I keep chasing brisket in this city and most of it is fine, not the plate I drove for. Who is actually doing Texas style right in Los Angeles, brisket and ribs, not just a sauce bottle and a smoker in the parking lot?
I am in Inglewood so I will drive, I just want the honest list.
Gus's BBQ in South Pasadena is the one I keep going back to. Brisket, ribs, a real dining room on Fair Oaks, and it does not feel like a food truck pretending.
I have taken family there twice this year. The line is real on weekends, the meat has held up both times.
Ray's BBQ on Santa Fe in Huntington Park. Brisket, no scene, and I can eat without making a day of it.
It is not a destination restaurant. That is why I like it.
There's a place called BIG ANT'S BBQ. It's right next to Silverlake. I went there a couple of times whenever I go downtown. Their brisket is amazing. They also have super tasty ribs and pulled pork. It's like being in Texas.
Whenever you go up the Valley, try Nia and Jags in Sylmar. They have super flavorful stuff.
Smash & Brisket (3417 W 6th St, Los Angeles) is rather new, but they are on top of their game. Prices are fair. Get 1/2 pound of their brisket. You won't be disappointed.
Swinging Door on Vanowen in North Hollywood. I go for the ribs more than the brisket. Parking is ugly, the plate is not.
If I am already in the Valley that is the stop.
Harry's in Lomita if you will go south. Oklahoma style, Narbonne, and I have never waited like Chinatown. Brisket and links, that is my order.
I have done Gus's on Fair Oaks and Ray's on Santa Fe in the same month and I will be blunt. Gus's is the sit-down answer if you want brisket that tastes like someone cared and you do not mind South Pasadena.
Ray's is the no-frills plate. Huntington Park, Santa Fe, you eat, you leave. Nia and Jags in Sylmar scored higher than both when I looked, but it is a short review history so I am not crowning it. If you want Texas in Los Angeles, start at Gus's, then decide if you even need the rest.
Some like it, some think there are better places because it's on the expensive side, but I love Moo's. It's definitely one of those places that gets a lot of hype online. That's how I found out back then.
Good to see that L.A. has some good BBQ places. I looked for that a couple of weeks ago while planning my vacation. Would like to try at least two spots.
They are good 80% of the time.
Just get there early, or you might have to wait in a long line. Get the brisket or ribs. Forget about the kimchi fried rice. That's probably not what you came for anyway.