Western Smoke House

I hate people that throw out ""i'm from texas so i must know... bbq"" or ""i'm from NY and I know pizza"". See, the reason i hate it is this. I'm from TX too but it doesn't make me an expert or bbq queen. In fact, i'm sure there's a lot of crappy bbq in TX. Just cuz a region is famous for it doesn't mean its good. and just because you 'know' something doesn't mean it's right. /rant over. But I do appreciate the extensive menu options at Western Smoke House. Fried alligator was a favorite of mine down south and it has been a journey looking for places that serve it. Luckily my search has ended here. And right in my neighborhood too. They also have rabbit stew, duck sausage, and many other 'TX' treats. OK i just went on and on about the alligator that I didn't try. but I'm just saying if I WANTED to have some. it's right around the corner. We opted for the combo meals instead - I got the rib tips + brisket + collard greens + corn bread + fried eggplant. Mmmmmm. The rib tips were great even the day after. Tender and charred in the right places. I actually prefer sucking on bone so I might just get the regular ribs next time. The brisket was so tender! It goes so well with the greens which was cooked in turkey broth. It was good - not overly 'vinegar'd' . I heated it up the next day with some cayenne pepper and seasoning salt and it was perfect. The cornbread was meh. and the fried eggplant got soggy during in the container. The meals run about 22-26 bucks but it is enough for two people or if you don't have friends, you can heat it up the next day for yourself. Pros: lots of variety. serves alligator. huge portions. Cons: a bit pricey for bbq. more

Just picked up dinner from here last night. Moved a few blocks away a few months ago and tried it a few times the first few weeks---it was nothing special then but I decided to try it one more time. Just ok taste, but nothing to write home about. I have a few African American friends so I'm used to Phillip's & Woody's in the hood & Jay Bee's in Gardena, but they're too far away. This place doesn't hold a candle to those places---not even a good enough substitute. And they've raised their prices because of gas & food prices. $24.80 for a rib/link combo; 2 links and 4 ribs, 2 sides, 2 cornbread muffins---for $25.00. Just not worth it for this bbq. Pros: Ample parking, ample seating (mostly takeout). Cons: Taste & quantity doesn't match the price. more

This place is pretty good and will satisfy if you have a taste for soul food. However I am from Texas and this ain't Texas BBQ, not even an imitation. Texas BBQ is smoky and rich with a lot of tangy mustard flavor and just a little bit of sweet. The sauce is a lot more sweet than my preference and full of pepper. Anyway, it is cute that they serve their iced tea in Mason jars and they have an abundance of side items to choose from. It can be annoying that they only accept cash but other than that its worth stopping by. more

I AM THE ROCK AND ANYTHING I SAY GOES...THIS PLACE IS AMAZING. For a good time call 323-205-87^%. Please go for me. Pros: Good food Cons: Cash Only more

This place is really great. The chicken is never dry, the potatoes are real and they have excellent BBQ sauce (tangy, not too sweet). Also, they have great greens done in turkey stock, for those who like collard greens but wants to avoid a lot of fat. We also reccoment the brisket. The ribs are ok. They don't have much seating and they don't deliver. We typically do take out. The food can be slow (15-20 inutes to fill an order), so it is best if you call ahead and pick-up Pros: Great Food Quality, good BBQ Sauce, Healthy Options Cons: No delivery. slow take-out, lousy ambience more

Seriously. We came in and ordered takeout our first time. We had to mill around their tiny place for no less than 40 minutes before we got our order. And they weren't even busy. I have no idea what the deal was. Also, they run out of ribs sometimes on saturday nights. Imagine that. You get a hankerin' for some ribs, so you go to the smokehouse and no ribs. They do have a lot of great side dishes and a fair amount of choices, but it's not like amazing barbecue. It's tasty. That's all. And I recommend CALLING AHEAD. If they decide to answer, it will save you a LOT of time. Yeah and bring cash or you're hosed. more

The smoked chicken at Western Smokehouse has got to be the best chicken, for my money, that exists in my general area. Yes, I like the roast chicken at Versailles, but it's oily. The smoked chicken here is slow cooked; it's tasty all the way through, even without a dip of sauce. This is real Texas barbecue, baby. Split a whole chicken with someone, a better value than two halves. This place can be pricey for the casual digs when you add up the extras. I also highly recommend the sweet potato chocolate chip cookies they make. They're...well, just TRY them. The rest of their stuff is uniformally tasty, homemade style fare. It's a pretty small restaurant with a small parking lot. Cash only Pros: smoked chicken, side orders, cookies Cons: pricey, cash only, small more

The prices were far to high for the quantity and quality of food served. $18 got a puny plate of brisket and pork ribs that were all gristle. The BBQ sauce tasted like they put a bunch of pepper into a jar sauce bought from the supermarket. The baked beans were the same way. This place was totally disappointing, especially for how much money we spent there. AND they only take cash, so we had to walk to the 7-11 around the corner to withdraw enough money to pay for our pricey meal. Pros: small parking lot Cons: Cash only, Overpriced, BBQ sauce more