Baby Blues BBQ

Sept 8, 2018

Venice, California – This place pops up on Best Barbecue in Los Angeles lists occasionally. That’s how it landed on my radar more than a decade ago. Having some business to attend to in neighboring Santa Monica presented the perfect opportunity to finally check them out. But it was going to have to be a to-go order.

Baby Blues BBQ first opened its doors in LA in 2004. After a little growth and a couple of changes of venue, the current LA-area line-up includes locations in Echo Park, and the one here in Venice. Because so many people clamored for their fare, Baby Blues has further expanded to the San Francisco and Philly markets.

The entrance is on the corner; signs on the window will point you to the proper doors to use. But once you enter, be prepared to find yourself in a very, very tight ‘reception’ area while you wait to be seated. There is a counter area to your immediate right. The main dining area appears to be straight ahead once you get inside. I didn’t pay too much attention to the rest of the interior since I was getting my meal to go, not dining in.

When I began planning the day and realized I could squeeze in a visit, I went to their website to see what they were working with. There are quite a few options to choose from. I decided to try the Big Blue Platter ($32.95). The Big Blue Platter comes with your choice of three meats. Today those three meats would be brisket, tri-tip, and Memphis-style pork ribs. Platters come with two ‘Fixins’, made fresh in house every day, along with house-made cornbread. My choice for the fixins were Collard greens and potato salad. I also decided to get a Texas beef rib (Market Price $31.95 today (!)) a la carte, plus a smoked beef link ($4.95).

I placed my order, then took a seat in one of the chairs outside. While waiting, I sipped on the lemonade ($3) I ordered. It was not made from fresh lemons. It tasted like it was made with one of those lemonade mixes like Country Time or something similar. That should’ve been my first clue as to what lay ahead.

Right after I finished it, one of the hostesses brought my meal out to me, nicely packaged. It was served in two take-out boxes made from recycled products. I appreciate that. Thank you, Baby Blues. I’m starting to see more and more restaurants use this type of container.

After I arrived home, I immediately warmed up everything and dug in. First up was the sliced brisket. (Baby Blues also serves chopped brisket). The description says it is dry-rubbed Black Angus, coated with a sweet sauce, then slow smoked for 14 hours. It had what looked like a smoke ring around the outside, while a pinkish tint appears in the center. In addition, it had a rainbow sheen on it, which, at first glance, reminded me of deli meat slices. The pepper crust contains lots of pepper (and coriander seeds, I think). I took a bite, expecting to get the flavor of beef followed instantly by smoke. Instead, what met my taste buds tasted like pastrami. A LOT like pastrami. I kid you not. Not even close to barbecue. Ironically, in the center of the brisket, well away from bark, it did taste somewhat close to barbecued brisket. There was a tiny hint of smoke flavor in there somewhere.

Four types of sauce are available to choose from: BBQ, sweet, hot, and XXX. I went with BBQ and sweet. The description for the BBQ says it is mild, vinegar-based. They got the mild part right. Kind of weak but it did have some decent flavor. I preferred the sweet (the description says it has a tangy, bbq-molasses flavor) because it had more flavor. I could taste the sweetness. Did I detect a bit of hickory smoke in both sauces?
I alternated between adding the BBQ and sweet sauces on the brisket but there was no saving it. It just tasted too much like pastrami.

Next, I tried the tri-tip. According to the menu, this is prime cut sirloin, marinated and smoked until medium rare, then sliced and grilled. It is definitely grilled; you could see the grill marks. But where’s the smokiness? I didn’t detect any. It looked more like carne asada, with a taste on the bland side. On top of that, it was a tad overcooked.

Moving on to the Memphis pork ribs. The menu says it is rubbed top to bottom with their blend of dry spices, slow smoked, then grilled and lightly basted with their house BBQ sauce. It certainly was easy to pull off the bone. This was the closest to barbecue taste of any of the meats so far. I could taste a little bit of the spices used in the rub. Alternating between the sauces here was enjoyable to an extent. It moved the flavor up a notch.

The Texas beef rib is “smoked on the bone” but no mention of any spices used. It was basted probably with their own barbecue sauce. Thick, thick meat but it only covered about half of the bone. The bones were flat like bars of a xylophone. I’m guessing they probably used short ribs. True to its claim about being tender, the bone pulled right out.

Two beef ribs were in the order. Satisfactory flavor on the outer portion where the sauce was. But it lost spice and flavor the closer I got to the bone. The spice and sauce then gave way to a real beefy flavor. When I reached the bone, there was no barbecue flavor or spice to be found, just the taste of cooked beef. I tried putting the extra sauce on. Alternating between the sauces changed things up a bit. No real preference for how each sauce combined with the ribs but it did improve the taste a little.

Not sure what kind of link the smoked beef link was. I was expecting a link like a Louisiana hot link or something similar. Though a beef link, it tasted like a hot link with all the personality (and heat) taken out of it. One positive was that it was a good size, filling the bun I put it in. Also, the casing had a good consistency and held the contents together through every bite.

The cornbread caught me by surprise. It had a brown color, much darker than I’m used to. It almost looked like sweet potato bread, if there is such a thing. Kind of dry, too. Inside the slice, I encountered a couple of kernels of whole corn. It had a strange flavor to me that was saved only by the honey flavor I think I detected.

How about those fixins? The collard greens had large leaves. They could (and probably should) be cut smaller. I was not used to the taste. They had an overbearing pork flavor. A little heat came through in between bites. Readers of this blog know my stance on ordering greens at a restaurant. For those of you who are new to Kanale Eats, the short version is almost everyone on both sides of my family and my wife’s family cooks greens very well. So I am admittedly biased when it comes to greens and as a result it is hard to impress me. The greens here are an example of why I don’t order greens at most barbecue places. They did taste better the next day, however, but only marginally.

The potato salad featured chunky red, skin-on potatoes, and generous cuts of celery. The mixture was somewhat peppery. It could use a bit more mayonnaise, but otherwise it was pretty good. A hearty and filling side dish.

A lot of people like Baby Blues as attested to by how long they’ve been in business. It is pretty popular as attested to by the number of times I’ve seen Baby Blues mentioned in lists of top barbecue spots in LA. Though born and raised a So Cal city boy, my parents are from down south. My in-laws are from down south, too. So it is with a Southern predisposition that I approach barbecue.

With that in mind, I must sadly admit I came away disappointed with what I got here. Very little to no smoke flavor on any of the meats. High prices for the meats didn’t help. I kind of expected things to be a bit expensive here given the area but the market price for the Texas rib caused my jaw to drop.

In my opinion – and this is just my opinion – although they are pricey, stick with the ribs.

Baby Blues BBQ – 2.5 forks. Passible. They do cater.

 

Bludso’s Bar & Que

April 30, 2018

Los Angeles, California – Somewhere around ten years ago, this place showed up on my radar. A popular magazine had rated it among the top ten barbecue places in Los Angeles. Quite a claim considering the number and quality of barbecue joints in this city. Ever since then I’ve been trying to visit to test this assertion, but my schedule and their business hours didn’t synch. A new schedule (for me) and a new location (for them) made it possible for me to check them out today.

According to the story on the website, owner Kevin Bludso was born and raised in Compton. His roots go back to Texas where five generations of his family have been mastering the pits. During his summers in Corsicana, Texas, a young Kevin learned the art of ‘cue while working with his grandmother. As he grew older, he avoided the inevitable family history as long as he could. In 2008, Bludso finally heeded the call. The result? You’re reading about it.

The original Bludso’s site is in Compton, but it has been closed for some time now. Word is they will re-open at some point in the future. A second location was opened in Los Angeles just outside Hollywood. The building had enough space to add a bar. So Bludso did. The other spot is in Melbourne. As in Australia. Not Florida. Which means now Bludso’s is truly an international affair.

I could smell the smoke from five blocks down the street. The first whiff got my attention. To the best of my recollection of the area, there are no other barbecue places in the vicinity. The closest one would have been 6 blocks south. Downwind of where I was. So this glorious smell of pit-fired barbecue filling my nose had to be coming from Bludso’s.

Bludso’s is easy to spot from street. The building is painted grey with a red “Bludso’s” sign over the entrance. An awning covers the small patio on the sidewalk. A menu is displayed in a cutout on the wall outside just as you enter.

Be sure to pay attention to the parking signs wherever you park, no matter whether it’s on La Brea or one of the side streets. Parking Enforcement is notorious for diligently (and swiftly) enforcing the posted regulations in this area. Parking tickets are dished out like flyers at a concert. Trust me on this.

Now that we’ve found a place to park, let’s go inside.

The hostess station is located immediately to your right as you enter. A bench sits in the waiting area to your immediate left. Further inside you’ll find a mix of dark, wooden benches and tables. Lighter colored metal-legged wooden chairs attend wooden tables in the center of the dining area. A long, amply-stocked bar with plenty of bar stools takes up the entire south wall of the dining area. Maybe a dozen flat screen television screens encircle the room, all playing sports.

When I arrived, there were two guys at the bar. A couple sat at one of the tables. This was right after dinner hours began so it was pretty quiet at that time. While I was there, blues, old school soul, and R&B was playing on speakers.

The décor certainly does not look like your typical barbecue joint. However, the paper towel rolls and bucket with utensils on each table remind you that, yes, this place really might know a little something about ‘cue.

While looking over the menu, I noticed that the meats are portioned by the quarter, half, or full pound, while the ribs come in either a half or full rack. I wanted to sample as much as possible so I prepared myself for a big bill.

I decided on: Meats – ½ lb. brisket ($14), ½ rack pork ribs ($17), ½ rack beef ribs ($17), two Texas Red Hots (beef link) ($6 each). Sides – ½ pint collard greens ($6), ½ pint baked beans ($6), ½ pint potato salad ($6), two pieces of cornbread ($1.75 each). For dessert I went for a slice of pie. The Chocolate Chess Pie ($7) sounded interesting.

Of course, all of this would be to go. (Dining in? Your meal will be served family style).

I was amazed at how quickly my to-go order came out. And with fast, friendly service. Then again, I arrived only a couple of minutes after they opened for dinner. My rather large meal came in one of those aluminum catering trays with a cover. Everything was carefully packed. It was arranged so well that it resembled a Tetris game. (No photos, but the food actually looks like the pictures on the website)! Everything was still warm when I arrived home nearly two hours later.

Bludso’s uses their own special dry rubs on their meat. After that, the meats spend as much as 14 hours smokin’ low and slow, with fire fed by whole hardwood logs and charcoal. That’s how it’s done here.

After breathing in the bouquet of smoked meats for the past couple of hours without being able to do anything about it, I was more than ready to dig in when I finally arrived home. Here’s the rundown:

The brisket had a mellow, smoky flavor through and through. Each slice had a nice char on the edges. Nice color. Impossibly tender. It fell apart while trying to pick it up with a fork. The rub Bludso’s uses is on the salty side, but still good. Even so, I would prefer Bludso’s use a bit less salt.

There is a noticeable amount of fat on the brisket. The lean version has less fat but costs more. On the other hand, that fat really amplified the flavor of the brisket. Surprisingly, the flavor of the brisket was stronger than the barbecue sauce. I ended up not using sauce on the rest after tasting a few bites with it. It was so good, it didn’t really need any.

The pork ribs were extremely tender! Good color. The smoke flavor comes through nicely. Again, it didn’t need any sauce. Though the barbecue sauce didn’t really go well with any of the meats, it worked best with the pork ribs. At least the mild sauce did. The hotter sauce kind of clashed. I really like how well the rub goes with the pork ribs. The rub is what makes these ribs stand out from the crowd.

As with other meats, the beef ribs were very tender. They had a light flavor of smoke. Not as strong as others, but the presence of smoke is definitely there. I opted not to try them with the sauce.

Careful. There’s some heat in those house-made Texas Red Hot beef links. They really live up to their name. Firm texture. Nice bite. Lingering heat. I put one of them in a wheat bun I had at home and ate it that way.

All of Bludso’s’ meats are seasoned (and smoked) extremely well. They really don’t need any sauce. That’s a sign of great barbecue.

A lot of meat calls for a lot of sides. Bludso’s’ sides are all scratch-made in house. I decided to take a chance with the collard greens. Readers of this blog know how I feel about greens. For those who are new, most of my family and my wife’s family cook greens. Really good greens. For this reason, it is not often that I will order greens from a restaurant. And when I do, I admit I am quite critical.

The smell of the collard greens was much stronger than any other aroma emanating from the bag. They had a strong, hearty flavor to match. There’s some pepper in there somewhere. Smoked pork takes these greens up a couple of notches. Later I saw the flakes of red pepper. The greens tasted even better as leftovers once the seasoning had had a chance to work through. So how do these greens fare? They absolutely pass the test.

I noticed the baked beans on the menu. I figured they would complement the greens. They had a nice, semi-sweet flavor. Included in the beans are bits of brisket you can actually see. When you have an outdoor barbecue, this is what you imagine when it comes to baked beans. They became addictive after a couple of forkfuls.

Since this is a barbecue place, I had to get the potato salad, right? It is topped with paprika. Chunky potatoes and celery really earn this salad its stripes. Delicious! Not sure what else to say about it.

To go with all of this, some type of bread would be nice. Two pieces of cornbread filled the bill. It tastes like regular cornbread, with a tiny hint of extra baking powder. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it comes with honey butter. Whipped honey butter at that. The light taste of the honey and the butter goes very well with cornbread.

Two types of barbecue sauce are available. I got both the hot and mild sauces on the side. Both sauces had a slight sweetness. Aside from the very light sweetness, overall, both sauces were nearly bordering on neutral. I had to taste each sauce three times before I could tell which was hot. The hot does leave a lingering bit of warmth once it finally hits. Unfortunately, I have to admit I was not really feeling either sauce. It put me more in mind of mole rather than barbecue sauce. It didn’t really pair well with any of the four meats I ordered. Seems like it’s missing something. Maybe some smoke flavor to blend better with the meat?

Bludso’s serves pies by Nicole Rucker. You may have heard of her. She is a National Pie Championship Blue Ribbon award winner. I had never heard of Chocolate Chess Pie before. It looks and tastes like a brownie in a pie crust. Very moist, very good. Chocolate is definitely in charge here. It would be even gooder served ala mode – which Bludso’s will do if you want for $2 extra. Maybe I’ll try that next time.

Bludso’s’ fare is a bit pricey but they do serve large portions. Definitely no skimping here. It’s a good bet you’ll be taking some home. If you enjoy their seasoning, Bludso’s sells their brisket and pork rib rubs in store and online. They even have their own app.

About that claim I mentioned at the beginning of this review: Yes, I would wholeheartedly agree that Bludso’s does deserve its spot on that top 10 list.

Bludso’s Bar & Que – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended. Their name says all you need to know. Check hours if planning to visit on a weekday. Catering? Yep, they do that, too.

 

Rudy’s “Country Store” Bar-B-Q

July 8, 2017

Corpus Christi, Texas – Last time I was in Texas, I was just passing through. (Yeah, it took a LONG time). This time we were attending an event in Texas. Though our time here was limited, I knew I wanted to have either a Texas-sized steak or some barbecue before I left the state.

I had seen this place a few times over the weekend as we passed by it. It came time for dinner on our last full day in Corpus Christi and we still had not decided where to go. It became a now-or-never proposition. Pretty much on the spur of the moment, we decided to try this place.

I found out that Rudy’s “Country Store” Bar-B-Que has about 40 locations across five states – 32 stores in Texas alone. This particular location looks like it used to be a gas/service station in its former life. As such, it was easy to find and easy to access, right on South Padre Island Drive.

We walked in and headed toward the back. Inside, the place seems to be divided between market and counter, and the dining area. You’ll probably have to get in line to place your order (don’t worry. It moves pretty fast). To keep the line moving, try to decide what you want before you get to the front. What you’ll find once you get to the front is a counter with all of the different meats available on display.

The meats are sold by the half-pound. Not sure what you want? They provide samples. Barbecue prime rib was one of the meats on offer. I absolutely love prime rib. I had made up my mind to order some but got a sample anyway.

Rudy’s meat options number a baker’s dozen. Sandwich lovers have half a dozen sandwiches to choose from. I was happy to see they offer about ten sides, one of which is green chile stew. I’ll have to try that next time. The menu also lists over a dozen breakfast tacos. Yes, breakfast tacos, not breakfast burritos. Desserts? Yes. There are six of them.

All of Rudy’s meats are cooked in a wood-fired pit with oak as the wood of choice. They also make their own special dry rub. To compliment your meats, choose from two types of “sause” (that’s how they spell it): Original and Sissy.

After pondering over all of the available items, I finally made my decision.
My order today was a half-pound each of brisket, prime rib, and pork spare ribs. My drink? Sweet tea, of course!

Once our orders were prepared for us, we took our bounty over to the dining section and sat at the picnic tables. With a nearly full room, long rows of tables covered with gingham tablecloths, and food spread out over the tables, the dining area looked like a large, indoor barbecue. I couldn’t wait to dig in.

Normally I will have unsweetened tea. But it was nice to have some sweet tea for a change. It certainly complimented all of the food we had today.

The barbecue prime rib was not quite what I expected. I guess I was somehow expecting some of that slow-roasted flavor. But, this is a barbecue joint. No ‘slow roasted’ here. Must be me not being used to smoke flavor in prime rib. Once I got my mind right, I began to enjoy it.

The ribs had a nice flavor. They were tender and juicy. The sauce went well with them. I appreciated that these were the larger type ribs.

I wasn’t prepared for how the brisket hit me. It was fall-apart tender. Properly smoked. Rudy’s rub adds to the flavor while still allowing the meat to be the star. This was the best brisket I have ever had! I couldn’t stop eating it. It was so good I had to tell one of the workers how much I enjoyed it.

Ever decide to stop somewhere based solely on intuition and have it be way better than what you imagined? That is what happened at Rudy’s today.

If you didn’t get enough at the store, some of their meats and ‘sauses’ are available online.

Rudy’s “Country Store” Bar-B-Q – 5 forks. Very highly recommended. Surpassed all of my expectations.

 

Bigg Dane and Beale’s Texas BBQ

May 31, 2017

Fontana, California – For quite some time now I have been trying to find some good barbecue in the Inland Empire. This restaurant’s sign was visible from northbound I-15. I would see it as I drove by during my trips up and down I-15. The only way to satisfy my curiosity would be to stop in and visit one day. A little bit of planning and today I was able to make that happen.

The owners of Bigg Dane and Beale’s Texas BBQ compete in barbecue competitions in Houston, Texas. And have won. If you can compete in a ‘cue competition in Texas – and win – you know you are doing something right. We’ll see if they were able to carry those creds over into their restaurant.

Let’s talk about parking first. The place is very easy to spot off the freeway. Not so easy to get to once you get off the freeway. Follow this tip and it will save you some frustration. (I already experienced this so you don’t have to). From I-15, whether you’re approaching from north or south, exit at Base Line. Head back under the freeway to East Avenue. Turn south on East Avenue. Look for the first driveway and turn left. Big Dane and Beale’s is located at the back of the shopping mall.

When you walk in, you’ll see the counter where you place your order. There is a roomy waiting area for those taking out. After you place your order, walk over into the main dining area. They will bring your food to you.

Inside the main dining room you’ll find four flat screens televisions on the wall. They are usually all on sports channels. There are several barbecue-related signs on the wall. Some are quite humorous.

Different types of tile flooring can be found in the restaurant with one style in the waiting room, and a different, lighter color in the dining area. There seems to be a theme of black and brown running through the restaurant. The walls are painted in a tan color. Around the perimeter of the room, vinyl-backed bench seats are a milk-chocolate brown, and the tables have wooden tops sitting on black metal poles. The chairs in the center of the room are black wood with a couple of black metal and vinyl ones here and there. The tabletops attended by these chairs look like marble framed with dark wood, and the whole top looks varnished.

I really wanted to find out what Bigg Dane and Beale’s could do with a range of meats, so I ordered the Triple Choice ($24). As you might guess, the Triple Choice comes with your choice of three meats. My choice today was St. Louis ribs, tri-tip, and brisket. The combo platters come with two sides. I went with collard greens, and mac n’ cheese.

To round out my order, I got a hot link on the side ($3), and a small drink ($2) to wash everything down.

At the fountain, I poured a Gold Peak tea and took a seat in the dining room. The Gold Peak dispenser must have been running out of syrup; it was nearly all water.

To pass the time while I waited for my food, I read the signs on the wall and watched some of the events on the televisions. A short time later, my meal arrived.
Score some presentation points here: the meal is served in a metal tray lined with paper. At the top ‘row’ of the tray were separate cups of mac n’ cheese, and the greens, accompanied by two small containers of barbecue sauce. I had to take a minute to enjoy the careful arrangement of the ribs, side-by-side, sliced and layered tri tip, and side-by-side thick-sliced brisket looking so moist and tender it was hardly able to stand on it own. The whole thing looked like a product shot. I really didn’t want to destroy this edible work of art, but this was my dinner.

The greens had a special ingredient I couldn’t place. It was almost citrusy in flavor. Lots of pot liquor. There must have been some pepper in there somewhere because it delivered a bit of a kick. Delicious!

The macaroni and cheese tasted homemade. A bit of black pepper could be seen. Not too heavy on the cheese, which is a good thing. It had a creamy texture and taste.

You are given a choice of barbecue sauces when you place your order. I asked for a mix. They provided one container of hot, one of medium. The hot wasn’t very hot. It tasted like its heat came from the addition of Tabasco. The medium was mild. I ended up mixing the flavors.

As for the meats, in ascending order of preference:

Hot link: It was a Louisiana Hot Link so most of the flavor was already in the link. The smoke enhanced it. There was nothing else that made it stand out.

Tri-tip: It is coated with rub. This particular batch looked slightly under cooked. A drizzle of bbq sauce runs across the slices. I added a bit of the sauces. It enhanced the flavor a bit, collaborating with the rub.

Brisket: Wow! Immediately you could tell the brisket got to be real good friends with the smoker. You can see the smoke ring on each slice. The menu in the store says it is smoked 15 hours with Old #2 Brisket Texas BBQ Rub. One of the owners said this batch was smoked nearly 24 hours. It was part of a special run. Very tender, and flaked easily when cut with a fork. I didn’t even use the knife. It was so good even without sauce. I only put sauce on about a third of it just to see what it would taste like. I preferred the ‘sauceless’ part.

St. Louis ribs: It was a slow period in the restaurant at that time. The owners stopped by to see how I and the one other diner were doing. I told one of the owners how much I liked the brisket. Then I tried a rib. All I could say to him was, “These ribs…” They were that good. They use their own special rub and then baste with a little sauce during the grill time. You could tell they had also spent a lot of time in the smoker. You could see the smoke rings. No need for any extra sauce. They were excellent without any need to add anything to them. The owner said they compete in competitions with these ribs.

My intent was to take half of the meal home and have it for diner the next day. But the more I tasted, the more I enjoyed everything. And the more I enjoyed, the less there was to take home. Definitely not complaining, though.

I’m glad I stopped in here. Both my hunger and curiosity were satisfied. I am already making plans for my next visit and what I will order. With the high caliber of ‘cue I just had, I am really looking forward to another award-winning meal.

Bigg Dane and Beale’s Texas BBQ – 4.75 forks. Very highly recommended. They also cater. Closed Tuesdays.

Update: October 31, 2020 – Bigg Dane and Beale’s Texas BBQ is no longer in business. Another restaurant – fittingly, a Texas-style barbecue place – is in Dane and Beale’s old location. Brett Beale has opened his own spot in Huntington Beach, California called Beale’s Texas BBQ.

 

Airport Café and Liquors

June 8, 2016

Miami, Florida – We arrived at our hotel here in Miami several hours prior to check-in time. The lady behind the counter surprised us by telling us our rooms were ready. She checked us in, took our information, and commented that our tour guide Celiece just happened to be right behind us in the lobby. So I asked Celiece for recommendations on places to eat. We wanted something local, not a chain restaurant. She immediately ran off about three suggestions. One was a place that served seafood. I forgot what the second choice was, though my wife and I did consider it. The third was a place where the locals eat. We decided to go where the locals go.

We walked a few blocks down and there was Airport Café & Liquors, right where Celiece said it would be. Except it looked more like a liquor store from the outside than a restaurant.

A bit unsure, we walked in anyway. Inside, we saw a pair of counters with tall, brushed aluminum (I think) chairs to seat the diners. Metal tables have shorter brushed aluminum chairs. Photos of Airport Café’s fare line one of the walls. Television screens play news and sports. Off to the right was the main part of the restaurant. I believe there is a patio outside. My apprehension was now completely dispelled. It still took a couple of minutes to get used to a full-service restaurant inside a full-service liquor store, though.

Airport Café & Liquors has been in operation since 2007, and is family owned and operated. Their selection of spirits includes the top shelf liquors. Fancy wine instead? Airport Café has you covered. If that is not enough, they have a considerable stock of international cigars. The difference between here and most other liquor stores is that you can consume your bottled alcohol purchases right here in the restaurant, though there is a small charge to do so.

Being that the place is right across the road from Miami International Airport, many patrons are flight attendants, pilots, workers from the nearby freight and aviation companies, in addition to those who in work non-aviation-related businesses. You’ll see people in suits and ties, skirts, overalls, and everything in between.

We were seated right away and given a menu. It was kind of overwhelming at first due to the amount of choices. I noticed the selections, wide ranging as they were, featured a large percentage of Cuban dishes. Not surprising considering we were in Miami.

Today I opted for the beer roasted guava baby back ribs ($10.99). The ribs come with two sides. I decided on rice and black beans. These are also available to order separately; rice (white, yellow, or brown) at $2.99, same price for the black beans. For the beverage, let’s have some fresh-squeezed Florida orange juice ($3.50).

Our meal arrived and our table suddenly looked smaller; our food and the condiments took up a lot of real estate on an area that was not that big to begin with.

The orange juice is served in a cup with ice. That’s because it is fresh squeezed, natural Florida orange juice, made right in Airport Café mere seconds before coming to your table. You can’t get much fresher than that; unless, of course, you go to the grove yourself, pick the oranges, and squeeze them there. After letting the ice in the cup do its work, the juice was just about perfect.

Ok, let’s get to know these beans and the rice. My choice was the white rice. It was Cuban style with plenty of butter and garlic. Enough butter and garlic to really get me excited about the rice. The beans, also Cuban style, came in a separate Styrofoam cup. Nice and hearty and harboring the all-important bay leaf. (By the way, those are my wife’s fries in the photo. There were so many we ended up sharing them. Even then we didn’t finish all of them.)

As I usually do with Cuban rice and beans, I mixed them together and made my own version of congri. Oh my! I could make meal off the rice and beans alone. They were that good. Probably the best Cuban rice and beans I’ve ever had. It is mind-blowing how something so basic can be so good!

At Airport Café, they serve you a half rack of ribs. I was pleasantly surprised to see that. Most places will only give you three or four ribs.

The beer roasted guava baby back ribs were quite tender, nicely roasted, and thankfully not greasy. They had a good amount of meat on them. I could taste a bit of the beer and more of the guava. And I really liked the sweetness of the sauce. I’ve never had guava on my ribs before. That’s one of the joys of trying new things; you might find something you really like. And I think I really like these ribs. The flavor combination stuck with me for a while before it began to fade away during the walk back to the hotel.

If you are looking to dine where the locals dine, you’ve come to the right place. Friendly service, and a wide selection of food and drink. If you have a long enough layover at MIA and are looking to have a meal outside the airport, Airport Café is an excellent place to do just that.

I am very glad we followed our tour guide’s recommendation. It was the perfect start to our trip. Thank you, Celiece!

Airport Café & Liquors – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended. Like their website says, one of Miami’s best hidden gems. They serve breakfast, too.

 

Great American Land & Cattle Company

December 20, 2012

El Paso, Texas – There was no way I was going to leave Texas without having some barbecue.

We were driving back home on my first cross-country road trip – literally all the way from a beach on the Atlantic to a beach on the Pacific. An unexpected problem set us back a whole day so we had to make the trip in three days instead of four. We knew we needed to stop overnight somewhere in Texas. We ended up stopping in El Paso. We didn’t have time to research any recommended restaurants, but this place was nearby. What sold me was the word ‘cattle’ in the name.

We were pretty tired and it was late when we got to El Paso, but like I said, I was not leaving Texas without some ‘cue. It was around 9:00 pm when we arrived at the restaurant. That is usually too late for me to have the barbecue meal I hoped to have.

Great American Land & Cattle Company has two locations: this one here in El Paso, the other in Vinton, Texas. My first impression was that this location was much smaller on the inside than it looked from the outside. That was until we rounded the corner on the way to our booth. It was huge! Plenty of room for dining. There was a large bar area. A roaring fire was going in the fireplace in the corner. Even though we weren’t near it, just the sight of it warmed me up. A good thing because it was nearly freezing outside.

After passing the hostess station, you’ll notice that the place appears to be divided into two distinct sections. The place has a rustic feel. Symbols of the Southwest are found throughout: cactus, heads of cattle, etc., with sandstone pillars and faux brick walls. I counted five big-screen televisions and one projection TV.

Our server came and took our order. There were three of us: myself, my son, and my grandson. I ordered something called a Chuck Wagon ($19.99). What this is is four different types of barbecue; beef ribs, baby back ribs, smoked sausage, and brisket. It comes with a roll, beans, and Cole Slaw. To wash it down, some sweet iced tea ($2.25) and a Shock Top ($4.25) got the call. My grandson had a kid’s meal burger ($5.99), while my son mirrored my Chuck Wagon.

It didn’t take too long for the meal to arrive. I couldn’t wait to try some good ole Texas-style cookin’.

The tea was pretty good. I prefer to drink unsweetened tea, but when in the South, well, sweet tea does just fine. Usually I like Shock Top. Most of the time it goes with whatever I’m having. Tonight was different. Tonight, to my surprise, it did not go well with my meal. I’ll have to remember not to pair barbecue with Shock Top in future.

The beans were hearty, about what I’d expect at a campfire. They were slightly spiced. I love it when the beans can stand up to the rest of the meal. A surprise came when I moved over to the Cole Slaw. The cabbage really came through. The surprise was finding pineapple chunks in the slaw. They added some texture and some sweetness. I actually took out a couple of the pineapple chunks and added them to my brisket sandwich, which you’ll read about shortly.

Moving on the to meat, the beef ribs were actually a single beef rib. But it was a big rib. It had plenty of meat but could use more smoke flavor. There were four baby back ribs. I liked these the best, especially with the sauce. Small bones with lots of meat, they were very happy in the slightly sweet barbecue sauce. The smoked sausage link was sliced on a diagonal and was indeed smoky. Rounding out the meats was the brisket. It was sliced thin with a pink, almost crispy edge. It was cooked very well. Using the roll, which was basted with butter, I made a sandwich from some of the slices of brisket. Adding the pineapple chunks took it up a notch.

Great American Land and Cattle Company feels like a place best experienced with a group. The portions are very generous so you can share and still have plenty for yourself. I would love to come back here and bring the rest of the family.

Great American Land & Cattle Company – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended.

 

El Galleon Restaurant

June 26, 2012

Avalon, Santa Catalina, California – El Galleon landed on my radar in 2003. We were on the island for the Catalina Jazz Festival then. Last year I decided to dine here next time I visited Avalon. Fortunately, that was only one year later.

After a lot of hiking around the island on an unbelievably clear day in Avalon, our group of three stopped in for lunch. I’ve seen this place packed on weekends and late on weekdays. We got lucky; when we arrived, there was only one other group inside. That changed pretty quickly. By the time we left, there was a line outside waiting to get in.

Many restaurants in Avalon have come and gone since the 1950’s. The old John’s Island Café was remodeled and became El Galleon Restaurant. The current owners are dedicated to preserving the 1950’s style of restaurants in Avalon. In business on the island since 1967, El Galleon is part of a group of five other restaurants, including Antonio’s Pizzeria and Catalina Cabaret.

El Galleon sits right on Crescent Drive. Some tables butt right up against the low brick wall that demarcates the patio – or as close a ‘patio’ as they can get. Enter on the right side of the restaurant. It will lead directly to the hostess station. There, small chalkboards promote the day’s specials. Inside you’ll find lots of booths. The ones along the wall are covered in green leatherette, while the ones down the center are covered in red leatherette. Upstairs in the mezzanine, a more private dining area awaits with a very nice view over the main dining area and on out to the street.

The décor? Think early, funky pirate ship without the pirate. (Don’t ask, just go with it.) On the walls hang paintings of scenes from around Catalina. Adding to the ambiance are portholes, Mardi Gras beads hanging from a chandelier, mounted sailfish and swordfish, metal fish, ocean-themed art…and a pig. Canon barrels are aimed outward from the railing on the mezzanine. The ship, er, restaurant has large screen televisions, of course, for your viewing pleasure. And true to the period, lots of wood.

The interior looks ready for action and so are we. Our server brought out menus. On it were a bewildering number of items to choose from. While Dennis and John made up their minds, I was still taking in the décor. Dennis ordered the BBQ burger with bacon and a pineapple ring. John had the fish and chips.

When our server came back, I still had not decided. She took others’ orders. Eventually I had to ask what El Galleon is best known for. Among those items are steaks, fresh fish, live lobsters and ribs. She mentioned the ribs twice. I had seen the ribs listed on the board outside so I went with the ribs, which came with onion rings.

Apparently, Tuesday is happy hour all day. They were offering reduced prices on several drinks including their selection of Paulaner German beers brewed in Munich. We all ordered drinks.

To go with my Luau BBQ Pork Ribs ($12.95), I ordered a ½ liter glass of the Paulaner Oktoberfest Amber ($7.50, $6.50 happy hour). It is described as a “German ‘marzen’ March-style, rich amber in color, slightly creamy, mild carbonation, lightly hopped.” I’d say that described the taste very well. I like this one a lot; it had some substance to it. And the Paulaner-logo glass it comes in is a nice touch.

We sipped our drinks and chatted while our meal was being prepared. Soon our server returned, loaded down with our booty, er, lunch.

We already talked about the beer, which paired very well with the ribs and the onion rings. The onion rings were very thinly sliced. I couldn’t really taste the onion because it got lost in the flavor of the batter. The batter itself was crunchy, a bit salty, and had a slight kick to it. My guess is it was due to the pepper. Ranch dressing came with for dipping. Though the batter was good, using thicker slices of onion would give the onion a fighting chance to be tasted.

Now, for the main event. The Applewood-smoked ribs were slathered in sauce. No chance of picking one up without getting sauce all over your fingers. Just jump in and go for it. They looked like short ribs but were very meaty. The meat pulled off the bone with very little effort. What steals the show is the sauce. It really went well with the meat. Molasses-based, sweet, and it had a hint of smoky flavor. I think the board outside said something about the sauce having plum in it. It was delicious! Yes, there was a whole lotta finger lickin’ goin’ on. After all was said and done, there was a bit more than half a rack of ribs; I counted eight bones.

El Galleon has a hit on their hands with this one. Even though they have a very extensive lunch and dinner menu, I’d be more than happy ordering the Luau BBQ ribs every time.

Dining solo or with a group, you will have an enjoyable visit. With a menu as varied as El Galleon’s, everyone should be able to find something that floats their boat. But remember, as with most restaurants in Avalon, El Galleon can get very busy on weekends and during the summer months.

El Galleon Restaurant – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended.

 

Dr. Hogly Wogly’s Tyler Texas BBQ

March 25, 2013

Van Nuys, California – I’ve been diagnosed with barbecue deprivation. Aside from a deep craving for ribs from an honest-to-goodness wood-fired smoker, my symptoms included a chronic desire to return this eatery after being away for about a decade or so. I prescribed myself a trip to Hogly Wogly’s as soon as possible. Turns out today I’d be travelling through the San Fernando Valley on I-405. That makes today a good day to fill my prescription.

My first visit here was when a colleague told my then-girlfriend-now-wife and I about Hogly Wogly’s way back in the late 1980’s. We joined him there for dinner one night. A year or so later when I mentioned it to my father, he said he had known about them for years. He seemed almost surprised that I hadn’t heard of them before. It was almost as if he wanted to say, “Where have you been?”

Law enforcement, truck, bus, and taxi drivers are devoted patients, er, patrons of Hogly Wogly’s. You know that means good food is served there.

Dr. Hogly Wogly’s Tyler Texas BBQ has been around since 1969 and has since become a fixture in the Valley. How did the place get its unique name? Glad you asked. The founder, Dr. Johnny Greene, is a real doctor, a pharmacologist by trade. There’s the Doctor part. Hogly Wogly? That moniker is attributed to his wife. You can figure out the Tyler Texas part.

From outside in the small parking lot you can smell the faint aroma of wood smoke as you near the eatery. Pay attention to the signs in the lot and side streets. You do not want to have your car towed.

After walking inside and letting my eyes adjust, I realized Hogly Wogly’s is a small, homey place. It is busy with mostly regulars. Busy, but the turnover is fast. Walls are covered in wood paneling accentuated by accolades and pictures hung thereon. A half-dozen or so 4-person booths, plus a handful of 2-person booths on south side compose the dining area. All booths are two-toned brown with light brown backs and chocolate brown seats. Tables are dark wood. Outside you’ll find a patio area.

I purposely arrived toward the end of lunch expecting to enjoy a quieter, unhurried dining experience. There were maybe a dozen or so people there enjoying their meal and conversing. Upon entering, I was immediately greeted and given the run of the house to sit.

My server came by to take my order. I asked for water to start with. Intending to sample as much as possible, I went with the 3-way combination dinner ($26.95). The 3-way is pretty much what you’d expect at a restaurant that specializes in barbecue: 3 types of meat. My choices today were brisket, beef ribs, and spareribs. The menu should say that 3-way really means you should share it 3 ways. They give you a ton of meat with this feast. I challenge you to finish it all in one sitting. It comes with two sides. Potato salad and barbecue beans were today’s choices. All dinners include freshly baked homemade bread in the shape of a large, square dinner roll. Three pickle chips top the meat.

To wash it all down, I ordered iced tea, which came to the table a couple of minutes after ordering. The tea was noticeably weak and lacking in flavor. It didn’t taste watered down, just that the tea itself had very little tea flavor. Maybe I’ll order something else next visit.

In an incredibly short period of time, my server delivered the banquet to my table and explained the two sauces: regular and hot. Regular lives in a small metal pitcher, hot in the red squeeze bottle. She deposited a Wet-Nap on the table, which would definitely get used later. Thankfully, there is also a well-stocked napkin dispenser on every table.

First up were the beans. They looked different from any barbecue beans I’ve ever seen. These are white beans and tasted like a sweet potato was added to the mix. Golden color, it is served in a small brown ramekin. If you are a fan of Indian food, imagine the taste of a sweet dal tadka minus the chilis. The taste surprised me at first but after a couple of forkfuls I began to really like it.

Next tasting was the potato salad. This was served in a small white bowl. Less vinegary taste than I expected. Probably from lack of pickle relish. It was creamy with sizable chunks of potatoes. I was very pleased with it.

All of the meats were very tender, extremely juicy, and succulent. Good enough to eat sans sauce. This is where Hogly Wogly’s stands out. All taste as if they had been marinated for some time prior to cooking. In reality, I had that backwards. The meats put in their time in the wood-burning smoker – or oven, as Hogly Wogly calls it – first. Then they are marinated in the good doctor’s “famous secret sauce”. None of the meats had much, if any, fat. Another plus.

Remember the sauces mentioned earlier? The regular sauce is kinda feeble. It has some nice spices in it but there just weren’t enough of them to stand up to the meat. I bathed one slice of brisket in the sauce and could barely taste it. The only way to get the full flavor of the sauce was to dip my finger in and taste it. And even then I had to repeat the process a couple of times. What I did taste was a bit of black pepper, either brown sugar or molasses, and the tomato base possibly delivered by ketchup, plus a couple of other spices. I had to use a lot of sauce to feel the heat in the hot version but it is there and will eventually sneak up on you. As I said, though, the meat is good enough to eat without sauce.

Starting with the meats, the brisket was sampled first. It flaked easily under the side of the fork. It was so tender that the only time I picked up the knife was to slice the bread to make a brisket sandwich. Though the true flavor was hidden behind marinade, you could still taste a slight smoky flavor. And the marinade infused a hint of sweetness. Not enough to cause distraction, but enough to happily notice. Very lean, too.

The spareribs were large and meaty. Very tender and perfectly cooked. They had a gentle, smoky flavor, which I would’ve liked to taste a bit more of. In contrast to the brisket, I couldn’t taste much of the marinade on the spareribs.

When you say ribs in Texas, you’re talking beef ribs. Hogly Wogly’s ribs are short boned but the amount of meat on them more than makes up for it. Both sides were meaty. Unfortunately, this is where the sauce fell short again. Even the hot sauce couldn’t stand up to the bold flavor of the beef ribs. But as I mentioned twice already, they really don’t need sauce at all. If you do prefer your ribs with sauce, I would suggest a bolder hickory flavored one. When I arrived home, I added some hickory barbecue sauce to the leftovers and WOW! What a difference! The beefy flavor of the ribs really came alive, supported strongly by the sauce. I even ate the silverskin off dem bones. (By Wednesday, the marinade had really worked its magic, permeating every last molecule of the rib. No need to add any sauce of any kind; I ripped into the last beef rib – sadly, the last of the meal – just as it was.)

By this time I was stuffed. I had warned my server ahead of time and she was ready when I gave up. What does Hogly Wogly’s use to pack up what’s left of your meat? Large plastic bags. Your server will gently remove the bones from your plate, anchor the plastic bag over one end of your plate, then tip then whole thing up. The remaining meat slides neatly into the bag. Small plastic containers of sauce can be requested if desired. With half of the meal now literally in the bag, lunch and possibly dinner tomorrow has been taken care of.

Hogly Wogly’s serves dessert but after only making it halfway through the meal before my stomach said “no mas,” I couldn’t even think about having anything else today. Next time maybe I’ll try the 2-way combo with links. Perhaps there’ll be room left then.

If you are hungry and in the mood for barbecue, Hogly Wogly’s is just what the doctor ordered. (Couldn’t resist that pun). A bit pricey but with the heaping helpings they serve, it is definitely worth it. It is doubtful you’ll leave here hungry. A good, solid meal, every time.

Dr. Hogly Wogly’s Tyler Texas BBQ – 4 forks. Recommended. A San Fernando Valley institution yet still a well-kept secret.

 

Everett and Jones Barbeque

December 4, 2010

Oakland, California – Back in the ‘aughts’, my cousin brought me here for dinner. I was blown away by the food then. Today I was in town for a private party. The hotel I was staying at was, coincidently, a very short walk away. Would I be able to make a return visit?

At the anniversary party I had a full dinner, including two steaks. After all that, you’d think I’d be full and not even thinking about having another meal. But Everett and Jones kept calling to me. Years ago I vowed to myself never to miss an opportunity that I might later regret not taking advantage of. With that vow in mind, I went back to Everett and Jones with my cousin.

You’ll find Everett and Jones about a block or so up from Jack London Square on the corner of Broadway and 2^nd Street. Other locations are Berkeley and Hayward. The Oakland restaurant features two clubs inside: Q’s Lounge and Dotha’s Juke Joint. Q’s Lounge features, according to their site jazz, neo-soul, and contemporary artists. Dotha’s is actually a small stage on the bay side of the eatery that features blues. There are tables so you can eat while you enjoy some good live music.

The inside of the restaurant is actually very spacious and is much larger than you’d expect judging from the exterior of the building. On the corner of the building you’ll find a plaque denoting the area as the birthplace of Oakland. Once you enter from the Broadway entrance, you’ll see seating areas on both sides of you with the blues stage to your far right. The smoker is straight back, surrounded by display counters and a refrigerated counter. There’s a full bar available for those who wish to imbibe.

Everett and Jones uses oak wood in their smoker. That probably has a lot to do with the excellent taste of their meats. Seems the public agrees; Oakland Tribune readers voted Everett and Jones the “Bay Area’s best ribs”.

Since we arrived about an hour before closing, there weren’t a lot of people left so we were seated immediately. Our waitress arrived shortly after. She was very friendly and even volunteered to take our picture. In combo mode, I decided to get the three-way combo with ribs, links, and chicken ($21.40). They also have brisket available. The four-way combo will get you all four of their meats.

You have a choice of three sauces; hot, medium, or mild. Last time, I ordered a meal with the hot sauce. Let me warn you about their hot sauce: They’ll tell you up front that it’s hot. Just how hot? It registered about a 9 on my heat scale; hot enough to get my nose running and eyes watering. Noticing my reaction to the spiciness of the sauce, my cousin remarked, “how can you taste anything if it’s that hot?” Yet through all that, I really could taste the flavor of the meat beneath. Remembering last time and knowing that I’d be going to sleep soon, I asked if they could mix the hot and medium sauces. They weren’t able to mix them but what they did do was put the medium sauce on the meat and give me a bowl of the hot sauce on the side.

Combos come with cornbread muffins or whole wheat bread, plus two sides. I chose cornbread this time. For the sides I went with “Mom’s fresh homemade greens”, and baked beans. Tonight’s beverage was iced tea. Like I always say, if the iced tea (or lemonade) comes in a Mason jar, you know the food is gonna be good.

My cousin and I were having a good conversation as we always do so I didn’t notice fast or slow the turnaround was to get our meal.

Starting with the sides, the greens turned out to be collards with some cabbage added. They were firm, not soggy like some places. It was pretty good but… No secret ingredients that I could discern or lack of essentials. They just didn’t quite stand out. Keep in mind that coming from a family where just about everyone knows how to cook greens and cook them well, I have a high standard when it comes to greens.

On the other hand, the baked beans were outstanding! Because of the sauce they were in, I couldn’t tell what else they put in the beans but it tasted like bits of brisket. I really liked the fact that they were hearty and not runny. Addictive! I could have made a meal off just these beans alone.

On to the beef link sausage. I haven’t had beef sausage but a few times so seeing it on the menu sealed the deal for me. Everett and Jones apparently makes theirs fresh daily right there in their kitchen. It is served sliced on a diagonal. It held together well. Very lean with a nice, beefy flavor. I liked the spices they used. I took half of it home. Good thing because it made a heck of a good sandwich the next day.

As you know from reading this blog, bbq chicken is a take-it-or-leave-it proposition for me. Lately I’ve been on a roll with good bbq chicken. Everett and Jones’ chicken is really good. Even without the sauce, it was good. You could tell the bird had spent some time in a smoker and came out with a mild, smoky flavor. Another plus was that it wasn’t dried out. 

Now for the ribs. Remember I said earlier the Everett and Jones was voted best ribs in the Bay Area? Now I haven’t visited a lot of rib joints in the Bay Area, but after this meal I see no reason to doubt the choice of the Trib’s readers. These ribs were delicious! Very meaty and stood up well to the sauce. Even though the meat is nearly swimming in sauce, the sauce didn’t drown the taste of the ribs. Like the chicken, you can taste that nice, smoky flavor courtesy of the oak wood-fired smoker. Just some doggone good ribs. I took some of them home, too.

Dessert? It’s on the menu but between this dinner and the one I had just a few hours earlier, there was no way I was going to have any room for anything else. But if you have room left, they have sweet potato pie, pecan pie, chocolate, Sock-It-To-Me, and caramel cakes.

You know the feeling you get when you have been looking forward to a great meal and it meets every bit of your expectations? That was this dinner.

Following the meal, take a stroll down to Jack London Square. You may need to walk off some of that delicious food you just ate.

Everett and Jones Barbeque – 5 forks. Very highly recommended. If you like the sauce, you can buy some online for enjoyment at home.

 

E and L Bar-B-Q House

July 18, 2009

Lancaster, CA – Saw the folks from E and L at a local fair a while back. They had their booth up and were serving barbeque. They were also promoting the upcoming opening of their new place. I promised them (and myself) I’d stop by and check them out after they opened. Fast-forward three months to today.

Earlier in the day, I was running some errands near the area. I remembered E and L and decided to try them out. Using the menu I got from them when they exhibited at the fair, I called ahead to place my order. (When I arrived and saw the prices, I changed my order… I got more food!) As I got close to the entrance, I got a whiff or two of meat being smoked over hickory. Always a good sign that real barbeque is gonna be served inside. Customers, start your drooling!

Open barely two months, E and L Bar-B-Q House occupies a space that looks like it used to be a Mexican restaurant. It is a brick building with arches and anchors a strip mall. Inside are a couple of benches with tables. From the counter you can easily see the kitchen and the food being prepared. Not much in the way of decoration, or anything notable on the walls.

Since they’ve only been open two months, I was not surprised that they don’t have a website up yet. What did surprise me was that there was absolutely no listing for them anywhere on the Internet. This review may possibly the their first mention in cyberspace. Operative word: possibly.

E and L is a family affair. Mom and son and other relatives keep the joint humming along. I struck up a conversation with the son while I was waited for my food to be packed up. Had he not been working, I’m sure we could have talked for several hours.

If you have been following Kanale Eats for any length of time, you’ll know that I am big on the combo. I think it’s the best way to see what a restaurant is working with, especially a ‘cue joint. So today I ordered the 3-meat combo. My choices were chicken, tri-tip, and ribs. For sides I got Cole slaw and bbq beans. Thinking ahead to the next day’s lunch, I got a link sandwich, too. Remember I said I changed my order and got more? E and L has something called a ‘Hymn sandwich’. More on that in a minute.

When I got home, I changed my mind and started with the link sandwich. Their link sandwich is a big hot link served on a hot dog bun. The link itself was spicy. Not quite hot enough for me, but you know I like really spicy foods. On the other hand, the hot sauce I ordered was hot enough. I probably shouldn’t have eaten that on an empty stomach but no harm no foul. Besides, it tasted good. I was full after eating it.

It was dinnertime by the time I got to the combo.

Starting with the sides: the Cole Slaw came in a small container to keep it separated from rest of food. E and L puts red cabbage in their version. It was pretty good, but a tad too much liquid. Good thing they put it in a separate container. The bbq beans were very good. Slightly sweet with chunks of onions.

Normally I don’t get excited about barbequed chicken but E and L’s chicken is an exception. It was delicious! It was very tender, relatively easy to pull the meat off bone. It had a nice smoky flavor. I notice as I eat and write this, as the chicken lost heat, the more the smokiness came through. But the smoky flavor did not overpower the taste of the chicken. That is a testament to E and L’s ‘cue skills.

I can’t quite put my finger on the different taste of the tri-tip. Possibly it was the black pepper. Like the chicken, the tri-tip had a light smokiness to it. The meat itself could use a bit more flavor, though. Either more marinade or more time in the pit. The tri-tip was tender like the other meats.

The ribs – or more correctly, rib – was well marinated. Black pepper was noticeably present. Three for three for tenderness in this combo. The meat easily pulled from bone. I savored the flavor.

I asked for mixed mild and hot sauces for the meats in the combo. Their sauce blended in nicely with the meats, not overpowering them. I was pleasantly surprised by this realization. A lot of sauces made at some other places scream for attention, or try to cover up the taste of their inadequate meats. E and L’s sauce is a great team player. It is more versatile that way. It moistened the meat well. The hot can get pretty spicy so unless you’re used to it, go with the milder version.

One suggestion: it would be nice if they included a slice or two of bread or a roll with the combo.

So what is this Hymn sandwich I told you about earlier? I asked the son (I wished I had asked him his name) what it was. He said his mom came up with it. Simply, it is pulled pork and tri-tip in a bun. You can add a link on top if you want. Hymn sisters are a smaller version of the sandwich – kind of like sliders. They aren’t on the menu but you can order them if you know they exist. The son gave me a taste and I decided on the spot to get the sandwich.

When I started in on the whole sandwich, I was extremely glad I got it. It was very good! They pack a ton of meat into this sandwich! I’m sure once they figure out how much meat is really in there, they’ll either have to cut back or raise the price. I hope they don’t do either. Even if they did cut back on the meat by maybe 20%, it would still be worth the price. The pulled pork was very tender. You already know about the tri-tip. I could really taste the contrast in the meats. I wish they put more sauce on the sandwich. Next time I’ll get an extra cup of sauce.

Later, I learned how the Hymn sandwich got its name. Unfortunately, it is impossible to explain it to you in words and do it justice. About the best I can do is say that when you bite into it, you’ll say, “I feel a hymn comin’ on.” If you want more elucidation, you better ask somebody.

Dessert, anyone? E and L serves plenty of different homemade cakes you’d expect to find in a good barbeque joint, in addition to a few other offerings. Selections vary. If you come at the right time you may see mom making one of them in the kitchen. I didn’t have one this time but on my next visit I will most likely indulge.

E and L Bar-B-Q House – 4 forks. Highly recommended. You and your guests will be pleased with E and L’s catering.

Update: E and L closed down a while back. However, they did keep the catering operation going.