Barbeque Restaurants near Venice

“I worked at the Hollywood location in 2010. Its probably the best BBQ I ever tasted and glad I was a part of!“

“I took the risk yesterday and went to pop-up BBQ joint APL. They were working out of a restaurant in Marina Del Rey, so I thought reluctantly to give them a shot. I knew they were expensive and likely not the “traditional” BBQ quality that I grew up with in L.A. I’d seen on social media that APL Barbecue almost always sold out, so I arrived 2 hours early. No one was in sight. I thought I’d gone to the wrong location. I looked around and saw 5 large pallets of fire wood stacked up in the rear of the building. Had to be for the smokers I thought. This must be the right place. I was just super early. About 30 minutes later I noticed 4 pillars of smoke coming up from behind the hedges in the patio area. I failed to look there before and walked over to find 4 large BBQ smokers at work. They were being attended by an African American gentleman. He seemed to know what he was doing. I started feeling a bit better on the potential quality of APL’s BBQ upon seeing this brutha handling the cooking. This was my opportunity to maybe find out the truth about APL’s suitability to my discerning taste buds. I walked over to him and said, “Bruh, lemme holla at you a minute. I’m new to APL and want to get your read on the BBQ. You know that there’s a difference between what some people call good BBQ, and what you or me might consider good Q.” He gave me a wry smile and a knowing nod. I knew he understood what I was cryptically saying. He asked about my regional knowledge of BBQ, from which I explained my preferences for North Carolina, and Texas styles of Q. He said it was more like Texan BBQ, which happens to be my favorite. He said that APL was the “real deal”. I was feeling good and hungry now. They opened the doors at 12:30 pm. A kid started passing out cornbread samples. I happily took one. I’m as critical of the sides as I am with my Q. Cornbread is rarely great and mostly just ok of from most BBQ joints. I took a bite. It was moist and very good with a honey taste but not too sweet. Kind of a cornbread-cake combo. Another very good sign! When I got to the front of the order line, the Bruh offered me a sample of the pork ribs. I took a bite. It was spot on. Had a nice light tug but was very tender and easy to pull off the bone. I couldn’t ID the flavor profile, but liked it a lot. I ended up buying 1 beef rib bone, 1 rack of pork ribs, and some cornbread for a total cost of $150. More than enough for 2 people for a couple of days or so. The beef rib was the best I’d ever had. Tasted more like a very good brisket. The pickle relish was outstanding. I wish I could buy it in a store or better yet get the recipe. Needless to say as a BBQ skeptic and traditionalist, that APL is real and highly recommended even with their high prices. I’m told they will be back in MDR at the same spot next weekend. It’s located Washington Bl. & Abbot Kinney. Go on Sunday when they will also sell smoked cowboy ribeye steaks. I’m told the rack of lamb is also outstanding. Before I walked away with my heavy bag of Q, I saw the the brutha I’d spoken to earlier chopping up some meat. It was loud and crowded in the restaurant. I spoke loudly in a manner I knew would get his attention and said, “Bruh! You were right. Thanks!” He smiled and responded back with the “brutha nod”.“

“Incredible spot. I’d describe it as “mexican smokehouse”. Everything I had was delicious. Smoked wings were perfect, as were tri tip tacos. Not necessarily cheap (although what is, anymore) but very good and very worthwhile.

Will be returning.“

“This BBQ is way better than any BBQ in Wylie“

“Great Bbq! Great service!“

“My first time to dine here. Enjoyed the food n I got just enough for me to eat.Food was really good.“

“Just finished a fabulous dinner at the DTLA location! We got the Block Bowl and a Combo plate with Brisket and Pulled Pork - everything was delicious, the service was really warm and friendly, and the whole vibe was great! We’ve been eyeing this place for awhile and will definitely be back!!“

“Bought the 2 meat combo....brisket and BBQ chicken with a side of mashed potatoes and a side of BBQ beans..and a half rack of baby back ribs side salad and corn bread...food was on point...loved the chicken and ribs over the brisket..mashed potatoes were tasty no gravy available but not necessarily a bad thing...the beans have hint of spiciness that slightly kicks in...dipped a piece of the buttery corn bread into the beans and oh man that hint the spot..paid $63-$67 bucks..it was a lot of food..good deal easily would feed 3 people..food over all was good ...parking in the back...nice clean location...service was super good I initially tipped at the register dropping a few bucks into a plastic container but I left a second tip at the table cause the young man working there was super attentive and genuinely a good person even offered the availability of the restroom and brought out a box as he observed that we had three ribs left over...honesty food was crazy good ...im a big fan of Harris Ranch off the 5 freeway up in the central valley ..but im from los angeles and out at the beach in the el segundo area several times a week...definitely will stop by again“

“A very pleasant lounge bar with a wonderful atmosphere and great cuisine. Everything felt cozy and well thought out. The service was excellent — special thanks to our waiter Nikita for being attentive and friendly. We had a great experience and would definitely recommend this place!😉“

“The food is fire! The service is mediocre, and the atmosphere is trash (literally). There was a city trash can right outside the restaurant door overfilled with garage and reeking of piss. As for inside of the restaurant, it is very small and crammed. You’re almost standing on top of other people as you wait in line to order or wait for your food to be ready.

As for the food… wow!! 10 out of 10. I ordered the Koren fried chicken (sweet & spicy) and a side of steamed rice. I cannot wait to go back and order this again. I killed the entire meal and did not leave anything behind. My wife ordered the Spicy Mayo Chicken bowl and the Fried Chicken Dumplings. The portion size was huge! She could not finish it. The spicy sauce was too spicy and overpowered the flavor of the chicken, rice, and veggies. Rating this bowl a 4 out of 10 on the spicy overkill.

The prices here are AMAZING! We only spent $25 for our food, drove to Manhattan beach, and enjoyed it while watching the sunset. Our food was still hot after the 35 min drive.“