Outdoor Grill-Closed

Outdoor Grill
18697 Devonshire St.
Northridge, CA 91324
818-363-6500

I've seen the Outdoor Grill's, Culver City location, driving to Tito's Tacos but never stopped in. So I'm in Northridge and decide to try Outdoor Grill. The Northridge location is just west of Reseda Blvd in the Albertson's shopping center.

I order the rib combo ala carte for $10.77. The rib combo included two beef ribs and four baby back ribs. The Outdoor Grill cooks their meat in an oven and then applys BBQ sauce over the ribs. I tried the baby backs first and wasn't impressed. The ribs were small even for baby backs and the ribs were charred all over the place. They were a bit tough to chew and lack any kind of flavor. The spicy BBQ sauce added some flavor to the ribs but the regular BBQ sauce was just glorified ketchup.

The beef ribs wern't any better. They were also charred and tough. Again the spicy BBQ sauce added flavor to the ribs but not enough.

I saw people order the tri tip and it did look very good but I wouldn't go back to the Northridge location nor would I try their Culver City location.

Smitty's Famous Fish and Chicken-Closed

Smitty's Famous Fish and Chicken 9032 Venice Blvd. Culver City, CA 310-815-1053 While going to the Santa Maria BBQ I noticed Smitty's Famous Fish and Chicken. So I decide to go there and try the chicken and fish. I order a chicken breast and a piece of sole fish for $4.52. The sole fish was very good. Nice and crunchy on the outside and flakey and hot on the inside. The tartar sauce added a very nice and tangy twist to the fish. Very nice way to start a new place. But the chicken breast was terrible. They cooked it way too long. It was done dry, I almost choked on it. It also seemed as though they cut off the top portion of the breast to make chicken strips. It didn't look like a regular chicken breast. Wierd and not good at all. I would not order any chicken from them again. The service is OK. After I paid her and got change back, I asked her what was the total again because I thought she gave me back too much change. She all of a sudden got a big attitude, so I said "I'm trying to make sure you didn't give me back too much change. So next time cut the attitude." She didn't say anything after that. The food is cooked to order so you will wait awhile. I would go back for the fish and fish only. I have no desire to eat bone dry fried chicken.

Mr Cecil’s: West LA-Closed

Mr Cecil’s
12244 Pico Blvd
LA, CA
310-441-1550

I wanted to try the original Mr. Cecil's and see if it's better than the Sherman Oaks location.  Interesting that the Mr. Cecil's on Pico is near an adult book store. The Pico location isn't as upscale as the Sherman Oaks location. But the food maybe worse.

I order the 1/3 rack of St. Louis spare ribs to go. The waitress forgot to give me napkins, so I went back and got some. The ribs were small and there wasn't any type of smoke flavor. The ribs were $9.69. The sauce I was given was so sweet and terrible, was is the use?

I will not return to any Mr. Cecil's location again. The ribs are not good and the service at the Pico location can improve.

The Rib Nest

Rib Nest
1766 W El Segundo Blvd
Gardena
310-329-6378

The Rib Nest is just west of the 110 Freeway on El Segundo Blvd. There are a few tables to sit and eat there but it mostly take out orders. I order the half slab of pork ribs with sauce on the side. The ribs are very good. They lack any kind of rub but there is a good smoke flavor and the BBQ sauce is good. It starts out sweet but then the spices hit and makes for a wonderful combination with the ribs. One of the better ribs places I've been to in a long time. And after having skinny St. Louis style ribs the past few times I've had BBQ, it was good to see huge pieces of ribs.

I would go back to Rib Nest if somebody else worked behind the counter. ATTITUDE with all capitol letters!!! She was OK enough taking my order but I only ate two pieces there and wanted to take the rest home. I asked for a wetnap and very rudely she said they don't have any. So I asked her to wet some napkins so I can clean my hands. After a couple minutes to think about she finally went and watered down a couple napkins.

Then I want to put the ribs in a syrafoam container. As the picture shows, the ribs came in a paper basket. I know that won't travel too well. I saw people with the syrafoam containers and asked for her one. She said I can give you a bag. I told her, you gave other people those containers. She saidwe don't put the half racks in those containers and if we did it for me, they would have to do it for everybody. Well duh. She finally relented and gave me the container.

I enjoyed the ribs, one of the better ribs places in LA. But the terrible service and attitude isn't something I want to deal with. If you can put up with the attitude, you will have some of the best BBQ in LA.

Update April 26, 2009



I finally went back to Rib Nest, three years after I first enjoyed their great ribs.

I got the lunch portion ribs with mac and cheese, $8.15. The ribs still had the great smoke flavor, a wonderful bark, and were tender. But this time the ribs had a lot more fat and grizzle!! Not sure why, maybe the Rib Nest is using lower quality ribs? Not sure what the exact reason is, but I didn't enjoy these ribs as I did before, because they just had too much fat.

The mac and cheese was pretty good but I think they could have had more cheese. Tender, well cooked pasta but not much cheese. The small amount of cheese was nicely melted and tasted good, they just need to add more cheese.

Service was much better. A young man was very nice and friendly. There wasn't a fork for the mac and cheese and the guy was nice about giving me a fork. No attitude. He even said sorry for not putting a fork in the bag. Service was much improved.

I still would go back to Rib Nest, they smoke their ribs right. But I wasn't impressed with the amount of fat on the ribs, during this trip.

John’s Philly Grille-Closed

John’s Philly Grille
1784 Euclid Ave
Anaheim, CA 92802
714-491-2733

John's Philly Grill is better than Philly's Best for cheesesteaks. The cheesesteaks are more expensive, the cheesesteak pictured is $7.53 , but bigger and with more meat than Philly's Best. The meat is cut thicker and there is much more of it. John's doesn't add as much cheese but I think overall, John's is better than Philly's Best.

Now this Anaheim location the owner is rude and gives the impression you're bothering him when you're ordering. Or at least he was the day I was there.

There are three other John's Philly Grill in Orange County. Two in the Huntington Beach area. Anaheim is closer to me but I would go to the other locations to see if there is any difference in quality. I'm sure service would be better, it can't really get much worse.

Dinah Fried Chicken

Dinah Fried Chicken
4106 San Fernando
Glendale
818-244-4188

Update January 8, 2006.

Well I went back to Dinah's and I was a little disappointed. I ordered the three piece (breast and two wings) dinner for $6.98 with mac and cheese and well done fries. The chicken was very salty and the portions were small. Also the chicken was either sitting under a heat lamp for a long time or the oil they used to fry the chicken was dirty because the skin was much darker than I remember. I liked the mac and cheese which was nice and creamy. The fries were well done but weren't all that hot or even warm.

The cashier was rude when I went to pay. No, How was the meal or anything pleasant. Her attitude was just give me the money and get out. I won't go back to Dinah's any time soon. Pollo Campero is the better option in Glendale.

June 2005 Review.

Even though I lived in Glendale for a few years, I never went to Dinahs' Friend Chicken. But last week, I finally had my first taste of Dinah's. And let me tell you, I will go back to Dinah's very soon.

I ordered the 3 piece Box O Chicken, all white meat for $5.27. Two sides were mac and cheese and mashed potatoes and gravy. I got two good sided breast pieces and a wing. The breast pieces were very moist and tender. The skin, which I usually don't eat, had a nice crunch with a nice bit of spice in there.

The mac and cheese was very creamy and the macaroni had the perfect firmness. I hate soggy, overcooked macaroni. The mashed potatoes and gravy were just OK. The gravy was very bland. The potatoes seemed made out of a box.But the chicken is one of the best chicken I've had.I ordered the chicken to go but had to get a piece while driving. The chicken, mac and cheese, and the potatoes, held up very well after a 45 minute drive.

Ribs on the Run-Closed

Ribs on the Run
24881 Alicia Parkway #C
Laguna Hills
949-380-7427

Ribs On the Run is just south of the 5 freeway in Laguna Hills. They like to brag that the Yankees, Angels and other major league baseball teams order ribs from them. Well I think the teams could find another place to order ribs from.

I order the 1/3 rack of St. Louis ribs with double mac and cheese for $9.69. Once I saw the guy place the ribs on a grill and start "finishing" them I didn't hold up much hope that this was going to be a good place. I was right. The ribs lacked any kind of smoke flavor. No question the ribs were cooked in an oven and finished on the grill. I don't know what it is but the past few times I've had St. Louis ribs they have been on the small side. The BBQ sauce was just a spicy ketchup mixture that didn't add anything to the ribs. The mac and cheese was mostly hot mac and about 1/4 teaspoon of cheese. The idea of mac and cheese is equal parts mac and cheese. Not 98% mac and 2% cheese.

I noticed they had Nathans hot dogs there so I decide to order a Chicago style hot dog. Big mistake. The hot dog didn't come with mustard, an important part of a Chicago dog. The hot dog itself didn't taste like any Nathan's hot dog I've ever had. The onions were fresh but they were cut in bigger portions than normal. The relish seemed like any relish on the supermarket shelf.

I will not return to Ribs on the Run.

Art's Chili Dogs- Closed

Art’s Chili Dogs
1410 W. Florence Ave.
LA
323-750-1313

Closed in 2020!

Somebody on the Chowhounds LA Message board mentioned Art's Chili Dogs. So I decided to try it for myself. Wow what a surprise. A very good hot dog at a low price.

The second picture is the Art's Chili Dog with mustard, onions, and chili which is $1.80. The hot dog itself isn't anything to write home about. The standard hot dog with no natural casing thus no snap. But the chili is wonderful. It has a bold flavor but not spicy.

The last picture is the Jumbo turkey chili cheese dog for $2.89. I thought the jumbo dog was all beef, but it was turkey. I'm not a big fan of turkey dogs. But this turkey dog was ok. A nice mixture of spices. The chili was great and the real cheddar cheese on top made this an outstanding hot dog. I will go back to try the all beef jumbo dog.

Art's has a nice selection of sodas by Boylan for $1.25.

Art's is located on the southwest corner of Florence and Normandie. Yes that's the corner where the riots started in 1992 after the police officers were found not guilty, even though they beat the hell out of Rodney King. No, there weren't any problems when I ate there. The owner is a very nice person. He treats everybody with respect. The people eating at Art's are just hungry people who know a good place when they see one. There is nothing to worry about eating at Art's.

If you're heading east on Florence, just past Art's is a very small road, if you drive a SUV, your car may not fit, which leads to about four parking spaces. There is a gas station next to Art's where you maybe able to park and get your order to go.

I had a very nice experience at Art's and I would gladly go back. Only one problem, they have limited hours. They close at 5:30pm and are closed on Sundays.

Johnny Reb's-Closed

Johnny Reb's
2940 E. Chapman Ave.
Orange
714633-3369

Johnny Reb's was listed as one of the Top 9 BBQ places in the LA area by 9 On The Town.

http://www.9onthetown.com/Segments/1199top9bbq.htm

So I decide to try what it's all about. First thing I find out Reb is short for Rebels. Not politically correct but the servers are far from being a Southern racist idiot.

I ordered the half rack of the St. Louis Style ribs for $12.29, with Texas caviar and well done fries as my two sides. I only ordered the Texas caviar as a way to say Thank you to the T-sips for beating the FRAUD usc team the other night. Texas caviar is black eyed peas in a vinaigrette, served chilled. I like black eyed peas but Texas Caviar isn't for me.

The well done fries were ok. A little better than normal but when I first tasted them, they weren't that hot. So either it was sitting around for awhile in the kitchen or the server took a while to delivery our order.

The ribs lacked a rub or at least I couldn't taste any rub. The ribs weren't that meaty and they had a little too much fat for my tastes. Backwoods had more meat on the ribs. A good smoke flavor though not overpowering. The BBQ sauce was very good, maybe the best BBQ sauce I've had in a long time. Just the perfect blend of sweetness and spice. The sauce doesn't overpower the ribs.

I liked Johnny Reb's and enjoyed eating there. Johnny Rebs is about two blocks east of The Rib Trader. I would like to go back to try their chicken fried steak and their Southern breakfast.

The Rib Trader-Closed

The Rib Trader
2710 E. Chapman Ave.
Orange, CA
714-744-9288

The Rib Trader is just off Chapman Ave, east of the 55 freeway. A very nice, friendly place. I ordered a rack of St. Louis Style ribs to go. The guy taking the order was great. Very nice and welcoming. The Rib Trader has a Merlin's Magic Dinner Theater. The server answered all my questions and even gave me discount tickets to the show. I'm not sure if the server was the owner or not. But he knows the meaning of customer service.

Now for the ribs. The ribs were $16.11 for a full rack. The ribs lacked any rub. They were tender but not all that meaty. They lacked any smoked flavor. The grill marks show the ribs were finished off on the grill after baking in the oven. The sauce was very sweet.

I wouldn't go back to The Rib Trader for the ribs. I would go back to try their steak and prime rib. I would also go back to see the Magic Dinner Theater.

Philly's Best- Walnut-Closed

Philly's Best
368 N Lemon Ave
Unit B
Walnut, CA
909-598-3650

Philly's Best is rapidly expanding and one of their newest locations is in Walnut. The place is kinda of hard to find but it's in the Von's shopping center on the corner of Lemon and La Puente Rd.

As with all Philly's Best location the restaurant is very clean. I ordered the cheesesteak with prolone and easy onions for $5.83. There is no quality difference between the Walnut location and any other Philly's Best locations I've been to. But the amount of meat and cheese seem to have gotten smaller. The San Dimas location you couldn't see any part of the bread since it was covered with meat and cheese. I don't carry around a scale but I would be this cheesesteak weighed less than the San Dimas location. Dispite the small size, the cheesesteak was very good. Nice blending of cheese and meat. All their products are shipped from Philly.

I went back and ordered an American Hoagie, which is ham, salami, bologna and cheese. Top picture. All the ingredients were very fresh. The hoagies come with oil and oregano but I think they overpower the sandwich, so I have them put mayo instead. I like the hoagie but again is on the high side. A good once in awhile place to go.

I asked the cashier, if this owner also owned the San Dimas location. He said no. Then while eating I noticed his t shirt that listed the Walnut and the Buena Park locations. So I assume the same person owns both places. The cashier might want to mention that or the owner might want to inform his employees about that. But the service was good and fast.

As I mentioned in the San Dimas review, the food is good but on the expensive side. I wouldn't make this an everyday place to pick up lunch but they have good quality food and service. Can't ask for much more.

Backwoods BBQ-Closed

Backwoods BBQ
4300 Green River Rd Ste 102
Corona, CA 92880-1506
(951) 371-7227

I found Backwoods BBQ while doing a search for BBQ places in the Inland Empire. So after about a year, I decide to finally try Backwoods. It's pretty easy to get to, right off the 91 freeway at Greenriver.

I go at about 4pm and nobody was in the restaurant. But the restaurant is huge and has a few pool tables and a couple TV's to watch games. I order the one meat dinner with tri-tip chili and macaroni salad as my two sides. for $9.69. I wait about ten minutes for the food to arrive. The cashier seemed like the only worker actually in the restaurant. Two other workers are outside on a smoking break. One of the worker comes back and I gets my order ready.

The meal finally arrives and it looks good. Four decent sized spare ribs and nice cups of chili and mac salad. I taste the tri tip chili first. Big mistake. It is very spicy and spicy food isn't for me. There were small bits of tri tip in there but mostly it was filled with beans. I would have liked to seen more balance between the tri tip and beans. To calm down the spice, I try the mac salad. Nothing special about it, I bet it's one of those premade mac salads you buy at Costco.

Finally I go onto the ribs. Not that impressed. First of all it seems as though the ribs were reheated in the microwave and not on a grill. The ribs were very tough and they left that membrane on. Hey if you're going to have a BBQ place, please take off the membrane. There was no smoke flavor, even though they say it's mesquite smoked. The BBQ sauce is ok but nothing special.

I wasn't impressed with Backwoods and I wouldn't go back.

Morons

The only downside of a blog is some morons who have nothing better to do than write crank emails. So to honor them here are their emails minus some of the four letter words they used.

From a MORON named Pete Champion

petechamp@hotmail.com

I read some of your "reviews." Man, you are an idiot....Moron.

Moron Number Two.

Frank Rizzo

babab00ee@yahoo.com

hey fat ***

i read your restaurant reviews. if you're looking for a big, meaty, good tasting hot dog to put in your mouth, just ask your buddy to unzip his pants. that way you don't have to worry about not having "the right kind of mustard"...do everyone a favor- go back to baltimore. you pickle sucker. and before you leave, take all of your reviews and stick 'em up your ***!

Senor Baja-El Taco Nazo-Closed

Senor Baja
635 E. Bonita Ave.
San Dimas
909-599-3712

The sign outside says El Taco Nazo but Senor Baja has taken over. Senor Baja is at the corner of a strip mall. All of the stores in the strip mall have been closed for a long time. But Senor Baja was doing a steady business the day I went.

As you maybe able to tell, every Wednesday is 99 cent fish tacos!!! I am very impressed with their fish tacos.

The fish is lightly breaded and very moist and flakey inside. The toppings are all fresh. You feel as though they caught the fish right that morning and served it up in the afternoon.

Senor Baja has 18 other locations. I was very impressed with their San Dimas location. A very clean dining room and very quick friendly service.

Colima Burger-Closed

Colima Burger
19811 Colima Rd.
Suite 520
Walnut, CA 91789
909-595-7355

Colima Burger is your average "greasy spoon" restaurant. As always I ordered the burger combo with well done fries for $4.75 which is about average for burger places.

I usually order no onions but I just forgot tonight. The burger is loaded with onions and I might have scraped off 8 ounces of onions!!! The patty is pretty thin and flavorless. The thousand island dressing was ok and the tomato was cut very thick.

The fries weren't close to being well done. They tasted as though they were sitting under heat lamps for awhile.
Overall not impressed by Colima Burger. Burger Depot which is about seven miles away serves a much better burger at a great price after 2pm, 99 cents!!! Some of their other items like the chicken sandwich and chicken fried steak sandwich are pretty good.

The figure you see is a Frank Thomas Starting Lineup. As of 9pm PST,Wednesday December 7, 2005 , Frank Thomas will not be a member of the Chicago White Sox after 16 great seasons. Many times he was the only player worth watching on the White Sox. I can understand why the White Sox let him go, it will be weird seeing The Big Hurt in another uniform. I could bring myself to eating a Chicago style hot dog or pizza.

Tito's Taco

Tito's Tacos
11222 Washington Place
Culver City, CA
310-391-5780

Tito's has been serving good tacos for as long as I can remember. The food at tacos are comfort food. It's not real Mexican food but it's damn good. I ordered two tacos with cheese and a large strawberry soda for $4.85. Cheese is 40 cents extra on tacos.

The tacos are shredded beef and deep fried. I love the crunch of the taco shell. The beef topped with lettuce and cheese, which are always fresh.

Tito's is the place for good food at cheap prices. Keep in mind that lines can be very long. Waiting 20 minutes for food is normal.

Pollo Campero-Long Beach-Closed

Pollo Campero
281 Willow St.
Long Beach
562-981-8938

WOW what can I say. I've heard stories about this place. The SEVEN hour wait when they first opened in LA. The good tasting chicken. So I decided to try it myself. I went to the LB location and they had a $1.99 Try It Menu. I ordered the breast and fries. Well what a great deal. The chicken is one of the best around. The skin is crunchy enough but too salty for my taste. But the chicken is sooo moist and tender. As you know breast pieces can be very dry. But as I sliced open the chicken juices were everywhere. The best fast food style fried chicken in LA.

I would go back again and again. There are currently 10 locations in the LA area.

Pink's

Pink's
709 La Brea
LA
323-931-4223

Pink's is known for it's hot dogs and the stars who come to Pink's. I think Pink's is very overrated.

I got there and the line was down the sidewalk and around the corner. I decided what the hell and waited in line. The wait took about 40 minutes on a Saturday night. I got the 10 in stretch chili dog and the Chicago Polish.

The 10 in stretch had chili, mustard, and onions. The hot dog was pretty good. Decent snap but the chili isn't anything to write home about. I would much prefer heating up some canned chili and putting it on top. The stretch chili dog is $3.10. I think Cupid's is a much better deal.

The Chicago Polish had mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes and lettuce for $3.55. The polish was mild but WAY overcooked. It was very tough eating the polish. The toppings were fresh but the Chicago polish is something I would stay away from.

If you never been to Pink's, you must go just to experience the place. But the hot dogs themselves aren't anything special. If you are at Pink's catch the northbound Metro bus on La Brea to the Hollywood and Vine station. Take the red line to Hollywood and Highland. Then walk to Skooby's. A much better hot dog without the long line.