Maple Block Meat Co.

Is LA’s BBQ the real deal?

We went to Maple Block Meat Co. to find out…

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I’ve lived my whole life in the suburbs of LA. I grew up with awesome Korean and Mexican food, but BBQ? Not so much. The only ribs I ever had growing up were from the Costco’s vacuum-sealed Tony Roma’s barbecue ribs. Those were only for special occasions (shout out to the parents 🙌), so I thought that was some legit stuff.

I honestly can only remember going to one other barbecue place in my entire life (Bludso’s in Hollywood), so I’m definitely not the one to determine if this place is legit. Fortunately for me, Steph is a meat expert, and she knows BBQ. She actually grew up in Texas, the land of real smokehouses and slow-cooked brisket, so she gave me a know how about the meat quality at Maple Block.

We ventured here during Dine LA and tried the brisket and ribs along with a few sides (collard greens, mac ‘n cheese, potato salad, and baked beans). The census is that the rib is seasoned quite well but on the dry side. On the flip side, the brisket is nice and tender, but quite underseasoned. Overall meat was eh~. Steph gave the Texas-confirmation that this indeed, is not as good as the real stuff out in the Lone Star State. However, the sides were pretty salad. Steph was infatuated with the mac ‘n cheese; me, not so much. However, I am a sucker for potato salad, and the zesty/mustardy taters at Maple Block didn’t disapoint.

How do I summarize the experience in short?
The cookie was the best part of the meal.

Steph: 7/10
Chris: 3/5