When it comes to barbecue, there are as many opinions as there are styles. Los Angeles might not be the hotbed of barbecue like Texas, Kansas City, Memphis, or the Carolinas, but there is still plenty of top-quality smoked meats to be found. Southern California pitmasters have to deal with stringent air quality standards and often difficult permitting processes, but once set up, there’s no reason why the barbecue can’t be as good as the best in Austin or Dallas. Those places certainly have a deep, decades-long tradition of barbecue with hundreds of practitioners, but I would submit any of my favorite places in Los Angeles as top-tier. Don’t just take my word for it, even famed Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn has praised these restaurants. Here are my favorite barbecue places to try around town.
Why you should trust me: My first taste of great barbecue came from a trip to Tulsa at the age of 12, but throughout my adult life, the biggest impressions came from Texas Hill Country. I’ve been on multiple excursions throughout central Texas to try Snow’s, Kreuz Market, Smitty’s Market, Louie Mueller’s, Black’s Barbecue, and the Salt Lick. In Austin, I’ve waited hours for Franklin and La Barbecue, picked at hulking beef ribs at Micklethwait, wolfed down brisket kolaches at Kerlin, and shared brisket tacos from Valentina’s. And in Dallas, I’ve tried Cattleack and Pecan Lodge while I recently took a trip to Memphis for Central and Cozy Corner. I like to go far and wide to try the best and will often lug dozens of pounds of barbecue back to Los Angeles so I can share with friends. I know I still have a lot of barbecue to try across the country, but I am obsessed with the food, and even try to smoke meats in my backyard as often as possible.
Waiting for barbecue at Snow’s in Lexington, Texas in 2015. Matthew Kang
The counter at Snow’s BBQ in Texas in 2015. Matthew Kang
The overall favorite: Moo’s Craft Barbecue in Lincoln Heights
Meats and more from Moo’s Craft Barbecue in Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles. Matthew Kang
In 2021, Andrew and Michelle Muñoz’s longtime pop-up Moo’s Craft Barbecue established a permanent home in Lincoln Heights, capturing a casual blend of walk-up-style Texas barbecue sprinkled with a good dose of California and Mexican flavor. Their brisket is irreproachable, balanced with juiciness and heavy oak smoke flavor without being overwhelming. Ribs, turkey breast, and jalapeño cheddar sausages are also fantastic, everything smoked to a high-level of detail in large pit smokers in the back.
What I especially enjoy about Moo’s is the sides, like esquites, tangy and crunchy coleslaw, and saucy brisket beans. Andrew takes on LA-style flavors with the Korean barbecue pork belly burnt ends, which tug at my Korean heart with a balance of sweetness and rich smokiness. Sitting out on the patio with a dozen friends, diving into the Muñozs’ barbecue with my hands, and experiencing all of it together, I feel an incredible amount of comfort and joy. Michelle especially brings a welcome level of service to the barbecue experience that’s rare in the mostly male arena. A meal here is the exact kind of seasoning, smoke, and creativity that Moo’s brings to every tray, and what makes this place a world-class barbecue destination.
Worth a journey and a wait: Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano
Smoked meats, brisket, chicken, sides, and beef rib at Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano. Stan Lee
It was very difficult to make a choice between Moo’s Craft Barbecue and Heritage Barbecue, Daniel Castillo’s immense smoked meat destination down in San Juan Capistrano. The drive down takes about an hour for most Angelenos, and probably even half that for those living in the more densely populated parts of Orange County. Once there, Heritage captures the feeling of Austin, its mostly outdoor seating sprawled across a skinny plot of land, the big steel smokers billowing out wood aromas throughout the morning. Folks line up for hours just like in Texas, marinating in the smoke while they work up an appetite. Yet instead of cattle auctions or warehouses (like at Snow’s in Lexington), there’s a historic California mission across the street, its church bells ringing right when Heritage opens at 11 a.m.
Castillo and his team’s prowess with the smoker is evident with the entire array of the dishes at Heritage of which there are something like 19 depending on how you count. The smoked meats are much more diverse than what one would find in Texas, including whole smoked chicken, maple-glazed pork ribs, and even tri-tip, something more associated with Central California/Santa Maria-style barbecue. Depending on the day, char siu pork belly, whole beef ribs, and a burger will show up as specials. Across the board, Heritage’s meats are amazing, deeply smoky, highly peppered, and well-seasoned. Close your eyes, and the brisket is as luscious and evocative as the best in Texas. The beef rib doesn’t reach the heights of say, Black’s Barbecue in Lockhart, but it is also terrific. Instead of turkey breast, it’s nice to see chicken here for non-red-meat eaters, and the heavy herb seasoning balances nicely with the smoke.
The sides are also highly complementary, like Korean-style chile pickles that would please a grandmother (kimchi and American food usually spooks me out but it really works here). The spiral macaroni and cheese is dense and salty and hearty beans almost look like Texas chili until you look at the actual cheese-topped chili, rich enough to feed a trucker for an entire day. Queso comes with crisp tortilla chips, while a peach and cherry tomato salad brings a welcome summery freshness. Castillo and the kitchen go absolutely beyond the call to create a meal brimming with excellence, so it’s not hard to imagine why he was a 2025 James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: California. Will Heritage eventually join the four Michelin-starred barbecue spots in Texas (LeRoy & Lewis, Interstellar, La Barbecue, and Corkscrew)? I definitely think it should.
Another excellent spot for Texas-style barbecue: Ray’s Barbecue in Huntington Park
Smoked meats and sides from Ray’s Barbecue. Matthew Kang
Ray Ramirez was one of the most consummate hospitality professionals I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Prior to his untimely death in 2022, he served my wife and I an ample tray of Texas-style brisket, ribs, sausage, and pulled pork. His sides of macaroni and cheese, vinegary coleslaw, and potato salad were great but I most loved the Salvadoran-inflected rice and beans studded with bits of meat. Ramirez left behind an amazing legacy of working-class barbecue in the heart of Huntington Park, a neighborhood just south of Vernon set in the middle of an industrial zone. His two sons Raul and Sebastian along with his wife Anabell, continue his work serving barbecue worthy of Texas Monthly’s Vaughn.
A recent visit confirmed my first experience. The brisket here is juicy and well-smoked while the ribs are competition-level. The well-browned jalapeño cheddar sausage is also delightful. The damp coleslaw still conjures pupusa-style curtido, while the seasoned rice remains difficult to stop eating. Ramirez taught his sons well, and Ray’s continues to be one of the best barbecue places in Los Angeles. Pro tip: out of the top three barbecue spots I selected, Ray’s is the only one open on Tuesdays.
Other excellent barbecue spots around town:
Domestic BBQ in La Puente. Matthew Kang
La Puente (and Covina) barbecue destination Domestic straddles that happy medium between Texas and California, serving well-smoked meats and very good sides like bacon-topped macaroni and cheese. The tri-tip here hews closer to Santa Maria-style, slightly dried out (dip it into the side of jus to re-moisten) but smoky enough, while the brisket will certainly be tender. The ribs were a standalone, as was the extra-long smoked sausage. In all, its very handy barbecue hangout with an impressive craft beer selection for those located in east San Gabriel Valley.
I’ve always enjoyed Bludso’s, a place very conducive to hanging out with friends and catching a ballgame on the screens. Founder Kevin Bludso’s Texas-style barbecue is very consistent, with moderate smoke and high-quality meats. The beef ribs are probably the best overall meat (as they are at most barbecue joints) but the turkey is a nice respite from beef. Smoked wings are another specialty worth trying as an appetizer.
Finding good barbecue in central parts of Los Angeles isn’t always easy. Maple Block Meat Co. has been a reliable place for smoked meats since it opened in Culver City in 2015. Recently, the menu, under the direction of talented pitmaster Rudy Suazo, has taken a turn to Mexican flavors, like brisket tacos, smoked carnitas tortas, esquites, and smoked carne en su jugo, but the main part of the smoked meats leans Texas-style.
Winnie Yee’s distinct Asian-style barbecue comes out of three massive 1,000-gallon smokers and a welcoming cottage in the city of Garden Grove, where fans line up to try the pitmadam’s smoked char siu, crispy siu yuk pork belly, and beef brisket. Yee’s approach aims for balance, with sweetness and smoke interplaying with spice and texture. Her mapo chili will bring on a flavor likely unseen in places like Texas, while spicy cucumber pickles wouldn’t look out of place at a Sichuan restaurant.
Dining and Cooking