Walker's BBQ-Closed

Walker's BBQ
3219 Carson St
Lakewood
562-420-6050

Once I find out about a BBQ place, I don't waste too much time before trying it. I found out about Walker's BBQ Tuesday and went down to try it, the next day.

I was very impressed. But then again, they are the sister restaurant to Bodacious BBQ, so why wouldn't I be impressed?

I got the rib dinner, $13.06, with mac salad and cole slaw. The ribs were great, just like Bodacious, a nice smoke flavor, they use red oak, tender, St. Louis style ribs. Red oak can be a very heavy smoke and can ruin the taste of ribs, if you don't do it right. Walker's like Bodacious, does it right. The only thing I didn't like is how they were presented. BBQ places should never present ribs with the bottom part, that has the membrane, showing, like the last picture. The ribs should be like the second picture with the bark showing. I turned over the ribs to show how ribs should be served.

The mac salad was nice and creamy and fresh. The cole slaw had raisin in it and wasn't drowned in mayo. The portions were a bit small, but then again I don't really care about the the damn sides at a BBQ place.

Service is good.

I would go back to Walker's BBQ anytime. It is as good as Bodacious and it is a closer drive!!

Wadiya-Closed

Wadiya
949 S Euclid St
Anaheim
714-635-0005

Wadiya maybe the only Sri Lankan restaurant in the LA/OC area. They recently opened in and have gotten good reviews.

They have buffets Friday nights, String Hopper and Hopper Night-Hopper is much like a thicker, less sweet crepe. Saturday nights are Godhamba night and Sunday is mutton, chicken and fish nights.

I forgot my camera when I actually ate there but took pictures with my cell phone, so sorry for the poor quality of the last picture. I did go back to Wadiya later that day to take pictures but by that time, they were not serving a different kind of fish, that is why I had to use the last picture.

I went on Sunday and got the buffet, $10.99. The buffet had three entrees but I only ate two of them, one by mistake. They had chicken curry, which didn't look too appetizing and there were only legs and thighs, I'm a breast man. :)

Anyways, the first picture is the mutton curry. I hate lamb/mutton. I can't stand that gamey taste and texture. This mutton was in a mild curry sauce, which I liked not overpowering and well seasoned. If they put chicken or fish in this curry, it would be awesome.

The last picture is the King Fish Curry or what they told me was king fish. I have never heard of King Fish but what they said was King Fish was much like tuna. That same denseness and texture of tuna. What I didn't like was the curry, it was both sour and way too spicy for me. They must use a lot of tamarind which accounts for the sourness. But this was so spicy, I couldn't enjoy the fish. I did go back for seconds but I only took the fish.

The rice was very undercooked. I couldn't believe it.

Service is below average. The young lady who served us, was very nice but they need to work on their service. When we were seated, she said it would take 30 to 40 minutes to get food, if we ordered off the menu. She was pushing the menu, which is fine but come on, don't give a bad impression by pushing a buffet. Then they were out of many items on the menu.

The buffet wasn't replenished until asked for some more rotti, which is a nan like bread. I asked for water and never got it, so I asked again and again until finally I got a pitcher of water.

I will not go back to Wadiya during their buffet nights. I would like to order off the menu but they need to improve their service.

Que N for Kids

Que N for Kids is BBQ competition and fundraiser. Admission is $10. Food tickets are 5 for $10, each ticket gets you 3oz samples of BBQ, for ribs, you get one rib. You can pick your favorite BBQ by turning in the People's Choice ticket to your favorite BBQ team. I will write the review of each team below their picture.

The money raised from this competition, goes to Kristie's Kids, a non profit organization that provides assistance, support and cherished moments to critically ill children and their families. You really have to be an asshole, not to support this cause.

I bought $20 worth of tickets and a very nice lady gave me an extra ticket because she couldn't eat anymore BBQ!!! This is a great way to try some great BBQ. For other meats like pulled pork and brisket you get a 3oz sample but nobody is really weighing the damn meat and I saw some people get a huge amount of meat. But if you figure 5, 3oz servings at $10, it is a great deal. And you get all meat!!! Ok it is $20 if you include your admission but it is going to a good cause.

I will review each BBQ team's ribs and ribs only. The general feeling is that in California, the judges like sweet ribs. So I kept that in mind when I did my reviews, since I am not a sweet ribs fan. The ribs need to have some spice to it.
Also you'll notice that for REAL BBQ, there is very little if any sauce. Real BBQ ribs, if done correctly do NOT need sauce. Sauce covers up the lack of smoke flavor.




Rib Tickler: Not that impressed with these ribs. The ribs were a bit dry and lack much of a smoke flavor. There wasn't much fat in the ribs but otherwise I wouldn't buy ribs from Rib Tickler.




Here's the Rub: Not that impressed with these ribs either. Their "secret" is using a root beer rub. It was sweet, too sweet for my tastes. A bit dry and lacked much smoke flavor. Not impressed.




Notley Que. A very good rib. Well smoked, not lacking in smoke flavor or overpowered by smoke. Good rub, very tender, no fat, just a great example of a rib.




Slap Yo Daddy BBQ: These ribs were competition ribs. Competition ribs are ribs that are turned into the judges. BBQ teams use better quality spices and rubs for their competition ribs. So I am using a higher standard when reviewing these ribs.

These ribs were great. No fat, very well smoked, a nice rub with a bit of a kick, and just wonderful example of ribs. Not surprisingly these ribs finished #1 among the judges.




All Hogs Go to Heaven: I was a bit surprised at these ribs. They looked pretty good and I was expecting them to be good. But sadly these were very average. A slight hint of smoke flavor, a bit dry and tough, some fat and lacking a bark.




7 Kinds of Smoke: A very, very good rib. Well smoked with hickory and pecan, a nice combination, if you do it right and 7 Kinds of Smoke does it right. They will soon open a BBQ restaurant in Commerce. Look for a review when they open.




Smokin Yankeees: These ribs must have been finished on a grill, because they were hot to the touch. Real BBQ ribs are not hot to the touch. They were dry and a bit flavorless. Not impressed.




BLQUE: Another dry rib. They were tough, not tender and pretty fatty. A slight smoke flavor, I think hickory but otherwise not an impressive rib.




Papa Smokehouse BBQ- They have a huge display and spend a lot of money on their stand. They need to work on their ribs. Very fatty, a bit tough, and lacking smoke flavor. I wasn't impressed at all.




Road Whore's BBQ- Interesting name for a BBQ team. The ribs here had a decent smoke flavor, a bit fatty, and dry. I wasn't too impressed with these ribs.


The above photo is courtesy of Soul Fusion Kitchen!!!!



All Sauced Up BBQ: I forgot to take a picture of his stand. But with the help of Soul Fusion Kitchen there is a picture of All Sauced Up BBQ's Stand.

These ribs were very dry but as you can see from the picture, I got the last few pieces of ribs. But the ribs had a good smoke flavor, I think they used a combination of hickory and apple woods. I would need to try a fresh batch of ribs to make a fair judgement. He should not combine the ribs in the same warming tray as the brisket.

Boathouse

Boathouse
25 W Valley Blvd
Alhambra
626-282-2888

Boathouse is a Cajun boiled seafood restaurant, in a Chinese area. They serve shrimp, lobster, crab, king crab, and crawfish boiled in your choice of seasoning.

I got an order of onion rings, $4.99 and their daily special, 1 1/2 pounds of lobster, in lemon pepper seasoning for $14.99. Regular lobster is $13.00 a pound. So the lobster was a good deal. The lobster was served in a bag with a very spicy lemon pepper seasoning, already cut up and ready for me to eat. The lobster was tender and flavorful. Very good. But the seasoning was very spicy, I asked for medium and if that is medium, I can't imagine what spicy is like. The interesting thing was the lack of another claw!!! Lobsters have two claws and I only got one.

The onion rings were fresh out of the fryer. They had a nice batter and a great crunch!!! A very good order of onion rings!!!

Service was very good and helpful.

Boathouse is an example place for boiled seafood. The big name restaurant is Boiled Crab, a few blocks west on Valley. But the wait is terrible at Boiling Crab. I have not been to Boiling Crab but there is no waiting at Boathouse and I can't imagine Boiling Crab being any better than Boathouse.

I will be back to Boathouse for their King Crab, which was priced at $19.99 a pound. Shrimp is $7.99 a pound and Dungness crab is $13.99 a pound.

R & R Soul Food

R & R Soul Food
18427 Avalon Blvd
Carson
310-715-6716

This used to be M & M Soul Food, but the from what I heard the cooks bought out this location. So M & M had to hire and train the cooks for their new location.

I ordered the smothered chicken with double mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes, $11.99. This is what smothered chicken is suppose to be. A rich, savory gravy on the outside and juice, tender chicken on the inside. This was so fresh, that the skin was still crispy!!! A great example of smothered chicken.

With each entree you get three sides. The sides along could make a meal. The mac and cheese was wonderful!!! Tender macaroni, the right amount of cheese, all blended well together!!! The mashed potatoes were creamy, smooth and damn good and the gravy was the same as the gravy for the chicken.

Service was very good. They were very accomodating for our group of about 17 people. They even asked other people, who were just seated to move.

R & R kicks M & M's ass!!! I will go back, very soon. The gumbo, looked awesome!!!

August 18, 2009




I went back to R & R and had their meatloaf, $12.99, with corn, mac and cheese, and their cornbread dressing.

The meatloaf was huge, just huge. Made with ground beef and topped with a very rich and savory gravy, this meatloaf is just like home. The meatloaf was moist, well cooked and seasoned perfectly. The gravy was a brown gravy with a ton of flavor.

The corn and the mac and cheese were great as usual. The cornbread stuffing is out of the world. So much flavor, the cornbread was topped with the same gravy as on the meatloaf.

This is one of the best places for soul food around. Only a moron would think otherwise.

Bodacious Q-Closed

Bodacious Q
637 E University Dr
Carson
310-515-2227

Bodacious Q has been on my BBQ radar for about five years. But just as I made plans to go to Bodacious, a fire destroyed their restaurant. Of course with the red tape and everything it took about two years to rebuild.

So finally I made it to Bodacious and ordered the lunch special, which is served all day, two ribs, hot link, mac salad, and a small drink, $6.50. A STEAL. The ribs were a bit dry for my taste, a bit overcooked and there wasn't much smoke flavor.

The hot link was great. It wasn't too spicy but had a nice texture and smoke flavor.

The mac salad was creamy but I got the feeling this is from a package.

The owner came to our table and talked about BBQ and he was kind enough to give us a sample of his chopped pork and smoked turkey. WOW. The chopped pork was awesome. Maybe the best I've had. Very tender, well smoked, and just wonderful. The turkey had a very nice smokey flavor to it. He uses oak to smoke his meats.

Service is great. Nice and friendly people.

I would come back to Bodacious for the hot link, chopped pork and brisket. But I would not come back for the ribs.

Happy Harbor

Happy Harbor
1015 Nogales St.
Rowland Heights
626-965-2020

I went to Happy Harbor for a ten course meal. I didn't touch the two desserts.

Bamboo Pitch and Shark Fin Soup with shredded chicken- I'm not a fan of Shark Fin Soup. This shark fin soup had bamboo shoots and shredded chicken. This was OK, kind of bland and lots of corn starch.

Assorted Cold Cut Platter. They had two sliced beef, pork and some jelly, which I didn't touch. One of the sliced beef was more salty and cured. Almost like a roast beef. The other had a more Asian flavor to it. The pork was ok.

The Noodles had sliced mushrooms, scallions, and some soy sauce stirred fried. A good dish, well seasoned and tasty.

Baked Lobster with ginger and scallion. I was looking forward to the lobster when the server set it down. But after a few bites, the lobster was tough. Not good. I took pieces from the tail and the claw and both were tough, as if they overcooked the lobster. This would have been a good dish because the seasonings were great. Very flavorful. Too bad they overcooked the lobster.

Steamed red cod. A nice flavorful fish but I didn't like it because there were just too many bones.

Honey walnut shrimp. Maybe my favorite dish, with tender pieces of shrimp, top with a nice sweet gravy. The shrimp had a crunchy outer coating, but it wasn't deep fried, which just made it more enjoyable.

Asparagus tofu. The asparagus was a bit undercooked for me, I prefer my asparagus to be a little more cooked, not as crunchy as this. But the heavy gravy was a good touch. The tofu was actually like an egg roll, stuffed with carrots, cabbage, and mushrooms, then pan fried. I liked the outside texture of the pan fried tofu and the stuffing. I didn't like that inside texture of the tofu, which was mushy.

Abalone with Chinese brocolli and mushroom. I didn't touch the abalone but the Chinese brocolli and mushroom was great. Well seasoned, cooked perfectly, tender not crunchy and topped with a light gravy that enhanced the flavor, not overpowered it. A very good dish.

Service was very good.

I didn't have to pay for this meal, but it was about $500 for ten people. Happy Harbor is known as a seafood restaurant but I wasn't impressed with the lobster. So I would not come back for the lobster and would think twice about coming back for any seafood, like King Crab, because of the costs, $28 per pound, and because of the bad experience with the lobster.