Wings Shack-Closed

Wings Shack
5301 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles
323-934-9464

Does this address sound familiar? If so, this used to be the location for Hoagies and Wings. But Wings Shack took over and what a treat for the area. These are among the best wings I have ever had. I still think Ye Rustic Inn has the best wings in LA but Wings Shack comes very close.

I got the 5 piece in hot, $3.99. WOW what a treat. They sauce is thicker than other wings sauces I've had. It was spicy, not the hottest but it does have a kick. The drumettes were meaty and crispy. Truely a great sauce and example of what chicken wings should be like. But wings should come with dressing and carrot and celery sticks. Charging for them is a bad business practice.

Service is good. The owner is very nice but it does take awhile for the food to arrive. He cooks everything to order and he was the only person working when I was there.

I would go back to Wings Shack anytime. I want to thank Michelle R for the tip about Wings Shack.

Golden Bird-Closed

Golden Bird
4725 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles
323-525-0488

This Golden Bird is one of the last Golden Bird locations left. I have only been to the Golden Bird that was part of Porky's BBQ in Inglewood, which is now closed. So I wanted to try a stand alone Golden Bird. But I was very mad because my stupid GPS took me all over trying to find this place. I mean how tough can it be to say exit La Brea off the 10 freeway, go north, make a right on Venice and it will be about a 2-3 blocks ahead. But no, instead they make be go to Pico and then all these stupid turns.

Anyways, I got there, ordered the chicken breast, $2.71. The skin was a dark brown color, which means they oil needs to be changed. But the skin was very crunchy and cripsy. I though it maybe a bit oily but no, it wasn't greasy at all. The chicken was a bit dry and I felt it had been sitting under heat lamps for too long.

Service is good. The lady is very nice and helpful.

I think the chicken here can be good if they cleaned the oil more often and of course you go there, just after they cooked up a new batch of chicken. If I was in the area I would go back but I'm not making an extra trip.

Hoagie and Wings-Closed

Hoagie and Wings
5301 Venice Blvd
LA
323-934-1500

I've heard good things about Hoagie and Wings, so I finally made the trip to give it a try. Maybe I had higher expectations but I thought it was very average and certainly not worth the drive to the Mid Wilshire area.

I ordered the steak hoagie ($5.99) with four chicken wings ($2.99). The hoagies are billed as California hoagies, so if you're expecting the Philly style hoagies, go somewhere else. The steak hoagie has lettuce, tomatoes, mayo and cheese. I thought the amount of steak was really lacking. The cheesesteaks at Philly's Best gives you much more for the same price. The steak wasn't that tender either, very tough and chewy. The french roll was slightly toasted and soft and chewy. The other ingredients were nice and fresh.

The chicken wings was OK. I ordered the hot and they were fairly hot but nothing too hot. The wings were pretty good sized minus the midget wing they gave me. The skin was crispy and the inside was pretty good.

Service is decent. They did screw up my wings order. I asked for hot and they gave me honey BBQ. But that was quickly fixed but one of the hot wings was so small, I couldn't believe they served it. I also called on Sunday to see if they were opened and nobody answered the phone. When I went there on Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, I asked about that and they said they were opened on Sunday. Not sure why they didn't answer the phone. Oh well. I won't go back to Hoagies and Wings. I feel the prices are too high and the quality of food isn't the best. They recently opened another location on La Ceinega but I won't go to that location either.

Tasty Q Bar-B-Que-Closed

Tasty Q Bar-B-Que
2959 Crenshaw Blvd,
L.A. CA 90016
(323) 735-8325

Tasty Q is housed in what looks like a former Taco Bell.

I ordered the mini-dinner pork ribs with double cole slaw for $8.39. The four ribs were just OK. The ribs seem like they are grilled over hickory instead of being smoked. Which makes for a pretty tough piece of rib and only a decent smoke flavor. The ribs also had a lot of fat on them. The only thing I really liked about the ribs was the spicy rub they put on. But after the first bite it goes downhill from there.

The BBQ sauce has a spice that really overpowers the sauce. You can't taste anything else. I'm not sure what the spice maybe but it's too strong and overpowering for my tastes.

Tasty Q also serves turkey legs, turkey necks and other soul food options.

The people are friendly and service is good. But the food isn't anything to write home about.

With Phillips and J & J within five miles of Tasty Q, the only reason to go to Tasty Q would be if the other places were closed.

Please note, if you're going to comment about Tasty Q or any other BBQ place I've reviewed, spare me the "You should try the brisket or the pulled pork." Those comments will be deleted. I have already stated I only go to BBQ place for PORK SPARE RIBS. There are many other blogs that review the other meats served at BBQ places. Or create your own blog. My blog will only review the PORK RIBS.

Oki's Dog

Oki's Dog
5056 W. Pico
LA
323-938-4369

Oki's Dog isn't really a hot dog place. It's more of a burger stand with everything from tacos to teriyaki plates to burgers. But the hot dogs are damn good and a great value at $1.80 and $2 for a chili dog.

I ordered a hot dog with comes with regular mustard, onions, and relish. I asked for no relish. The hot dogs are cooked to order and wow it was great. The hot dog had a nice snap and the wonderful mixture of spices and meat made the hot dog one of the better hot dogs I've had. The mustard and onions were fresh.

I next tried a chili dog and the same great snap was present. The chili dog is topped with mustard and onions in addition to the chili. The chili, which has beans, was very mild but came pipping hot. It was almost burned my tongue during the first bite. I liked the mildness of the chili and thought it made for a perfect topping.

I would go back to Oki's for the hot dogs. A great hot dog at a great price. There is also an Oki's Dog on Fairfax but has a different own than this, the Pico location. Having a good hot dog makes up for the bad fried chicken I had from Maurice Snack N Chat.

Maurice Snack N Chat-Closed

Maurice Snack N Chat
5068 W. Pico Blvd.
LA
323-931-3879

Maurice Snack N Chat is a fried chicken place a couple blocks west of Roscoe's on Pico. I found Maurice didn't live up to the hype. Their menu is limited and served al carte with one hush puppy. I order a breast for $6.44. The lady goes into the kitchen, puts a cast iron pan on the stove, poured some oil in the pan, got some fresh chicken, coated it with flour and placed it into the hot oil. Now that's real fried chicken. Of course this takes a long time, about twenty minutes. So either call ahead or leave plenty of time to enjoy the food.

So after twenty minutes the order arrives and I decide to go to Oki's Dogs and eat the chicken there. I was surprised when I opened up the container to see four pieces of chicken breast. It's clear the breast was cut into four pieces. I peeled off the skin and tried to see how crispy it was. It was pretty crispy with a nice combination of spices. Then I tried the actual breast meat and it was as dry as a desert. The flavor was pretty good but when the chicken is dry, it doesn't matter.

Service was great. The lady was friendly and made me feel welcome. But I wouldn't go back to Maurice's again. Prices are high and the food isn't anything to brag about. The broasted chicken I've had, from Chicken Box, and Broaster Kitchen are much better. I was expecting wonderful chicken and I when I saw the way she was preparing the chicken, I thought I would be tasting the best fried chicken in LA. But it didn't happen and I'm still looking for the best fried chicken in LA.