Chef Tim's with Spices-Closed

Chef Tim's with Spices
10431 Lemon Ave
Suite H
Rancho Cucamonga
909-466-8211

Anybody remember The New Diner's review of Gerald Willhite's Spices BBQ? About two years later Willhite's Spices was bought out and replaced with Chef Tim's with Spices. So I figured I would Chef Tim's a try. Chef Tim's is more a soul food restaurant than BBQ.



I wanted to get an order of pork spare ribs but they ran out. I later found out that the day's batch of pork spare ribs were overcooked and the owner didn't want serve customers bad ribs. I can understand that. I wasn't happy because, I drove out there just for pork ribs and it was late enough in the day that he could have smoked another batch of ribs.

So I did the next best thing, get an order of rib tips, $8.56, with hush puppies and steak fries. Rib tips come from spare ribs. The "tips" are cut off, usually after being smoked, and the long bones are then called St. Louis ribs.

The rib tips had a very heavy oak smoke flavor. Now, as a general rule, I don't like oak wood to be used for BBQ. Why? Oak can be overpowering and had an earthy flavor to the meat. The rib tips are going to be fatty, that's just the nature of the rips. But I wasn't impressed with the rib tips and I really doubt if I would like the ribs.

The hush puppies were great!!! Nice and crispy on the outside and warm, and flavorful on the inside. The steak fries were great too. Crispy on the outside, nice and soft on the inside!!

Service is very good. The people are friendly and helpful.

I wouldn't go back to Chef Tim's for the BBQ. Is Chef Time's better than Willhite's? Yes, but Willhite's is hardly a standard bearer. Would I go to Chef Tim's for soul food? Maybe. But, for me, unless the BBQ is done right, I just don't like BBQ smoked with oak wood.

The Pit-Closed

The Pit
8661 Baseline Rd
Rancho Cucamonga
909-948-5252

In keeping with my promise to go to more restaurants in the Inland Empire, I went to The Pit BBQ, for my first review of 2009. I got the pork rib lunch, $7.99 with mac and cheese and a soda.

The ribs were big and meaty. But they lacked smoke flavor and were very fatty. I thik the ribs are cooked over wood but not smoked in the true BBQ way. The ribs overall were OK, nothing great. But the mild BBQ sauce tasted as though it was from a bottle. Very sweet and not a favorite.

The mac and cheese was pretty creamy but they put too much pepper in there.

Service was good. For the first time ever, I had BBQ served by Latinos. I guess they bought out the other owners. The Pit has been family owned and operated since 1985!!!

I would not go back to The Pit again. The ribs were too fatty and lack any smoke flavor. But I will say their prices are a good value and the portions are good.

Buffet Dynasty-Closed

Buffet Dynasty
10877 Foothill Blvd,
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
909-945-5748

After shopping at the Ontario Mills Mall one day I drove down Foothill Blvd and found Buffet Dynasty. I figured I would try it and see what they had to offer. I went for lunch, $7.99. I waited longer than it should take to be seated. Not sure why the hold up, there were tons of tables open but I was seated and ready to eat. The one thing I noticed about Buffet Dynasty was that it didn't have much variety. A lot of chicken dishes, one or two beef and pork dishes, and one seafood dish. So the $7.99 maybe a little higher than other Chinese buffets that offer a wider menu.

Picture is the fried rice, teriyaki chicken and black pepper chicken. The fried rice was standard, with peas and carrots. Nothing special but not bad either. Both the teriyaki and black pepper chicken were left on the steam table for way too long. They are hard and crusty. Not a good way to start off. I left most of the first batch on the plate and waited until they put in a new batch. The new batch took awhile, the turnover rate is very slow here, but it wasn't worth the wait. The teriyaki chicken was dry and flavorless. The sauce added a little flavor but nothing much. The black pepper chicken had lots of flavor but the chicken was just too dry and overcooked.

Mongolian BBQ with chicken. The

Sushi, California roll, spicy California roll topped with salmon, and crab salad.

Beef and broccoli.

Seasame chicken and tangerine chicken and shrimp roll with sweet rice.

Cowboy Burgers & BBQ-Closed

Cowboy Burgers & BBQ 10789 Arrow Rte. Rancho Cucamonga 909-980-3232 Cowboy Burgers & BBQ is more of a burger place than a BBQ place. BBQ items are very limited on the menu. Beef and chicken sandwiches, sliced beef, and pork ribs are all the BBQ items. No pulled pork sandwiches or dinners. I order the rib lunch for $9.64 which includes fries, two onion rings and soda. The ribs are baked in an oven and have no smoke flavor at all. While the ribs were fairly meaty they were very dry. The ribs were chewy and just generally bad. I wasn't impressed with the ribs at all. Service is OK. The guy taking my order spoke barely above a whisper. But the ribs came out quickly. I wouldn't go back to Cowboy Burgers & BBQ for the BBQ. The burgers looked pretty good though.

Gerald Willhite's Spices BBQ-Closed

Gerald Willhite's Spices BBQ
10431 Lemon Ave Ste H
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737
909-948-9854

I've been here three times. Once I got the Combo plate that included ribs, brisket, and hot link. The next time I got the chopped pork sandwich. The third and final time for a lunch portion, pork ribs for $7.58.

I do not like this place at all. On the high side in terms of price and the food isn't good. The ribs lunch at Red Hill BQQ about five miles south is much better and is a dollar less. The Ribs lack any kind of smoke flavor. They are also small and thin as hell. And they were tough, almost burnt. Not a good combination at all. The BBQ sauce is awful.

The brisket has too much fat and the chopped pork sandwich was so dry, I almost choked on the meat. The BBQ sauce must have been an afterthought.

I only went back the second time to get Whilhitte's autograph. He played for the Denver Broncos. He also has photos of that horse face, crybaby QB, which of course get on my bad side. I went back the third and last time because a friend wanted to try BBQ places in the area so we went to RedHill and Spices. Also I was able to take pictures of the sorry excuse for ribs.

I would not go back again. To be honest, with how bad the food is, I'm surprised the store is still open.

Redhill BBQ-Closed

Redhill BBQ
8111 Foothill Blvd Ste B
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730-3108
909-920-0558

The first time I ever had the BBQ at Redhill, I thought their BBQ sauce was the worst ever. Redhill was part of a BBQ tasteoff with Woody's and Wilhitte's. We ordered the pork ribs, beef ribs and sliced beef from each location. The ribs were good. Great smoked flavor and full of meat. The sliced beef is brisket and is ok.

After the first time, I decided to try again. This time for some reason the BBQ sauce was much better. The sauce had a lot of flavor and a good kick. So I've been back many times and the sauce is always the same. Not sure what happened the first time. But the meat is always good with a good smoked flavor.

Pictured is the pork rib plate for $6.45 which is a lunch portion.

You can see the BBQ pits and the mesquite wood they use. Many times those pitts are giving off that wonderful BBQ smell as you drive up to Redhill.

This place is my favorite of the three in the general area. Mostly take out but there are a few tables.

Woody’s BBQ-Rancho Cucamonga-Closed

Property of The New Diner


Woody’s BBQ
11897 Foothill Blvd
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730-3910
909-291-8125

This is one of three locations, the other locations being Inglewood and LA.

I have been to the Rancho location four times. Three of those times I got the pork ribs dinner. They give you 4-5 pieces of ribs and they ribs are very meaty. The sauce is good but a little on the spicy side. The ribs are tender but I find they lack a smoke flavor. Pictured is the pork rib dinner with two sides, baked beans and potatoe salad for $11.26. Again good size ribs with lots of meat. But I still can't taste any smoke flavor. The beans are drowned in the bbq. The potatoe salad is served cold. Which I like. But both the baked beans and potatoe salad aren't anything to write home about.

The other time I went to Woody's a buddy and I did a taste test. We tried Woody's, Redhill and Wilhitte's all at once. We got the three meat combo from each place, pork ribs, beef ribs, and sliced beef. The beef at Woody's is very good. First they use tri-tip instead of the more fatty, brisket. They also slow smoke the beef for a long time, so it comes out nice and tender. I rarely order sliced or chopped beef at BBQ restaurants, but I would order Woody's sliced beef.

The Rancho location is on the north side of the minor league baseball stadium. But I wouldn't go to a game there anymore. The last time I went, my car was broken into and the help by the stadium officials and police was sorely lacking.