Territory BBQ + Records

This is my favorite place for day drinking. Almost every other Sunday me and my roommate drown our hangovers in more beer and of course barbecue. There’s beer and convenience store across the street.
PROS: Awesome brisket, pulled pork and burgers in that order; BYOB; super chill; you have full control of the tunes; it’s all out door so it’s smoking and puppy friendly.
CONS: Okay it’s not the cleanest establishment so if you are the least bit OCD this place is not worth it unless you order carry out and have someone else go in and get it. Plus the price about $ 12 for a meal seems pricey, but the portions are huge I usually end up eating it all day long.
Not for everybody, but if you like laid back joints where you can smoke, eat and bring your dog this place rocks!!!

I hope you enjoy hair in your sauce. Main dewds are super nice the others cancel that out by being giant jerk face jerks.
I like people that have a smile and a shower to make my food. Also serving a sandwich does not make you cool in my book. Especially when the sandwich is not as good as my mama makes.

Territory is laid back, has nice decorations, sells music next door, and gives you Otter Pops for free. However, I like the place more than the barbecue itself.
I got the rib dinner with collard greens and a biscuit, and a bottle of Cheerwine. Turns out the ribs are baby backs. I prefer spare ribs, but it’s not a deal breaker. If you’re not a barbecue fan, you’d like them just fine. They’re smokey, tender, moist enough, and the dry rub is slightly sweet and has the right amount of salt.
Under scrutiny, however, the ribs don’t hold up. We all like smokiness, but these ribs are too smokey. They smell like carbon, and some areas of the bark are crunchy due to charring. As a result, the ribs are not as moist and tender as they could be, and smoke overpowers the meat’s flavor. I think the dry rub needs more black pepper and other spices. That may have clashed with the sauces, so maybe not. One last thing. The ribs are served on a bed of dry, pulpy coleslaw. I’m not sure why they do that.
Everything else was pretty good, though. The collard greens are cut in big pieces and aren’t salty or bitter. They had a little zing to them, and had no annoying bits of meat. They’re almost as good as Bigmista’s collard greens. The biscuit was crusty yet tender, a little dry, but came with a great apple butter. As good as homemade.
I liked the sauces, too. They reminded me of Mexican chili sauces. Great chili flavor, lots of spice in the dark sauce. Not what I expected at all. I was imagining something with chili flakes, apple cider vinegar, maybe some tomato sauce.
In the end, Cheerwine and an Alexander the Grape Otter Pop were the highlights of my meal. I was really mad when they started making Otter Pops smaller.

We went recently for the first time…
–The cole slaw was really unusual. Minced and dry.
–The collard greens were bland. Maybe I’ve just had too much southern/​soul food.
–The pulled pork and brisket were dry. Unusually dry.
–The mac and cheese were were the only redeemable dish. Although, actually seeing them pull out the 40 Gal. container of precooked pasta made my eyes bulge.
I’ll go try it again once more. Everyone has a bad day. We’ll see…

The reviewers that are calling this place «authentic» must have been to very different parts of the Carolinas than I have. Back east, no self respecting BBQ joint would have such scraggly servers. I don’t usually judge based on appearances, but dirty is dirty, and there’s too many places I can go without having my food brought to me by someone with matted, stray dog-​esque hair.
On to the food: the meat and sauces actually are actually quite tasty. The mac and cheese is cold and tastes suspiciously like the stuff in the ready made section of Ralph’s. The slaw is sludge. The biscuits are cold. I won’t be back.

Any complaints about the quality of the BBQ at Territory are totally unfounded, and probably a result of a lifetime spent eating LA’s usual, pathetic excuse for BBQ. There are a lot of reasons to dislike Territory, but the quality of the food isn’t one. The recipes here are spot on – juicy, flavorful pulled pork and brisket, great homemade biscuits, and excellent sauce — and I like both the backyard vibe of the seating area and the BYOB policy (there are several liquor stores within 1.5 blocks). Beyond that, however, it’s easy to be critical.
The staff look uniformly filthy, as though Territory’s kind-​hearted owner decided to spur the economy by employing the finest burnouts Skid Row has to offer (though apparently Sebastian Bach was busy
). I’m all for charity, but I’ve been here 3 times and only once has my food been hot by the time it arrived. When it takes 25 minutes to deliver a plate of pre-​smoked meat, ready-​to-​serve mac n’ cheese, and a biscuit, there’s a problem.
Maybe the problem is that at least 50% of staff are clearly baked. In fact, on my first trip I actually watched two of them smoking a joint in full view of the clientele, not 5 feet from my table. Don’t get me wrong, if they weren’t on the clock, I’d happily spark up with them, but smoking in front of customers is classless and handling folks’ food while high can be downright dangerous.
That said, I’m giving this spot 3-​stars because A) I firmly believe that if they cast the unwashed hipster masses out of the kitchen and hire some respectable employees, it could be one of the best BBQ joints in LA, and B) they serve Cheerwine.

I thought both the fried chicken and the bbq pork here were just OK. Neither were bad — we both cleaned our plates — but it just left me feeling a little «eh.» The mac and cheese was alright but really… you should bake it. I can make soupy noodles and cheese at home.
It is definitely overpriced for this kind of cuisine. In the same week that I ate here I went to Austin and had twice as much food for at least 3 or 4 dollars less.
I liked the atmosphere here though — very casual and laid back. It could be a cool place but I’m not sure the location is the best for what they might be going for.

I’m from North Carolina. My grandfather was a pig farmer. I’m a bbq connosieur of the highest order. Thus by default, these facts make my review significantly more relevant than everyone else’s.
Is it the best BBQ I’ve ever had? Certainly not. Is it very tasty? Yep. It’s indeed authentic North Carolina-​style chopped/​pulled pork BBQ.
For those who don’t know, in NC there is a decades-​old debate about what kind of sauce to put on the BBQ (note: when we use the term BBQ in NC, we are referring specifically to the tasty delicacy of chopped/​pulled pork).
In eastern NC, they swear by a thin, liquidy vinegar based sauce. In western NC, they prefer a tomato/​ketchup-​based sauce more like what most people are used to seeing in bbq sauce bottles (though it does still have some vinegar in it for a little twang).
They are doing things right here and as a North Carolinian now living in LA (not to mention only 5 minutes away from Territory), I appreciate what they’re doing.
The sides I had (baked beans and collard greens) were only average, with the beans being much better than the greens.
I’ll have to try the ribs next time.
I enjoyed my BBQ on the white bread in its soggy, juicy goodness.
And remember, it’s BYOB.

You know, I am always happy to check out a new joint in the area and was pleased as punch to find Territory, particularly with my new summer obsession with BBQ.
The food itself was fine and tasty — I am not an expert on the BBQ, so I will let youse all duke it out over authenticity. Overall the pulled pork was tender and cooked well. I tried the vinegar and sauce options, both which worked for me. Portions were fine and the mac and cheese was good enough. However, i was served potato salad when I asked for a biscuit, which was disappointing. The fried chicken was a poor showing, however. Two small pieces — both dark meat were less than expected. Cooked great, tasted great, but honestly, toss us a breast for a the (roughly) $ 13 we spend on it. Also, no requested biscuit on that dish either. I guess they ran out and just decided it was cool to substitute?
Overpriced for what we got but more importantly, we wont go back simply cause of the staff. Now, I’ve lived in Silver Lake for my entire life and I am not a stranger to Eastsiders. I have also been around enough hippies to not cringe at unwashed hair. That said, that does not mean I want someone who looks like an unwashed Jesus serving me my food, no matter no nice and pleasant he is. The hair looked DUSTY due to it’s unwashed nature and only moved in one solid piece. Honestly.
Then there were the beards! I did not see a single mouth of any man working there. Those beards had YEARS on them.
NO ONE was wearing a hair net on the head or the beard, which, in as many restaurants as I have worked in I can assuredly say is, not acceptable.
The dirty clothes don’t help either. Neither did the unbuttoned shirt to the navel of the dude cooking.
When we sat around back we were near the back door, which opened to the kitchen. It looked like a regular house kitchen, with a regular stove. We wondered aloud how long that could last when we heard a bark — FROM THE KITCHEN. I saw the guy cooking in there turn around and order the dog who WAS IN THE KITCHEN WHERE MY FOOD WAS BEING PREPARED to be quiet. Now, If I can’t even bring my dog into Target cause they sell packaged food, then really, is it OK for a dog to be in a kitchen?
I really did feel like I pulled 2 hairs out of my food while eating. If they were real or not at that point did not matter. Do you really want to eat in an establishment where that is what you think about with every bite?
I know I don’t.
Never again.

Totally wasn’t prepared for having dinner in my neighbor’s backyard, but I had a great time here. There wasn’t much to remind us that we were in Silver Lake and not somewhere in North Carolina, except for the hipsters sharing the patio with us. [That’s right, I used the word hipsters. I scanned through some of the reviews below and see a lot of bitterness about that word. Guess what, I’m not hatin’, I’m just trying to describe my fellow BBQ-​lovers. If there’s a more PC term that we’re now all using, lemme know, how bout that!]
I had a burger, my date had the ribs. Both were pretty good, though we weren’t totally on board with the collards or the slaw. Will have to try some of the other sides next time.
The decorations on the wall outside are awesome. Raccoons! If this is your first time there, just make sure you realize this joint is über-​casual. I don’t mean, be prepared to dress down… that kind of casual. I mean, be prepared to grab a cold Bubble Up from the fridge outside and listen to them literally cookin your ribs on the BBQ out back. If you’re down with that, you’ll have a good time, too.
The folks running this place seem cool, so I hope they do well. Didn’t get to check out the newly opened record store, but if it’s anything like the BBQ side, it should be funky. Maybe next time.

I went to Territory BBQ mere days after they had opened and it was an experience. I can’t think of another place in LA that is quite like Territory. It just goes to show the many experiences one can have in the City of Angels if they choose to venture out of their comfort zone.
Having said that… you should go here with an open mind. It is not a traditional restaurant and it feels like you went to your buddy’s house for lunch/​dinner.
I initially wrote about this place (with photos) and posted here:
Since then, I have been back and my second experience was great. The record shop is now open and they seem to be more comfortable in running their restaurant.
Territory is one of those must try places. If you go and you don’t like it, then move on to somewhere else, but don’t go in there ready to hate it.
They are introducing Folked Up where they will have live music or show films on Tuesday evenings. Might be worth checking out.

If I were independently wealthy, the is is sort of place I would open. What’s not to love? An authentic BBQ joint slash record shop in a setting as casual as your friend’s back porch.
Territory is unapologetically Carolinian. As good as some California barbecue restaurants are, I’m not aware of any with such an unmistakable point of view. I’m not going to argue that the Carolina school of barbecue is the best, because that’s a silly debate. It is one of the best styles of homegrown American cooking, period. Instead of a mishmash of tastes and styles, they stand on the shoulders of centuries of a style of cooking that has evolved through necessity, collaboration and the blending of disparate cultures.
This is a «from scratch» operation. Fried chicken (delicious fried chicken) is cooked to order. Mac & cheese and beans, while not the most amazing, had a homemade appeal. Behind the counter, I spotted a sheet of biscuits, right out of the oven. I had to try one, and I was blown away. It was also a great sight to see one of girls (dressed like a nurse, no less) carry a bucket of uncooked greens to the kitchen that was so heavy, it made her shoulders sag. The barbecue is made for all so see, in two medium-​sized offset smokers in the back. Unlike a lot of places, they’ve got nothing to hide.
To set the scene, there is a small front area with a counter and a small kitchen. The menu is on a chalkboard, which is a very good sign. No great barbecue restaurant has a completely fixed menu. You need some kind of board that says either what you have or don’t have at the moment. If the food in question takes 10+ hours to cook, nothing will be ready all the time, unless you cheat. These guys are not cheaters.
You eat in the patio off to the side. You order your sodas at the counter, but you grab them from the fridge outside: a technicolor array of legit sodas — thick glass bottles from grape Crush to Cheerwine (a great cherry soda popular down south, I’m told). The freezer has popsicles for free, just like home. I was far too stuffed to partake. Off to the side you have a dozen or so bottles of homemade barbecue sauce (plus some commercial hot sauce). They have that rarely seen classic Carolina vinegar sauce, nearly identical to what I make at home for pulled pork. It’s just vinegar seasoned with salt, pepper, sugar and hot pepper (or something like that). The other two sauces are sweet and spicy, and while both are technically tomato-​based, every sauce here can be called a vinegar sauce. (see: point of view)
As for the barbeque itself, it’s very good, but taken alone, I’d probably say it’s four-​star barbecue. Everything is pretty salty, which is good and bad. Everything I had was lightly dressed in a vinegar sauce, which is also good and bad. The pulled pork was really pleasing. The brisket was really good too, but it had a little of that falling apart texture. I prefer sliced and unsauced brisket. I think it’s the best way to enjoy it, and it’s also the hardest for the cook to pull off. Even so, it’s one of the better briskets I’ve had around here.
In the negative reviews I see complaints about the place being too casusal, the sauce being too thin, the slices of white bread, the handwritten menu, and so forth. All these things are just as they should be and are completely true to style of thousands of legitimate barbecue spots throughout the country.
The record shop is small and quirky. Mostly 60s and 70s pop, nearly all of it vinyl or, get this, cassette. I only had time to check to see if they passed my baseline test, and yes, they carry both Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. Next time, I’ll look further.
The record shop might trend pop, but I’m not surprised to see that they carry Stevie. Because like Stevie, I’d sum up Terriory BBQ in two words: funk and soul.

Why are kids reviewing this who’ve never stepped inside? I hope you turkeys realize that this hurts the rating of the place.
The food was fantastic.

What’s with all the hipster-​hating in these reviews? I kinda don’t get what it has to do with anything. I don’t go to restaurants looking for some kind of religious experience so I didn’t have inappropriately high expectations. I just wanted a new place to have dinner in my neighborhood and I was not disappointed. I had the fried chicken and, although I had to wait a little while for it, it was really tasty. The biscuits were fresh from the oven and were simply delightful. We brought our own beers and enjoyed a mellow, early summer evening drinking, chatting and eating. It was lovely. All I really need my casual dining experience to be.
Now, I’m not a southerner. It seems that being from the south makes you qualified to pass judgement on all matters BBQ. I live in Silverlake so I expect a certain amount of hipsters. If I were a southerner who hated hipsters, well then I guess I wouldn’t be eating BBQ in Silverlake. I could only really be disappointed. But, that’s just me.
For people who just like to eat nice food and don’t expect it to rival some unattainable memory from childhood then you should check it out.

By far NOT the worst bbq I’ve ever had. If this is the worst you’ve had, consider yourself lucky. There is some gnarly bbq in this world. I’ve taken bites of pulled pork that had the texture of chewed up dental floss. I’ve also had bbq that made me send crammed postcards to my folks, confessing my sordid love affair with a smoky plate of swine. But they are not serving either of those things at Territory BBQ. It’s a fine effort, but sadly, nothing mind blowing here YET. I say YET cos this joint just opened. Kinks are sometimes worked out.
Between the meats I sampled, the brisket was the clear winner. It was flavorful and tender. Sauce was optional, but not necessary.
The pulled pork wasn’t dry nor did it melt in my mouth. It was an easy chew as it’s not of the tough variety that leaves your jaw achingly sore. The problem was it didn’t stand on its own four flavorful feet. I felt the need to sauce it up. I do like the fact that they leave your meat bare and allow you to smother it to your own liking. However, the sauces offered weren’t the type that make me lie in bed tossing and turning as I try to dissect the recipe. Not bad, just not great.
In the sides department, I tried the collard greens. DECENT. Potato salad. EXCELLENT. Beans. REQUIRE ANTI-​DEPRESSANTS. I live for the bean. I eat them as a main course. Use them as a condiment. Look at pictures of them when I am lonely. I suspect the beans may have been salted before they were done cooking. They were not the lovely little tenderonis that they could and should have been. Lastly, I do enjoy bbq with white bread aka edible napkins. I figure the prices play a big role in the people’s summaries of Territory BBQ. When you are paying upwards of $ 10 nowadays, you demand SENSATIONS. There are a few more options on the menu (fried chicken/​fried catfish/​ribs) and maybe those offer a ride on the roller coaster of flavor. You tell me. Overall, I’d like to give the place two and a half stars… Unilocal will not allow that, so just know that I take the A out of A-​OK.
Regarding the record store, they have quality records. They probably have something you want and make it easy to get it. If you are the hunter/​gatherer type, it might not be as much fun as searching months to find the holy grail for $ 1. You pay a couple bucks more for instant gratification.

There are some things that just shouldn’t go together.
Like ice cream and onions, sardines and strawberries, and SPAM and jello.
Or hipsters and BBQ.
I’ve been searching for a long time for a great BBQ joint near the Eastside. I love my BBQ, but not quite enough to drive a new Audi into the ‘hood. So when Territory opened in Silver Lake, I really wanted to like this place.
The menu looked good. Small enough that they can get everything right. Just the basics without the frills.
Walking in, I noticed that the no frills approach extended not only to the food but to the restaurant too. A grimy tile lined space, a half bare glass counter with a few desserts, and a menu written on a white board.
Oh, and two hipsters (of the dirty variety as opposed to the geeky variety) who were in no rush to serve me, the only customer in the restaurant.
That’s fine. I don’t need service if the BBQ is good.
I order a pulled pork sandwich and mac and cheese, apparently their specialties, and they ask me if I’m eating in. I look around for tables and chairs. Seeing none, I answer affirmatively but not hopefully.
Turns out the dining area is in a fenced in outdoor area around the back. Six or seven plastic tables with vinyl tablecloths, an old fridge with serve yourself sodas, rolls of paper towels on the tables, and a tray of mismatched cutlery. Reminds me of a share house in college. And not in a good way.
But still, I’m hopeful. I wander further around the back and find a concreted backyard with two smokers in action, a few bags of charcoal and odds and ends. Like a kids bike.
I return to my table to find my food. A red plastic basket holding a couple of scoops of pulled pork on two slices of plain white bread. Okay, I was hoping for a nice crusty bun but sliced white bread will do. The side of pickles and slaw consisted of two slices of pickle and a small scoop of finely chopped, almost blended, slaw. And the mac and cheese was pretty much Velveeta on macaroni. None of this was inspiring confidence.
My first bite of the pulled pork was… disappointing. Where was the moist, tender meat? Where was the smokey flavor? Where was the seasoning? This pulled pork was uninspiringly dry and bland. Granted, I didn’t add any sauce to it but good BBQ should stand on its own and not have to rely on a sauce to impart moisture or flavor.
But had I wanted to add sauce, none was to be found. There was one bottle of ketchup and one bottle of vinegar on the counter, plus a few bottles of hot sauce. Turns out, in this loosely run backyard affair, that if one table happens to be hogging the only two bottles of BBQ sauce, there are none others available.
I made short work of the sandwich. No need to savor or linger over this one. Five bites and it was done.
I left disappointed and hungry. Not a sign of good BBQ.
But I guess that’s hipster BBQ.
It helps maintain the anemic, skinny and disillusioned look.

This place does collards right. But note, you must like collards done right to enjoy them. I am from Georgia, I grew up eating collards cooked right, and yes, «Success!»
I disagree that the portions were too small. Maybe this was just something because of opening night with the large crowd. We thought the portions were fair for the price.
My boyfriend got the pulled pork, mac & cheese, and collards.
I got the catfish, baked beans, and collards.
All of these things were very good.
Only outside seating, parking seems difficult at night (we walked), BYOB (Silver Bullet), real good, real Southern food.
I think only some soul food places in Southwest LA could give it a run for the money, but what hipster wants to drive to Compton on a weeknight? Not this one.

Hey, why are there two Unilocal listings for this place?
Just came home from an awesome dinner here with a bunch of friends.
Most of us ordered the Pulled Pork… I had the Brisket entrée with sides of slaw and baked beans. YUM. Perhaps pricier than what you’d pay in the South (seeing that this is hipstery Silverlake after all), but hey I’d rather come here several times a month than schlepp out to Jaybee’s…
Our little group all agreed that the BBQ sauce — we only tried one — was kick-​ass… Even my BBQ-​snob-​BF (from Memphis) was full of praise for his (Texan) BBQ meal. Also loved the cosy outdoor seating with free frozen pops and vintage ska soundtrack.
Will be back to try the catfish and fried chicken!

I Went to the Grand Opening of Territory BBQ last night. It was definatly a successful opening, judging by the packed patio, the line out the front door, the shortage of tasty BBQ sauces, and the influx of hipsters. I love the boldness of the TERRITORY tagged on the exterior of the building, in an area riddled with amature graffiti. As I strolled in, the home styled vibe was present. An architectual looking glass, a stuffed pheasant and a rhinestone studded cattle skull makes this joint unique. I had the $ 11 Pulled Pork with potater salad, baked beans, and 2 slices of good olé american white bread. The pork was good, but felt it was a lil on the scint side. The potato salad
had a huge hard boiled egg in it that made me happy, also it was a healthy portion. The cole slaw is the best Ive ever had. Personally Im not of fan of mayo version/​sugar slaw. This cole slaw I think has been through a blender to give a great texture. The really nice touch I loved was they itsy bitsy sodas for a $ 1.50 in the bottle. The olé time fave like Bubble Up, Jolt, and Dad’s Root Beer. They had this beautiful Chocolate Pecan Pie staring me down that I wished I tried, for only $ 3.50 you probably can’t go wrong by checking it out. This restaurant is just right in a part of town that is enemic in the restaurant department. When you go over there make sure you don’t forget a can of spray paint, to tag TERRITORY on some random person’s crib.

Just got back from dinner w/​a bunch of friends at the newly opened Territory BBQ (Records portion opens next weekend).
One person got the (freshly) fried chicken which they had to wait for, but was totally worth it. Everyone else got the pulled pork (recommend to us by the cooks). The entrees came with a healthy helping of the meat we ordered, 2 slices of whitebread, 2 pickle slices, a dab of ‘slaw, and the two sides it normally comes with. I suspect the dab of ‘slaw was to let us try it out. The sides we got in various combinations were: beans, potato salad, mac n cheese, collard greens.
There were no disappointments, and in fact, one of our group doesn’t like ‘slaw but really liked what Territory served up (it’s finely chopped and not dripping in sauce).
They also have many awesome sauce options, though sadly were low on their vinegar based sauce — will have to sample that next time.
And even better, they have Cheerwine and Jolt for $ 1.50 a piece — pay at the counter and grab a glass bottle out of the ‘fridge out back — and they play classic rock.
All in all, I dropped about $ 15 for a fantastic plate of BBQ and two bottles of Cheerwine. Well worth it — we all felt like we were at a friend’s BBQ rather than a restaurant. I will definitely be going back for more, and can’t wait for the Records portion to open next weekend.
One thing to note: they’re cash only at the moment (this will change in the future, they said).