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I'm impressed with this place...
dinner here on a friday night was smooth....
the best thing about this place is the service staff.. everyone is friendly, greets you warmly and hustles!
this place seemed well managed, staffed, organized and efficient...
we tried the sliders, 3 mini burgers with cheese, onion strings and some sauce. bun was fresh and flakey- broiche?
baby back ribs- tender and not oversauced... very important, too many places kill the food with sauce...
sides - mashed and cream corn.. both were good and piping hot...
dessert- bread pudding with ice cream...
Gus's Barbeque= good food, good service, good prices= winner!
I came here tonight with the BF to take advantage of the dineLA menu deal, and we left very satisfied! Our waiter Joey was super nice, accommodating, and friendly, so I was very happy with the service. Now, on to the food...
I agree with most of the other reviews that Gus's is good, but not amazing. When something tasted really, really awesome, another thing underwhelmed and confused me.
Some examples of the good:
-Sweet potato fries: They were just what they need to be. Simple, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and a good mix of thin crispy pieces and thick slices.
-BBQ sliders: AMAZING! I loved the soft, glazed bun, and especially the garlic aioli. Out of all the other sliders I've had (Yard House, Chili's, and other chain restaurants), these are my favorite. Other places give too much bun and not enough meat, or vice versa, but here, there's a perfect amount of bun, meat, cheese, and sauce.
-Carolina style pulled pork: They give you a ton of pork, and I LOVED the wet mop sauce that comes with it. Tangy, spicy, and so delicious!
-Old school sundae: Mmmm, fudge. What I really liked about this was the fact that they didn't put the fudge on before it came to the table. At most places it arrives as a big, watery mess. Here, they make sure the bowl, ice cream, and honey maple pecans (SO much better than chopped peanuts) are ice cold, and the fudge is warm and in a separate ramekin. This was my favorite dessert!
Now, on to the underwhelming:
Memphis-style ribs: They were tender and fell off the bone, but they lacked flavor. Maybe that's the appeal of Memphis-style...? I usually don't like adding extra bbq sauce to ribs, but I had to with these to give them some flavor. I've sadly made better tasting ribs at home!
Creamed Corn and "Garlic" mashed potatoes: The only way I can describe the creamed corn is to say they were "interesting" and tasted like liquefied corn bread. Sounds like it should be good since corn bread is amazing, but it was weird. Very weird. The garlic mashed potatoes also didn't taste like they had an ounce of garlic in them!
Shredded onion strings: I was expecting so much more since I love onion rings and any fried, thinly-cut onions, but these were just too sweet for me. It helped to dip them in bbq sauce instead of the ranch dressing, though.
Red velvet cake: I normally love red velvet--and I did like this cake--but the sundae was SO much better. I kind of wish I got the bread pudding instead, especially since they top it with french vanilla bean ice cream!
Overall, I would come back again for a select few items, but this is not the end of my search for the perfect BBQ joint! Message me with your recommendations for another BBQ place :)
Recently renovated, Gus's Barbecue features some of the good barbecue in the West San Gabriel area. I was first there about 10 years ago . . . and for my 2nd trip the summer of 2009. It was recently taken over by the same group/family that owns Tops in Pasadena. They did a complete makeover to the place along with a new website.
Being a novice BBQ connoisseur, but striving to become an expert, I don't have extensive experience in tasting a lot of different BBQ joints. Though, I have had BBQ in North Carolina, New York City, and in a few different places in Los Angeles.
But my experience at Gus's was a good one. Not a great one but good. I did enjoy the sides - mostly the mac'N cheese and fries. Heck I will order mac'n cheese at any fine dining establishment. But I didn't come to Gus's for the sides.
The baby back ribs were good, not exceptional. They had a few different kinds of bbq ribs - St. Louis, Memphis, and Carolina. I couldn't really tell the difference unless I read the menu. In fact they all tasted quite good. I don't really have a preference. In my eyes, good barbeque must have good texture - meaning that the meat has to fall off the bone as you rip it easily from the bone with your teeth. I do like the smokiness of the Carolina's and the sweetness from the Memphis.
I do want to proceed to expand my bbq experience. But in order to do that, I am going to have to try a lot of other BBQ places. If you guys have suggestions, please let me know.
I like Gus's BBQ. I do not love it, but I like it a lot. Let's begin with one key stipulation: they explicitly tell you that this is not traditional BBQ. Rather, it is meant to be BBQ served with a California-style twist. So, like any establishment, I think it's only fair to evaluate Gus's in light of what it's seeking to do, not as compared to something else (in this case, pure, traditional BBQ). We don't say "These tacos aren't good because burgers are better".
That said, what Gus is trying to do--a CA twist on BBQ--was very tasty to me the two times I went there. Some details:
--The sweet tea is refreshing, and sweet but not sickly-sweet: a nice balance.
--I had the brisket and it was tender and flavorful--plus there was so much of it I could barely move afterward (I was vaguely embarrassed in front of the waitress when it became obvious I ate the whole thing).
--The brick chicken impressed me even more than the brisket. They call it "brick chicken" because they press it with a brick-like device, and it's moist and wonderfully smoky. Chicken is often pretty bland so that I rarely order it in restaurants, but this was a happy exception. Nor was it the protein onslaught that the brisket was--I finished it all but did not feel overfull. It does take a while to prepare though (about 15min). The sauce is only all right; I prefer the spicy version to give stuff more of a kick.
--The sides were untraditional but really good. Greens at most BBQ places can be greasy and pork-tasting (neither of which are necessarily bad things) as well as a bit soggy (which isn't great), but the greens at Gus's were crisp and al dente (though not particularly flavorful). The red beans and rice were surprisingly good--very nice, and not just the pile of undifferentiated starch one often gets with that side.
--The atmosphere is cool, too. It's a nice-ish CA restaurant, not a down-home joint, but there are TVs at the two bars, and the waitstaff are really nice. I read a magazine at the bar for like an hour and they didn't rush me to leave.
On the whole, I'm a fan. Gus's food didn't have the traditional BBQ flavor, and the sauce didn't compare to some of the great BBQ joints I've been to (Uncle John's in Chicago; Van's Pig Stand in Norman, OK), but the meat is quality and well-cooked, and the sides are damned tasty. I look forward to going back.
If you are looking for decent barbecue pass on this place. The side dishes are great. I had extra cornbread which was good and a salad which was fresh and interesting but then came our entrees. OMG, my friend got the pulled pork which was the worse. It had absolutely no flavor aside from tasting like water. How you manage to make a pork dish with no flavor is beyond me. I had chicken and ribs. Again, no flavor. The sauce was mediocre at best, the chicken was scrawny and the ribs were way too fatty. I give it a big thumbs down but gave a couple of stars because the sides and service were nice.
It's been awhile since I've been to Gus's Barbeque and what a change! The restaurant is under new ownership and has a totally different look and feel. It's trendy and comfortable.
We started with corn bread with honey butter which my daughter absolutely loved. For the main course, we ordered baby back ribs and beef brisket with garlic mashed potatoes and sweet potato fries. The fries were hot and yummy. Ribs were perfectly prepared and the brisket was very tender.
The food was great, the ambiance very nice, but the service was a bit spotty.
I tried this for dineLA for lunch and love it! the portion was large, had menu below
LUNCH
Appetizers
Fire Roasted Tortilla Soup - Shredded Chicken, Avocado, Smoked Mozzarella, Crispy Tortilla Strips and a Sour Cream Drizzle.
Entrees
Beer Braised Texas Brisket Sandwich - Hand-Cut, dressed in BBQ Sauce and Gus's House Spread, topped with Cole Slaw and served on a Rustic Ciabatta Bun. Served with your choice of one side item. Choice
Desserts
Red Velvet Cake - A Triple Layered Southern Favorite.Choice
While not my beloved Baby Blues, Gus's does serve up some tasty BBQ and they do it locally. That's good enough for me!
First night we went in, they asked if we had reservations. ZOMG, there are no reservations in BBQ!! Still, they got us seated within twenty minutes and our waitress was fantastic, attentive and cheerful with great suggestions. We ordered:
Southern Fried Chicken, garlic mashed potatoes and creamed corn
Brick Chicken, sweet potato fries
Catfish sandwich, french fries
Bread pudding
Red Velvet Cake
Ice cream (Fosselmans!)
Everything was delicious. The cream corn tasted like they put actual cream in it, which is NOT how you make authentic cream corn, but otherwise I had no beef with the meal. It was delicious.
The second night we went in, they ran out of brisket! Woe! Alas, the chicken fried steak I ordered as an alternative was disappointing in the extreme and failed to satisfy. The "country gravy" tasted like it had bacon in it. My friend's burger was ok, but overall, very disappointing experience.
I will go back to try the brisket, I hear it is very good. The sweet potato fries are to die for, as is the bread pudding and their fresh squeezed lemonade (you get one refill, so don't drink it all at once!) I'd go back again for the fried chicken and the brick chicken. The ribs look amazing but I don't eat pork, so I can't say how they taste. But if looks are anything to go on, these might be some fine ribs.
There were obviously pigs on the plate at Gus' tonight... but there were pigs in the air too. As in, flying.
Food was great, as usual. But the SERVICE! Our waiter took our order, and about ten minutes later returned with a deep apology that he'd forgotten to give it to the kitchen. OK. But then he put us on the floor. He said because of the delay he was picking up our check! I refused... I can't accept one of these often ill-paid, ill-treated people losing that big a chunk of change on my behalf. We got up off the floor as he departed, apologizing profusely. Two minutes later he was back, and we were on the floor again. He wouldn't be paying for our meal... THE MANAGER WAS COMPING IT! He again apologized and asked if we wanted dessert, on the house. We declined with thanks, and, true to the restaurant's word, no check ever came.
The server's name was Enrique. Foolishly, I didn't get the manager's name, but the two of them insured our loyal patronage forever. Class.
Since the management change, the food has steadily gone downhill in quality.. Yes, some if the new stuff is great, the sweet potato fries, pulled pork sandwich.., and yes a welcome change to the over steamed vegetables that had plagued gus's of yore...
My gripe : They had the best portobello mushroom sandwich, which was an amazing vegetarian find in rib joint.. It was replaced with a frozen pre-made, pre-packaged Vegitarian burger that tastes like the card board box it came in.
Please note that I was contacted by an owner, and he does say that the vegetarian burger is freshly made, as are all the entrees at Gus's. Their food is good, the ribs in MHO are the best of their offerings. So if looking for ribs, this wouldn't be a bad choice.
And what about Gus's home made pies!!! No more not available.
If you love BBQ, then you have to try this place at least once. For a BBQ place, the restaurant looks amazing. Food is plentiful and tasty. Service is GREAT. People are friendly. Price is reasonable. Younger crowd so expect some rowdiness around you. Full bar.
Also, it's known to be one of the oldest restaurants in Pasadena, so you should at least go for the history.
Nothing fantastic, nothing out of the ordinary.
The food was ok, a friend and I split one of Gus's Combo's with a 1/3 of ribs, and brisket. We got sweet potato fries and the potato salad as sides. The potato salad was very tasty, and we were very happy with it.
We also had an appetizer of their home-made cornbread. It was pretty good too, but nothing that took my breath away.
I brought home the blackened chicken sandwich for the BF with a side of BBQ Baked Beans. He said that the sandwich was filling, and tasty.
To drink, I had the sweet tea which tasted a bit weak and watered down.
The service...it was ok, I think at some points they forgot about us because we were sitting outside, but if you have tables outside, you should make a point to check on them.
I wouldn't go out of my way to come back here.
Established in 1946? Poor old Gus must be rolling over in his grave by now. I was hoping to find some good BBQ here, but I was disappointed. This place was not particularly good, and it barely even qualified as BBQ. I also thought it was overpriced, considering the mediocre quality of the food.
I ordered the brisket sandwich, sans the coleslaw. (Who puts coleslaw *on* a brisket or pulled sandwich anyway? If the meat is good, it should require nothing more than a little sauce.) Anyway, it arrived without the slaw as requested, but there was mayo (WTF?) slathered on the ciabatta bun (!), which was thoroughly soaked with butter, lo-melt, or some other type of grease. The meat was more like stew meat than brisket, and about 1/3 of it was solid fat (seriously, I pulled inch-thick slabs of blubber out if there). The flavor of the meat itself was okay, but by the time I made it edible my appetite was almost gone.
My companion ordered the pulled pork, and I tried some of her sandwich. Again, the flavor itself wasn't bad, but the pork was dry, salty, and not very tender. Both of our fountain drinks were also substandard - incorrect mixture and almost no carbonation.
The only thing I really enjoyed were the sweet potato fries. They were very good, but not good enough to warrant a trip back to Gus's. In my opinion, they need to focus less on trying to appear hip and more on trying to make better food.
Our last nice meal of the trip. We started with the pulled pork nachos, which were awesome, but huge, and therefore ruined our appetite. ;)
I had the smoked turkey sandwich, which was only OK. But the fries were good, and the tastes I got of everyone else's meals were good! Also, the sliders one of our party ordered for her entree looked good. I wish I had gotten those!
Sat, 8/15/2009, about 1pm for lunch
First visit to a restaurant I've passed a million times as I've gone up and down Fair Oaks. Lunch with Mom and brother.
Friendly staff, comfortable booth in the back room with the bar. Modernized, bluesy/vintage feel, very pleasant.
I ordered the pulled pork sammy, which was delicious. I ate about 1/3 of it, then had the rest for later. GREAT sweet potato fries on the side. Brother had roast turkey sandwich; he didn't read the listing and thus didn't like the cranberry sauce/blue cheese on it (once he scraped that off, he said it was good). Mom had the catfish sandwich, delicious.
The non-sandwich lunch options seemed a little expensive, but the amount of food may make up for that - I don't know. Our food was a good value.
A great lunch experience; I'll definitely return. Well-reviewed by Sunset Mag and AAA mag.
I've always passed this place and it's old-looking sign passing through Fair Oaks in Pasadena. There's parking in the back, so no big deal there. It's a very nice and clean restaurant on the inside.
The menu had a kinda disappointing amount of BBQ items. Any kind of "traditional" BBQ items on the menu were kinda expensive. I was there only for lunch and was hoping there would be a lunch menu, but there wasn't. Full price all the way.
I got the brisket which was allegedly cooked for 8 hours. I still found it not as tender as I thought it would be, plus the sauce that it was in was a little bland. I remember having to keep adding their own BBQ sauce on my meat just for a bit more flavor.
Service was slow because we had a first-day server, so YMMV.
I took the suggestions from other reviews, and ordered the pulled pork sandwich, sweet potato fries and cornbread to start.
I took Forrest's suggestion and put maple syrup on the corn bread and it was excellent. The corn bread otherwise may have been a little dry, but it was perfect with the syrup. I felt like I was eating desert before our dinner. I must remember to use maple syrup with corn bread in the future. The jalapeno spread was green and looked like jello. I just could not get into it, and only gave it a little taste. I just did not care for the consistency and texture of this sauce.
I generally do not eat french fries, but these sweet potato fries were excellent. The only reason I did not eat them all was because I got too full from the sandwich and cornbread.
Based upon another review, I asked for ranch dressing to go with the fries. Not only did our server get us the ranch, he suggested the garlic asiago sauce too, which he told us is made from scratch. The ranch was excellent, but we all agreed that the garlic asiago was the better of the two. Delicious.
I could not have been happier with the pulled pork. I took a little of the pork out of the sandwich just to give it a taste before eating the sandwich itself. I don't have any idea how it was made, but it did not have any sauce on it and I could have eaten it all without any bbq sauce as it was so good. My wife commented that she thought it had a smoked taste to it.
Gus's has two types of bbq sauces on the table in addition to the side of sauce that came with the sandwich. The sauce that came with sandwich was more of a buffalo wing sauce, and I did not use it with my sandwich only because it did not seem appropriate for pulled pork. I did try each of the two bbq sauces on the table. The first was a mild sauce, and the second had a spicy bite to it. Each was very good, and I wound up using more of the spicy sauce just because I like a little kick to my food.
Overall this was a very good experience. Very good food, good service, good atmosphere, and a decent amount of parking. I will definitely go again.
When you go veggie and you family doesn't you end up improvising on going out to eat.
We stumbled upon Gus's and we love BBQ or at least I use to love BBQ.
My husband ordered a BBQ beef sandwich and I just ordered some potato salad and I figured I would eat some of his baked beans.
My potatoe salad had meat in it...no sweat...I am not that vegified...I just picked out the meat. The beans were really good and I stole some of the bun from his sandwich and ate some of it with their original and spicy BBQ sauce...btw both are a bit spicy which I really like...not sure which one I liked most.
Oh...and he really like his sammich.
We sat at the bar and ate and watched the Michael Jackson Memorial on the TV.
The old Gus's was very, very bad. I know there are lots of people who swear by it, but they are wrong. Sorry. It wasn't good by bbq standards, it wasn't good by American food standards and sadly it wasn't even good by diner standards. So they sold it to the owner of Tops, who have turned into more of an upscale and classy Memphis style barbecue joint.
As I said, the last incarnation was so bad we've put off trying the reincarnation but Sunset magazine put them on the top 10 bbq joints on the west coast, so I finally gave in. I'm really glad we did, it made my tummy smile.
They have number of choices for barbecue, and some value based combinations so we decided to try the pulled pork and the Memphis style ribs combo. We ordered an appetizer of corn bread and sides of creamed corn and potato salad (the sides come with the combo). Now where I don't particularly appreciate home cooking in Chinese food, I do in American food (I'm pasty white, it just makes sense.)
The corn bread was perfect, exactly like mom makes it at my house. Served with melted butter and Jalapeno jelly, I always put maple syrup on my corn bread when I can and this was exquisite. The jelly has a slight spicy feel with a little sour. Different, but I'll stick with the syrup. The creamed corn was okay, certainly not Lawry's good but serviceable. The potato salad had bacon mixed in and was nicely complementary to the barbecue.
The important stuff is the barbecue and it didn't disappoint. There is no getting around the fact that barbecue is a difficult proposition to review. Everyone has their own taste and opinion, possibly more so than any other type of food. Just read through the reviews of any of the LA barbecue places and you'll find a tremendously diverse amount of opinion both good and bad on each, often from reviewers who have quite good taste in general but can't agree on who has good bbq.
The ribs here are quite good. There burnt crispy on the outside, but moist and falling of the bone on the inside. There are two sauces, a house Memphis sauce that's smoky sweet and a Kansas City spicy sauce that's got a little more bite. It's not overwhelmingly strong but it's got that soft heat that stays with you after you swallow. Sauces are usually one of the areas that makes or breaks a barbecue house, so if you don't find these good then you probably won't like the place but I found them to be different and tasty without being overbearing.
The pulled pork was nicely cooked. The sauce comes on the side and has a nice vinegar taste to it. All three sauces have a unique flavor all their own.
Overall I'm extremely pleased to have the new Gus's. It's easily the best barbecue in the San Gabriel valley, and for the time being one of my favorites in LA. Baby Blues is still tops for me here, but I haven't been to Phillips or Budso's yet so the ultimate list is still pending.
Prices were excellent, we had dinner with a carafe of Sangria for a hair under $50. The service gets special mention here, it was excellent. The waitress was on top of things, the host brought out our sangria and cornbread and served us and everyone checked on us with regularity. The decor is much nicer now, it's much more contemporary and yet comfortable where it used to be convalescent home good will style. They've got a nice full bar and outdoor seating. It's also always packed, and likely to just get busier in the future so make reservations or be prepared to wait.
I have no idea how the guys who run Tops managed to find the skills to put out such good barbecue, but bless 'em now we've got Memphis in Pasadena.
Food - A
Ambience - A
Service - A
Value - A
It might deserve a little more than the 3 stars I assigned to the restaurant. First visit today. Our waitress was helpful and two other staff members with whom we dealt were very nice.
My husband and I both started with caesar salad, but requested a little more dressing on the side. Enjoyable for the most part, but I must say it was strange having cornbread croutons and next time I might ask them to pass on that.
While I had the rack of Memphis baby back ribs, my husband had the combo consisting of 1/3 rack of same plus the beer-marinated brisket. He didn't care for the brisket, taste or smell, so got it off his plate as quickly as possible, humbly apologized and asked for something else. They were very accommodating and hastily went to prepare the 1/2 fried chicken instead. And I do mean one-half fried chicken ... it's not served in pieces, but just one large fried lump, bones removed; sorta cute in a weird way, and most certainly easy to cut up. We both had the BBQ baked beans and red potato salad. The beans were great, slightly less sweet than the normal thing one gets, with a mix of beans used. The potato salad was quite good.
I'd go back again to eat some day. The total cost was about what we paid for our lunch at Bistro 39 yesterday, but Bistro 39 was a much better deal.
Apparently Gus' changed ownership and it shows. I went in for some BBQ recently and the place was completely redone. I mean, the decor was nice, but the homey feel wasn't there anymore. I'm from the area and my mom used to bring me here as a kid and I have to say I was completely disappointed. We tried the food and it wasn't the same.
I miss the old Gus'.
My husband and I gave this place a try at the last restaurant week and we were impressed by the amount of food and the quality. The cast iron cornbread was enough to serve 4...yum honey butter. Sides of cole slaw, baked beans, creamed corn and the sweet potato fries were delicious. We had shared a half rack each of the memphis baby back ribs and the st louis spare ribs. I would recommend memphis since they were juicy tender and fell off the bone. Service was a bit of a wait but friendly.
Pulled Pork Plate w/ sweet potato fries and vinegar based cole slaw... MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM spicy bbq sauce. I want it every second.
The Pork was so juicy. I combined the spicy and reg sauce. It was amazing. The cole slaw is delicious!! I love it that they dont use mayo. The sweet potato fries were one of the best ones ever. They aren't super thick or string...just right...I tried dipping them in ranch and WHOLY cow the ranch they have is SUPER zesty...but good.
Washed it all down with a large great white draft beer. My dad and I had a good fathers day lunch...he also got the pulled pork sandwich and loved it.
I really want to come back and try a burger. They are the most monsterous thing ive ever seen! The ribs looked good too. But I only saw this food in passing...NEXT TIME! mmm
I use to walk by this place everyday, twice a day. But didn't eat here until recently. The burgers are big and i like how they don't charge for sweet potato fries. Prices are good, not too expensive. Also, they have flat screens in varies places so if there is any kind of sports game you can get your boy to come out. Their cornbread is good too, it's served in a cast iron skillet and there some corn kernels too. I'm not a total fan of the mint jelly for the cornbread though. Also, the bbq chicken is always tender. But the pulled pork sandwich is too dry, even with all the bbq sauce. The service isn't memorable, so it's neither great but not bad.
Marc, I totally feel your pain. I went once for dinner, shared some chicken and ribs with Mrs. C, and was pretty disappointed. The ribs weren't that meaty, and weren't that tasty either. But we sat at the counter, and noticed that nearly EVERYTHING coming out of the kitchen was sandwiches (even at dinnertime). Note to self made.
Since then, I have been back several times and if you order the burgers, or chicken or pulled pork sandwich, I think you'd be a lot happier. The freemont burger, pulled pork and blackened chicken sandwich are great! I took a co-worker today for lunch and he was one happy camper.
I like that they have their own homemade sauces. The less spicy one is better, in my opinion. I was trying to be good today, getting potato salad instead of french fries as my side. Not sure how much healthier my choice was, but dang was it good. It's seasoned with pieces of bacon, chives, and has large pieces of perfectly cooked potato. Finally, a potato salad without egg!! (If there really is egg in there, shhhh... don't tell me.) My blackened chicken sandwich came with lettuce, tomato, melted cheese on a *toasted* roll. The sides facing the sandwich were nice and crispy. I noticed that the runner checked every order as it left the kitchen, using a small towel to clean up sauce that had spilled or dripped. It's really nice to see that kind of attention to detail.
If you like to people watch, the counter is a much better option that it seems at first. Some of the 2-person booths are REALLY small, but if you sit at the counter, you'll have more room. Additionally, this is a place with an open-style kitchen, so you'll get to see all of the cooks and servers working hard and get to preview the food as it comes out. Emily is my favorite server, but the service in general is both attentive and polite.
So I went to Gus's BBQ for the first time today with a friend. I asked the waitress what was popular and she suggested the pulled pork. I ordered sweet potato fries as well as creamed corn. The creamed corn seemed like old, left over corn. It did not taste fresh nor was the flavor good. I could have made better creamed corn at home. The sweet potato fries were alright. Not very crisp but rather limp and kind of soggy. I hate soggy fries :( The pulled pork was salty and the bbq sauce was rather sour.
Also, I tried the brisket and Memphis ribs from my friends plate. Sub par as well. The brisket and ribs were okay, the brisket had good flavor which is the only thing that would bring it up to two stars. Overall, I would much rather go to Lucilles for some good bbq which is so so much better!
I'd agree that under new ownership and renovated this 'cue joint doesn't resemble in any way the former establishment that stood here for years. At least they kept the neon signs out front.
Good beer list with a couple of decent IPAs. The cole slaw and sweet potato fries are decent and there are more appealing sides on the list I did not sample. The ribs done in "Memphis" style were quite good. Cannot recommend the "Texas" style brisket, which seemed baked to the point of desiccation, though it could be livened up by soaking it in deep dollops of the sauce available on the table...this brisket would be disgraceful if found on a menu in Waco. Wife enjoyed the pulled pork salad and I agreed that the vinegary sauce was appealingly sharp. I find it strange that they call this selection "California barbeque" when it has no resemblance whatsoever to, say, Santa Maria barbequed tri-tip with piquinto beans on the side.
Sadly, they were out of Fosselman's mint chip ice cream the night I stopped in, but the sundaes were acceptable. The service was downright slow, but with only one bartender and a fairly full back room that might be expected, and our server was gracious and tried to be helpful. Because of the tile ceiling and the absence of fabrics of any sort, the noise level is somewhat like sitting on the tarmac at Burbank airport when the room is full.
Better 'cue at Zeke's or maybe even Robin's, but to those for whom Gus's is conveniently located, it's nice to have an alternative.
i had it twice since the renovation/new owners and style thing. the first time was for dinner and good! fast, nice service, they took good care of a medium sized group, they let us turn off the sports TV that was annoying us in the backroom, etc.
The second time for lunch was pretty bad. The service was really really slow and confused (though everyone is nice), like it took about half an hour to get a sandwich. the creamed corn sucked, the coleslaw is so-so: it's boring but i love that it's not creamy, it's more asian style slaw kinda.
And then, the food just didn't taste that good this time. Sort of the same mix of things you might get at Wood Ranch or Zeke's. Those two restaurants I mentioned are also not the greatest ever in terms of food quality, but they're at least faster.
So sadly I probably won't go back, the minuses seem to outweigh the pluses. The building and the history are cool though, and they do have a bar in the back. So maybe try getting a drink there just to see it? And while you're drinking say a hefeweizen, you can snack on an order of sweet potato fries? sweet potato fries, i know, they are getting mega-trendy right now, but i liked sweet potatoes/yams way before they were cool. I was eating them in Washington DC in 1997, young lady! Don't scoff!
I brought my boyfriend here once with a couple friends and now it's his favorite bbq spot. The plates are big enough to share and I've always gone home happy. Baby back ribs never fail. The meat falls right off the bone. Cornbread is cooked in a skillet and served witth honey butter. Mmmmm. Definitely gotta try Gus's if you're in the area.
Wow!
I stopped in here for lunch today with my dad while we were in the area. We both got pulled pork sandwiches. Pulled pork so tasty that it didn't need to be covered in sauce to start with -- this is uncommonly good. and then three different sauces to try with it - the carolina vinegar sauce that comes with the sandwich. good. the sweeter memphis bbq sauce on the table (original sauce) also good. and the tangy kansas city bbq sauce in the table. delish!
the sweet potato fries were good, and the garlic aliole to dip them in was tasty... but the fries alone sitting in the pulled pork juice. mmmm. my dad got the BBQ beans on the side, and i tried a bite - good stuff!
and for dessert, we split a slice of the red velvet cake. pretty good.
nice decor - showcasing the history of the area and bbq, but with modern seating and feel. friendly and helpful staff!
The new Gus's BarBQ only shares the same name as the old Gus's.BarBQ That is where the similarity ends. New Gus's has hijacked the old Gus' history -photos and all - kind of like a guy stealing your wallet and ID and saying the photos of your family are now of his family.
New Gus's didn't have to do that as the Bar B Q can stand on its own merit. Old Gus's was basically an old diner, a real genuine 50's/ early 60's Mid West joint with its bar in the back with pool table and old time regulars. New Gus's is a contemporary brick ,dark wood and corrugated metal hipper place full of good food,good beer, good service and the best looking waitresses and bartender in San Gabriel - alright LA County - and a manager who is absolutely stunning, an 11. Oh yeah they have male waiters and asst. mgr there too- nice chaps :).
Now what did the old Gus's have , other than the 50's/early 60's vibe , a cantankerous octogenerian lovable waitress Jean - a real character out of Leave it to Beaver or the Andy Griffith Show and a good breakfast? Uhh Nothing.
BarBQ? There was nothing remotely BarBQ at the old joint. Just some strange tomatoey concoction that was called Gus's Special BarBQ sauce ("Take some home" was encouraged - no thanks I already have ketchup in the fridge ) poured over bland baked chicken.
The new Gus's just should have named itself "Uncle Walter's Downhome Delta Blues Yuppiefied BBQ "or anything else so as to distance itself from the old diner.
Good customer service goes a LONG WAY.
Just had lunch at this place and the food was pretty good, but the service was STELLER. Melanie was an amazing server that attended to all of our random requests. The lunch crowd was coming in and the place was getting a bit busy but she continued to take great care of us.
Cajun Catfish sandwich and an Arnold Palmer.......Solid B.
Gonna visit this place again after work some day to check out their wide selection of Bourbons.
My review is only for the Happy Hour: came here one day last month on a friend's recommendation and found the place quite easily (just south of the freeway, easy exit and return). The bar is in the back of the restaurant near the parking lot and was quite tiny. While we had arrived at 4:30pm, the bar was already full with no seats available. We asked if we could sit at the tables nearby but was told that they were for dinner patrons and we wouldn't be able to order off the HH menu if we sat there. However, we were directed to a tiny sitting area behind the bar which was very isolated. Surprisingly, the great bartender (was her name Alisha???) came down to take our order and was very good at making sure we were taken care of. Tried the BBQ Pork sandwich which came with fries for $3 and the BBQ Ribs w/fries also for $3. Great prices even though the portions are small (it is HH after all) but it was filling with the fries. Not too impressed with the sandwich as it wasn't that tender or that flavorful (there are sauces to add at each table). The ribs were great however, very tender and flavorful.....might come back for dinner for that but am spoiled by the $3 pricing.
All in all, a good deal for $3 for the very limited menu items (I think there were only 3-4 choices for food) and the $3-6 for alcohol but I wouldn't travel from the Westside just for that.
How it is possible to have a bad experience here is kinda a mystery to me. I've been going to Gus's since I was a kid and I've gotta say, they just keep getting better.
They recently had a major overhaul so everything is squeaky clean and new but the sign out front is the same as it's been since they first opened in 1946 and that shiny new interior is full of great photos of So Pas's history along their excellent service and some of the best f'ing ribs I've ever had.
Truly, these are my favorite baby back ribs on the west coast. They're tender but still have just the right bite, the seasoning is perfect, there's just the right amount of smokey goodness to them and the sauce is just the right balance of savory and sweet. They're so good I can put away an entire rack myself. When it comes to sides, their greens are delicious and so are the sweet potato fries. If you're in the mood for something other than good 'ol piggy on the spit, they've got a mean boneless fried chicken (yep, boneless.. it's fanfuckingtastic) and a surprisingly good steak salad. For the quality and portions, prices are reasonable which is also a plus.
There's a full bar if you're so inclined - complete with a couple of flat panels showing sports if you can pry your eyes away from your plate - and they make a wonderfully stiff mint julep that washes everything down quite nice. If you're local, they have a happy hour, too.
Bears repeating that the service here is always great. This is one of my go-to spots not only for the ribs, chicken and a cocktail but to take my gramps. Everyone is warm, friendly, attentive and respectful. Even on an insanely busy night, they always make sure we're comfy and cozy and they even go out of their way to get his walker out of ours, which goes a long way in my book. We love Gus's!
I had the Memphis style baby back ribs. Nothing baby about these!
The sides of the ribs were a bit dry and jerky/crunchy but the center was tender and full of smokey flavor. I tried the brisket and it just wasn't as flavorful and needed a lot of sauce to make up for it.
I would only come to Gus's for the ribs. The claw was ok. The sweet potato fries were lacking something like garlic but it was ok too. The spicy bbq sauce was good! Skipped dessert because I had an orange cream soda : ]
When it comes to finances and dieting, discipline is a much required trait. That is precisely why I'm always broke while trying to squeeze my size 26 fat ass in 25 jeans. With the fabulous company of Jennifurrr S. and Umair A., dinner here was an absolute blast. The staff was practically kicking us out at the end of the night!
On to the food!
I disliked my Fried Pickles appetizer, but that's my own fault. I don't even like Fried Pickles, I have no idea why I even ordered it. But the onion strings weren't much to boast about either. Soggy, limp, wimpy looking shreds of onions. I felt sorry for them.
The pulled pork is tasty, once you smother enough Spicy BBQ sauce + ketchup over it. I was disappointed that the coleslaw wasn't the mayo slathered kind. If I'm ruining my diet, I might as go all the way right!? Red Velvet cake was YUM. 50% of it was frosting, I love frosting!
Random woots and cheers indicated that the Lakers were playing. This would be a great spot to grab some BBQ and beer to watch a game.
I used to come here before the re-do and it was pretty mediocre. The update is a lot less kitsch than I was expecting. The place was packed at 8 pm on a Saturday night, even still we only had to wait 20 minutes for a nice booth and we got to sit at the bar while we waited.
The food and drinks-
Cocktails looked good and there is a decent offering of beer on tap. The wine list was pathetic. The food was a little schizophrenic. I have never been to a BBQ place where they offered Texas style and north Carlina style BBQ with a little Louisiana and California offerings thrown into the mix. I had the pulled pork sandwich, which was supposed to be Carolina style with coleslaw on top, but the BBQ sauce was more like a hot wing sauce, and not a traditional vinegar based sauce like I was expecting - and serving it on a ciabata roll just seemed wrong to me...and a little dry. My husband had the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and creamed corn. The steak was really thin with a nice fried crust, and the potatoes and corn, while not being traditional, were delicious.
All in all the food was serviceable and we will go back for sure. Just don't come here expecting traditional BBQ and you won't be disappointed.
Amazing food and pretty good prices for BBQ. Try the wet style pork ribs and definitely eat the Brisket sandwich... its the best sandwich around!
Also their sides are delicious too, the sweet potatoe fries ad the potato salad (there is bacon in it) are to die for...
Great little place but if you are going on a weekend night after 8pm, make an appointment or else you will be waiting around with everyone else!
I have been to a lot of BBQ places in my time (because I am a fat bastard) and I must say that after one visit to Gus's I will be coming back here again damn soon!
We had a mixed group, including Dawson's 90 yr old grandpa who is a total rockstar, and they found us a good booth in the corner without us having to wait and found a good place to stash his walker.
So food... I am not a corn bread fan, so not gonna talk about that. what I am going to spout on about is the Fried Chicken.
Well cover me in cream, call me Ethel and do me backwards up a tree, because this was the best fried chicken I have ever had in my life, I mean ever, like in 38 years of living on this planet.
When the chicken came, it looked kind of flat and that confused me, only when I cut into it did I realize that it was totally de-boned! That's right, I could eat everything on my plate without worrying about having to suck a greasy bone or three (which can sometimes cause offense)
As I attacked my bird with gusto, everything was just yum, the crispy skin giving way to perfectly cooked moist meat. I inhaled it, and could have had another plateful had I not been stuffed.
So I know they have ribs, wings and all the other BBQ stuff that I will try and sample next time, but for now the fried chicken rules..which is way beyond nice!
I'm not entirely understanding the comment from Will L. - he brought food from restaurant a, into restaurant b, and then was somehow perplexed restaurant B did not allow that? Does he go to a family dinner bringing his own food? Why bother going to restaurant B to begin with? Why not stay at restaurant A? Bringing in food into a restaurant is acceptable at fast food places like McDonald's, Taco Bell, Del Taco - because they don't care - why don't they care? It's fast food, they make minimum wage and so many people come in and out it doesn't matter to them. Not to mention-they don't make any money on tips, so it doesn't matter how little or how much food/items they order. It's not a fancy restaurant.
Go to a nicer restaurant - Gus's, The Raymond, Bar Celona, Houston's, The Arroyo, Smitty's - just about any restaurant that has real waiters - they will have a problem with people bringing in food. Restaurants exist to make money by serving you THEIR food. Having customers notice people eating outside food is a bad image. Why ? - because then those other customers will think that the restaurant they are about to eat at has food that tastes so bad - that people have to bring in outside food. Did this ever occur to anyone?
I don't know what's sadder - the fact that people do not understand how a restaurant works, or the fact that this guy doesn't like his girlfriend enough to eat at a place where she can order food - instead of dragging her into a restaurant where she would have to bring in her own food, which is stupid.
For everyone else: The food is pretty good - I'm a fan of the jambalaya, mac n cheese, baby back (use Gus's spicy BBQ sauce) and the chicken quesadilla - at least of the top of my head. I do like others but those are the ones I usually order when I go in there for dinner.
Happy Hour
Neighborhood: Echo Park
Spend $50 & Get $20
Neighborhood: Downtown
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Category: Barbeque
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Category: Cajun/Creole
Pasadena, CA
Category: Burgers
South Pasadena, CA
Category: Restaurants
South Pasadena, CA
Category: Burgers
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