Lucille's Smokehouse Bar B Que

This was some of the best BBQ i've had in LA. This and NY BBQ are too good to pass up. Great everything

Pros: EVERYTHING!

I was here on a Saturday night and I met one of my favorite rappers, Chali 2na from Jurassic 5. He was really cool and I think that it made my dinner so much better. The bbq was kicking. I had the pulled pork bbq sandwich which I completely gobbled up. The waitresses were really nice and helpful. Good times here, good times.

Pros: Example: best croissants in town

Cons: What are the drawbacks?

Since moving to southern California we have been looking for a decent BBQ place. This was not it. I am straight from the midwest, where we know what BBQ is. I have eaten BBQ in the Carolinas, Missouri, Texas, and everywhere in between. We tried as much as we could afford... the baby back ribs, BBQ beef ribs, and the brisket.

Both the baby back and the beef ribs were tough and dry, their sauce was at best mediocre. I found myself asking where the hickory smoked flavor was... is the smoker just for looks?! The brisket was by far the biggest disappointment. It was barely edible and we thought about returning it. It tasted like it was boiled in water, it was that bad! In my opinion you can judge a BBQ place by the brisket... Lucille's failed miserably.

The staff was classic California poor, our drinks sat empty for 10-15 minutes.

The sides were also terrible. The BBQ baked beans had some sort of funk to them (and not the good kind). The mac & cheese tasted like rubbery noodles in a yellow playdoh sauce. The baked potato and the sweet potatoes were fine, but then again you can't mess those up too much.

I am writing the review I wish I would have read prior to going to this restaurant, hopefully it wards off some unsuspecting victim who has decent taste in BBQ from visiting this place.

My non-California raised friends and I have sadly developed a new way of describing things... whenever we say something is "good" we now have to follow it with "well for California". Lucille's isn't even good by these new handicapped standards.

Pros: none

Cons: price, taste, people, parking, service, loud, crowded, no AC in most of restaurant

I love their homemade biscuits with apple butter. I hate waiting over 15 minutes for a table. Especially when I have a movie to catch. So I go to the bar, and order anything from the full menu there! If you are on a budget and don't want to spend twenty bucks for Tri Tip, then get the Tri Tip sandwich and you get just enough to be happy, remember you get biscuits as well! If you are not on a diet, please order the bread pudding, it is delicious! Also, their lemonades are thirst quenching! Enjoy!

Pros: Tasty home cooking, southern food. Family style dining for large groups!

Cons: Long waiting time for large groups.

Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ is the best BBQ I have ever tasted. Great food, great prices, and great big portions. I recommed Lucille's for people who like to eat a lot.

Pros: Large portions!

Cons: None

First off let me preface this review by saying that I travel alot for work. Every town I go to, I try their style of BBQ. Texas, Kansas City, etc., I've had them all.

So when I got a recommendation to try this place from a coworker, I figured I would give it a shot.

Started with the fried pickles, which were decent, but not like the average pickle chips you find at other places (these were spears). After my appetizer, the waitress was telling me a bit about the restaurant, showed me the smoker, at which point I should've been concerned. It looked like an industrial unit with diamond-plating, & more of something to add some bling to the restaurant, rather than smoke to the meat. She also pointed out the sauces, of which I tried all 3 without meat. The original tasted like pure molasses, the hot only had a small hint of spice, and the Memphis style had a good vinegar taste (which isn't my style).

For lunch I ordered a combo meal, which included ribs, tri-tip, and I added a side order of pulled pork (because how can you judge good bbq without trying the pulled pork). My thoughts on all 3 below:

Tri-tip - Decent smoke ring, but no smoky taste. Meat was fairly tender but a bit too "wet". No black skin like you would typically expect with good bbq. Probably the best of the 3 meats.

Ribs - Definitely not cooked long enough. The outside had a nice skin, but the meat was not fall off the bone tender like you get at a real bbq place. Like the tri-tip, you could not taste the hickory (which I assumed they used since I did see a pile sitting by the smoker).

Pulled pork - Probably the worst pulled pork I have ever had. Absolutely no smoky flavor, no black skin, no spices, nothing. From the looks of it, they had either smoked it briefly, then cooked it in the oven, or it had been sitting out on the counter all day. It was tough and dry, & rates among the worst I've had.

If you're looking for true BBQ flavor, keep looking

Cons: Food

Everytime I am in town, I go to Lucille's. I make sure to not eat for a few hours beforehand.
I love the Strawberry lemonade, the bisuits with honey butter, any appetizer and the combo platter. My friends and I usually share a meal. They give you huge portions. I tried fried pickles and they were actually pretty good. The staff is all very friendly and nice no matter when you go. I always try and bring new people here and they always seem to enjoy it.

Pros: everything

Cons: mall parking

This is NOT REAL BBQ. If you like mediocre food and a nice, clean, homogonized environment is the most important aspect then this is the place for you.

The story they put on the walls on this place is a lie (just ask 'which Greenville' they are talking about) and it's just another chain from someone who doesn't know what is important about bbq.

BBQ is uniquely American. Things that attempt to homogonize it should be avoided at all costs. This place puts mustard on a pulled pork sandwich. THAT's so WRONG!! This is just one example of the homogonization that's attempted at this place.

PLEASE go to a family-owned restaurant for bbq in which the owners know bbq and attempt to make it in a style that actually means something. Memphis, Texas, Alabama, North Carolina, Kansas City all have different thoughts on bbq and there's reasons (the influence of immigrants, historically african american fare and regional availability are a few). The fact that this place has no influence ('Southern Style' is so vague it's ridiculous) should be a huge red flag to you.

I urge you to spend your hard earned dollar in a place that is trying to give some respect to the origins and nature of bbq. This place is below average -- it's not the kind of place that deserves to be mentioned anything other than what it is -- Chili's for BBQ..

Pros: None.

Cons: Expensive, not authentic, trying to be something it's not.

Lucille's has some of the best bbq in town. They give you a lot of food for what you pay, which isn't expensive. Make sure that when you go, you go with an empty stomach because you will be full for days after you eat here.

Pros: Food, ambience, beer

I understand the complaints about service. I think they are unfounded, but I understand where they come from. Basically, if you go to Lucilles on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night after 5pm you should expect a VERY long wait. Also, if you have a large group and choose to go during peak hours, expect that you might not get seated at all. If one of these applies to you, you might want to reconsider your negative review.

That said, the wait staff at Lucilles generally works very hard and are pleasant people.

Now onto the food. The BBQ here is simply amazing. The only other place I know of that slow cooks their food to this extent in Los Angeles area is Chris & Pitts, which does not use the same quality of meat that Lucilles does. This is BBQ the way it is supposed to be. The slow cooking process leaves the meat tender and with a real smokey flavor all the way through. I really recommend trying the ribs "dry" sometime....just the cooking flavor and the spices. It is delicious. My favorite meal here is the glazed pork chops. They are slow cooked for 2 hours and then finished on the grill. Absolutely tender, and the glaze is perfectly sweet. The meal is expensive(~$20), but is enough for two meals...and I'm a big guy. It comes with yummy sweet potato pancakes and cinnamon apples.

I also really love the corn on the cob they serve. My family is huge fans of the slaw.

Pros: The food!

Cons: Long weekend waits

I was definately surprised by the taste of the food. Great BBQ. You get a lot of food, the service is good, and the food is not too expensive. Can't ask for more. The only downfall is that it takes about 40 minutes to be seated (can vary). THe BBQ sauce hits the spot.

If you go as a group of 6 people, they have a fixed menu that has chicken, ribs and side orders for a really good price.

Pros: good food, good price, good service

Cons: no reservations

I've been going to Lucille's in Long beach Town Center since it opened. I love to the tritip and also catfish sandwich. Great food, ample portions and great service keep bringing me back. I also frequent the one on Second street in Belmont shore.

Pros: Flavor, serving size, service

Cons: crowded, size of the fries

I don't like ribs or other large grilled meats, but I love this place. Their BBQ chicken sandwich is great -- for $10, you get a huge sandwich, an ear of corn, and a large serving of mashed potatoes.

Also, you get complimentary biscuits with apple butter -- your table will be fighting over this, it's THAT good.

Waits for dinner on a Saturday night are about 2-3 hours, so get there early (or late).

Pros: Hearty, Nice Atmosphere, Live music

Cons: , A bit pricey ($10+)

this is my first time trying Lucille's bbq w/ a group of friends from work, and i was pretty satisfied w/ the food & the service. we had about 15 ppl in our party, and the server did a pretty good job on us w/ the tremendous demand of us. i saw the other reviews complaining about the food being overpriced. my point of view is that these portions are not quite for 1 person but 2 at a minimum. my bf & i order a platter to share, and it was more than enough for the both of us. i would definitely recommend this to my friends, and i'll visit again so i can try other dishes.

Pros: food, service, big portion

I have tried BBQ Beef Ribs at all the competition. These are second only to homemade Ribs. Try the sauces on the table if you like it spicier. The best so far!!!! BBQ BEEF RIBS MY FAVORITE. Although my Fiance' likes the Tri Tip he's doesn't like ribs of any kind from anywhere. We do all our family Birthdays there.

Pros: Great Food, Large Portions, Excellent Drinks

I don't really understand the bad reviews. I guess people want to deter you from going so they don't have to wait for a table. The food is great, our server was good, and the food was awesome. It's a little pricey, but still a good deal for the amount of food you get. The wait is pretty silly; when I went with a party of four, the wait just to get on the wait list was 1:45hr. So, we sat in the bar and ate there, where there wasn't a wait. If you live close enough, take out is probably the best bet. Definitely recommend. Best BBQ I've had in SoCal

Pros: Food

I think this place is way over-rated. The atmosphere is decent but the food is the downfall. Over priced, over-rated & over cooked. I ordered my tri-tip medium rare & it was like shoe leather. Over cooked & not good. The sides were no better. If you want good barbeque go to any of the Johnnie Rebs. They know BBQ.

Cons: , Over priced, Over rated

The food here was great, but the service was downright lackluster. The servers seemed to care less whether we enjoyed our meal or not. Also, they didn't have the dessert we wanted, but we had to wait 20 mins before they bothered to tell us. We missed a movie because our server never came back to our table, and when we tried to take our money up front to pay, the hostess told us we "had" to wait for our waiter. We told her "No, we do not" and handed her the money and walked out. They didn't seem to realize there are other barbeque places in town.

Pros: Food

Cons: Service, ambiance

The food was good and the service was also good..I was part of a group of 12 so that can really take it's toll on a server... Too bad it is a chain and that can only mean that not all of the locations are as good or as well managed..I will go back again..I went to the Brea location!!

Pros: Good Food, Good Service

Cons: None

Checked it out Friday Nite. Place looks pretty good. Nothing really authentic. All the signs are replicas.
Sauces are average at best. What struck me hardest is that is place is expensive. $21-22 for baby back ribs is the most expensive in L.A. Sides are O.K. but not great. Tri-tip-brisket was dry, tough. To me it's just an over-hyped restaurant. I much prefered the consistent meals at Hof's Hut before they converted it to this wanna-be barbeque place. There are better family oriented BBQ joints listed on citysearch.com. Take a pass here.

Pros: decor?, good parking.

Cons: overpriced, overhyped, ribs nothing special

I had my first visit to Lucille's this past weekend and i have to say more good things about the place than bad. The wait and the parking are the only bad points, but it is worth the wait if you stay. We had a very helpful young lady who keep our party of 11 people very happy though out the eveing. The food is top notch a far as Bar B Que goes. I promise you you will have a lot of left overs. So I do plan on returning with a few of my friend's to share this restaurant with them.

Pros: Food, service, eye candy

Cons: parking, wait

Lucille's Smokehouse is new to B. Shores taking Hof's Hut's place on the corner. It has a feel of a mid-range chain restaurant busy with little artifacts and other souvenirs. The food is mundane with little to offer anyone who loves BBQ. It lacks any deep smoky flavor and the sauce has an artificial flavor thats distracting. I suppose if one needs a "tourist" experience with some forgettable mundane BBQ, Lucilles would fit the bill. Having it on any list of "best" restaurants would make one immediately question anything else on the list.

Pros: nice area

Cons: mediocre food, tourist atmosphere

While so many restaurants give you the same ol thing, Lucille's truly offers something different and refreshing. The menu is large enough that anyone can find something appetizing, and so many of the items are original AND tasty. An excellant dining experiece. Usually a wait, but not too long.
The decor and ambience actually are fabulous.

Pros: originality

Cons: short wait

The worst dining experience of my life. The staff are poorly trained, and the management lacks experience and maturity. The server was rude and non attentive to our needs; a member of management was provocative, threatening and argumentattive. Who cares about the food in such an unprofessional establishment. Our dining experience was destroyed before any food arrived at our table. Reservations are not accepted after 4:00pm. I will never return and suggest you stay away from this restaurant!

I have been to this restaurant on a few occasions and I feel that the food is top notch Barbecue. I rarely like eating barbeque because its high in fat, but for this place I will make an exception. The meat is fork tender and they put all of their meats in a smoker which allows for them to all have a unique flavor. My one compliant is that about half the times I have been the service has been poor. Only come to this place if you have atleast an hour to burn. But you will be in for a treat if you do have that hour.

IF I WHERE TO DIE AND EAT BBQ IN HEAVEN, THIS WOULD BE IT! IF YOU HAVN'T BEEN TO LUCILLES, YOU HAVN'T HAD BBQ. THE DECORE IS SO SOUTHERN AND MATCHES THE STYLE AND FOOD SO PERFECT. WHEN EVER MY FRIEND COMES IN FROM NEW ORLEANS, HE BEGS ME TO GO HERE, AS IF THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE IT IN NEW ORLEANS... THE SERVICE IS TOP NOTCH AND THE FOOD OUT DOES ANY BBQ PLACE ON EARTH... DON'T BELIEVE ME? TRY IT FOR YOURSELF.... AND YOU WILL BE DONE, HOOKED LIKE A BAD HABBIT!!! THE BEST A+++ NONE BETTER.

Pros: EVERYTHING

Cons: NOTHING

The Lucille's in Carson is good! But for some reason the Lucille's in Belmont Shores on 2nd street is better! The service seems a little more friendly and the food has a taste one notch above the others.

Went to the new Lucille's in Belmont Shores. Loved it! Wonderful decor, very friendly service and great food! Robert, our server was extremely friendly and attentive.

I'm from Texas and I know Bar-B-Que! Still not sure what part of the cow is Tri-Tip (never heard of it) but the tri-tip sandwich was excellent, as well as the pulled-pork. Only nagging question is: WHERE'S THE BRISKET?

Pros: Great service, Great food, Great atmosphere

Cons: NO BRISKET, NO BRISKET, NO BRISKET

Lucille's offers great southern BBQ and reasonable prices. The service is almost always fast and friendly.

Pros: A lot of food, Reasonable price, Live Bands

Cons: Always a wait

Lucille's is the bombay. It should be number 1, but it's all good. I am super so bummed cuz I live in NYC now so I can't go. I use to eat that stuff everday with Lisa. The tri-tip sandwich is off the grill fo'sheezy. Lucille's is big blingin.

Great Food and great atmosphere. whenever I get the chance to eat at Lucille's I never pass it up...

NO ONE makes ribs or Mint Julips better. Everything we've had we have loved. Drinks are big and strong, meat is cooked and basted for 5 hours in their own sauce. No competition, including Mama's Fish house in Maui. Huge portions at very reasonable prices. Crappy parking.

This IS BBQ!

This is also the best side dishes and strawberry lemonade served in a mason jar anywhere!

Pros: EVERYTHING is great!

Cons: Clear down in L.B.!

Have not had a bad meal here ever. The Tri-tip is out of this world. Serving portions are huge-you will take home a doggie bag. Hot food is hot and cold food is cold - like it should be. The only "ding" I have to make is that the wait to get seated on weekend evening's can be long - and also to a lesser degree during the week. Also, this restaurant is located in the new Long Beach Towne Center - parking and traffic engineering is attrocious

Pros: Food, Service, Ambience

Cons: Long wait on weekends, parking

The tri-tip vegetable soup was so hearty. The ribs were all tender, almost falling off the bones tender. Awesome sauce. The chicken was juicy and perfect too! Great salads. . . especially since I'm not a salad person. . . as for the bread. . . YUMMM!! especially with that awesome sweet butter. Must also get the sweet tea.

Pros: Good parking, Great food, Good value

Cons: Slow service

Tried tghis place in part due to the reviews read here. Must agree with Frankenberry, as we did not understand what all the hollering is about - average food, average establishment and service. OK, but no big deal - there is better BBQ out there, no doubt about it.

I have been a loyal customer for a little over a year now and I must say that this has to be the best BBQ place near me with 25 miles. I have gotten everyone I know to try this place and they have also enjoyed it so much, that they have spread the word. It is a must to have thier beef ribs and do not leave without trying their hot wings - beware, for they are exactly what they are "HOT".

Had the Rack of RIBS...mmmmm great took half home for the ball game the next day..great portions fast friendly service..and the drinks are served in Ball mason jars for that "extra" Would recommend for anyone! Make it a stop!!

Pros: Good Parking, Customer Service, great atmosphere

Great food, very authentic for chain restaurant style dining. The seating is a little tight but the atmosphere resembles a large family function rather than a busy diner.
The service is friendly, courteous, and as polite as one might expect from southern dining. Plenty of staph on hand to see to the needs of all the patrons.

Pros: Menu, Service, Food

Cons: Seating / Proximity

This good ol' fasion bar b que and smoke house is the best I have had in the Southbay. It is as close to a "Sunday" picnic as you can get without the ants. If you like beef go for the Tritip and if not try the chicken both are large enough for two but make you stingy enough to eat it all. A delightful place for family and friends, and if you love jazz this place is a must.

Pros: Full smoke flavor, best Mint Julep, clever decor

Cons: Very busy

Salad was terrible. But both of their highly-touted sauces were disappointing.

Lucille's Smokehouse Bar B Que has excellent food. The portions are huge. I have never ordered desert anytime I have gone there because I am way too full. The tri-tip is so tender it falls off of your fork.

Pros: REALLY good food!, large menu selection, friendly service

Cons: in a mall parking lot, kind of pricey

absolutely the best barbeque aound. a great deal of eefort was put in to making lucille's seem as authentic as possible when it comes to carolina style barbeque.