BBQ'd beans ala Valley Ranch Barbeque - where to go?

[HastaLaPasta]

I used to LOVE the BBQ'd beans at Valley Ranch BBQ over in Van Nuys back in the day, but alas this restaurant is no more. And lots of BBQ joints serve beans but I've never found any that match what they had at Valley Ranch. Can anyone offer some reasonably close substitutes for my craving?

[loreeLB]

there's an older post on here about this too. Gosh I miss the "good" ole days of valley ranch. In Long Beach, Naples ribs kinda of come close to the VR beans. I retired my thinking and make my own similar now. Good luck

[Kate is always hungry]

I used to love the Valley Ranch BBQ! Discovered it in 1975 and continued going there until about 2005. The beans were made with their BBQ sauce. The ingredient that was unique to the sauce, and the cole slaw, was celery seeds.

[RollTide38]

Kate is right. I'd been a fan of Valley Ranch since the week it opened (I was a toddler) and it was absolutely the celery seeds in the barbecue sauce (and ultimately the beans) and the cole slaw that gave it that special tang.

[loreeLB]

OMG so funny that you posted this, I grew up going there and loved it, especially the beans. Went back a few years ago & it went to crap :( sad. Have not ever found beans the same, resorted to trying to make them myself and that works best compared to out. Sorry....

[raizans]

i've never been there, so could you list the ingredients you can identify and describe the overall balance of flavors?

[HastaLaPasta]

I would say the main difference between this and beans at most places is that at most places, the beans are more like "baked beans", being small beans and in a brown-sugar based sauce. Here the beans were larger (think more like the size of kidney beans, though they were not actually kidney beans), and the sauce was more of a sweet & smokey BBQ sauce, with some bits of meat (pork I think) mixed in.

[raizans]

hmm...i dunno. maybe j 'n' j.

[foufou]

try the beans at Smoke City market in Sherman Oaks....I have had them and they seem to fit what you describe and are looking for...good luck!

[chuck]

I like the beans at Dr Hogley Wogley.

[HastaLaPasta]

The Good Doctor's beans are indeed good, but way different than Valley Ranch's were, I'm afraid. Thank you though.