Woody’s Bar-B-Que

October 2, 2007

Woody’s Bar-B-Que consistently tops many, many critics’ lists as being among the best barbecue in Los Angeles. Those of us who live here have known that for decades, before the critics found out about it. It takes a mighty good rib joint to beat Woody’s, and admittedly there are a couple around LA. For me, eating at Woody’s is like eating at a relative’s house; you know the food is good and it spoils you because it’s always available. So you take it for granted.

It had been more than a decade since I last ate at Woody’s Bar-B-Que. I went back this time on a sudden whim; I was driving right in front of it when my barbecue jones hit. To satisfy it, I had to hang a hard left and stop in. For years I’d pass by the place and savor the smoky aroma for the next few blocks as I drove east down Slauson. Mmmmm, real pit barbecue! Today was as good as any to re-acquaint myself with that aroma; and the ‘cue that emitted it.

No other customers were there so I walked right up to the window. I ordered the combo, which was beef (tri-tip), links, and ribs. Mixed hot and mild sauce. Beans and potato salad are the menu sides for the combo. The beans were tasty, slightly sweet, and had tiny bits of beef hidden throughout. It was so good that I had inhaled it almost without putting the fork down. They were gone before I realized it and I found myself craving more. The potato salad tasted like the packaged industrial kind; good, but typical of most decent ‘cue joints.

In order of taste preference I say beef, the links, and then ribs. The ribs were good but not award-winning. They were tender enough, and the sauce complemented them well. Oh yeah, I’d order them again, it’s just that they didn’t get my taste buds rockin’. Now the links, on the other hand, did. I sandwiched the link between the requisite slices of white bread that came with the combo. You know it’s good when you sop the basket with the bread to get every last bit of sauce off the container and onto your food. Same with the tri-tip. The tri-tip had that slight pink edge I like to see on my tri-tip. It was tender, smoky, and it, too, was well complimented by the sauce. I had intended to eat the whole meal for lunch but that wasn’t happening; there was just too much food. I saved half for the next day. I certainly got my money’s worth on this meal.

They have 3 locations now; the original on Slauson just west of Crenshaw, one on Market Street in Inglewood, and a third restaurant on Foothill Blvd. in Rancho Cucamonga. I can’t vouch for Woody’s #2 in Inglewood but last year on a rainy night in Southern California I stopped at the Rancho Cucamonga location. It’s in a mall. The meat tasted like it had been cooked by boiling it first, then bathing in sauce. Nowhere did I detect any real pit-smoked flavor. Maybe because they are located in a mall they can’t use a real pit to cook with. I don’t know. But it surprises me that this could even be called Woody’s. For my money, the Rancho Cucamonga store fakes the funk. Wait until you’re in the LA area and go to their other locations.

Woody’s #1 on Slauson – 4.5 out of 5 forks (and lots of napkins).

Update: The Woody’s in Rancho Cucamonga has closed down.