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Smokin' - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Barbeque Restaurants Kosher Event Planning & Services Caterers Barbeque, Kosher, Caterers [Edit]
12514 Burbank BlvdValley Village, CA 91607
Neighborhood: North Hollywood
(818) 752-6866
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
21 reviews for Smokin'
Review Highlights
"I also recommend the brisket and the corn pudding."
(in 5 reviews)
"Next time, we'll for sure order the brisket."
(in 11 reviews)
"The baked beans were excellent."
(in 4 reviews)
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21 reviews in English
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Review from Rocio R.
North Hollywood, CA
7/5/2010
Wonderful service. Delicious food!!! I ordered take out catered dinner for 10 people on 4th of July and they exceeded my epxectations. They were in constant phone contact with me to make sure I had everything i wanted. We had ribs, brisket, chicken, corn bread, potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, 2 types of sauce, hotlinks, and sausage. Everything was good. My friends loved it and they have tried BBQ everywhere. Tender and extremely flavorful. The taste and service makes up for the extra expense. I even got a call later in the evening from them to make sure my guests were happy with the food and, of course, i said yes.
Make sure to check out their website for detailed info on hours, food, and services available. -
Review from Ronald B.
Sherman Oaks, CA
4/26/2010
Kosher BBQ?...really? Now I've seen it all!
I've been wanting to eat here for a while because it's a few blocks from my pad but it was always closed. I finally caught the place open on Sunday and was greeted by a very friendly, bearded, Jewish man who gave me the rundown about it being a kosher establishment. My jaw literally dropped. I was very skeptical about how the food was going to be because of this and was thinking "What do these guys know about BBQ?"
To my surprise, the food was Fan-Friggin-Tastic! I ordered the 1/2 chicken with baked beans and potato salad for $14.95. The chicken was deliciously smokey and tender. The homemade BBQ sauce was on point, however I was a little disappointed because they didn't have a spicy one :( The beans and potato salad were very tasty and everything had a real "TLC" feel to it. I was cracking up at the brown paper drawings on the wall. One was a pig behind a crossed out symbol. Get it?..HAHA
I'll definitely be back to try some other dishes. I had to deduct 1 star because there's no pork ribs and spicy sauce. It just goes to show...you can't judge a Talmud by it's cover.Comment from Craig W. of Smokin' 4/27/2010
OK. I have a pretty kick-ass spicy sauce, but so many… More » -
Review from pinguino k.
Studio City, CA
4/27/2010
I went here last week with a bunch of friends, and got to try a bunch of different dishes. Cornbread (yum!), brisket, chicken, beef shank, corn on the cobb, baked beans, ribs, coleslaw, potato salad, and sweet potato pie filled every surface of our table. The ribs were so huge that they looked like they were from dinosaurs, Flintstones-style. They were incredibly tasty. One of my favorite things was the brisket- the flavor was amazing. The shank was moist and we all wished we had more room in our stomachs for it. The sides were all fantastic, too, especially the corn (super fresh and plump).
The owner and his family were super nice and attentive. I totally recommend this place if you're into BBQ and are in the area. -
Review from Eitan L.
Los Angeles, CA
5/13/2009
A friend asked me the other day, "Is Smokin' good for a kosher place or is it actually good?" No question, it's actually good.
As any good restaurant reviewer should I've eaten here many times before I even dared to put down a review. I was hoping repeated visits would grant me some sort of depth and insight that I could offer a BBQ seeker in Los Angeles. Alas.
Here is how every one of my visits has gone: I walk in and look at the board. Everything looks good. I select something. I sit at my table and use the crayons to doodle on the paper table covers (you're never too old for that). My food comes. At this point things get a little fuzzy. I enter a state of meat heaven. Every morsel that touches my lips sends my mouth higher and higher into the stratosphere. Next thing I know, my plate is empty and I'm satisfied for hours. The next morning I wake up and the only thing I want to eat is more Smokin'.
That review won't help anyone. So here are some of the best things on the menu (even though they're all good): The Ribs and Pulled Beef Sandwhich are on a whole 'nother level. As far as sides: The corn pudding, beans and sweet potato pie are fantastic.
At lunch today I spoke to the owner/chef who said that due to slow business he's considering shutting his doors in the next few months. I compel everyone to go to Smokin' and become converted. I've never introduced anyone to this place who hasn't wanted to go back a hundred times.
And while you're at it: Join my Facebook group dedicated to saving Smokin': http://www.facebook.co... -
Review from Jessica M.
Los Angeles, CA
9/17/2009
I tried Smokin' cause I live a couple blocks away and I've been looking for a good BBQ place. The atmosphere is very bare bones which I don't mind for a BBQ place. The owner was very nice. I was a little worried about the prices based on other Yelpers' reviews but I thought my Pulled Brisket BBQ Sandwich for $8.95 was a reasonable price for LA. $2.00 for a can of Coke was a little steep though.
Great tasting BBQ sauce...a little spicy which is what I like. The brisket was lean which is a necessity for me ( I hate biting into that slimy fatty stuff). It was a bit on the dry side...probably because it was kept refrigerated in a zip lock bag and then reheated for me (but I imagine there's not enough business to constantly be making a fresh batch). I added some extra BBQ sauce and really enjoyed it. The cornbread was okay...not great. It could be a little more moist and maybe a little sweeter in my opinion.
Some of you are wondering if this place is just good for a Kosher BBQ place or is it good for any BBQ place. I'm not Jewish and therefore not Kosher, so I am giving an unbiased review in that respect. My favorite BBQ place used to be The Pig on La Brea before they closed and Smokin' is the first BBQ place I've tried since then that I would want to go back to.Comment from Craig W. of Smokin' 9/17/2009
I'm so pleased that you enjoyed it. The BBQ sauce is home… More » -
Review from Mindy M.
Sherman Oaks, CA
Updated - 12/25/2008
We just went there this week for lunch and I have to say that the food is fabulous. I got the sampler and now I am craving the chicken, in addition to the ribs and the brisket. There are now some lower priced items on the menu including a double burger that I want to try.
Love the corn pudding.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/29/2008
Amazingly good food. Worth every penny. Really, I love this place.
Craig is a marvelous person.
I… Read more »
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Review from Ben G.
Cranford, NJ
5/13/2009
This is the best BBQ place that I have been to in a loong time. Whether or not you keep kosher, if BBQ is your thing then you have to check this place out.
The only complaint that I have is that it is too far from my house and that the salt shakers aren't that good (you'll realize what I'm talking about when you go) but you really don't even need salt unless you're a salt freak like myself.
I highly recommend the pulled chicken sandwich is is so tasty and with the cole slaw on top it just makes it perfect.
OH, the sides are great too. Whether you want corn bread, corn pudding, fries or sweet potato pie, they're all good. -
Review from Carla B.
12/23/2008
The sides were delicious. The corn pudding was excellent. The coleslaw not too heavy on the mayo with a nice crunch. The baked beans were excellent. The corn bread was also good. But the meat was not that exciting. The brisket was dry, the ribs were charred and the chicken, while not dry, was nothing special. Eating off of styrofoam with plastic utensils also is not my preferred way of dining.
Just not that exciting... -
Review from Steve Y.
Sherman Oaks, CA
Updated - 10/24/2010
With Smokin' closed, I have no idea where to get a pulled beef (or any meat for that matter) sandwich as inspiring, tongue-busting, and mind-melting as the ones I got here. Where ever Smokin' reappears, I'll be there. If it's in Isreal, then dammit, I'm there. Until then, I fall to the Burbank Boulevard asphalt on my knees, raise my hands to the sky as rain pours down on me, look up to the heavens as if to blame God, and scream, "Smooooooookiiiiiiiiiiiiin!" (Not pronounce smookin, but smohkin, like I'm yelling it really long and loudly.)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/24/2010
Incredible pulled beef BBQ sandwich. The sauce is so good it's like the owner found some secret… Read more »
Comment from Craig W. of Smokin' 10/26/2010
Oh man, I'm so sorry I'm closed, when I see reviews like… More » -
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Review from sara l.
Updated - 8/3/2008
I've now eaten here four times, and it's still just as good or better. I also recommend the brisket and the corn pudding. Superb! And Craig's wife and kids are sweet, too. All I can say is finally!! Finally....
Listed in: BBQ in LA
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/16/2008 First to Review
There are not words.
Everyone take a moment to take a big breath, smile, and nod your head in… Read more »
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Review from R L.
North Hollywood, CA
1/18/2009
The Best & only Kosher BBQ place here in LA. I've sampled the chicken, BBQ beef, Hamburgers & ribs. The chicken was tender and smokin! The hamburgers are juicy and flavorful. The ribs are rubbed with spices and fall off the bone. The BBQ beef was a blend of tender and crispy brisket piled high on a toasted bun. They also know how to cook french fries. LOL
They now have high quality beef pastrami. BTW the steaks are kosher angus beef and they can get kosher Kobe beef also.
Highly recommended.
RCC & Rabbi FurstListed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from jeff K.
Los Angeles, CA
2/28/2009
Dont expect pork ribs. I was a bit shocked to find out this was a Kosher BBQ place. Not what I was expecting, but pleasantly surprised none the less. All the sides I had were very good. The potato salad was great and the beans were good too. I had the beef brisket which was pretty tasty, a tad on the dry side. The BBQ sauce, which makes every rib joint, was excellent. I think this would be a great place for kids. I'd check it out.
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Review from Jonny M.
Thousand Oaks, CA
6/22/2009
Truly a great tasting bbq chicken and meat place. Kosher all the way. The prices are very fair and the portions quite large. I ordered the skirt steak (14 oz) with sides of Asian Cole Slaw and Sweet Potato Pie. Yum, yum, yum. The steak was perfectly grilled and spcied just right. The slaw was good - not great. The Sweet Potato Pie was divine. I highly recommend this place - although keep in mind the ambiance is fair at best. Try to use a bathroom before or after you hit the location as they make you walk ouside and enter from another door - not great. I swear this place has a great menu and truly tasty food. I will be back - often.
Comment from Craig W. of Smokin' 9/3/2009
I'm glad you enjoyed it. To clarify, though, it was rib… More » -
Review from rachelle w.
CA
9/2/2008
VERY overpriced. The food we got was pretty good, but for $17 it was a small piece of chicken and small sides served on Paper/plastic plates with disposable utensils and clear pastic cups for water. I mean... for a $17 I could have gone across the street to El Pollo Loco and got the non kosher version but 10 times as much. I guess if you are Kosher this is more targeted for you- but honestly... its a little steep for what it is. VERY basic little place. The food was good- dont get me wrong..just nothing special at all. I wont be stopping in again... but i do hope they stick around and maybe find a way to do business in a more frugal manner so us Villagers can have more eatery options.
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Review from Julia W.
CA
1/3/2009
I just tried this place the other week, and well, my fiance and I were a bit hesitant - we were the only people there and the prices were a bit more than what we pay for lunch. ($15 for a 1/2 chicken plate - Smokin' is kosher, so we figured that was the price difference) BUT thank goodness we stayed! I've never had such delicious smoked chicken in my life. Never. Never ever. So good. The sides of coleslaw and potato salad were fabulous too - wow. The owner brought out full pitchers of water and ice tea for us, which was super sweet of him AND he gave us samples of his brisket. Oh man, was that good. Next time, we'll for sure order the brisket. So good - maybe don't go on Sunday at 12 like we did, because they were just getting everything ready and were out of some things. But DO GO! It's amazing!!!
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Review from Justine M.
Studio City, CA
3/13/2010
Wow!!!! This is the BEST barbeque restaurant in all of Southern California hands down. The best part about it is that its Kosher! The pulled barbeque beef sandwich is my favorite, along with the amazing cornbread. My husband and I have been here about 6 times now and are alwaysoverly full and extrmely happy. The owner is so sweet and friendly, always smiling. Dont be fooled by the stark appearance, this secret little gem is LA's finest BBQ restaurant.
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Review from Jason s.
Van Nuys, CA
3/15/2009
I loved the food here and I think you could a non-kosher person here as well. The meat on the ribs were moist and delicious. The smoked brisket was as good as it gets and the pecan pie was out of this world. My only recommendation is do not go on a Sunday afternoon since the lunch menu is sparse and some of the sides are not availble. I can't wait to go back and I still dream of the brisket.
I would prefer to eat at Smokins than Bocca or Shilohs. However this is a no-frills place where you will probably get some wonderful BBQ sauce on your shirt. -
Review from Mark K.
Los Angeles, CA
9/3/2009
I actually joined YELP! just to post this after reading the amazingly positive reviews of this place.
First off it is WAY overpriced (Kosher or NOT) a 1/2 lb pastrami sandwich is $21.95!!! this is NOT Manhattan it is a little store front in Valley Village.
Secondly both the pulled chicken and BBQ beef were dry, flavorless shreds of meat served on hamburger buns topped with cabbage. Oh, I know it is "coleslaw" but it is basically cabbage with little or no seasoning. Only after drowning our food with the (likely store bought) uninspired sauce made them moist enough to force down. We certainly were not going to pay $2 each for another can of coke.
Had the food been cheaper, we both agree we would have just left.
Neither one of us would ever consider coming back.Comment from Craig W. of Smokin' 9/3/2009
I'm just pleased that you came and tried it. Like any… More » -
Review from Tobias I.
Van Nuys, CA
5/5/2010
My wife and I have lived in Los Angeles for a couple of decades. We're carnivores and we like ourselves a good barbecue. We've eaten at some of the best joints in town (Dr. Hogly Wogly's Tyler Texas Barbecue in Van Nuys, Mr. Cecil's California Ribs near Culver City, the now-closed The Pig in West Hollywood), and Smokin' is easily as good if not better. I, my wife, and our son (a two-year-old-meat-eater-in-training) stumbled upon this very modest Kosher joint 'cause it's close to our new home in Sherman Oaks, and boy are we glad we did. (Full disclosure: we're not Jewish.) Everything we ate was such a delight, it's hard to know where to begin the praise. So permit me to focus on the ribs (beef, naturally). They were massive, perhaps taken from Godzilla. The meat was just-right moist, and nicely tender. So, this tells us the chef (who is also the owner) knows where to source very fine meat... and that he knows how to cook it perfectly. But it is the delicious seasoning -- the spice, the rub, the sauce, whatever it is -- that makes it clear that this guy is an 18th-Level Grand Master Arch-Mage Wizard of the Barbecue (for you AD&D geeks out there). It's spicy, it's got a kick, but it's wholly complimentary to the meat, not at all overpowering. The flavor's complex... there's lots of stuff going on there from the first bite to the pleasantly lingering aftertaste, and it's all good. It's a gourmet level of flavor sophistication you don't see often in barbecue. So go. Eat. And be very happy.
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Review from Russell E.
Los Angeles, CA
9/15/2009
I just went for the first time last night and I had the Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwich. It was big, delicious, and only $8. This was a unique experience for me, since I have never even eaten at a kosher BBQ restaurant before. So I would like to thank the owner for making this available to me. I will definitely be going back (probably tomorrow).
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Review from Mitch H.
North Hollywood, CA
3/1/2009
Hey guys, this is it. If you like to sink your teeth in good ol' fashion BBQ, you will not find better in the kosher world. Fair prices for kosher, and the environment is cozy. Craig, the owner, is the nicest guy, which helps the experience. Don't miss the ribs... to die (not literally) for!
