barbecue

Famous Dave’s, Long Beach

August 22, 2015 by Ole Leave a Comment

I drove out to Long Beach last weekend to pick up my packet for the Long Beach Triathlon. To thank my youngest son for being my carpool buddy, I took him to his favorite barbecue place… Famous Dave’s.

Famous Dave’s used to be my favorite place for barbecue too, until the bad visits to our local Famous Dave’s locations started to eclipse the good ones.

This was our first visit to Famous Dave’s Long Beach, and it was GREAT.

Unlike our local Famous Dave’s in Riverside, Long Beach still has the checkered tablecloths and all of the sauces on the table.

My son was pleased that he could order chips with his Devil’s Spit burger. For some reason, chips are no longer available at our local Famous Dave’s.

Most importantly to me, the brisket was awesome. Not only could I break it apart with my fork, it was so tender that it actually fell apart. This is the brisket that made Famous Dave’s my favorite BBQ place.

Thank you Famous Dave’s Long Beach for a great visit.

Famous Dave’s – Long Beach
300 S. Pine Dr.
The Pike at Rainbow Harbor
Long Beach, CA

Amazing brisket at Badlands BBQ in Norco

January 3, 2015 by Ole 4 Comments

My first post of 2015 is about one of my favorite subjects… Barbecue. I recently stumbled across Badlands BBQ in Norco, which is located in the spot formerly occupied by Hickory Joe’s Smokehouse.

Before I go on, let me cut to the chase…

Brisket.
Amazing Brisket.
Consistently Amazing Brisket.

While some of the fixtures remain from the Hickory Joe’s days, Badlands has an updated look. I like it much better now.

On my first visit, I tried the triple threat with brisket, baby back ribs and a hot link.

The real star for me was the brisket, which is what I order every time I visit Badlands. The brisket does not disappoint.

Sliced…

or chopped… the brisket is awesome.

Although I’m not a big fan of baby back ribs (I prefer the St. Louis style), the ribs were tender and meaty.

** Update: We went to Badlands a few hours after I posted this. We tried the ribs again, and they were devoured before I could even get a picture. Some of the best ribs I have ever eaten. **

Here’s another picture from a subsequent trip:

Each table has condiments, including two different barbecue sauces: Memphis Magic and Habanero Chipotle. I prefer the Habanero Chipotle, which is a little sweet with a hint of a kick.

There are a variety of sides to choose from, including onion strings, brisket baked beans and jalapeno bacon mac n cheese. For a little extra, you can also order a salad as one of your sides.

Although we haven’t tried everything, there is much more than brisket at Badlands, including…

Wings:

Burgers:

Chicken:

I plan to go back many times.

Badlands BBQ
120 Hidden Valley Pkwy, Suite D
Norco, CA
badlandsbarbecue.com

Opening Day at Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Riverside, CA

November 6, 2014 by Ole 1 Comment

We stopped by the new Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Riverside Plaza for its grand opening today. The line was out the door.

It is not difficult to know why it was (and probably still is) so crowded… the food is great.

I have tried all of the smoked meats at Dickey’s – Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork, Honey Ham, Spicy Cheddar Sauasage (with jalapeno), Polish Sausage, Pork Ribs, Turkey Breast and Chicken – but my favorites are the ribs, spicy sausage and turkey. All of the selections are great, and I really like that they slice the meat right in front of you.

This location is a bit smaller than the one in Eastvale, but the food is just as good.

For more on Dickey’s, check out our other posts:

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit – Coming Soon to Riverside Plaza
Opening Day at Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Eastvale, CA

If you can’t tell, I am a big fan.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
3540 Riverside Plaza Drive, Ste 314
Riverside, CA
951-683-9700

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit – Coming Soon to Riverside Plaza

October 14, 2014 by Ole 1 Comment

I have become a huge fan of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Eastvale. In fact, Dickey’s has overtaken Famous Dave’s as my favorite place for barbecue.

Later this month (hopefully), I will have two Dickey’s locations to choose from… Eastvale and Riverside Plaza. I have heard that the tentative opening date for the new Riverside Plaza location is 10/30/14.

The food at Dickey’s is consistently amazing, and I am looking forward to the grand opening. Here is some of what you can expect:

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
3540 Riverside Plaza Drive, Suite 314
Riverside, CA

Famous Dave’s Riverside – Progress as of 06/28/14

June 29, 2014 by Ole 3 Comments

Famous Dave’s in the Galleria at Tyler as of 06/28/14.

Doesn’t look like it will be a very big place:

Nestled in between Yard House and Robbins Bros:

Famous Dave’s Riverside
3775 Tyler St.
Riverside, CA

Construction Has Begun on Famous Dave’s – Tyler Galleria in Riverside

May 6, 2014 by Ole Leave a Comment

I had the opportunity of becoming the first person to like the new Facebook page of Famous Dave’s in Riverside.

I was very pleased to find the following status update:

Expect to see more updates on this site, because I am looking forward to my favorite brisket being close to home.

Famous Dave’s Riverside
3775 Tyler St.
Riverside, CA
Near the AMC Theaters at the Tyler Galleria

Famous Dave’s Riverside – Coming Soon?
Famous Dave’s – Rancho Cucamonga

Famous Dave’s Riverside – Coming Soon?

January 20, 2014 by Ole 7 Comments

Update 08/30/14: Click here for a preview of Famous Dave’s Riverside.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Could it be true? My favorite barbecue restaurant is coming to Riverside?

Famous Dave’s Riverside… I like the sound of that.

If this sign is any indication, it appears that I will be visiting the Tyler Mall more frequently than ever before:

The sign is in between Robbins Brothers and Yard House:

Although there are currently no doors or windows where this sign is located, there appears to be a vacant spot behind that little sign (according to a map on the Galleria at Tyler’s website):

If you’re not familiar with Famous Dave’s, read our post about the Rancho Cucamonga location (Famous Dave’s – Rancho Cucamonga) or visit www.famousdaves.com.

I am looking forward to my favorite brisket being so close to home.

Famous Dave’s Riverside
3775 Tyler St. # 1B
Riverside, CA

Wood Ranch – Dos Lagos, Corona

November 2, 2013 by Ole 1 Comment

We have been going to Wood Ranch in Dos Lagos since it opened. Not often, but at least a few times each year. This is a nice place, with good food.

These rolls make me wish I never gave up bread. Fresh, hot and delicious. I ate my fair share before I gave them up. Now I have to watch as my family devours them.

You go to Wood Ranch for the meat, but they also have salads. My wife changes it up with chicken and salmon, while I opt for the Caesar.

One of Wood Ranch’s specialties is tri-tip. It is great on its own, but I always preferred the tri-tip sliders.

My new favorite, which has me visiting Wood Ranch more often, is the beef brisket. It is tender, juicy and spiced with a peppery rub.

If you sit in the back, you also get a nice view.

Wood Ranch – Dos Lagos
2785 Lakeshore Drive
Corona, CA
www.woodranch.com

Opening Day at Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Eastvale, CA

September 12, 2013 by Ole Leave a Comment

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Eastvale opened its doors to the public for the first time today. Since I have been impatiently waiting for this place to open, my wife and I gave it a try today. We weren’t alone. The line was out the door.

After only one visit, I am hooked. I can’t even begin to guess how many times I will eat at Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, but I bet it will be a big number.

The meats are awesome, and they are sliced to order. After waiting in line, I placed my order and then watched as my three meats (Beef Brisket, Virginia Style Ham and Spicy Cheddar Sausage) were sliced right in front of me.

I coaxed my wife into ordering her own 3 Meat Plate so that I could steal some (or a lot). She chose the Beef Brisket, Southern Pulled Pork and Marinated Chicken Breast.

So far, the Spicy Cheddar Sausage, Sliced Beef Brisket and Marinated Chicken Breast are my favorites. My wife really enjoyed the Southern Pulled Pork, and we both prefer the Hot N’ Spicy barbecue sauce. The ribs look good too.

The Barbecue Meat Plates come with a roll and two sides. Both of us chose the Jalapeno Beans (AWESOME!) and the Caesar Salad. I don’t eat bread anymore, but my wife said that the roll was very good.

From the three different barbecue sauces that are kept hot to the small cubes of ice that are perfect for munching, I love this place. I think that I will be back many times.