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.