Big Papi's Barbecue - North Hollywood

Once a german sausage haus, Big Papi's Barbecue's huge repainted sausage caught my eye while running errands in NoHo, so I stopped by for a look.

The first thing that struck my eye was the wide open horizontal barrel smoker sitting right outside the restaurant, filled to the brim with spatchcocked chickens smoking away.

I walked in and met Big Papi's enthusiastic owner, Larry Holmes, who welcomed me with a handshake and beamed with pride over his barbecue and his young son, who is the "Big Papi" of the place. The menu promised "Louisiana-style barbecue" and featured a variety of meats, from rib tips to chopped beef and homemade Louisiana gumbo. A sampler platter cost me 13 dollars and included two sides. I picked baked beans and corn on the cob.

The sampler was the most generous sampler I've ever tried at a barbecue place. Two good rib bones, two pieces of chicken, a serving of chopped beef, a hot link, and two sides. Immediately I noticed the lack of any sort of barbecue sauce. It came on the side in both mild and spicy versions. I dipped my finger in each and found them both to be pretty bleh. The mild one was just uninteresting, the spicy one was useful only for adding heat, and they were both too watery for my taste.

That was okay though, because even without the sauce, Big Papi's Barbecue is worth the visit. The ribs were perfectly cooked, juicy and moist while thoroughly prepared. The best part of all the meats was the mild cajun spices put on the rub - aromatic without overpowering the flavor of the meat. The one thing that was missing was smoke - no smoke rings, no tender fall-off-the-bone consistency. This was grilled food, and damned good grilled food at that.

The hot link, usually an also-ran at most barbecue shops, was really tasty and succulent. It packed heat without being too spicy. And the chicken, also a bridesmaid at most places, packed the most flavor of all - it was a great blend of aromatic cajun spices and grilled flavor.

The baked beans were tasty, although I suspect they came out of a can. And the most disappointing part of my meal was the corn on the cob, which was flavorless and inedible. With no bread served either, that left no sides for me to really enjoy.

Overall this was a good sampler. The meat was incredibly generous for the price (the other items on the menu also feature these low prices), and the flavor was a good indicator of what this particular place specializes in. I'd definitely come back for any of the meats on the sampler, but especially the chicken and the hot link.

It should be noted that Big Papi's currently has a B rating, which I imagine is due to the open air smoker outdoors filled with raw chicken. But that shouldn't stop you if you're looking for great flavorful meat at a bargain price.

PROS - Really friendly owner, low prices, generous portions, great aromatic rub, authentic atmosphere

CONS - No smoke, bad sauce, and forgettable sides

CONCLUSION - If barbecue means long slow smokes and a red sauce over your meat, then this place isn't for you. If you want straight-up grilled food with a flavorful rub at a low price, Big Papi's is definitely worth a stop.

Big Papi's is located at 10626 Burbank Blvd, North Hollywood, 91602. It's right on the southwest corner of Burbank and Cahuenga. Cash only.