Compton Comes North: Bludso's on La Brea

What happens when you take a beloved Compton Barbecue pit and marry it with a hipster bar?  The answer is Bludso's Bar & Cue on La Brea, and it's a really good answer.

Bludso's is a Texas style BBQ joint that has been pumping out amazing brisket and ribs in Compton for the past three years.  Golden State is a craft beer pub on the hip stretch of Fairfax that popularized the beer float in LA.  The two got together to open a branch of Bludso's on La Brea, just north of Melrose.

Bludso's La Brea, known formally as Bludso's Bar & Que, has all of the excellent BBQ from Compton: melt in your mouth brisket, smoky pork ribs that almost taste like ham, pulled pork, links and chicken.  The sides are tasty and the sauce is lovely, though I never know what to use it for because the meat is so good on its own that I hate to cover up the flavor with sauce.



But where the Compton spot doesn't serve drinks, the La Brea Bludso's has a full service bar with a menu full of craft cocktails that will stand up to good BBQ.  I had the mint julep (pictured), one of the best I've had in LA (well, outside of my house mint julep).  It's made with Evan Williams bourbon and packs a good wallop.They also have an intriguing Texas Margarita with tequila and Pabst Blue Ribbon.

I was shocked, on a Sunday afternoon, that the place was more than half empty, a situation which will surely change once word gets out...so go while you can.  My only qualm is that they aren't open for week day lunches, but hopefully that will change.

This place is a no brainer.  Great BBQ and great cocktails go together like....Compton and Fairfax.



Bludso's Bar & Que
609 N. La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, CA  90036
(323) 931-2583