I’ve always been intrigued by this place… it’s like the low budget Apple Pan of Glendale minus the crowds and hype. I’m really curious about their smoked Oakie beef burger (pulled beef/pork sandwich) and pork ribs that they apparently dish out only on weekends.
Has anyone been and if so could you please tell me more about this place?
I’m thinking about making a pilgrimage for lunch on the final day of our trip next month and would love to get some local feedback. I love these obscure roadside time-warp family owned proletarian food stands, canteens, lunch counters, etc. like Chili John’s, Apple Pan, and so on… they seem to be pretty abundant throughout Greater LA and California in general. This one’s always been on my list. Is it as good as it looks?
Agreed. I’ve come across 3 pretty terrible blog entries since posting this so I’m kind of doubting this whole idea. I’d still be curious to hear from anyone on the forum who’s been.
I like Pecos Bill’s a lot, but I’m not sure I’d call it an essential destination for the food alone. The sandwiches are great, but it’s more about the experience - it’s a fun rustic little shack, the people are super cool, it’s only open for a few hours for lunch, the food is super goopy and messy and satisfying, and you can sit outside right near griffith park while you eat.
So if you’re looking for something casual and unusual and weird and old, I think it’s a fun, cheap, good stop-in, and I think you’re right to think of it as one of those family-owned time-warp stands. But I’m also biased because my dad loves the place, and I’ve been going there with him for years and years.
Welp, sounds like a must visit for me then because you’ve just described the whole appeal as I see it too; at least from what I’ve seen online!
Like I said, I’m a big fan of these old and timeworn working class roadside fixtures and this looks to be among the top tier (for preservation of food/setting) of those remaining which I’ve yet to experience.
I have no expectations for any kind of ‘authentic’ regional barbecue at all. The sauce looks weird and I’ve stumbled on some critical reviews of the understated and less-than-distinct smoke flavor, but good or bad, I appreciate the unique opportunity to eat humble food from the last century (who knows for how much longer…) in the same original family owned shack with the backdrop of Griffith Park… it sounds right up my alley!
Been once a few years ago and that was once too many times for me. Their BBQ sauce is super thick and goopy – I feel like they thicken it with cornstarch or something. The meat I got was super dry too. The potato salad was just ok – seemed like a commercial product, not homemade.
Awesome, yeah if you go in with that kind of attitude and expectations I think you’ll really enjoy it.
As far as authenticity of “Oklahoma-style BBQ”, I have no real idea, but I do know a Sooner who said she grew up eating a goopy clear sauce something like the one they serve there. Though it may be a better reflection of Ok BBQ from 1920-something than the current scene…