There was a time when talk of barbecue in Los Angeles meant a two-day road trip to Texas, said Jenn Garbee in LA Weekly. But today there are enough local places making “fantastically blackened” slabs of meat that L.A. easily holds its own in national competitions. The spots recommended below are not “citified barbecue joints.” They’re “old-school-inspired smokers”—places you could take a Texan visitor without apology.
Bludso’s BBQ Beef is king at this modest storefront, where Texas transplant Kevin Bludso subjects ribs and brisket to a “shameless amount of smoke” before they emerge with blackened edges and “meaty-to-the-bone” flavor. The sauces and sides are “pretty great” aswell, but you might not need them. 811 S. Long Beach Blvd., Compton, (310) 637-1342
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