Baby Blues BBQ
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Baby Blues BBQ Catering |

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AUDIO RECORDING
Andy from Memphis - Blackened Catfish Sandwich

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Quite Possibly the Best BBQ Ribs Ever

I think I’m in love. The Memphis style ribs at this little BBQ joint simply blew me away, with their combo of dry and wet rub. I enjoy wet and dry styles of BBQ, so this is the best of both worlds. Surprisingly, this place is in LA!

The place is called Baby Blue BBQ (www.babybluesbarbq.com). If you come here, come early. We barely beat the dinner rush on a Saturday night by showing up at 6:00 PM. And we still had to wait for 15 minutes. A few minutes later, the line was out the door. The place is small and occupies an odd shaped corner spot on Lincoln Blvd., and you can either pull up a seat at the bar or in the dining room on the other side.

I shared the “Memphis Queen” plate (1/2 rack each of Memphis & Baby Back ribs, plus sides) with my husband and it was more than enough food for the both of us. Their style is a nice fat St. Louis style cub pork rib with the chewy rib tips left on. I prefer this cut over the baby backs, because I think the Baby Backs are just too soft. I like a variety of texture on my meat! But their Baby Back ribs are mighty fine as well.

The dry rub really penetrates the meat and gives it great flavor down to the bone. The wet sauce is mopped on at the end and caramelizes, giving it a slightly sweet and tangy finish. It’s a tomato based sauce with a balance between salty, sweet and tangy. Nothing overpowers the senses, unlike the cloyingly sweet ribs you generally find at chain restaurants.

Each table has two versions of a hot sauce, made in-house daily. One was “hot” and the other was called “XXX DANGER”. I think I have developed an abnormal tolerance for spicy food, because I really didn’t think the XXX version was unbearable.

Single guys will also enjoy coming here for the other “meat”, the ridiculously hot women that waitress here. Seriously, every single girl was so beautiful. Obviously, this is not your average BBQ joint. Our waitress insisted that we try the jumbo grilled tiger shrimp with remoulaude sauce, so she brought out a few on the house. The shrimps were huge and very fresh, with that juicy “snap” when you bite in. I will definitely order these next time.

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Another great thing about this place is that the owners seem like down to earth guys that do their fare share of hustle in the kitchen, all while drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon. They have an awesome restaurant and I’ll definitely be coming back here again.

Monica
Quite Possibly the Best BBQ Ribs Ever
Guide 2 The Good Life |
February 20, 2008

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This was my second time here and I really like the pulled pork sandwich. I lived in the piedmont triad area of NC for two years and ate a lot of pulled pork. Frankly, I never expected to have good pulled pork after I left NC -- this place is a treat. Chowhound 2 |

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Guy Fieri - Baby Blues BBQ video on QuickTime 7 | Windows Media .wmv | Blip TV | Videos |

BBQ Reviews

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2008 ChowHound

-- http://la.foodblogging.com/2006/10/24/i-want-my-baby-blues-baby-blues/ |

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Chowhound 2007 | Food & Dining | Yelp | Calendarlive | Hollywood | Zagat |

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2007

"Finally a decent BBQ joint in LA. Went there for the first time today, and I"m in love! I'll definitely be back to try the ribs, but tonight I had the pulled pork sandwich and it was great. Very hard to find that in LA, and it was soo good!  The mac and cheese is to die for and will probably kill your diet, but its worth it.  The place is small and it was packed, but its got a real comfortable southern vibe so I felt right at home. Football on the TV and friendly staff/customers makes for a great dining experience!" - Megan

"If you are looking for some true Southern BBQ without all the bells and whistles, this is it!  Baby Blues has incredible bbq meats along with amazing sides. The sides could be a little biggggger but that's probably for our own good. Oink Oink. The place can get a little cramped seeing as it's not too big. They are working on their liquor license but after eating you're too full to drink anyway. My favorites, pulled pork and mac and cheese.  Oh, great key lime pie too! - Kris

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BBQ Reviews 2005

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BBQ Junkie | Foodblogging | 

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LA Times Calendar Live Review |

Baby Blues Bar-B-Q looks more like an art gallery than a Southern barbecue place. But that's exactly what it is, and a terrific one, at that.

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Evan Kleiman - Marina McLeod

Good Food: Your weekly treat from Evan Kleiman. By tuning in to Good Food, you can discover delicious recipes, great restaurants, and unique places to buy authentic ingredients; find out how to prepare the newest foods in the marketplace; learn techniques of master chefs and ideas for novices; and listen to discussions about food politics and the latest trends in food and eating.

Baby Blues BBQ
Jimmy Peterson and his partner Danny Fischer
of BabyBlues BBQ serves up Carolina-style Q in Venice.

They are serving up slow smoked southern style barbecue at their restaurant Baby Blues BBQ in Venice. They have specialties with fun names like the "Get Down Miss Brown" pulled pork plate, and "Ace in the Sleeve" Ribs, Catfish, and Shrimp. People are saying that their side dishes which are made fresh in-house daily are as good as their famous ribs. Mmm, mmm, mmm. Maybe them is fighting words.

Baby Blues BBQ
444 Lincoln Blvd, Venice CA 90291
Tel: 310 396-7675 • 310 396-7675

 
BABY BLUES BBQ
444 Lincoln Boulevard at Sunset

Venice has a new restaurant called Baby Blues BBQ. Only open for 10 weeks, they have already been reviewed in the L.A. Times and deemed the "hottest new restaurant on the Westside" by food critics...

When we got there the dining room (about 10 tables) was filled to capacity, but our friends, Phil and Roberta already had seats at the counter in the front room that offered us an opportunity to talk to the owners.

They are Danny Fischer (from Philly) and James Peterson (from North Carolina) who had worked together in restaurants in New York City and often talked about opening a gourmet BBQ restaurant. They lost touch over the years until James, visiting Los Angeles, went into the old Rib place at this location and saw a "Business For Sale" sign.

He called his old friend Danny on his cell phone (thinking he was still in New York) to see if he was still interested in opening a restaurant. When James asked him if he knew where Venice Beach was, Danny answered I live there. Turns out he lived across the street from Baby Blue's on Sunset. They met two minutes later out in front - both holding cell phones!!! Unbelievable, don't you think? And, extremely lucky for all of us.

Back to the menu:
Phil and Roberta were already sharing a Beer Braised Beef Brisket Sandwich that was served with cole slaw and pickles.

The slaw is finely shredded, relatively dry and lightly seasoned - a refreshing compliment to the BarBQ fare.

They then shared the "Memphis Queen," a platter of 1/2 baby and 1/2 Memphis ribs with two fixins of "sweet mash" (sweet potatoes) and creamed spinach. The "sweet mash" is not the sickening syrupy kind you have at your aunt's Thanksgiving table. This one tastes naturally like sweet potatoes but mashed to a delicate texture. The creamed spinach is not overpowered with cream, so you can taste the fresh spinach. The entree was so large they took some of the ribs home.

Rick ordered the Beer Braised Beef Brisket Plate. The huge portion of beef was shredded and completely coated with the best BarBQ sauce, ever. His two fixins were mac n' cheese, very creamy and cheesy with breadcrumbs to add crunch; and, collard greens. Again, the greens had not been languishing on a steam table, they had that sauteed to order flavor of real greens.

On their calling card, Baby Blues BBQ says, "Hey, if you're not supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat? (Vegetarians welcome)."

There is a four side special that allows a mixture of great non-meat items. All veggie lovers also will appreciate the real taste of greens here.

I ordered the Marion County BarBQ Chicken. It was recommended by Danny, who said it was roasted with spices and I could put BarBQ sauce on it to taste. He was right. The roasted skin was crispy and the meat was perfect - just moist enough. After a few bites, I had to try it with the BarBQ sauce that is in large bottles along the counter.

The sauce was so good.

They also have a "hot" BarBQ sauce that is tangy but not really hot. Danny said it ís because of a bit of vinegar added. Really makes an interesting flavor with the chicken.

My 2 fixins were creamed spinach and Pork n' Beans. Their beans are a mixture of black and pinto with just enough brown sugar and a lot of shredded pork on the top. Unbelievable.

These plates and platters come with cornbread that is crusty outside and moist inside with some corn kernels baked in it. We all agreed - truly perfect.

For dessert we all shared a piece of Key Lime Pie. This was so good but you better hurry since Key Limes are seasonal. The pie had a very thin graham cracker crust and the filling was sharp and sweet.

We hear that their Banana Pudding is terrific but they were sold out of it, which apparently happens every night. So next time, I'll order it first!

Baby Blues BBQ redid the kitchen in all stainless and added a blue tile counter that seats 6. The dining room has been full since they opened. Even better, Danny says they will start delivering -- 310-396-7675. Venice is such a great place.

Hopefully, Baby Blues BBQ will be the beginning of the rebuilding of Lincoln Boulevard. And not a moment too soon.

And the best news: They are open 'till 10PM school nights and midnight on Friday and Saturday night!

-- Venice Watchdog Review |

Tonight I was supposed to write "Part 2  -- Types of Restaurants" but my mind is elsewhere -- on a little three-month old restaurant called Baby Blues.

I'm in love with the joint for so many reasons not the least of which is the home-cooked food.

I had a big slab 'o dry-rubbed baby backs with sweet mash 'n heavenly beans ($15.95).

My friend ordered the "Mason Dixon" 1/2 ribs, 1/4 chicken, beans and slaw ($18.95) with choice of Memphis long bones or baby-backs.

Their portions are hefty served on a large oval platter. My only misgiving was ordering the banana cream pudding (which was almost entirely whipped cream with few bananas).

Their choice of music (authentic blues),
unpretentious ambience -- read: hole-in-the-wall without the holes --
and Southern-style hospitality was just to my liking.

One of the owner-chef's, Danny, came to our table to be sure my friend and I got a taste of the pulled pork ~ Omigod, I think he said they slow-cook it for 16 hours? As stuffed as I was (and I was), it goes down easy. It's tender 'n succulent shreds of meat and oh, so flavorful.

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I want to run back soon for lunch for one of their Carolina pulled pork sandwiches topped with slaw $7.

We brought our own bottle of chilled Champagne (actually sparkling white wine from Washington) and our own glassware, and that had the place buzzing.

"Look what they're drinking...
Is it good with BBQ?"

"No," I replied.
"It's fantabulous."

Just the right effervescence and light flavor that is the perfect marriage with "Q."

It puts beer to shame!

Danny is a natural-born restauranteur --  filled with love and enthusiasm for his food and he genuinely likes people. That's something you can't fake.

I'll be back. I'll take friends. I'll sing their praises through e-mail.

I left with a doggie bag in hand for lunch tomorrow... mmm, lucky me!

Baby Blue's Bar-B-Q
444 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, CA (310) 396-7675
Real people serving really good food.

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March 20, 2005

Hi ya James & Danny. Thanks for the reminder! I need to come in again to E.A.T. Oh, also, pretty cool Web site ya got there. I like the audio and the sandwich pic! Wow!!

Best regards,

Deni who was "Side-tracked by BBQ"

"Side-tracked by BBQ"
Deni Mosser
Review: http://restaurant-design.blogspot.com/ |
Info: http://www.blogger.com/profile/6352996 |
Deni Mosser Design: http://MosserDesign.net/ | onRobertson | 

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BBQ Reviews 2004

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12-23-04 • Los Angeles City Beat |

 
OH THOSE BABY BLUES
Everyone -- including us -- loves this new North Carolina barbecue joint
~ By RICHARD FOSS ~

Lately, it seems like everybody I’ve talked to had to tell me about Baby Blues Barbecue. People called to rave about the ribs, the corn muffins, the collard greens.

I got e-mails from friends, strangers, and the Wine Expo newsletter, all extolling the virtues of the place.

On Chowhound.com, the usually contentious food fanatics were singing Baby Blues’ praises in five-part harmony.

Such unanimity is almost frightening.

It raises my hopes to an almost impossible level, and I wonder if any restaurant could actually fulfill such expectations. This seemed unlikely, because Baby Blues specializes in North Carolina barbecue, which is not my favorite style.

North Carolina barbecue isn’t sauced, but rubbed with pepper and other spices, then slow-smoked. It isn’t as spicy or moist as Memphis-style barbecue and often looks burnt. When I first tried it on a trip through the South, I thought a pig had been struck by lightning and the owner had tried to recoup by serving it up.

When I got to Baby Blues, I recognized the former location of 4 J’s Barbecue, a restaurant that started out mediocre and quickly became terrible. I was pleasantly surprised on entering, as the once-dingy room has been spruced up and is now bright and welcoming. The waitress greeted us cheerily and brought iced tea and lemonade while we pored over the menu.

We decided on “The Teaser,” a feast for at least six that costs $84.95 and turned out to be well worth it.

It consists of a rack each of Carolina and Memphis-style ribs, a large chicken, a pound each of pulled pork and brisket, corn muffins, and vast quantities of assorted side dishes. We picked baked beans, cole slaw, creamed spinach, and mashed sweet potatoes, and called some friends who lived nearby to help us eat it.

We needed all the help we could get as the table filled with food.

Side dishes at barbecue joints are often afterthoughts: white bread with beans, maybe some overdone collard greens. The sides here make a credible case for Baby Blues as a vegetarian hangout.

The cole slaw had just the right dash of celery seed to give it a little kick and texture; the sweet potatoes were simply the best I’ve ever had; and I’ll admit a fondness for the creamed whole-leaf spinach.

I am already a fan of cornbread, and these muffins are everything I like about cornbread ? moist and slightly grainy, with chunks of corn and a bit of onion baked in. Baby Blues offers several sandwiches made with the muffins, and I plan to go back and try some.

Due to a mix-up, the kitchen had cooked too much corn on the cob, so our waitress brought one over. It had been shucked and grilled, rubbed with chipotle butter, then sprinkled with cotija cheese. It’s a guaranteed taboo on every known diet, and it tastes simply wonderful.

What about the meat, you ask?

The pulled pork had only a mild smokiness and hardly any spice; it tasted intensely of roast pork and was meltingly tender.

The beef was similar in texture to the pork but had been mixed with a mild, vinegary sauce. It too tasted intensely of meat but little of smoke and spices ? exactly how it is supposed to taste if you come from that part of the country.

Hot, regular, and vinegar sauces are provided, and our companion who grew up in north Georgia said it tasted like home.

I was more enamored of the chicken, which was moist and flavorful, with a lightly crisp skin.

The Memphis-style ribs were even better, the thick, spicy sauce matched by smokiness and meat flavors. The meat came off the bone easily but didn’t fall off, which in my book is the perfect texture.

And the North Carolina ribs?

I even liked them this time. The texture was still dry compared with the Tennessee ribs, the meat almost flaky, but succulent nevertheless. I prefer the more assertive spicing and richer sauce of the Tennessee ribs, but I’ll happily devour these as a change every once in a while.

After all this, I was in an advanced food coma, but others in our party had to try desserts.

I nibbled a slice of cheesecake, light and creamy but only average, and some chocolate pecan pie that was excellent.

We left with wide smiles, a new appreciation for Southern food, and faith that sometimes when everybody tells you a place is good, it’s true.

Baby Blues is different and wonderful, and if I’m the first person to tell you, I’m glad to pass on the news.

Baby Blues Barbecue
444 Lincoln Blvd. • Venice CA 90291
310 396-7675
Daily 11:30 a.m.- 10 p.m.
Fri.-Sat. until 11:30 p.m.
No alcohol served. Handicap access OK; no parking lot on site.

Baby Blues BBQ -- AOL CITY'S BEST 2007 Barbeque |

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Baby Blues BBQ Home Page |

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Baby Blues BBQ Eatin' Hours

Catering: BabyBluesCatering@yahoo.com |

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Baby Blues BBQ

Baby Blues BBQ: BabyBluesBarBQ.com |

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Baby Blues BBQ Catering |

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Baby Blues BBQ