Western Smokehouse, located off Overland avenue in the Palms district of L.A., is a fun, small, sit-down restaurant with great western decorations and memoribilia. With only 7 tables, the smokehouse is a small joint, and has a very Western country-house feeling. Fake wood and kitchen utensils adorn the wall, while cowboy hats hang from the ceiling. It definitely is not a fancy restaurant, by any means, and is more of a lunch spot than a dinner joint.
The food was very good. Not quite "straight outta Texas" standards, but definitely impressive for an L.A. smokehouse. I was most impressed with the starters and sides than the actual ribs.
For starters, the waitress brought out garlic bread. The bread was soft, warm, and very buttery. Next, she brought out fried shoe-string onions with a spicy ranch sauce. These were to die for. The strings were so thin and crispy, and the batter had many spices.
Next, she brought out the pork ribs and pork sausage with mashed potatoes. The ribs were so tender, they fell right off the bone. However, they probably were cooked too long, because the meat was a little dry. The sausage was great, spicy and moist. The potatoes were fluffy, buttery and tasted fabulous with Western Smokehouse's signature spicy sauce drizzled on top.
The sauce definitely made the trip worthwhile. They offered two sauces: Western Smokehouse regular, and Western Smokehouse Spicy. Both were fabulous. The regular still had a lot of kick, and was pretty sweet and tangy. I personally preferred the spicy sauce, because I am a fan of heat.
All and all, Western Smokehouse is a place worth checking out. It is a great place to stop and pick up a very casual b.b.q. lunch, in a decent
neighborhood, at reasonable prices. I'd pick up some Western Smokehouse B.B.Q sauces to go, because they are available for purchase and are really, really good.
Western Smokehouse
10640 Woodbine St @ Overland, Los Angeles, CA, 90034
Tel: (310) 837-3544