Reviewed by Danny Walker
My BBQ Standard – Baby Blues BBQ – *New Standard*
Visited: Monday night, 3/10/08 (have also been here several times in the past)
Location: 444 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, CA 90291 (eastside corner of Lincoln and Sunset Ave.)(map)(link)
Phone: 310-396-7675
Small, unpretentious Westside joint brings authentic Southern BBQ in a laid-back environment.
Deeper Insights
Baby Blues offers some of the best variety and quality of Southern BBQ in the greater Los Angeles area. Having been several times, it is consistently good, and I particularly enjoy the Lasker Burger and the Pulled Pork sandwich. If you can handle the heat and want to add some spice to your food, give the XXX hot sauce a try.
Baby Blues is small, which can lead to lengthy waits in peak hours, but the food is worth it. Don’t expect fine dining, but just good food in a relaxed environment full of personable people.
Breakdown
Attitude: Relaxed, unpretentious, down-home Southern mentality.
Bathroom: Tiny bathrooms in the back of the main dining room. You may mistake them for a storage closet.
Condiments: Ketchup, BBQ Sauce, Hot Sauce
Crowd: Wide variety of Westsiders looking to get quality BBQ
Décor: Fits the welcoming vibe – local photography (available for purchase) adorns the white walls, the kitchen counter is tiled blue, and the dinner plates are fun, plastic plates that feature sports teams and movie characters.
Delivery: Yes – call 310-396-7675. Available Sunday through Thursday: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday: Noon to 10 p.m.
Dress: Come as you are. It is BBQ, so probably avoid your Sunday’s best.
Drinks: Sodas are $2.00 and refills are free. Micro-brewed bottled sodas (root beer, cream soda, etc.) are $3.00, as is fresh-brewed iced tea (free refills). Once was BYOB, but they now serve an assortment of beer and wine.
Hours: Sunday: Noon – 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. Delivery available an hour inside opening and closing times
Line: No reservations are available. No wait on this evening, but the place is small and space is limited. There can be waits on weeknights of 20 to 30 minutes and longer on weekends around 6 to 8 p.m.
Tip: If you don’t mind the wait, but want to eat right away, you can get take-out.
Music: Classic rock
Order to Service: 15 to 20 minutes
Parking: Street parking or across the street in the Smart & Final lot.
Payment Options: Major credit cards accepted.
People Watching: Mix of ages (though rarely children there in evenings) and looks. This is a BBQ place, not a meat market.
Reservations: None.
Seating: Limited - About a dozen small tables on the dining side, and stools at the kitchen counter.
Service: All of the staff (including waitresses and cooks) are all very friendly, helpful and full of personality.
Smoking: Outside at the front of the restaurant.
Specials: Lunch specials available everyday from Noon to 4 p.m.
Take-Out: Yes.
Water: Free ice water, refilled after a moderate wait. Bottled water for $2.00.
What I Ate:
Carolina-Style Pulled Pork Sandwich – Classic BBQ-ed pulled pork sandwich served dry on a bun topped with coleslaw. Plenty of BBQ sauce is provided to pour to your taste. The pork is tasty, but you’ll probably need a toothpick or two. $7.50
Lasker Burger (10 oz. prime chuck cooked with bleu cheese, topped with maple bacon, lincolnberry mustard, tomato, and coleslaw): Probably my favorite entree at Baby Blues, as it is always satisfying and brings a unique and great flavor to the typical burger, especially with the bleu cheese cooked into the burger. $8.95
Mac N’ Cheese – This fixin’ is tasty, homemade mac and cheese baked with a little bit of bleu cheese to add extra flavor. 2 Fixins’ come with the order of any of the Platters or ordered separately. $3
Fixins are $3 each or 2 fixins come with each Platter entree. Fixins include mashed potatoes, potato salad, and baked beans, along with more Southern items, such as sautéed okra and collared greens.
Mac N’ Cheese – This fixin’ is tasty, homemade mac and cheese baked with a little bit of bleu cheese to add extra flavor. 2 Fixins’ come with the order of any of the Platters or ordered separately. $3
Fixins are $3 each or 2 fixins come with each Platter entree. Fixins include mashed potatoes, potato salad, and baked beans, along with more Southern items, such as sautéed okra and collared greens.
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