52505 Sat Dec 14 13:47:21 -0800 2002 18 2 Los Angeles Area 0 268114 I just found this place last night, while driving through Brea. Didn't have time to check it out. Have any L.A. or Orange County Chowhound BBQ mavens tried it? Their menu on the internet looks kind of pricy. Before I spend that kind of money, I want to know how good the 'cue is. Smoky? Juicy? Sat Dec 14 13:47:21 -0800 2002 0 junior 1 268134 Lucille's is part of the Long Beach-based Hof's Hut coffee shop chain. While some folk around LB seem to love this place, my chow mate and I found it to be a dismal 'cue experience. Our ribs (both baby back and beef) were sub-par, sauce ordinary, and not one of the sides was appealing. We decided it was bad enough that it didn't deserve a second chance. That's just my opinion. Anyone else? Sat Dec 14 19:21:46 -0800 2002 268114 0 LBQT 2 268140 I agree. I tried the tri-tip there, once. It was okay but very overpriced for what they gave you - 5, maybe 6, skimpy slices with two unmemorable sides for about $15. Not worth a return trip, especially considering the crowds and the tacky theme park furnishings. When I want tri-tip, I prefer Papa's Western Barbecue in Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos Blvd. & Katella). And when I want ribs it's either Jay Bee's in Cypress (awesome brisket, too, which "smokes" the tri-tip elsewhere) or the Crenshaw District joints. Sat Dec 14 19:51:44 -0800 2002 268134 0 Chris G. 3 268147 How does Papa's Western compare to Lou's Oak Oven for tri-tip? Sat Dec 14 22:57:21 -0800 2002 268140 0 nubi 4 268154 Papa's has been around the LB area for years. I've never been really impressed with their tri tip (or their ribs, for that matter). IIRC, they do not cook their meats or serve them with sauce. They have a very dedicated following out here, so my impression could just be my particular taste. I just don't recall any particular smokey or bbq flavor on anything I ever ate there. Sun Dec 15 01:47:29 -0800 2002 268147 0 LBQT 5 268155 Thanks, folks. You just saved me quite a bit of wasted $$$. I'll save up that BBQ money for my next trip to Central Texas. Sun Dec 15 01:50:29 -0800 2002 268154 0 junior 5 268161 >>I just don't recall any particular smokey or bbq flavor on anything I ever ate there. That's because Papa's serves Santa Maria-style barbecue, which is grilled over coals for 1 to 1-1/2 hours instead of slow-cooked with smoke for 8+ hours (like Texas, Memphis, and various other styles). Smokey, bbq flavor and sauce is beside the point for Santa Maria-style tri-tip - two different beasts, essentially. Sometimes the tri-tip is marinated, sometimes it's seasoned only with salt, pepper and spices, and sometimes it's plain naked. As for Papa's ribs, well, they grill their meats . . . As I mentioned, the brisket at Jay Bee's smokes the tri-tip at Papa's both literally and figuratively, which is why I frequent Jay Bee's about a 25:1 ratio over Papa's. But if Santa Maria-style is your thang and you don't feel like making the long haul up the 101, Papa's is a decent facsimilie. Never tried Lou's so I can't compare, but I think they're even more focused on emulating the Santa Maria style. Sun Dec 15 07:05:01 -0800 2002 268154 0 Chris G. 6 268172 santa maria-style bbq is grilled over red oak, which does provide a slight smoky quality. Link: http://www.santamaria.com/SantaMaria/bbq.html Sun Dec 15 13:26:27 -0800 2002 268161 0 petradish 6 268176 It is subtle, but I enjoy the tri-tip at Lou's. He also cooks a nice linguica(sp?). The newly expanded menu includes lots of sides. It's a solid and consistent place, and Lou is always tweaking things to create a better restaurant. I agree with you on Jay Bee's, but their hottest sauce is a little too much for me -- I stick with the medium. Sun Dec 15 14:11:52 -0800 2002 268161 0 nubi 7 268211 i've eaten at lucille's and it's alright. you definately feel like your at a cheesecake factory type place. lou's is great. it's right down the hill from where i live on hamilton in huntington beach off brookhurst. what i really like about santa maria bbq is that you can't hide bad meat under a heavy sauce because there is no heavy sauce, just smoke and grilling. lou's one of those guys who will come to your table and ask you to try out a new menu item he's considering. one time he asked me to try their hot wings (sauce on the side) what was great about having the sauce on the side was i got an opportunity to really savor the wings. they were amazing... meaty, juicy, fresh- i didn't want to put anything on them. all of his food is good. and well priced. the only thing i don't like is the turkey sandwich which was a bit dry. my father in law eats there at least once a week. Mon Dec 16 01:37:33 -0800 2002 268176 0 davidt 1 268202 We've enjoyed a number of meals at Lucille's. The Q, although not the best we've had, is still excellent. It's also VERY consistent: slow-cooked in a large, custom-made, computer-controlled pit/tank/oven/contraption/whatever - it's quite a sight prominently situated just off the lobby. Notably, the cooking times are posted on a clapboard on the side of the "cooker". My favorite is the St. Louis Style Ribs, prepared with a traditional rub while the lady prefers the Baby-Back's and the Pulled Pork Sandwich. I order my ribs without sauce and use the sauce at the table sparingly or, most often, not at all (I prefer the Spicy). The ribs are very tender - the meat pulls cleanly off the bone - and have a rich yet not overpowering smoky flavor. They are crisp on the outside and graduate to pink on the inside. The quality of the meat itself is quite good and, again, very consistent. I don't consider the menu overly pricey. A price-buster tip would be to order a whole slab of the St. Louis ribs (about $17, I think) with an extra side of whatever and share between the two of you. The sides are varied but not much to write home about. The Greens are good and the Fries are ok if you specify crispy (well-done) and the kitchen follows-through. The Cheese Grits are ok but I've never finished them. The rest ... well ... The desserts are definitely the weakest link. Go elsewhere to satisfy your sweet tooth. On an up note, they do offer a wide variety of beers - on tap, micro-brewed and bottled. I like their Heffeweisen and their Honey Blond. Although we've never tried any, they also have a long list of mixed drinks, cocktails and assorted other libations. Avoid their ciders! The bar itself is quite impressive, a carry-over from the turn of the century. As for my background with Q - I grew up in LA and have tried virtually every place in town - past and present. The best ever was Sherman's on Slauson, then Crenshaw. I don't know what happened to him but he's been gone for about three years - I expect that he'll turn up again - hopefully soon. IMHO, he was king of the hill. Through the years, I've been to Woody's, Leo's, Phillip's, Carl's, The Pig, Chicago Rib Factory, Dem Ribs, Warren's, "The Church" over on El Segundo and Avalon, Bennie's, Mom's, Hodge's, The Pit, Dad's, Daddy-O's, Joey's, Redhill, Burrell's Rib Cage and quite a few others that I can't currently recall. I've also enjoyed Q throughout the South - Texas (Tillman's was the heavyweight champ), Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, the Carolina's - just about anywhere there was Q there was 54! A point that I'd like to make is that, most often, it's not about who's Q is better or best. It more about differences in style. I evaluate each establishment's Q on it's own merits. Sun Dec 15 22:10:53 -0800 2002 268114 0 54 2 268215 Thanks very much for your input on Lucille's. I agree that each BBQ restaurant should rest on its own merits, instead of being compared with another. My favorite BBQ is the Texan variety--City Market, Kreuz Market, Elgin Southside Market, etc. though I really love (the original) Corky's in Memphis and Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City. It would be great to find BBQ out here that resembles any of the above. That would offset the price difference between 'cue in Texas, Tennessee and Missouri vs. Los Angeles (where it seems to be a LOT more expensive). Mon Dec 16 01:51:58 -0800 2002 268202 0 junior 2 268273 54, Over the past few months, contributors to this board have participated in a virtual colloquium of sorts, unceremoniously convened by Stan's rigourously controlled and measured barbecue trial studies. These important and seminal reports were augmented by Chino Wayne's detailed and thorough narratives of his barbecue research, and further advanced by Paddy's comprehensive examination of the subject. In addition to these three notables, this board has witnessed a formidable assemblage of Q scholars, inquisitors of the highest order. To date, there has been little attempt to distill this research. The data doesn't seem to support any single thesis. In fact, the only discernable conclusion seems to be that Q joints are highly variable, and I suspect time-of-day is a major factor. Any thoughts? P.S. What is your impression of The Pit? That's in Upland, right? Mon Dec 16 23:25:05 -0800 2002 268202 0 nubi 3 268275 I was present last May when some of the great BBQ minds of our century(Chino Wayne, LBQT, Kevin, COLIN, JOHANNA, RUSSKAR, and others met for a convention at MR CECIL'S with a collection of samples from Woody's,Phillips, and somewhere else. Anyway all that was determined that day is it was Yummy, so much for research. Too many styles and too little time. Mon Dec 16 23:41:08 -0800 2002 268273 0 russkar 4 268348 God it's wonderful to read you guys, Qseekers of obvious taste and discrimination. I haven't seen any mention of Dr Hogly Woglys here, pound for pound, bite for bite my vote for best of city. Have you tried? Andy Tue Dec 17 19:22:58 -0800 2002 268275 0 andy romanoff 5 268378 I haven't been yet. What do you like there? Tue Dec 17 23:10:23 -0800 2002 268348 0 nubi 5 268380 Dr. Hogly's is very, very good. But I'm surprised to say that the 'cue I had last time at Mr. Cecil's was even better (though more expensive.) Maybe the stars were aligned or something. Tue Dec 17 23:22:03 -0800 2002 268348 0 Due West 2 268437 Great posting. There are so many variables between Q emporiums, that it really is difficult to compare them objectively. That coupled with the fact that each of us have our own subjective tastes. What I think is important is that everyone just goes out and does their sampling and reports back, and we all can compare notes, may learn a little something, and just gain an appreciation for the variety of bounty available to us. Now what we really need to do is organize a 'hound hunt for 'Q. We save our pennies up and rent a bus, and take 8 or 10 days for a national BBQ tour. Wed Dec 18 13:33:13 -0800 2002 268202 0 Chino Wayne 1 268758 I have to disagree on the reviews on Lucille's sides and desserts. The macaroni and cheese is wonderful. The flame roasted corn is also great. And have you tried the apple pie? If not, you can't really judge the dessert menu quite yet. I find the themed atmosphere unique and refreshing-and very welcoming. Tue Sep 02 20:44:39 -0700 2003 268114 0 Jill