Stopped by Topanga Mall to shop and grab some food from the food court, ended up at Slab BBQ. Mall itself is really nice. Big, clean, a lot of higher-end stores, and a solid variety in the food court. I ordered the chicken sandwich and it was alright. I was expecting more of a pulled chicken sandwich like their pulled beef, but it was just a few pieces of chicken with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Pretty plain, especially for about $13. Probably wouldn't get that again. The guy behind the counter was cool though. He saw the look on my face when I opened the box and gave me a sample of the brisket so I could see what it really hits like. I also tried their spicy BBQ and mustard sauces, both were actually really good. If I go back, I'm skipping the chicken and going straight for the brisket with those sauces. Matter of fact, next time I'm at Topanga, that's exactly what I'm doing. read more

I got a smoked turkey bacon avocado sandwhich and it was such a disappointment I was actually hyped to get it but it tasted exactly like a jack in the box sandwhich for 14$ no sides that's crazy. Food wasn't necessarily terrible but wasn't good or anything memorable. I'm not the one to hate on a business if I don't like it but this was genuinely just laziness and no effort and looking at the reviews most people think the same . read more

The Topanga Social provides such an elevated food court experience inside the Topanga mall. Love the vibes! We were having to choose between two restaurants next to one another & we decided to go with SLAB. We ordered the OHHH brisket sandwich and the half chicken with the bbq baked beans and Mac and Cheese. The sauce is a 10/10. The OHHH sandwich was super good and it would have been even better if the brisket was HOT with heat. The brisket was tender and flavorful - the bun was soft. Loved every part of this sandwich. The half chicken was also ordered - the sauce once again was a major star but the chicken needed to be seasoned a bit more. Now for the sides - the Mac and cheese I give a 2/5. It was def what I consider "fast food" - I wouldn't order it again. The bbq baked beans were a 1/5. Totally not worth the gassiness. They needed more sauce, brown sugar and bbq to even be considered bbt baked beans but great try! I'd come back for their other menu offerings! Ordering was easy and the timeliness of the food was perfect for being in such a large place. read more

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Read and believe the negative reviews. I should have believed it. Everything was very salty. I had to return both coleslaw and meat. Note that when placing your order you need to pay for the sauce. Otherwise you will receive dry meat. Try at your own risk. This place pales in comparison to all the other restaurants at this food court. read more

I love BBQ, so I was excited to give Slab a try while visiting the Topanga Social inside the Topanga Mall. Here's what we ordered: * BBQ Tri-Tip Sandwich: The flavor was amazing! The meat was perfectly tender, and the BBQ sauce was delicious. Unfortunately, I found a chunk of plastic about 3" long in my sandwich, which was very disappointing. * BBQ Chicken Sandwich: My wife thought it tasted good, but she found pieces of bone and cartilage in the sandwich, which was a turn-off for her. * Macaroni and Cheese: Absolutely delicious! A definite highlight of the meal. The customer service was okay--nothing exceptional, but they got the job done. The Topanga Social decor is really nice and makes for a great dining atmosphere. It's bright, modern, and the wide variety of restaurants makes it a fun place to explore. While the food at Slab had great potential, the quality control issues really impacted our experience. I hope they can improve because the flavors were there. read more

Slab - Tri Tip Sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Canoga Park, California

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Stopped by Slab at Topanga Social and wow... so good! I had the pulled pork sandwich and it was packed with flavor. The meat was tender, smoky, and delicious, and the buns were perfectly soft. I also ordered the seasoned fries and they came out crispy and satisfying. I don't understand the negative reviews because for a quick lunch stop, I enjoyed it. What I love about this spot is not only the food, but the convenience. It's inside Topanga Mall at Topanga Social, so it's the perfect place to grab a bite in between errands or shopping. The ambiance is here is always fun for me. The service was super friendly, and parking is easy since you can just use the mall parking. If you're at the mall and craving something hearty and flavorful, Slab is definitely worth the stop! read more

Slab - My pulled pork sandwich and fries - Barbeque Near Me - Canoga Park, California

Service was pretty good. Ambiance the Topanga Social is a pretty cool place. Food so-so. I had to return the Mac and cheese. Very runny and not good. The coleslaw was very salty. I returned both. The chicken sandwich and fries was good. These ribs were drained in sugar sauce. It did not taste like BBQ sauce. So they were returned as well. Not a place I would return to. read more

Slab - Baby back ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Canoga Park, California

I was overwhelmed by choices during my most recent visit to Topanga Social and was thrilled to see that Slab was finally open after spotting the "Coming Soon" sign on many previous trips. My sister-in-law and I shared a full slab of their baby back ribs, and it was so much food that we even had leftovers. We also ordered a medium-sized macaroni and cheese. The mac and cheese was just okay. I've definitely had better, but those ribs were to die for. You order at a kiosk, so it's hard to comment on the service, but our food came out pretty quickly. I want to try the brisket next time, along with the coleslaw and a different side. read more

Slab - Barbeque Near Me - Canoga Park, California

Topanga Social Edition: Slab My goal is to try All 27 of the original Topanga Social Eateries and share my experience with you! ---------------------- Slab (experienced on July 30th 2024) The long awaited Topanga Social opened back in May of 2023 with its original 27 LA based eateries showcasing the 'best of their menus.' Well, it was supposed to be 27, but one of the eateries had a sign on their counter saying... "Coming Soon". Ok, no sweat... I can wait! A month later.... "Coming Soon" 6 months later...."Coming Soon" 9 months later... My wife literally was about to deliver our 3rd daughter and guess what? The sign still said... "Coming Soon" After my paternity leave ended, I stopped by the Topanga Social one day and there it was.... OPEN. FOR. BUSINESS!!!! Over a year later, the place that I had been dying to try no longer had a "Coming Soon" sign... The place?? SLAB So, there I was, standing in front of Slab thinking to myself, what the hell am I going to order now that this place is FINALLY open! So after looking at the prices, debating if I should pull some money out of my 401k to get lunch or just charge it and get the most affordable thing on the menu, I went with option B! I mean C'mon.... $39 bucks for Full Brisket? $38 bucks for a full rack of Baby Back's?? At a glorified food court inside of a mall... Yeah, a MALL!! This nonsense has got to end. But I vowed to review all of the eateries in Topanga Social and I've waited over a year for this Texas BBQ joint to finally open, so there's no turning back now. So I went with their Pulled Pork Sandwich (which was only $13 bucks) and their seasoned fries (which was $10 bucks). This I can swallow a little bit easier knowing that I don't have to sell stock just to grab a little lunch ;) So after placing my order, I patiently waited for my BBQ to come out. And then, after about 10 minutes or less... It. Was. Time. I was excited. I was nervous. I. Was. Hungry. First off, Everything looked... And Smelled.... Delicious!!! The Verdict! It was... Just.... O.K. The pulled pork was good, the bbq sauce it came with was good and the seasoned fries were... Just Good. As Dwight Schrute once told Michael Scott on an episode of the office regarding Michael's coffee breath... "Good, Not Great!" And the place that I waited, and waited and waited for was just that.... Slab is good, NOT GREAT! The pulled pork sandwich looked promising, but something was just missing... and it wasn't the onion, because it had plenty of those (and this is coming from someone who LOVES onion). And for the seasoned fries... They just didn't wow me. So was it worth the wait?? The jury is still out and I'm gonna need your help to decide! Bottom line... I'll give Slab another go. I'll even pony up the dough and get the Full Brisket or rack of Baby Backs... And if they magically change my mind, I'll update this review and give them a better rating, but for now, I've gotta just go with my gut (literally). So.... Read this, take it with a grain of salt, and then add that grain of salt to your seasoned fries (just sayin') and then get back to me. Tell me that I'm right, or tell me I'm full of it... Just do me a favor and try this place & see what you come up with. For now... I'm the spirit of Barbecue.... I'm going to share the most amazing, delicious, & mouth watering recipe for BBQ baked beans that I learned from a former colleague who was born and raised in Chicago.... You are gonna Love it!! Best BBQ Baked Beans recipe: "Coming Soon" ;) read more

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Slab is part of the Topanga Social. You use an ordering kiosk and pick up when ready. I ordered the Pulled Pork sandwich. Lot of pepper in the seasoning which I don't mind. The sandwich overall has good flavor and I like the bun they use. Unfortunately the pork was a little dry. We also ordered the bbg chicken sandwich. Now that was good all the way around. Nice little spicy kick to it and the chicken was tender. Definitely recommend. I would give this spot another try as I feel I didn't get the pulled pork the way its supposed to be. read more

Tasty briskets and delicious mac & cheese. I typically don't eat pickles although it taste very well with the brisket meat. Excellent, purposeful service by Sylvester. He deserves a pay raise. Cool ambiance. Thank you so much. God bless! ;) read more

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Definitely crap. Chicken with BBQ sauce. Gross. I told the guy that they gave me pork, they could have been nice but the whole crew came out defining their shitty little chicken. Next time, try to make customer happy. This was crap and I couldn't even eat it, I wish they would have been cool and offer other options. Good luck read more

Came in last night with some friends and we loved the topanga social! I picked slab because the brisket sounded amazing. The brisket was so tender I was cutting it with a spoon! Great bark and flavor very moist! They gave me a bunhh ch of sauces and picked onion and pickles which really complimented the beef! read more

Trina was willing to assist and answer all my questions. First time here. Melvin prepared a masterpiece of a sandwich. This place is located on the bottom level food court at the Topanga Mall. Give this place a try you won't be disappointed. read more

Slab - Ohhh and chicken sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Canoga Park, California

Seemed like forever for Slab to opened, thank goodness it's finally here. It's located in Topanga Social situated between Amboy and Tail of the Pop. Menu offers an array of Texas style BBQ meats - brisket, chicken, baby back ribs and pulled pork. Unfortunately, they don't have any plates or combo option and you pretty much have to pick/choose on your own. We got brisket sandwich (OOOH) and fries, which were both yummerz. Brisket was cut into cubes, tender and very well seasoned. I do agree on saltiness of brisket from other reviews. On my second visit, it tasted slightly toned down and more enjoyable. Mild bbq sauce provides a nice compliment. The season fries are so addictingly tasty and crisp. Best fries I've had at bbq place. Only complaint is bbq sauce isn't free and charge .50 for it. read more

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The sandwich was amazing, plenty of meat pickles and flavor The service was quick and easy, only took about 10 minutes. It was convenient for our time there, good vibe in the food court! read more

Slab - Barbeque Near Me - Canoga Park, California

I'm not really sure why the reviews are so low here. I will not argue that the prices are high (even for the overpriced Topanga Social this is situated in), and the menu is quite limited compared to their dedicated location (but once again, this is a mall food court. Of course it would be), but I loved every bite of my meal here. And I got enough food that I was able to get 2 meals & a snack outta it! I have no complaint about every penny spent. I am s SoCal native so I will not be able to comment on it 'not being authentic BBQ' like some people have been doing here, but I will say it's some of the best BBQ I've had in the valley. I'm constantly looking for that & I was surprised to find it here, even with the mystique of Slab coming along with it. Honestly, Slab will be a 'treat' meal when eating at Topanga, but one I will definitely have many many times in the future. read more

I should have listened to the bad review and stayed away from this place. The food bland and dry. I got the bbq chicken sandwich and I spit out the first bite because it had a weird after taste. read more

Nope Nope Nope the food has to be fire at this price point. For $30 bucks. Hell I'll add $5 and drive to a real hole in the wall that actually smokes the meat. I can get two whole dinners 5-6 big ribs and sides with bread. They grill their barbeque at slab and the portions are dumb small. Here's a tip you either make authentic really fire que and you may be able to get away with charging high prices. (The must have factor) Or you can sell overpriced grilled meat and live off the few customers who are too lazy to go get real BBque. Lets see if Slab is still here next year at these prices and lackluster quality of food. I dunno....Me....I just know better, When you know better you can do better. read more

This was my first visit to this Slab location here at the Topanga social that's located in the Westfield Topanga. I've been to the other location in Pasadena and I really wanted to try the food and this location. I ordered through the kiosk and got the brisket and also got spicy bbq sauce. I also got a side of beans. I got my food for dine in and my food was ready fairly quickly which was great because I was hungry. I picked up my food from the restaurant and I found a great place to sit in the main dining area. The food was pretty good. I definitely want to try some of the other items next time I am here. Can't wait to come back and try some of the other items here. read more

We placed 2 orders to eat there. We got both orders on 1 small tray. I have a special need son and their sandwiches get messy. So I asked to have my orders on separate trays. The guy that worked there (see photo) brought me a small to-go container. I told him I asked for a tray not a to-go container, he proceeded to tell me that he wants to save the trays for his OTHER ORDERS!!! What?!? I could not believe my ears. I told him that I placed TWO orders and need separate trays for each order and he reluctantly gave me another one with attitude muttering things under his breath! Is there a shortage of trays?! What if the orders were placed by two different people? Would he still have to save trays? It's so petty for a business! Food tasted good but I will skip this place next time. read more

Slab - Needs to be trained to treat customers with respect. - Barbeque Near Me - Canoga Park, California

Not sure what's going on here. Went to the Slab kiosk at 5:30 and the lights were on, but no one was home. Tapped the order board and the Slab icon would not appear for ordering. Tried it several times. Not sure if they've closed up. read more

I always have trouble deciding what to eat at topanga social . Today I felt like a sandwich and decided on the smoked chicken sandwich . It's heathy and tasty with bacon and avocado . Ordered on the website and service was fast and ambiance is always great here . read more

Slab - The food stand inside topanga social - Barbeque Near Me - Canoga Park, California

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slab is exactly what you're asking for! texas bbq! i recommend getting the sandwiches - filled with good bbq sauce, super soft brisket and i asked for extra pickles on the side! really good ! read more

Slab - brisket OOH sandwhich no onions and cilantro - Barbeque Near Me - Canoga Park, California

Worth the wait! When Topanga Social opened up a year ago I was excited to see that Slab was slated to be apart of the vendor roster. However, I noticed that their booth was all set up but hasn't been operational in the past year. Not sure as to why. But today I went in and saw that their booth was finally open. I had heard great things about Slab and I finally had my chance to check them out. I ordered a brisket sandwich and I was impressed on the first bite. The sandwich is simple but packs a lot of great flavor with a fresh bun, crisp raw onions, tangy bbq sauce and most importantly a lot of tender slices of high quality brisket. It was much better than I expected and they can consider me a new fan. Can't wait to go back and try out the rest of the menu items. read more

Slab - Barbeque Near Me - Canoga Park, California

I came here with 4 others for an Eventbrite event and had some fab drinks from the Margarita Garden .. we ended up eating THE SLAB .. one thing I'm gonna knock them on ... The lack of the SLAB FRIES .. they are epic WHY WOULD YOU NOT HAVE THEM.. to be fair. The person working at slab was very apologetic that they did not offer them at this location. I think that is a Huge misstep. Please offer the clients here the most amazing thing since Carne ASADA FRIES read more

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First timer here. I like briskets even tho I haven't tried them much. Just had some extra money to spend so decided to try it. I got beef brisket sandwich and cole slaw. The video on the screen showed a juicy and tender bbq beef brisket so I was very excited. The service was fast and the guy at the desk was friendly. This is a mid size sandwich sprinkled on top with some kind of pepper which i didnt like. But OMG the beef was good / tender, juicy, full of flavor and the amount was just right for the size of the buns. This was a breath of fresh after generic and mediocre food in SFV. I was skeptical about cole slaw I didnt even know why I bought but it was blend and non memorable as predicted. But beef sandwich was good. The restaurant is located at the Westfield ground flood food court so you have a free wifi and a bunch of seats around. read more

Slab - Bbq beef brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Canoga Park, California

Just a quick first impression. The pulled pork sandwich had plentiful pork but the meat was dry. The sauces were good. One order of seasoned fries is enough for two and very tasty. Seemed a bit pricey for what I got. It was alright, not up there with the better BBQ I've had but I wouldn't be against trying Slab again, perhaps to try their ribs or a combo. read more

Ordered the best pulled pork sandwich Ive had. Pork was bland and the only flavor I got off the sandwich is from the onion. When they say TX BBQ Id expect flavorful meat and still moist. read more

Too much mustard a bit too expensive. This is someplace a family of five can only go to once in a while. Meat was dry. I may try this place once again with a different item for comparison. read more

Slab's current 2.5 star overall rating seems pretty brutal. My experience at this location was actually very good. To eat, I ordered the brisket sandwich. My parents ordered the BBQ chicken, and my brother just ordered brisket by the pound. We were all happy with the quality received. My only complaint was that my sandwich was a bit salty. However, I wouldn't let that deter you from trying their food. I would definitely come back. read more

Can't say much about the service it was all through the kiosk other than handing me my food. The baked beans were still slightly hard and the bun for my chicken sandwich was cold and stuff like it'd been in the fridge and not toasted or anything before. I also had bacon in my chicken sandwich and it was bacon bits not pieces of bacon. For the price I wouldn't return. read more

worst baked beans and brisket sandwich ever! and $ $33. i think they thought they could try to make up for it by making my brisket sandwich full of cold over salted dry brisket with the terrible barbecue sauce. if you actually like barbecue food do not eat here. and the baked beans were watered down. read more

Second time eating here. The first time it was Serviceable; good enough to fill me up before seeing a movie upstairs. This time it was absolutely gross. Ordered the 1/2 lb brisket with baked beans. The brisket was cold, stringy, and fatty. The beans, if you want to call them that, were sitting at the bottom of the container that was 75% liquid. It was like the soup from the soup tins at Whole Foods 10 minutes before closing, where it's all liquid and a few remnants of protein. We went upstairs for a movie and within 20 minutes I was hot, sweaty, and nauseous. I've had stomach issues for the last 2 days now, and I'm positive it's from Slab, due to how quickly I felt ill afterward. In general, Topanga Social has gone downhill so quickly. I was so excited when it opened and now half the restaurants have closed and the remaining ones aren't very appealing and many offer the same kinds of foods read more

The two best things you can get at Topanga Social are the "Ooh" and "Pulled Pork" sandwiches from Slab. My family has had something from every Topanga Social place, from Fat Sal's, Amboy, D-Town Pizza, Temaki (also good), to Tail of the Pup. Slab has the 2 best things. While Slab was highly anticipated (their LA location is considered one of the best BBQ spots in LA), rumor has it some rule about no smokers in malls slowed them down. A lot. When it finally showed up, people review-bombed it on here. But why are the bad reviews so similar? Either it's coordinated or I'm paranoid. This place is shockingly better than the reviews. They need to do a PR blitz. The Ooh Sandwich is brisket. So perfect. The Pulled Pork Sandwich has a great mustard and pickled onion combo. I may like that better. The BBQ sauce is important here and is needed. The pulled pork is a little dry without it, but complete with it. The spicy BBQ sauce is the one you need. It isn't that spicy, it's peppery. It is great with both the sandwiches. The mild BBQ sauce is a completely different flavor. Don't choose it, it is a bit sweet and fruity (maybe apricot in there?). But you won't be disappointed with the "spicy" one. Neither BBQ sauce are stand-alone BBQ sauces. As in, they're not something you dip regular fries in. I mean, you won't die, but you won't be amazed by it. The fries are fine, nothing to write home about. They're supposed to be 2 sizes, reasonably priced medium fries and expensive large fries... but I've only been able to order the large... which is annoying. Due to price, I'll probably, order fries from Amboy. Which I'm not specifically endorsing. Unlike the BBQ sauce, if you order the fries, the spicy version, it will be spicy. Obviously, everything at Topanga Social is too expensive (Slab isn't too bad here) and the drink situation at Topanga Social is abhorrent. Seriously, get some fountain drinks somewhere so I don't have to drink these warm drinks where I have 6 drinks. Just get a massive fountain station. Lastly, Yelp often says this place is closed when it is not. Business owner, please handle that. Please support good BBQ places so we have something good on this side of the valley. read more

Finally a place with good BBQ! We got ribs, brisket and brisket sandwich. Mac n cheese was ok but everything else was soooooo good

My Mac n cheese was cold after two bites. The meat and fries ehh. All the food was lukewarm.

With all the recent breakthroughs in AI, we've cracked some of the world's most unsolvable math problems -- and yet, I am not so sure we'll be able to crack this mystery: why this location has a 2.8 on Yelp. Seriously, what kind of godly barbecue are these people gatekeeping from me to give such a criminally low rating to what is, without question, the most magical rack of baby back ribs I've ever tasted? Let me be clear: Slab SLAPS. So hard, in fact, I willingly pushed through the 5PM 405-N traffic ON MY BIRTHDAY just to get another taste. As a seasoned rib destroyer with 33 years of experience, I knew the moment I stuck that sad little plastic knife between the first two ribs that I was in the presence of the GOAT. Tender, juicy, smoky perfection. These are authentic American baby back ribs -- none of that New Orleans nonsense. Think TGI Fridays or Tony Roma's birthday dinners when we were kids... but on roids. Even the notoriously gamey flap meat on top was somehow buttery and moist. I don't know what species of pig they're raising over at Slab HQ, but pretty sure this one was born with a couple bonus ribs in the cage -- the portions are massive. Even my almost Muslim wife put the Quran away for a sec to assist me in my pig slaughterfest. Not that I needed help -- I wish she'd ordered her own rack -- but you know how girls be with that "I just want one bite". And don't sleep on the fries. Perfectly crisp, good thickness, seasoned well. The only reason I'm giving this place a 5 instead of a 6 is because the cole slaw and pickled onions are salty as hell goddam wish they would fix that but I guess god is fair, can't have them all. I can't really vouch for anything else on the menu, but please -- stop gatekeeping this spot with those garbage Yelp scores. These ribs deserve massive crowds so they can open more locations for me. tl:dr; the ribs are delicious. read more

Horrible service , the guy on the counter was very nonchalant didnt want to help us saying the system is down and Plus they ended up charging us . Do not waste time n money here . read more

Overpriced crap bbq dry no flavor & beans were horrible. Brioche bread dry / stale or soggy. Meat not good at all