Jean P's Soul Food Express-Closed

Jean P's Soul Food Express
2540 Figueroa
LA
213-741-2126

Hided behind a Popeye's is Jean P's Soul Food Express. They advertise 99 cent specials but those are mainly for vegetable items. I ordered a chicken breast and corn and okra for $3.71.

First the corn and okra, which looked good on the steam table. I'm glad I ordered it becuase it was awesome. The corn and okra was in a tomato based sauce. The corn was sweet and cooked perfectly. Almost like having corn on the cob. The okra, which I normally don't like because it's too goey, was good and maybe the tomato based sauce hide the goeyness.

The fried chicken breast left a lot to be desired. First it wasn't hot or even warm, it was sitting in the basket above the fryer instead of a warmer. Then I took a bite and it was as dry as any desert. The skin lacked any crunch and flavor. Bland and flavorless are two perfect words for the chicken.

Service was good. The lady was very nice and took my order quickly. My order was quickly prepared and they were friendly.

I would go back to Jean P's but I wouldn't order the fried chicken. The meatloaf and smothered pork chop looked good. So I may order that the next time I'm there.

Doublz

Doublz
825 Hacienda
La Puente
626-961-9300

Not sure what it is but there are a ton of the burger places within a 2-3 mile area on Hacienda. I tried and enjoyed Burger Depot and now I tried Doublz about a mile south.

Doublz had a 1/4 pound burger for 99 cents, so I ordered two of them. The burgers come with Thousand Island dressing, lettuce, tomatoes and onions on a seasame seed bun. The burgers are on the dry side so I added some ketchup. The thousand island dressing isn't overpowering, which I like. The lettuce and tomatoes were fresh. One big downside of the burger, it wasn't hot, maybe lukewarm. It seemed as though the burgers were placed in a warmer and then prepared. I expect these burger places to be far from a McDonald's or Burger King.

Service is good and in a heavy Spanish speaking area, the guy who took my order spoke perfect English.

I wouldn't go back to Doublz. The burger is a good size and prized right but I would much rather pay a little extra for a better tasting burger. Oh well there are many other burger places in the area to try.

Golden Bird Chicken-Closed

Golden Bird
801 Manchester
Inglewood
310-671-2900

Golden Bird is in the same restaurant as Porky's BBQ in Inglewood, which I reviewed earlier. Golden Bird used to be one of the better fried chicken places in LA. But something happened and there are very few Golden Bird restaurants left.

I never went to a Golden Bird back in their hey day but I wasn't impressed with the Golden Bird of today. I ordered the two piece, breast and wing, chicken and biscuit combo for about $5. The skin was crunchy but it didn't have any type of flavor. Even today's Pioneer Chicken has a better flavor with the same crunch. But the chicken was a good sized piece and was juicy. But it was just too bland and nothing special about it. I'm not sure what's missing, maybe more spices or something.

The chicken includes a side of mac and cheese which was very good. Soft macaroni with lots of burnt pieces of of goey cheese. Some of the best mac and cheese around.

Golden Bird is ok but I still like Louisiana Fried Chicken much better. I wouldn't rush back to Golden Bird and if I'm in the area I would much rather go to any Louisiana Fried Chicken.

Porky's BBQ-Closed

Porky's BBQ
801 Manchester
Inglewood
310-671-2900

I finally got a chance to go to Porky's BBQ. I don't like to go near the Forum anymore because too many memories about the great "Showtime" Lakers. But I went today to try Porky's. I thought the food was OK but hardly overwhelming.

The pork rib lunch is a steal at $7.99 that includes one side along with dirty rice and Texas toast. I had the mac and cheese as my side. The prestentation of the ribs is eye catching. The put the ribs on a pile of sizzling green peppers and onions. The ribs were well smoked and fairly meaty but it was kind of bland and didn't have alot of flavor. They were also a lit on the mushy side, almost too well done. The mac and cheese was pretty good. Lots of cheese and just slightly burnt that adds a nice tough to mac and cheese. The dirty rice was tasty with greens, spices and some meat which I think is pulled pork.

Service was pretty good. One minor issue, I asked to get seperate orders for the chicken and BBQ but he put it all on one order. Not that big of a deal but still something to be careful of. But if the couple in front of you take forever to order, it maybe awhile before you can place your order. I can't believe some people think they can take forever to place an order. I mean I could have placed my order, paid and got through half the meal and they still wouldn't have decided what they wanted.

I would not go back to Porky's. While they had good sized portions and the prices were good the food wasn't anything special.

Phillips Barbecue

Phillips Barbecue
2619 Crenshaw
LA, CA 90016
323-731-4772

As people know I love Phillips Barbecue. I have reviewed their other two locations and wanted to review their newest location on Crenshaw. This location used to be Leo's BBQ and now it's Phillips third location and the location with the easiest freeway access. It's about two blocks south of the 10 freeway.

I ordered the half rack of pork spare ribs with their mixed, regular and hot BBQ sauce for $11.75. They charge an extra 25 cents for sauce on the side. The ribs were well smoked and had a nice spicy rub. They were tender and very meaty, you always get your money's worth at Phillips.

The lines are almost always long and it will take awhile for your order to be ready. The people are nice enough but they are more matter of fact then friendly. That may put off some people but it doesn't bother me.

My girlfriend did one of the nicest things anybody has ever done for me in a very,very long time. She went to Phillips after work and brought me a pork rib dinner. She doesn't eat pork and ordered a chicken dinner. She is tough, after all she's from the Bronx, and the area is usually OK, you never know what may happen. So for her to go there after work for the first time, is awesome. She is the greatest thing to happen to me and I love her more each day.

Phillips has two other locations. A Phillips BBQ. in Inglewood and the original Phillips is in Leimert Park.