Zeke's Smokehouse

This Texas girl felt right at home at Zeke's Smokehouse in the Target shopping center on La Brea and Santa Monica, though that may of had something to do with the pictures of Texas hung on the wall. The interior is spacious and clean (it's very clean and white for a bbq shop!) and you seat yourself anywhere you like, or march up to the counter for to go orders. Everything looked great to me and Griffin, but we ended up ordering a mixed rib plate to share with mac n' cheese and potato salad. We were a little worried about sharing the plate, but it was more than enough and we could hardly finish it all. It came with 3 varieties of ribs, the Longhorn beef ribs, and 2 types of pork ribs. The Longhorn ribs were huge, each about the size of a grown man's forearm. They were all really good, but I thought one of the pork ribs were a little dry. I don't know that much about bbq, but I believe those were the Kansas City ribs and they are supposed to be served that way (crazy Kansasites). We tried a bit of all three of Zeke's bbq sauces and the mild and sweet one was by far superior to the smokey and spicy sauces. The potato salad was pretty delightful, despite the small amount of mustard in it and the side of mac n' cheese was definitely worth the $0.96 extra. The mac n' cheese is really on the menu as a house specialty for almost $10, an insane price to pay for mac n' cheese, but they'll give you a little as a side if you ask. Our plate came with Texas toast, which was quite a bit crispier than what Texas toast is supposed to be. Anyone from Texas knows that Texas toast is thick, soft bread a little toasted on the top and smothered in butter. I really wanted to try the hushpuppies with honey butter, even though the price seems a little steep at $6, but we'll have to try it next time. On a separate occasion Griffin and I had Zeke's bbq brisket for sandwiches and it was really tasty! If you choose wisely, you can eat here for $10 a person. It's also notable that they serve beer and even have a couple kinds on tap. Their dessert menu looked a little disappointing and I couldn't believe they didn't have cobbler, so we didn't indulge in any sweets here. If you can eat in under an hour you get free parking!

http://www.zekessmokehouse.com/

As a side note, we totally saw Mr. Rooney's secretary from Ferris Beuhler here. She was rad.

Philipe the Original

Ever wonder who had the great idea of dousing a roast beef sandwich in au jus and thus creating the oh-so-yummy French dip? Search no more! The story of the French dip starts in a two-story downtown LA restaurant with wooden benches and saw-dust covered floors. In 1918, owner Philipe accidentally dropped a French roll into a roasting pan still full of piping hot juices. A policeman in line said he'd still eat the sandwich and returned the next day for another. Philipe's is still making amazing French dipped sandwiches and have expanded their menu a bit. Several short lines form in front of the display case and servers dish out French dipps in beef, turkey, ham, pork, and lamb varieties, available with or without cheese and singlely- or doublely-dipped. My personal favorite is the traditional beef French dip with Swiss, double-dipped. If you are not into French dipped sandwiches I've heard that their chili and stew are also quite delicious and if your sweet tooth is jonesing, they offer about 12 different kinds of pie. One thing to consider before going to Philipes is take cash. They are cash only and while they do have an ATM, you're better off being prepared when you go in, but you shouldn't need more than $10 a person. Once you get your order, you may have to search high and low for a seat at the many picnic tables. One of the most charming things about Philipes is how down-to-Earth it feels, with a make-shift convenience shop in the corner offering candy and cigarettes, just like you would expect a restaurant from the early 1900's to have. Unlike so many restaurants in LA, Philipes does own a parking lot across the street. The parking attendants are always really nice, and the parking is free, so if you have a couple of spare bucks on your way out, I'm sure they'd be more than appreciative of your generosity.

http://www.philippes.com/

Indulge Cafe

After reading several Yelp reviews that raved about the tiny corner burger shop down the street, Griffin and I gave it a shot this weekend. Indulge Cafe, though the name may lead you to think French bakery, is a down home burger joint with an interesting and innovative way to present it's menu. Options include beef burgers, turkey burgers, and veggie burgers, all of which come in 3 oz (petite) or 5 oz (normal) varieties and can be made in a combo with a drink and their oh-so-delicious hand cut, skin-on fries. Turkey and veggie burgers are placed on a whole wheat bun, while the beef burgers are on a traditional white bun. Toppings include onions (can be grilled or raw), pickles, tomato, lettuce, mayo, & mustard. I chose the turkey burger on a wheat bun with Cheddar-jack cheese and grilled onions. While it was one of the best turkey burgers I have ever had, I couldn't help thinking that if I had the sauce from In-N-Out that this burger would damn well be near perfect. I tried a bite of Griffin's beef burger and I have to admit that it was better than the turkey. The meat was so juicy and tender. I thought that the 3 oz. serving would be a little small, similar to a kids meal, but it was plenty for me and the 5 oz. burger looked pretty colossal. Being still pretty new, the place wasn't exactly hopping, but everyone there was really nice and accommodating. Griffin and I were the only customers sitting and eating there, but a few people came in and out in the 30-45 minutes we spent there. It's a really small space, so hopefully they won't get too busy to seat all of their customers soon!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/indulge-cafe-los-angeles