Barbecue in Venice?:

Alex and I wanted to get some barbecue last week. We were debating between Baby Blues in Venice or Bludso’s in Compton. Bludso’s was going to be a trek, so we decided on Baby Blues. Barbecue is something I cherish. I love it in all styles; from Texas, Memphis, the Carolinas, or Kansas City. But Venice? I would prefer if Baby Blues mastered one region’s style of barbecue, rather than tackle the whole country and do okay. I ordered the brisket with a side of collard greens, pork beans, and a hot link. Alex got the brisket with pork beans, mashed sweet potatoes, and half a barbecue chicken.

-Brisket - More like a pulled pork. I liked it but was missing the smokiness that brisket from Texas does so well. I had to use the sauce.

-Collard Greens: The key to greens for me is pork. I want half the serving to be greens and the other half bacon. These were more like 75/25, which is more realistic.

-Pork Beans: Literally a scoop of pulled pork on top of some baked beans. The beans were not baked with molasses and brown sugar which was a disappointment. The pork on top saved the whole thing.

-Hot Link: Wish I had room for another one of these. Charred to perfection on the outside with a nice spicy kick on the inside.

-Mashed Sweet Potatoes: A serious amount of maple syrup or something in these. Heaven. A must.

-Barbecued Chicken: Barbecued chicken is always risky because it can turn out so dry. They cooked this bird a little too long. A few minutes less and it would have been great.

Baby Blues satisfied my hankering for barbecue, but this can’t be the best Los Angeles has to offer. I am going to do some more research before I make a return to Baby Blues. Next time I do go, I will be trying the ribs. They looked good.