You don’t have to leave the city to get a taste of smoky, sweet, finger-licking BBQ. LA has some of the best BBQ restaurants for families that offer wholesome, homey, and smokehouse-style food. Spend some quality time with family and relive those childhood memories and indulge in pulled pork, brisket, ribs, or drumsticks at one of these BBQ restaurants.
These spots provide great indoor-outdoor spaces for you and your family to dine al fresco. If you are up for a great BBQ or a grill in LA, here are the 12 best spots in Los Angeles that serve some of the most addictive food in town!
609 North La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA, 90036
Bludso's BBQ is a barbecue restaurant that started as a food stand in Compton but has since expanded to multiple locations in Los Angeles and one in Australia. The meat is the star of the show here, and it's cooked to perfection - charred on the outside but still juicy on the inside.
The place is designed as a sports bar so that you will find plenty of TVs playing different games, but the focus is still on the food. The menu features all barbecue classics like ribs, pulled pork, and brisket, as well as some more unique items like the Bludso's Burger and the Compton Salad.
4729 N Eagle Rock Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041
Max City BBQ is an excellent spot for barbecue lovers looking for a modern industrial setting. The restaurant has an extensive menu with options like baby back ribs, spareribs, and pulled pork.
One standout dish is the Platter of Pork, with ribs, pulled pork, and two sides. The platter is perfect for sharing and paired with one of the many beers on tap (for adults only) makes for a great meal. If you're looking for a fun night out with family, Max City BBQ is a great option.
2125 W. Jefferson Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90018
(424) 354-3612
RibTown BBQ is known for its delicious rib tips. If you want to try them, you'll have to get there early because they usually sell out within an hour of opening. They also have brisket, chicken, ribs, and hot links on the menu, all of which are pit-smoked and covered in a sweet and tangy sauce. Ribtown BBQ is a family-owned business, and its goal is to provide the city of LA with real pit-smoked barbecue.
2118 N Broadway,
Los Angeles, CA 90031
(323) 686-4133
Moo’s Craft BBQ opened its doors in 2017 and quickly became a neighborhood favorite for its delicious, smoked BBQ. Inspired by Texas Barbecue, they use old-school techniques to produce their delicious, melt-in-your-mouth smoked meats with a CaliMex twist. Moo’s BBQ also has a big selection of beer (for adults only). The Briskets here are incredible. Other favorites include pork ribs, pulled pork, and Mac & Cheese. Moo's is also a great spot to hang out before Dodgers games.
5759 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
(818) 738-9993
The Memphis Grill is known for their delicious Memphis-style BBQ. Their brisket is worth trying if you're looking for something smoky and sweet. Their sauce is a perfect mix of sweet, spicy, and tangy, and their baked beans are also homemade and absolutely delicious. Here, you can buy the food by the pound. The recommended portion is 1/2 pound per person for family-style7 orders. The BBQ meals come with cornbread and BBQ sauce on the side. The entire menu at the Memphis Grill is made 100% from scratch.
11018 Vanowen St #6313
North Hollywood, CA 91605
(818) 763-8996
Swingin’ Door BBQ is one of the best BBQ joints in LA. It is a true Texas-style BBQ joint where meat is king, and beer is served in mason jars. Swingin’ Door BBQ is a welcome change from the hipster, health-conscious restaurants in the area. It is a simple, rustic-style place that serves some of the best BBQ you’ll find in the City of Angels.
This place is best known for its beef brisket and baby back ribs. Their dry-rubbed ribs are slow-smoked for up to 6 hours and served with a tangy BBQ sauce. The beef brisket is a popular item, served with a generous helping of BBQ beans. It also serves up some southern sides like coleslaw, cornbread and potato salad.
609 North La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA, 90036
(323) 931-2583
Bludso’s is one of the most popular BBQ joints in LA. It is a great place to visit with family and friends because it’s casual and has a friendly vibe. Their southern barbecue essentials are seasoned with a custom dry rub and slow-smoked for up to 14 hours so they come out dripping with mouth-watering juices. A rare oasis of true southern barbecue in California, Bludso’s has become beloved by fans and praised by numerous publications.
They are also known for their ribs, served with a mustard-based BBQ sauce. If you visit Bludso’s with the family, we suggest ordering a tray that serves 4 to 6 people and it is a combination of brisket, pulled pork, chicken, pork ribs, Texas red hots, mac & cheese, beans, slaw, greens, potato salad, cornbread, pickles and BBQ sauce.
8850 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
Flatpoint BBQ brings the flavors and history of Central Texas to the streets of Los Angeles. They specialize in smoked brisket, ribs, pulled pork and hand-made sausages, a small selection of sandwiches and sides, as well as rotating specials like pork belly, pastrami, and pulled lamb shoulder. The real secret of Flatpoint is their pastrami - a specialty that only appears on their menu about once a month. Get the “Pastrami Mami” sandwich, which comes with thick slabs of their salty, smoky pastrami topped with dill pickles and sweet apple slaw on seeded rye bread. It’s a perfect sandwich!
8136 W 3rd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 855-7184
Slab is an all-American diner, with a menu that is heavy on comfort food. It serves up some hearty but delicious dishes that are best enjoyed with a cold beer (adults only). Their menu has something for everyone and is best known for their burgers, wings, and ribs. Slab is a great place to visit with family. When you sit down at SLAB and taste the marbled brisket for the first time or strike up a conversation over a shared plate of food, you'll know this experience has been worth the wait.
12941 9th St.
Garden Grove, CA 92840
If you want to try a unique BBQ place that specializes in Asian-style smoked chicken, then Smoke Queen BBQ is the place to visit. From backyard pits to multiple 1000 gallon smokers Smoke Queen BBQ offers California Prime Beef Brisket & Heritage Pork slow smoked with white oak and infused with the flavors of Chinese & Malaysian heritage.
From the ever-so-popular Cantonese style Pork Belly Siu Yuk (Crispy Skin Pork Belly), to the Texas style Smoke Brisket, to the not-so-traditional, yet perfect fusion of Chinese-American style Pork Belly Char Siu, each cut of meat is lovingly made with scratch-made family rubs and sauces, defining a new culinary category of Asian American Barbecue.
5759 Lankershim Blvd,
North Hollywood, CA 91601
(818) 738-9993
If you are a BBQ fanatic, then you must visit The Memphis Grill. The Memphis Grill is all about real food, high-quality and delicious food. They specialize in slow-smoked ribs, pulled pork, and chicken. They also have other southern-style dishes like cornbread, Memphis Mac, BBQ smoked beans, and more. The menu offers half sizes and kid-size portions so it is perfect for families.
1725 N Eastern Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90032
(323) 401-4547
If you are looking for a casual dining experience with a great BBQ, then Beat Down BBQ is the place to visit. On their menu, you can find unique BBQ creations such as smoked brisket burrito and smoked pork belly on a stick. Their prime brisket is seasoned with OG beef rub and slowly cooked for 18 hours. The "LOLO" pulled pork with a secret recipe is also a favorite. Don't forget to get 10% off your meal on your birthday.
We believe that BBQ is the ultimate comfort food that is loved by all. The best BBQ spots in LA are those that are kid-friendly and serve up delicious and homey food.
Great list of BBQ in Los Angeles! I am always looking for new places to enjoy delicious food. I am especially interested in how I can incorporate elements of Argentinian BBQ into my experience. Restaurants like these inspire me to experiment with different styles of BBQ. Thanks for the recommendations.