Ribs USA2711 W Olive Ave.
Burbank
818-841-8872
Rated as one of the Top Nine BBQ places by9 On the Town, Ribs USA is in the shadow of many TV studios in the Burbank area. Many actors and actresses have autographed photos on the wall for Ribs USA. I can't see how Ribs USA was rated in the Top 9. They serve babyback and beefs ribs. As you know, I got the full slab o babyback ribs for $20. Good thing I was going to split the slab with a friend because the ribs were not any good.
The ribs from Ribs USA are not smoked. If you been to Tony Roma's, you know the kind of ribs at Ribs USA. The ribs are slow roasted in an oven and they lack flavor and they are not meaty.
The BBQ sauce is a very sweet, tomato based sauce that adds nothing to ribs.
I understand everybody has different taste but I don't understand how Ribs USA is ranked in the Top 9 of BBQ places in LA. I could go to any Tony Roma's and get as good or better ribs.
Update July 19, 2009.
I went back to Ribs USA and they now serve spare ribs, $16.95. I also got a dozen hot wings, $7.99.
The wings were OK, nothing great. The wings were a bit small, didn't have that much meat and there wasn't that much sauce covering the wings. They were crispy but I have had better wings.
Now for the spare ribs. The St. Louis style ribs were oven cooked, didn't have a bark, and since they are spare ribs were tough and had a lot of fat. Yes, they were huge. Yes, they had a lot of meat. But when spare ribs are done right, in the hands of a real pit master, cooked in a real wood smoker, low and slow, the fat is greatly reduced, and the ribs become so tender.
Unlike last time, I eat at Ribs USA. The service was OK. The server was nice but nothing special. You have to get your own drinks and they have free peanuts and you throw the shells on the ground.
I don't need to go back to Ribs USA again.
