Bludso’s BBQ (CLOSED)

Patience is a virtue at Bludso’s BBQ, the famed barbecue hot spot that specializes in Texas-style ribs, brisket, chicken and anything else you can think to throw in a smoker. The lines are long. The wait can be tedious; the service at the counter a little brusque. But good things come to those who wait, and once you find a spot to sit down—there’s only a couple stools and a picnic table by the smokers—you’ll soon be glad you made the trip (and if you can’t make the trip to Compton, Bludso’s Bar-&-Que on La Brea is a solid second location). Founder and Texas native Kevin Bludso’s brisket falls off the bone; in the Texas Sampler, a pile of ribs, sausage links and brisket lies under a slathering of sweet barbecue sauce. Choose from side dishes like potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, greens and rich mac and cheese, or save your appetite for dessert, where banana pudding is spooned out into styrofoam containers. It’s a little bit of Texas... straight outta Compton.