Because good BBQ was meant to be shared.
Reviews of the Southern California BBQ Crawl Places
Southern California BBQ Crawl – Saturday, January 24, 2009
We tested out three BBQ places on our BBQ crawl on Saturday, January 24, 2009. There were 12 participants involved in the “testing”. Some were Certified BBQ Judges (“CBJ”), some were competition cooks, some were both CBJ’s and competition cooks, some were members of variuos bbq forums, and some were novices out on their first bbq taste testing foray. We tried to test the same types of meats and sides at each place, although that was not always possible as will be explained in further detail below. We advised management who we were and why we were there when we entered a place. We paid for all the food served and did not ask for or receive any “freebies”. We asked the participants to anonymously record their comments about the meats and sides after testing. I will set those comments out, verbatim, below. We also ask those who went to add their individual comments to this thread after it is posted. We will also post some pictures and there may be other who will also post some of their pictures.
BigMista’s BBQ – Watt’s Farmer’s Market
BigMista’s BBQ is headed up by Neil Strawder with the able assistance of his father-in-law Glenn Croxton. We visited their stand at the Watt’s Farmers Market, Ted Watkins Park at 103rd St. & Central Ave. They are there every Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. A copy of the menu, and other vending locations in the L.A. basin, is posted below. I note that BigMista’s was the only place which served all four traditional competition meats – brisket, chicken, pulled pork and pork spare ribs – as well as links. We were also able to test the following sides: pineapple coleslaw, baked beans, and collard greens. Neil and Glenn cook on a Spicewine with charcoal and hickory. They were willing to show us their cooker and graciously spent time visiting with us.
BRISKET
“Tender, flavor good.”
“Tender, delicious”
“Great flavor, best I have ever had. Tender, perfect.”
“Excellent”
“Perfectly cooked for tenderness. 8 on tenderness, 8 on taste.”
“Tender, nice flavor, but could have been a bit moister”
“Outstanding. Not too dry or moist. Good flavor.”
“Nice flavor, texture. 9 out of 10”
“Was the best of the meats. Moist.”
PULLED PORK
“Tender, flavorful.”
“Very tender, much flavor.”
“Good flavor and smoke”
“Nice. Not too much of anything. Good balance.”
“Tender, nice flavor (without sauce), moist.”
“Good flavor, a little dry for me.”
“8 out of 10”
“Very good texture, not mushy.”
PORK SPARE RIBS
“Good flavor, could be cooked a little more (too much pink for me)”
“Excellent”
“Good”
“Great smoke flavor. Tender. Could have been a bit moister.”
“Mild smoke, good taste.”
“10 out of 10”
“Good smoke and pull”
“Slightly undercooked for my taste.”
CHICKEN
“Good, but too salty”
“Too salty, but I loved it”
“Really good, especially balanced with the sauce.”
“Too salty and a little dry unless you put sauce on it.”
“Too much pepper, dry”
“5 out of 10”
“Bit dry”
“Dry and over-salted.”
LINKS
“Good with a nice spicyness.”
“Average”
PINEAPPLE COLESLAW
“9 out of 10”
“Nice, sweet, tangy, great on the pulled pork.”
“Delicious, tasty”
“Great! A winner”
“Too sweet for me”
BAKED BEANS
“Little too sweet.”
“Great”
“Excellent. More please.”
“These are good, but not really special.”
“10 out of 10”
“Good beans, but nothing special.”
COLLARD GREENS
“A little too salty for me and a bit overcooked.”
“Great!”
“Great taste.”
“I liked it with a touch of vinegar.”
“Loved the greens.”
SAUCE
“I liked this sauce. A bit spicy, but rich.”
“Nice and thick and rich, right amount of spice.”
“9 out of 10”
TEXAS BBQ KING
Texas BBQ King has two locations in L.A. We visited the one at 5309 S. Vermont Ave. The inside of the restaurant is modest, but very clean and bright (although the only parking is on the street and was pretty limited on a Saturday afternoon). A copy of the menu is posted below. We were able to get chicken, pork spare ribs, links and tri-tip. We were also able to test the following sides: mac-n-cheese, corn bread and collard greens. We were really surprised that they did not serve brisket given the “Texas” in their name. We were also a bit surprised that there was no pulled pork on the menu given the fact that they are a bbq place. The one thing which was a bit off putting was the fact that we were not asked if we wanted sauce on the meat, they just put it on everything. We were able to talk to the pit master/manager, Robert, who was very accomodating and welcoming. He showed us their pits – homemade offsets – and advised that they cooked on charcoal and hickory. Robert and his staff were welcoming and friendly.
CHICKEN
“Breast meat, tender, good flavor -- 9 out of 10”
“Tender and moist, nice flavor but too much sauce – and sauce was too sweet.”
“Tender, moist”
“Excellent! My piece, at least, was juicy and the flavor was balanced.”
“Very moist and tender. Good flavor.”
“Moist, tender.”
PORK SPARE RIBS
“Good smoke flavor, tender, nice sauce. 8 or 9 out of 10”
“Moist, meaty & tender, but no real flavor. Smothered in sauce which was too sweet.”
“Good, tender – sauce made it too sweet. I liked the burnt bits.”
“Would prefer to have sauce on side. Ribs are put on grill after smoking.”
“Too much sweet sauce, very tender.”
“Very tender.”
“Tender, tasty”
TRI-TIP
“Little dry, still good. 6 out of 10”
“Tender. I could not tell about flavor because it was covered in a sweet sauce.”
“Tender, not much flavor.”
“Nothing special. Certainly not Santa Maria style…”
“Dry. Average taste.”
“Dry, nothing to brag about.”
“Sweet, tasty.”
MAC-N-CHEESE
“Not enough cheese.”
“Plain, not very cheesy”
“Bland, not cheesy.”
“4 out of 10”
“OK, but not a whole lot of cheese flavor. Tasted like something out of a box.”
“Not good, cheese wasn’t there, bland.”
“Boring”
COLLARD GREENS
“Bold, liked the vinegar.”
“Great, nice flavor.”
“Good”
“Nice buttery, tangy. 10 out of 10”
“Good flavor”
“Greasy, no taste.”
“Nasty. Worst I’ve tasted – not collards but a mix of greens that had a bitter aftertaste.”
LINKS
“Spicy, but not overwhelming.”
“Not much flavor”
“Lots of filler taste. Nothing special.”
“Bad, too much filler.”
“Good kick, little mealy. 7 out of 10”
“Too much filler.”
“Nice spice, kind of mushy.”
SAUCE
“Plum based – nice. 8 out of 10”
“Very sweet.”
“Too sweet”
PHILLIPS BBQ
Our third stop of the day was at Phillips, located at 4307 Leimert Bl. This is strictly a take-out place. No seating anywhere in site, so not a good place to go with friends for a lunch. We brought our own table and chairs and sat in the parking lot – there is a huge parking lot so lots of good, easy parking. We were able to get chicken, pork spare ribs, links and tri-tip. We were also able to test the following sides: beans and collard greens. Again, we were surprised there was no brisket or pulled pork on the menu given the fact that they are a bbq place. They did ask us if we wanted sauce on the meat or on the side, so they scored points for that. However, they lost points because the manager either could not or would not tell us what type of smoker they used and what type of wood they cooked with.
CHICKEN
“Moist, tender, good flavor. Sauce was on the side and complimented the bird. Very good!”
“Great flavor, tender. 9 out of 10”
“Tender, moist, delicious.”
“Nice and moist, not much smoke flavor”
“Really good. Balanced.”
“Very good.”
PORK SPARE RIBS
“Moist, tender. Flavor was good, but not outstanding.”
“Good smoke flavor, tender.”
“Smokey, good, a little dry. 7 out of 10”
“Good smoke, a little dry, good flavor.”
“Good flavor – delicious, tender”
“Best today! Not too much of anything, enough salt, enough smoke. Excellent.”
“A little dry, but good smoke.”
TRI-TIP
“Bland, no flavor”
“Little flavor, spicy finish. 5 out of 10”
“Bland, can’t taste seasoning.”
“Not very tasty”
“Tender, moist, very good.”
LINKS
“Great – good flavor”
“Standard for the day. Good, but mealy. 7 out of 10”
“Not much flavor”
“Mushy”
COLLARDS
“Fantastic, good flavor, not over cooked.”
“Excellent. I am buying some to take home it’s so good.”
“Really good. Cooked just right. Good flavor.”
“Chopped smaller, tangy, nice. 9 out of 10”
“Good,nice and firm. Good flavor.”
“Best of the day!”
BEANS
“Good”
“Tomato-ey. Neil’s were better.”
“Too tomato paste taste”
“OK, but nothing special”
“Good flavor, good taste”
“Good tasting, best of the day”
SAUCE
“Liked the sauce. Vinegar based.”
“Too much like tomato paste”
“Nice, complex. 9 out of 10”
“Good flavor. Liked the hot version.”
“Plain vinegar sauce.”
We tested out three BBQ places on our BBQ crawl on Saturday, January 24, 2009. There were 12 participants involved in the “testing”. Some were Certified BBQ Judges (“CBJ”), some were competition cooks, some were both CBJ’s and competition cooks, some were members of variuos bbq forums, and some were novices out on their first bbq taste testing foray. We tried to test the same types of meats and sides at each place, although that was not always possible as will be explained in further detail below. We advised management who we were and why we were there when we entered a place. We paid for all the food served and did not ask for or receive any “freebies”. We asked the participants to anonymously record their comments about the meats and sides after testing. I will set those comments out, verbatim, below. We also ask those who went to add their individual comments to this thread after it is posted. We will also post some pictures and there may be other who will also post some of their pictures.
BigMista’s BBQ – Watt’s Farmer’s Market
BigMista’s BBQ is headed up by Neil Strawder with the able assistance of his father-in-law Glenn Croxton. We visited their stand at the Watt’s Farmers Market, Ted Watkins Park at 103rd St. & Central Ave. They are there every Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. A copy of the menu, and other vending locations in the L.A. basin, is posted below. I note that BigMista’s was the only place which served all four traditional competition meats – brisket, chicken, pulled pork and pork spare ribs – as well as links. We were also able to test the following sides: pineapple coleslaw, baked beans, and collard greens. Neil and Glenn cook on a Spicewine with charcoal and hickory. They were willing to show us their cooker and graciously spent time visiting with us.
BRISKET
“Tender, flavor good.”
“Tender, delicious”
“Great flavor, best I have ever had. Tender, perfect.”
“Excellent”
“Perfectly cooked for tenderness. 8 on tenderness, 8 on taste.”
“Tender, nice flavor, but could have been a bit moister”
“Outstanding. Not too dry or moist. Good flavor.”
“Nice flavor, texture. 9 out of 10”
“Was the best of the meats. Moist.”
PULLED PORK
“Tender, flavorful.”
“Very tender, much flavor.”
“Good flavor and smoke”
“Nice. Not too much of anything. Good balance.”
“Tender, nice flavor (without sauce), moist.”
“Good flavor, a little dry for me.”
“8 out of 10”
“Very good texture, not mushy.”
PORK SPARE RIBS
“Good flavor, could be cooked a little more (too much pink for me)”
“Excellent”
“Good”
“Great smoke flavor. Tender. Could have been a bit moister.”
“Mild smoke, good taste.”
“10 out of 10”
“Good smoke and pull”
“Slightly undercooked for my taste.”
CHICKEN
“Good, but too salty”
“Too salty, but I loved it”
“Really good, especially balanced with the sauce.”
“Too salty and a little dry unless you put sauce on it.”
“Too much pepper, dry”
“5 out of 10”
“Bit dry”
“Dry and over-salted.”
LINKS
“Good with a nice spicyness.”
“Average”
PINEAPPLE COLESLAW
“9 out of 10”
“Nice, sweet, tangy, great on the pulled pork.”
“Delicious, tasty”
“Great! A winner”
“Too sweet for me”
BAKED BEANS
“Little too sweet.”
“Great”
“Excellent. More please.”
“These are good, but not really special.”
“10 out of 10”
“Good beans, but nothing special.”
COLLARD GREENS
“A little too salty for me and a bit overcooked.”
“Great!”
“Great taste.”
“I liked it with a touch of vinegar.”
“Loved the greens.”
SAUCE
“I liked this sauce. A bit spicy, but rich.”
“Nice and thick and rich, right amount of spice.”
“9 out of 10”
TEXAS BBQ KING
Texas BBQ King has two locations in L.A. We visited the one at 5309 S. Vermont Ave. The inside of the restaurant is modest, but very clean and bright (although the only parking is on the street and was pretty limited on a Saturday afternoon). A copy of the menu is posted below. We were able to get chicken, pork spare ribs, links and tri-tip. We were also able to test the following sides: mac-n-cheese, corn bread and collard greens. We were really surprised that they did not serve brisket given the “Texas” in their name. We were also a bit surprised that there was no pulled pork on the menu given the fact that they are a bbq place. The one thing which was a bit off putting was the fact that we were not asked if we wanted sauce on the meat, they just put it on everything. We were able to talk to the pit master/manager, Robert, who was very accomodating and welcoming. He showed us their pits – homemade offsets – and advised that they cooked on charcoal and hickory. Robert and his staff were welcoming and friendly.
CHICKEN
“Breast meat, tender, good flavor -- 9 out of 10”
“Tender and moist, nice flavor but too much sauce – and sauce was too sweet.”
“Tender, moist”
“Excellent! My piece, at least, was juicy and the flavor was balanced.”
“Very moist and tender. Good flavor.”
“Moist, tender.”
PORK SPARE RIBS
“Good smoke flavor, tender, nice sauce. 8 or 9 out of 10”
“Moist, meaty & tender, but no real flavor. Smothered in sauce which was too sweet.”
“Good, tender – sauce made it too sweet. I liked the burnt bits.”
“Would prefer to have sauce on side. Ribs are put on grill after smoking.”
“Too much sweet sauce, very tender.”
“Very tender.”
“Tender, tasty”
TRI-TIP
“Little dry, still good. 6 out of 10”
“Tender. I could not tell about flavor because it was covered in a sweet sauce.”
“Tender, not much flavor.”
“Nothing special. Certainly not Santa Maria style…”
“Dry. Average taste.”
“Dry, nothing to brag about.”
“Sweet, tasty.”
MAC-N-CHEESE
“Not enough cheese.”
“Plain, not very cheesy”
“Bland, not cheesy.”
“4 out of 10”
“OK, but not a whole lot of cheese flavor. Tasted like something out of a box.”
“Not good, cheese wasn’t there, bland.”
“Boring”
COLLARD GREENS
“Bold, liked the vinegar.”
“Great, nice flavor.”
“Good”
“Nice buttery, tangy. 10 out of 10”
“Good flavor”
“Greasy, no taste.”
“Nasty. Worst I’ve tasted – not collards but a mix of greens that had a bitter aftertaste.”
LINKS
“Spicy, but not overwhelming.”
“Not much flavor”
“Lots of filler taste. Nothing special.”
“Bad, too much filler.”
“Good kick, little mealy. 7 out of 10”
“Too much filler.”
“Nice spice, kind of mushy.”
SAUCE
“Plum based – nice. 8 out of 10”
“Very sweet.”
“Too sweet”
PHILLIPS BBQ
Our third stop of the day was at Phillips, located at 4307 Leimert Bl. This is strictly a take-out place. No seating anywhere in site, so not a good place to go with friends for a lunch. We brought our own table and chairs and sat in the parking lot – there is a huge parking lot so lots of good, easy parking. We were able to get chicken, pork spare ribs, links and tri-tip. We were also able to test the following sides: beans and collard greens. Again, we were surprised there was no brisket or pulled pork on the menu given the fact that they are a bbq place. They did ask us if we wanted sauce on the meat or on the side, so they scored points for that. However, they lost points because the manager either could not or would not tell us what type of smoker they used and what type of wood they cooked with.
CHICKEN
“Moist, tender, good flavor. Sauce was on the side and complimented the bird. Very good!”
“Great flavor, tender. 9 out of 10”
“Tender, moist, delicious.”
“Nice and moist, not much smoke flavor”
“Really good. Balanced.”
“Very good.”
PORK SPARE RIBS
“Moist, tender. Flavor was good, but not outstanding.”
“Good smoke flavor, tender.”
“Smokey, good, a little dry. 7 out of 10”
“Good smoke, a little dry, good flavor.”
“Good flavor – delicious, tender”
“Best today! Not too much of anything, enough salt, enough smoke. Excellent.”
“A little dry, but good smoke.”
TRI-TIP
“Bland, no flavor”
“Little flavor, spicy finish. 5 out of 10”
“Bland, can’t taste seasoning.”
“Not very tasty”
“Tender, moist, very good.”
LINKS
“Great – good flavor”
“Standard for the day. Good, but mealy. 7 out of 10”
“Not much flavor”
“Mushy”
COLLARDS
“Fantastic, good flavor, not over cooked.”
“Excellent. I am buying some to take home it’s so good.”
“Really good. Cooked just right. Good flavor.”
“Chopped smaller, tangy, nice. 9 out of 10”
“Good,nice and firm. Good flavor.”
“Best of the day!”
BEANS
“Good”
“Tomato-ey. Neil’s were better.”
“Too tomato paste taste”
“OK, but nothing special”
“Good flavor, good taste”
“Good tasting, best of the day”
SAUCE
“Liked the sauce. Vinegar based.”
“Too much like tomato paste”
“Nice, complex. 9 out of 10”
“Good flavor. Liked the hot version.”
“Plain vinegar sauce.”
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kristin Meredith on -
I will get Bent to post the pictuures and menus. Maybe some of the other folks who went will post some comments and pictures also. It was a good day. Got to meet some new people and visit with od friends.
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Permalink Reply by Bentley on -
I told you I would give you no Quarter just like any other crawl place...You told me you would ask for none!
I will give a qualifying statement and say I like to reserve my comments for a crawl till I have eaten at all places. Although I use some competition criteria in my comments, comparing each places meat and sides against each other is not one of them.
I will qualify my chicken comments regarding all 3 places by saying; the only good chicken is a deep fried chicken!
BigMista’s BBQ
Chicken.
It was a breast, it was somewhat dry. It was heavily seasoned leaning on the salty side, which I like. I do not believe that that plays well with the general public, but maybe I am wrong. I am not a breast fan, I would prefer skinless marinated thighs, but I would also prefer to be thin, hansom & married to a tall Redhead, that isn’t happening either!
Pork Ribs.
Tremendous smoke flavor, did not taste the smoke in either or the other places ribs. Not as tender as either or the other places. Could have used a little bolder rub, but to me this is where sauce shines , and BigMista’s sauce complements their ribs very well.
BigMista’s was the only one of the 3 that served pulled pork.
Pork.
I don’t think it would have matter if Texas BBQ King or Phillips had served shoulder, this was some of the best butt I have ever had! There is a very fine line in shoulder between tender and mush. The pit master at BigMista’s was on his game this day with his pulled pork. Just enough “resistance”, like I said before, I enjoy good BBQ sauce on most of my BBQ. I do like to sample 1st time without. I don’t consider myself as the kind of person that gushes. This pork was very good plain, it went over the top with the sauce. Amazes me that there is no demand for this in Watts!
Brisket.
The meat was almost perfectly cooked. A little dry, but the flavor stood out without sauce. I like BBQ sauce on most of my BBQ, not on brisket. This did not need it. If I was judging this meat in a KCBS competition I would have given it an 8 for both taste & tenderness.
Links.
Nothing special, but not bad either. I think they were chicken, not my favorite meat for a link.
The Sides.
Greens. Good texture, properly cooked. I have been trying to get a word that describes the flavor of these greens since we left Watts and I have been unable to come up with one. I will say to “acidic” just because I cannot find a better one at this time. This is the only place I will offer my unsolicited advice, add ham hocks!
Beans. I do not like sweet beans, these were sweet beans. About all I can say.
The staff at BigMista’s was very friendly. They took the time to make a special platter for our needs and I did sincerely appreciate that. They had their pit in full view for any patron to see. The owner new his pit and they cook on charcoal with Hickory wood for flavor. They were knowledgeable and willing to answer question regarding BBQ question a patron might have.
Texas BBQ King.
The owner said he was going to be there he was not. Robert his brother was managing the establishment and was the pit master, very friendly. He offered to show us their pits after the eats. They also cook on charcoal and Hickory. These were some butt ugly unit’s people, but they put out a pretty good product.
Chicken.
OK. Again, nothing to write home about. They only served ½ or whole chickens, Robert did take the time to cut it up so it would be easier for 12 people to eat, again appreciated. We appreciate someone that will accommodate us! Could have just as easily said sorry, that the way it is served! Not a huge smoke flavor in the chicken, but I did not find smoke flavor in any of the 3 places and can’t get it in my own competition chicken!
Ribs.
We have a winner today in ribs. TX BBQ King. Very tender, again there is a fine line between perfectly cooked and fall off the bone. My rib was almost perfect! Heavy sauce, very sweet, very good. Nuff said about TX BBQ Kings Ribs!
Tri-Tip. This is Texas BBQ King, where is the brisket guys?
It was flavorful, but it was way overcooked! It probably had the most smoke flavor of any of the meats at this place. Robert, I know you said you don’t cook with temperature gauges and all that fancy stuff…Brother, pull that tri-tip off about 30 minutes sooner.
Links.
Again nothing special. Chicken again I think, see above. End of story.
The sides.
Greens. They are getting better. Theses had a little more flavor, did not ask how they were cooked. Not to mushy, could have used a little more flavor.
Mac n cheese. I liked it a lot, if it was out of a box, they have me fooled. I thought it was real cheddar, again if it was not they got a good imitation going!
Phillips BBQ
This place was strictly take-out. I had called the day before, like I did with BigMista’s and TX BBQ King to let them know we were coming and that we did not expect any hand outs, but do like to talk about their pits and what kind of wood they cook on. You did not get any real exposure to the staff, I spoke with the manager I had talked with the day before. Asked her if we could see the pits? No was the answer, she advised that the owner was there "from 12:30 to 1:30 like you told me when you were going to be here, and he has left." I said I hoped we would be there between 1:30 and 2:00; we got there at 1:45. No great loss, in their defense, was a small place and may not have been conducive to health codes to have 12 folks walking through your establishment. On Friday I asked her what pits they cooked on and what wood they used, shed did not know the answer to either on Friday. This is where I will not cut them any slack, I asked her today, well did you ask the owner what kind of pits and wood you use…No was the answer!
Chicken.
The best of the 3. No great smoke flavor, but a well balanced flavor for smoked chicken.
Ribs.
I read on a couple of reviews here in LA…”Best ribs in the LA basin”…ehhhhh wrong. No smoke flavor, good tenderness, no flavor… but again, best in LA….Next!
Tri-tip.
This meat was nowhere near as over cooked as TX BBQ King, but did not have anywhere near the flavor either.
Beef Links.
3 different places for links, all 3 could have been the same link if you asked me. I would almost swear this was a chicken and not a beef link.
The sides.
Greens. Best of the bunch by far and the best thing at this place.
Beans. Again, sweet beans and they are just not my bag!
I would normally overcome the short comings of no flavor in a properly cooked piece of meat like the ribs and tri-tip at Phillips with sauce. I did not like their sauce at all, a way to heavily laced vinegar base, way to cumminee tainted BBQ sauce!
The Score.
Chicken. 1st Phillips, 2nd TX BBQ King, 3rd BigMista’s
Ribs. 1st TX BBQ King hands down, 2nd Phillips, 3rd BigMista’s
Pork. BigMista only one who served it. TX BBQ King and Phillips probably would not have stood much of a chance against this Pork today anyway!
Beef. 1st BigMista’s by a landslide, and I like Tri-tip much more than brisket! 2nd TX BBQ King, 3rd Phillips.
Links. Toss a coin!
Sides. Greens at Phillips by far the best of all sides. 2nd would be slaw at BigMista’s. 3rd Mac n Cheese at TX BBQ King.
I have started to use the "would I go back" as the best rating of a BBQ joint. This is my 3rd Crawl. Of the 1st 2 Porky’ by the Forum is the only one I would say I would go back for. I would go back to BigMista’s, on the fence with TX BBQ King, would probably go back just to chew the fat and with Robert and have some ribs and Mac, Phillips BBQ I would not go back to. But this review and $1.79 will get you a tube of toothpaste so take it for what its worth!
Did enjoy the day with the other BBQ Brother & Sisters!
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