket is juicy. Flavors where ok but only ok (read: unoffensive but also un exciting)
Pickles: Normally wouldn’t rate these but it’s an integral part of BBQ! Props on being home made but they where all bite. It seemed like vinegar was the only flavor. Also It was a tiny amount one quarter of a Persian cucumber Really?! and by the way YOU’RE A BBQ PLACE WHY ARE YOU USING PERSIAN CUCUMBERS? don’t get me wrong I grew up on those pickles, I love them they remind me I had a happy childhood, but they belong in my moms chicken salad not next to Brisket.
Slaw: a total flavorless mess!
Fried Chix Sandwich: Fried perfectly, but too salty. Served with Smart and Final crinkle cut fries fresh from a bag in the freezer.
Store Bought:
The BBQ Sauce
Banana Pudding (tasted like Jello pudding and was kind of grainy) Although the vanilla wafers and serving it warm where a nice touch
French Fries (aforementioned)
Also a personal pet peeve: We got there at 7 ish to an almost empty restaurant clearly before the dinner rush (which at least last night, a Monday never came) one of the DineLA options was fried okra, but we couldn’t order it because they where out for the night. I’m not sure why restaurants do this thing where they have a «special menu» but can’t fulfill their orders. You guys are pros at this you should be able to gage you inventory and ordering, if the Local Flame Broiler can figure it out then you should too. IMHO it just smacks of not caring about your customer or your product.

3.5 stars. 4 stars for the food and service; minus 0.5 stars for the value.
This is the best barbecue place that I’ve come across in the LA area, but that’s saying a whole lot because there isn’t that much competition. The brisket was decent, the pulled pork was very good and our daughter’s chicken fingers plate had a lot more food than any kid would be able to eat. The french fries were of the frozen crinkle variety and they were way too stiff; you’re best of skipping them. The main «problem» here is that everything on the menu is a la carte. If you happen to agree on the same sides as your spouse, then the additional $ 5/​side isn’t that big of a deal. But if you don’t want the same sides then you’re going to spend $ 10 for two sides with your protein and there will be too much of them. They should just charge $ 2.50 for each side or change their menu so that each protein comes with two sides. Our server was pleasant and the ambiance of the place is charming, but at $ 90 for dinner for two adults and a toddler (one beer, one glass of wine), it’s too expensive for what it is.

No. There is no one working the kitchen that had any idea what brisket should be. Blech.
Please done fall for the reviews — this isn’t some magical-​am-​I-​in-​the-​south kind of place!
There is no head chef, just various cooks trying their best.
We had:
Pickles: too much, no snap — all bite :-(
Fries: they were fried frozen fries :-/​
St. Louis ribs: best thing
Brisket: avoid, no no no this is not what brisket is meant to be
I call it like I see it, and I see this restaurant as a fly by night spot. No chef, no finesse!

Came here to celebrate a special night with my girl and we were both pleasantly surprised! Given the cool vibes (fancy but with TV’s for Monday night football), composed cocktails, and delicious food, it is definitely underrated and far more reasonably priced than it could be.
Our server Hannah and bartender Steve were attentive and helpful enough to walk us through a few of the menu highlights. The candied bacon is not over hyped — this dish alone is reason enough to come back! It’s thick cut and perfectly sweet and salty. Wash it down with the walnut-​infused bourbon and you’re set. My girl and I both loved it.
But, we really came here for the BBQ and it did not disappoint. The brisket is slightly fatty, which served well to keep the meat extremely moist and tender. It had a bold, upfront smokey flavor that was complimented nicely by the whiskey. I’ll be sure to crave again and will have to come back to try the ribs!
Be back soon. Check this place before it gets crowded!

Came here to kick off my bf’s birthday celebration, and being that he is a BBQ afficionado he chose this place on Unilocal due to their high ratings. Well, we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived on a Sunday. It was SNF and they hav TV’s everywhere which was a definite plus since he’s a football fan (like every man I know). Also, they had 2 for 1 drinks all day, which was a definite plus.
We started off with drinks that were very good, and then the waitress recommended the candied bacon which was Devine. We also had crispy okra, which came out fresh and hot w/​a really good spicy dipping sauce. Then we decided to order the BBQ sampler & the Mac & cheese & Brussels sprouts, and we were very happy with everything we ordered.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is great, and we really enjoyed our food. Only negative was they were out of the white chocolate bread pudding, so we have to go back to try it on our next visit.
Highly recommend, and we will be back.

Bbq is hard to find in la but here’s a good option to fill your cravings. I came here on a Friday night and walked into a chill environment with nice a ambiance.
Service was great as my server was friendly and accommodating. She made some good recommendations on drinks. I had the jalapeño twist. Quite refreshing if you’re looking for something with a kick.
For food, I ordered the mixed plate. They ran out of briskest so I tried both St. Louis and the baby back ribs. I am leaning more towards the baby back ribs as it was much more tender than the St. Louis. When you cut into the baby back, it looks a bit red but they cooked it slow so it’s cooked through but not over cooked. Tried the jalapeño corn bread which I also recommend. But most definitely, get yourself an order of the cole slaw. Definitely not your typical slaw. Much more tart than usual but very refreshing and helps cut the bbq sauce very well.
Will come back for all you can eat rib night on Tuesday!

The pickles were the best thing here.
Got the Meat Plate to try a little everything. I don’t mind paying for BBQ, but this seemed over priced for the quality we got. The brisket was a little dry, the ribs were acceptable, and the pulled pork was nothing special. The sausages were almost a mush when I went to cut it up. The sides are super small and only the crack pickles were worth it.
Just not that worth it to me for the price.
1) The BBQ chicken comes out looking like it came from King’s Landing
2) Took one look at the Drink Bible and had no interest in looking through it.
3) Nice service though