Gosh, I love this place.. I mean, all bbq places nowadays are extremely expensive, but I feel like…read moreyou get a decent amount of food here. They have outdoor seating only.. the inside is just for ordering and they do have a restroom available. The service is always just whatever, but they're never rude, so it's fine. The bbq itself is amazing. I definitely recommend stopping by if you're ever in the atea. It's also never crowded, which is great.. to me, at least.

We have had food from The Swinging Door Texas BBQ before, although it was quite a long time ago,…read moreand back then it was fantastic. After all this time, we decided to give it another try and get some food to go. First, I want to mention that the young woman at the counter was very nice and friendly. She is actually the reason I'm giving this place two stars. Before I get to the food, though, there is something I have wanted to say for a long time about restaurants and takeout orders. Why don't restaurants simply ASK customers whether they need plastic cutlery before automatically throwing it into every takeout bag? When I order food to go, chances are I'm taking it home, where--believe it or not--I actually own forks, knives, and spoons. I don't need another little package of plastic utensils that goes straight into the trash. Wouldn't it make sense from a business standpoint as well? Ask the customer, "Do you need utensils?" If the answer is no, you don't give them any. The restaurant has to buy less plastic cutlery, saves some money, and maybe some of those savings could eventually be reflected in the prices customers are paying. Isn't that kind of a no-brainer when you're running a business? And then there is the environmental aspect. I know that unnecessary waste doesn't seem to concern everybody in this country very much, but seriously, doesn't anybody care how much unnecessary plastic trash we produce? In the country I'm originally from, people have been taught for decades to take recycling seriously and to avoid unnecessary waste whenever possible. Don't automatically hand out plastic utensils, bags, etc. when people don't need them. Just ASK. It really doesn't require much effort. Okay, now to the food. As I said, I used to LOVE the food from this place. I love American BBQ in general, so I was really looking forward to it. For two meals, we ended up paying more than $60. At that price, I expected considerably more than what we received. My spouse ordered a combo with pork ribs, brisket, baked beans, garlic bread, and an extra cornbread. I ordered the tri-tip with mac and cheese and garlic bread. What happened to this place? I will give credit where credit is due: **the brisket was very good. Really good, actually.** Unfortunately, that was pretty much the highlight. The pork ribs were WAY too tough for BBQ. And the so-called "garlic bread"? Calling this garlic bread is almost an offense to garlic bread. Rubbery, tasteless, and just plain gross. Then there was my meal, which I had really been looking forward to. The tri-tip was tough as shoe soles. It also had the strangest coloration I've ever seen--pink on the outside and well-done on the inside. I honestly don't know how you even accomplish that. I've eaten at plenty of BBQ restaurants over the years, and I don't remember ever seeing tri-tip looking like that. And the mac and cheese... I'm a mac and cheese fan, so this one particularly hurt. Bland and soupy. Calling this mac and cheese was almost insulting to mac and cheese. And yes, I got the same excuse for "garlic bread" that my spouse did. Just awful. It's really disappointing because we remembered this place as having fantastic food. Maybe we caught them on a particularly bad day, but when you're spending more than $60 on takeout for two people, there shouldn't be this many things wrong with the meal. So, yep. I guess this was the very last time we'll be getting food from here. Sorry, Swinging Door. I really wanted to still like you.

Now let me tell you about LA BBQ! This place is truly a hidden gem. It was Father's Day and my 4…read morechildren wanted to take me to Salsa and Beer North Hollywood location. The wait was ridiculous. So I got on Yelp and found LA BBQ. Soon as we pulled in front of the restaurant there had a beautiful shish kebab on a wood flame grill. It smelled amazing, I was actually sold then. There were two Armenian brothers that ran the restaurant. Their English wasn't the best but their food and kindness totally made up for it. We ordered the Armenian salad, the beef kebab plate, the Shawarma wrap, the lamb chops, and the chicken kebab. Everything was prepared and tasted fresh. If you are ever around this location and have doubts about trying and get I can guarantee you you won't regret it.

Called to pre order family meal and told we will be there in 20 min to get a head start since we…read morehave a short break. When we got there in about 20 min. They barely start taking out the meat. We ask for the 8-10 person meal and never got the beef kabobs, no rice, only 2 tomatoes, for a table of 8. Wasn't worth coming here for the first time. Beware to make sure what's included in your meal. Then charge us 70 for just the drinks for, I said fine and will never come back.

Note: I don't know his hours but I tend to catch him near Lincoln and Woodbury on Saturdays at 12…read morenoon (in city of Altadena). I love Rodney's Ribs. I drive a long way for it and I was so glad they still had some smoked pork ribs when I arrived at 12:30pm on Saturday. They can sell out their first batch of food early, but they try to smoke all day and sometimes you have to come back a couple of hours later when the next batch of BBQ are ready to serve. I really like their ribs, rib tips, and brisket! I usually eat a 1/2 rack of pork ribs (unsauced) in my car and wash it down with a large soda from McDonald's. I then order 1/2 lbs Brisket with sauce on the side to-go. It still tastes great after 1 minute in the microwave. I pair it with 2 eggs over easy and a side of garlic rice (excellent bbq brisket silog Pinoy breakfast). I don't know their business hours very well. My last visit was yesterday Saturday and their hours were I think 11a-8p. They ran out of food by 2p and reopen at 4p when the next batch of barbecue was ready. Note, if they completely run out of food to cook, they would be forced to close early for that day. I don't know who came in at 11am yesterday but they must have bought trays of food. And they must have really like Rib Tips because that was all gone by the time I got there. If you need catering, please call in your order days ahead, so there's food for other customers during their normal business hours. Just a polite request from one customer to another. Also, FYI. I think his 900 Lake Ave schedule in Pasadena is on hold until further notice. When in doubt about schedule, call the number on the truck.

OMG The brisket is amazing!…read more Order the brisket sandwich ($14) which has the almost the same amount of beef as the plate and buy a separate side. All the sides are $3.50 a little pricey for the size. The coleslaw has way too much onion in it. But the mac & cheese is tasty and the beans are good. The brisket plate and $21 with one side is overpriced for what you get. But the brisket is amazing! The ribs and tips have a good smoke flavor but don't seem to have any rub on them as is some pit masters traditions. Without a rub seasoning they lock the kick they could have that this BBQ lover is looking for. But overall some really good barbecue out of portable trailer!

Was finishing up a job in the area and we needed to feed our team. We didn't know this was a…read moretakeout only spot and had our hesitations as we pulled into the parking lot. I am glad we stayed! The owner is super friendly and accommodating. He came right out and took our order, gave us a spot to sit and hang out and proceeded to bring us some really tasty BBQ. The ribs were fall off the bone tender and in a delicious rub and sauce. The lemon pepper wings also came out in the sauce and were some of the best I've ever had. The truffle fries brought everything together. So good. This guy deserves his own restaurant or should set up shop at a brewery because the meal exceeded expectations. Give them a shot!

We were in a work training session nearby and were craving BBQ...trusty Yelp app to the rescue!…read more Ordering online for pick up, via Yelp, was super intuitive and easy! My friend got the Wings & Fries Combo, $23.15 and I decided on the 3-Bone Meal Deal, $24.25. The Wings & Fries come with your choice of seasoning and she got the garlic-Parmesan - which she liked a lot. Her wings were tender and tasty with the traditional in-house sauce. This also came with a soft drink, water or bottled iced tea. The 3-Bone Meal Deal, comes with 3 super tender pork ribs and your choice of sauce. This is fork tender! The traditional bbq sauce is quite tasty! This combo comes with two sides, I got the Mac n' cheese - yummy, but there was, weirdly, corn in it. Also got the pineapple coleslaw which is just so-so - very mild and not much flavor. I ordered the unsweetened pure leaf iced tea. We were both satisfied with the service- the gentleman was standing out in the sun in the parking lot -waiting for me to drive up. Thank you! We would order from Belly Rubb again when in the area and in the mood for awesome BBQ.

Smoky brisket is so delicious for a Friday night fun…read more Got myself 2 lbs of brisket, and just went to town on this juicy, tender meat. It melts in my mouth. Amazing! Come try this juicy brisket cooked Texas style.

My family and I had been looking for a good BBQ restaurant in the Valley and came across Bludso's…read morein Van Nuys -Take out only. We were genuinely excited to find a BBQ spot we enjoyed, and for a while, we were happy customers. Unfortunately, over time, our experience became increasingly disappointing, particularly when it came to the size and consistency of the ribs. The first couple of times we ordered, the ribs looked like a standard, reasonable portion. But on our later visits, we noticed that the ribs appeared noticeably smaller. It wasn't just a one-time observation; after seeing the difference several times, we decided to call and ask about it. We weren't looking for anything unreasonable, we simply wanted an explanation and some consistency in what we were paying for. We were told, "Sorry, we'll have our manager get back to you." We appreciated that someone would supposedly follow up, so we gave them the benefit of the doubt. It has now been a couple of months, and we have never received a call, email, or any kind of follow-up. That part is honestly just as disappointing as the portion issue. Bludso's prices are high, and when you're paying premium prices for BBQ, you expect the quality and portions to be consistent. We understand that food costs, labor, and operating a restaurant are expensive, we're not expecting bargain prices. But when a restaurant charges what Bludso's charges, customers have every right to expect that the portions will be consistent and that legitimate concerns will be taken seriously. In a time when the cost of everything continues to rise and people have to think carefully about where they spend their money, spending more at a restaurant should come with the expectation of getting a quality experience. If we're willing to pay higher prices, we expect the food and customer service to reflect that. What really sealed the deal for us was that we actually tried to address the issue directly. We didn't immediately leave a negative review or complain online. We called the restaurant, explained our concern, and gave them an opportunity to respond. Unfortunately, the fact that nobody ever bothered to follow up after promising that a manager would contact us left us feeling like our business and feedback simply weren't important. We enjoyed Bludso's when we first discovered it, which makes this even more disappointing. But there are plenty of BBQ options out there, and at these prices, we don't feel there's a reason to continue spending our money somewhere that doesn't provide consistency or follow through with its customers. We tried. We gave them multiple chances. We reached out and gave them an opportunity to make it right. Unfortunately, we've moved on. No more Bludso's for us.

This is the best bbq I've ever had in LA. We ordered almost everything on the menu yesterday for a…read morebirthday dinner at our home. OMG it is just delicious. My personal favorites were the baby back ribs, the brisket, the pulled pork, the cole slaw, the corn muffins and the BEANS. Best bbq beans I've ever had. I have to admit I just can't put into words how delicious this food is. As good as or better than the best bbq I had in Nashville. Need to try the chicken next time. We ordered it, but I left it for the non-red meat eaters who said it was DELICIOUS. The staff/owners are super warm and friendly, very helpful and very professional! This is a takeout/take home place, btw.

My first reviewed experience of 2025 was a disappointing bust! We really wanted to like this BBQ…read morespot; we're always on the lookout for good BBQ. But this ain't it I'm sorry to say. Take-out only, and after getting everything home and spending about $84.00 for 3 meals, I was salivating in anticipation.The cornbread muffin was my first sampling. A bit on the sweeter side but moist and delicious. Potato salad? A no, a big no, way too bland. Then I tried the Mac & cheese, something most BBQ spots never seem to get quite right. That was the verdict for this very dry side here as well. So what about the Tri-tip? They were completely out of their Brisket by the way, other than their burnt ends. And that wasn't much to speak of. Nor was the Tri-tip minus the sauce which is given on the side. The sauce was up to par. The only protein that was pretty decent was the chicken, even the breast was moist and tender. But the cornbread, sauce and chicken weren't enough to save this sinking ship. The wife and I also shared a side of their way too watered down, and poorly seasoned yams. Rather mushy with we guessed way too much maple syrup, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, and who knows what else. I don't believe we finished any more than half of our sides. Just all around disappointing and we definitely won't be back.

I've been coming here since I was a kid, & being in my 30's now coming here it still holds the same…read moreoutstanding flavorful food quality. My go to order is their grilled chicken breast, or their tri tip 7 oz with the side of sweet mash & Mac n cheese -- it hits every time! I am obsessed with their sweet mash it's a must have for me. I highly advise you to ask for the garlic bread rolls with bbq sauce on the side 10/10 !!! The service at this location was very pleasant. From the host, to our server, everything was top tier each time we visited. The location is extremely well up kept, clean, & everyone works & moves very organized. I love that. I work in restaurant management so seeing this when I go out is a green flag for me. Will definitely be back soon! Parking tip: located next door there is a parking garage for the restaurant, I believe its 90 minutes, or just restricted to only wood ranch grill customers, either way its FREEEEE:)

For supposed bbq, it's very mid. My brisket wasn't sliced or bbq'd. Just very undercooked made on…read morea grill. I had to send it back. The baked potato was the star and if I ever return i would just order that. Bar service was stellar. The restaurant is all stained woods and pretty large. All country themed. Not a smoker on site.

Food 5/5: hands down the best bbq in LA. It's in the Ally way behind the house, and they sell out…read moreFAST! So you better get it before it's sold out. Meat literally melts in your mouth. It's so juicy and meaty. Mmmmmmm yummy. Bbq sauce is also really tasty. Normally it's too sweet but the smokey cow was perfectly balanced. Service 5/5: the serving size is also HUGE! Can feed your whole family. I highly highly recommend it!

It has been well over 3 years ago that we have had Smokey Cow. It was located on Sherman Way in Van…read moreNuys before they took a long hiatus. We were thrilled when we saw Smokey Cow resumed business and we were lucky enough to get some scrumptious BBQ before heading back to NorCal. Our favorite was the Beef Rib. This trip our favorite was the Brisket. My son said it ranks up there with Franklin's and Jack Black's in Texas, home of some of the best BBQ in the nation. The Brisket had an excellent smoke ring, nice seasoning and most of all it was super tender. Just outstanding, hard to get this good of brisket. The Beef Rib and Pork Ribs were pretty good but probably left on the grill just a tinge longer so it wasn't quite as moist as the last time I had Smokey Cow. I also had the homemade Mac and Cheese, pickles, chips and cole slaw. They make everything including the sauce except for the chips. Brisket 5+ Beef Ribs 4.25 Pork Ribs 4.25 Mac and Cheese 4.0 Sauces and sides 4.5 Great guys 5.0 Overall, excellent BBQ, nice guys and priced normally for BBQ faire. On my next trip to SoCal, I will be stopping by to get excellent BBQ and great service. If you haven't been there before, look for the alley entrance that goes behind the houses where the garages are and look for the lighted entrance. Go early, you don't want to miss out on some of the best BBQ in the area. Smokey Cow is my #1 BBQ, Swinging Door #2 and Bludso's #3.

Phenomenal brisket, really phenomenal everything. Excellent, friendly service and great vibes all…read morearound from P2. Try this BBQ if you get the chance!

From the owner: Southern craft BBQ with an Australasian twist! Popping up at Miracle Bakery on Sunday, Dec 15th…read morefrom 4pm til sold out.

Ray catered my brother and sis-in-law's party, their son's first birthday, and everyone enjoyed his…read morefood! We had ribs, chicken, tri tip, barbecue baked beans, cole slaw and mac and cheese. Ray may not have a fancy menu or presentation but what mattered was the ribs were especially tasty and tender, Ray offered the right price, and gives generous servings. I am so pleased we had Ray cater and will do it again!

SO FREAKING GOOD!!! Everything's freshly smoked. I got the tri-tip and a full rack of ribs. The…read moremeat is just so tender and juicy, it's like an orgasm with every bite LOL! Ray, the owner, is awesome and the spot is dog friendly. If you are in need of freshly smoked bbq, this is THE spot.