Memphis BBQ Company-Closed

Memphis Bar.B.Q Company
27412 Portola Pkwy
Lake Forest, CA 92610
949-830-2727

Memphis BBQ Company is the ultimate coporate BBQ restaurant. The type that does caters to the idiots and morons who live in the Orange Curtain.

I ordered the half a rack of baby backs 1/2 wet and 1/2 dry with mac and cheese and cole slaw for my two sides for $12.90. Wet ribs are ribs that are smoked and then topped with BBQ sauce. Dry ribs are also smoked but then are topped with dry seasonings. I can't be 100% sure but these ribs seem more like the small ends than baby backs. I need an expert pit master or butcher to help me. I got three wet ribs which I tried first. The BBQ sauce was pretty bland and had nothing going for it. The ribs were tender but were small and skinny and lacked smoked flavor. I put on some of their mild BBQ sauce and it wasn't any help. Then I had some of their hot BBQ sauce and it really added a good kick. Lots of cayenne pepper in that BBQ sauce.

After drinking some water, I tried some of one of the three dry rib. The dry rib was dry, almost burnt. The dry seasonings were nothing more than paprika and some black pepper. With the dry ribs you had to add some BBQ sauce just to get it down.

The mac and cheese was creamy but the macaroni was stiff, they needed to spend more time in boiling water. The cole slaw was average, run of the mill stuff.

Service was pretty damn good. The guy greeted me promptly and was kind enough to answer a lot of my questions. I got my ribs within five minutes. After I finished eating, I looked around for a trash can but there were no trash cans in the dining area. The cashier who took my order saw me and took my tray and say Thank you for coming. Very good customer service.

I only noticed Memphis BBQ because I was going to the Oakley sunglasses factory. I wouldn't go back to Memphis BBQ for the food, even if I went back to the Oakley factory.

Texas Rib & BBQ-Closed

Texas Rib & BBQ
23600 Rockfield Blvd
Lake Forest
949-830-8700

Texas Rib and BBQ is a one of the better BBQ places in South Orange County. But that's like saying somebody is the best snowboard in Arizona. Meaning it's not that big of a deal.

I ordered the rib and one meat combo, tri tip, with double macaroni salad as the sides for $11.84.

Within ten minutes, three very small sized ribs and about 1/4 lb of tri tip were sitting in front of me. The ribs had a nice flavor but not a smoked flavor. The spices they use help bring out the flavor in the meat.

The tri tip was on the dry side and was tough.

Both the tri tip and ribs were on the warm side.

The BBQ sauce is on the sweet side and really adds nothing to meat.

I think TexasRib and BBQ is overpriced for the amount of meat you get. The ribs are good, not great but when you pay almost $12 for the ribs combo, you would think you would get more ribs or at least bigger pieces of rib.

I wouldn't go back even if I was in the area.