Who knew that the West Side could offer such good b.b.q.? Located on Pico, right off of Bundy drive, in the outskirts of Santa Monica, lies an adorable joint called Mr. Cecil's b.b.q., advertised by a huge sign that reads "RIBS!" I knew I was entering a good place, when I saw a Zagat Rated sign on the front door. The Zagat page read as follows:"Prepare to unbutton your pants at this Oh-My-God rib place." I knew I was in for a treat.
Inside the restaurant feels like a cartoon. Cartoon pigs adorn the glass, the walls and even the ceiling. Along the ceiling they have a procession of cows, pigs, and farm house models. The walls are intended to look like the inside of a farmhouse, with painted bricks in spread throughout. Along the walls, as well, are numerous awards and reviews, such as Zagat, Los Angeles Times, Citysearch and Bon Appetit. From the look of it, this place seemed quite impressive. I couldn't wait to get on to the food...
When the waitress handed out the menu, I was blown away by the amount of catfish offered! I had never had catfish before, so I decided to try their catfish nuggets (deep fried catfish in "nugget" form, served with tartar sauce, as an appetizer. For my main course, I clearly had to order ribs, but I felt like a variation from the typical rib meal, so I ordered a spare-rib sandwich, with b.b.q. sauce and horseradish.
The catfish nuggets were good, they tasted like a lot of miniature fish n' chips. They weren't anything to write home about, but they were good. I had a couple of them, before pushing them aside and saving my appetite for the real food.
Alas, my spare rib sandwich arrived with a side of b.b.q. baked beans arrived. The sandwich was so large, they had to give me a whole separate basket for the fries! I couldn't believe the flavor of the sandwich. The ribs were cooked to complete perfection. They were soft, moist, tender and extremely flavorful. Their homemade barbeque sauce (you can choose between their smoky mesquite or spicy Cajun, I chose the Cajun) and horseradish definitely spiced up the meat, and the toasted poppy-seed bun added a nice balance. The beans were flavorful, and definitely a lot spicier than the previous restaurants I had tried. The fries had a lot of spice too, and were cut long, thick and were fried to a crisp. After that meal, I was stuffed but satisfied with Mr. Cecil's. It's a great hole-in-the-wall, which is obviously recognized by many food critics and magazines. It's a very unpretentious rib shack, whose main incentive is sticking to southern style b.b.q. in every form, including it's decor. For people on a budget, Mr.Cecil's is the way to go. The food is all very reasonable, and the portions are huge. It's a great place to go for late night grub, as well, because it's open until 11 p.m. For those living on the West Side, this is a rib shack you don't want to miss. I will definitely be frequently grabbing lunch here.
12244 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90064 Tel: (310) 442-1550