Robin's Wood Fire BBQ & Grill

Although the Beef ribs have always been good, the chicken is always dry; the babyback and pork ribs can range from grand to bland. I can never predict how the meal will turn out, and I've been more often dissappointed than not.

Pros: fun dining atmosphere, reasonably priced

Cons: , very dry chicken

Posted 12/04/04

Sometimes the food is cold and the sauce tastes tinny. Usually, the service is bad. I've had a server bring me the wrong salad dressing because I mispronounced the dressing's name! They can be very slow, and you almost always have to ask for the bread that comes with the food, per the menu. The sauce is usually pretty great and their chicken is awesome. We live right around the corner but have really stopped going there because of the service.

Pros: food, usually, selection

Posted 09/15/04

It's like stepping back to the mid west where they know how to Q the food. The Santa Maria Tri-tip sandwhich almost melts in your mouth. The different sauces add plenty of flavor, too!

When the weather is right, relax out on the patio and enjoy the good cooking

Posted 07/27/04

Robin's has a bumpersticker that says "Ribs Rock at Robin's" - They should have on that says "EVERYTHING Rocks at Robin's". We just found it a few months ago and just can't get enough. Highly recommend the Garbage Can Combo for anyone with a big appetite.

Pros: Variety of Sauces, Great food, Consistent

Cons: , no Bratwurst, No-refill-lemonade

Posted 06/20/04

Visited on Fathers Day and was very impressed. Though very busy, everything seemed to go well. The Hot Links were excellent as were the baby back ribs. The wait was a bit long but well worth it.
We will return. We also like Phillips BBQ & Woody's.
These 3 are the tops in L.A. according to my family.

Pros: Hot Links, Baby Back Ribs, Great Music

Cons: , A bit expensive

Posted 06/19/04

I have been going to Robin's for several years and besides the fact that their BBQ Ribs are THE BEST
they are always consistent. Being a BBQ addict I rate restaurants not only for a one visit great meal, but after several visits I look for consistency.
In my business I take people from out of town for Lunch or dinner very often, so I always make sure that wherever I take them is a truly tested establishment.
Robin's has always made me look like a hero even with my Texas clients.

Pros: Fantastic Food, Easy access, Friendly Staff

Posted 06/17/04

Have been back to Robin's at least once a week & have had some great meals & experiences. We like to dine on the patio. Our server Christo was funny, fast and seemed to like what he was doing. The ribs were very good, tender as advertised. The sides also were very good, especially the pecan cole slaw. We've become weekly regulars & always look forward to our next visit.

Pros: Very good ribs, Great sides, Nice patio

Posted 05/30/04

For starters the wait to get into this place was ridiculous, and it wasnt because there was a line out the door, we asked for patio seating and it took them 15 minutes to set a table and seat us, and the place wasnt even busy. The hostess was rude, the waitress must have been new because she couldnt answer simple menu questions, and our drinks came in dirty glasses. It was embarrassing. We honestly lost our appetite by the time our food got to the table. We wont be going back.

Posted 05/23/04

Our family has been eating at Robin's for years. There is always something for everyone. We go for the Ribs. The best of the best are the baby back ribs. Always tender & always delicious. Service is prompt even when busy. The music is cool, the atmosphere is upbeat and the patio is comfortable. We'll always happily return.

Pros: cool music, ribs, atmosphere

Posted 05/02/04

Was recommended to Robin's by a colleague & was really impressed by the experience. When we walked in we felt a great vibe to the place. The staff was sharp, the blues playing in the backgroud was hot & the BBQ was great. I liked the baby back ribs with the Memphis Red Vinegar BBQ sauce. Kind of tangy, vinegary but not too much. I could still taste the smoke that permeated the meat. The Blueberry cornbread was a treat too. All in all, they did it right at Robin's.

Pros: Baby back ribs, All u can eat nights, real barbeque

Cons: , small wine selection, no senior discount

Posted 04/21/04

My wife & I had a great valentines dinner at Robin's. Though I wouldn't consider it a romantic restaurant at all, our server Christopher made us feel as if we were his only guests. The place was jammed but we weren't rushed. The BBQ was great. We sampled all 4 sauces & agreed that the Mad Dog was our favorite. We ordered the garbage can combo dry to sample all the sauces.The meat was all tender & well smoked. The meat fell off the bones on the baby backs. We recommend it & will return. We've discovered many great places on citisearch.

Pros: Large Portions, Well smoked meats, Exceptional sauces

Cons: , Noisy

Posted 02/13/04

The only good thing about this place was the peanuts on the table that my 3 year old loved. The beer battered onion rings were really greasy with no flavor. My husband had the ribs, he said the meat was ok but the sauce was bad. The hot dog from the kids menu was a jumbo hot dog that was way too big for the bun, I had to cut off 1/3 of it and split it in half before she could eat it. I had the dip sticks (chicken fingers) and a side salad. Dip sticks were bland and greasy. The lettuce in the salad was mostly brown. The lemonade was watery. We were waiting to pay so long we ended up taking the check to the counter and waiting for a manager to take our money. Not worth the money or the drive!

Pros: peanuts to snack on

Cons: bland food, bad service

Posted 12/12/03

We used to eat there 10-15 years ago when it was a pretty innovative coffee shop. We recently rediscovered it as Robin's Woodfire BBQ & what a suprise. They completely changed the place into a wonderful rib joint. Great music, atmosphere and really incredible ribs. The baby back & the beef ribs were well smoked, tender and fell off the bone. The side dishes were excellent especially the pecan cole slaw. We've been back at least 1-2 times weekly.

Pros: Real Smoked BBQ, Fresh Lemonade, Clean Restrooms

Cons: Closed on Monday, No reservations, Very small wine list

Posted 12/08/03

Moved here from Alabama 6 yrs. ago & finally found a "Q" palace like my old haunt, Dreamland in collegetown Alabama. The menu at Robin's is more diverse but it's all good. It was also nice to see a very ethnically diverse staff that seemed to enjoy what they were doing. I'd highly recommend the tender baby back ribs, the spicy links and the beerbattered onion rings. The desserts seemed large enough to split. I like the fact that on every visit I feel like they care that I'm here.

Pros: Ribs & Links, Onion Rings, Atmosphere & decor

Cons: Unheated patio, Closed on Monday

Posted 11/25/03

This place is a BBQ joint. We could smell the hickory smoke out in the parking lot as we arrived. Liked the salted in shell peanuts on the table. Best picks were the baby back ribs, the huge beef ribs, the blue-cheese pecan cole slaw & the blue berry corn bread. Everything was served hot & relatively fast. Bathrooms were very clean. We had no room left for dessert but the Apple Sizzle sounded & looked great. Our server said it's very popular. We had a great experience & will happily return.

Pros: Baby Back Ribs, Blueberry cornbread, Cool Neons & Signs

Cons: No Reservations, Closed on Monday

Posted 11/23/03

Learned about this place from the Best of Citysearch.
First thing, I smelled sweet smoke in the parking lot. Baby back ribs & beef ribs were well smoked.
The blue-cheese pecan coleslaw & the blueberry corn bread were both different and very good. The place has an incredible collection of old beer neons and signs, a good BBQ joint feeling. Music was great but a bit too loud. It was adjusted by mgr. The onion rings were some of the best I've ever had. What I think really made this place great were the sauces. We liked the Mad Dog & the Original best though the Carolina Mustard sauce was quite good. All in all, better than Dr. Hogly Wogly and just as good as Zekes and Lucilles. Good stuff

Pros: Sauces, True smoked BBQ, Blue cheese slaw

Cons: no reservations, closed on Monday, a bit pricey but good

Posted 08/22/03

where the ribs are the best. Robins has the best baby backs that I have had on the west coast. I was very surprised with the atmosphere and the service WAS excellent THANKS to Jess. It is laid back and comfortable and the people are even nice.....Something one doesn't run across too much in southern California. I have been back several times and enjoy other menu items as well. AND Jean makes a GREAT martini!!!

Pros: Service, Relaxed, Value

Cons: Crowded at times

Posted 08/06/03

You gotta try it...Its great! I'm a single mom and living on a budget... So when we go to dinner we are looing for Quailty food, great service and value.. My girls and I love Robin's

Posted 07/30/03

Robin's Woodfire BBQ & Grill Has a great menu ranging from juicy big mouth burgers to great BBQ ribs with a variety of great special sauces. I also enjoy Robins because of there great kids menu with a lot of great choices of foods for the kids. This place has it all including a great family resturaunt

Pros: Good Service, Best BBQ in CA, Great Kids Place

Posted 07/28/03

Best Tri-tip Sandwich I've had since I was little, but when we went back later in the week for a much touted "all you can eat BBQ night" the restaurant door had a notice announcing they were closed. Our server never mentioned they were closed Mondays (even periodically) and neither did their menus or the signs outside. We'd invited out of town family to come sample some great food... We'll try again, but we'll definately call ahead to make sure they're open!

Pros: Great BBQ, Decent Prices

Cons: Call Ahead

Posted 06/23/03

Went to Robin's Friday night........we all had the big beef ribs, and they were awesome! The buffalo wings had a little too much spice for my taste, but everyone else really enjoyed them.

However.........the service was sporadic (we had to ask several times and still ended up taking some sides home because we didn't get them during dinner) and the karaoke was just annoying. So go for the food, and be prepared for the rest.

Pros: The ribs!, Outdoor seating, Decent parking

Cons: Service was lacking, Hip Hop Karaoke

Posted 09/15/02

Robin's is next to Pacifics Hastings movie theater - I stopped in one day and was glad I did. Lots of variety something for everyone. The Portobello mushroom appetizer was out of this world.

Posted 07/21/02

This is what your small family diner should be. It's casual, and yet cozy with little nooks so you don't feel like you're looking at everyone while you're eating. The BBQ is decent, especially the burgers. But the best stuff is the breakfast. They have really good breakfast pastas(!) which I love.

Pros: Inexpensive, Good food

Posted 05/21/02