Barn Burner BBQ - Pasadena

I drove by the rather lovely and posh looking Barn Burner BBQ barn-like structure one day while running errands. It advertised "Texas Barbecue," which is my favorite regional style. My girlfriend Hannah is a native Texan, no stranger to such legendary locales as The Salt Lick and Ironworks. Even though she's vegan, she knows good Texan barbecue when it's in front of her.

So Hannah and I drove over late one Sunday to Barn Burner's. They looked fairly new, like they had recently expanded. As soon as we walked in Hannah smiled - the place was authentically Texan. A lot of places that try to be authentic really aren't - they're just full of crap on the walls. But this place was great. It was clearly professionally decorated and done, a little corporate, but they had done their homework. A spacious interior with long wooden tables arranged in neat rows, the building also boasted a gigantic Texas flag on the wall. There was also a really nice outdoor area, including a few squawk boxes attached to poles by the parking spaces for placing orders from your car.

We knew this place was for real when Hannah spotted all the discarded peanut shells on the floor. "This is awesome," she said. When we sat down we immediately got our own little bowl of salted peanuts to shell and eat, which is de rigeur for a real Texas barbecue. Interesting - none of the other Texas places I had been, even the truly authentic ones, had bothered with the peanuts, but it truly is a great little detail.

Being Vegan, Hannah was content to munch on fried zucchini and my fries that would come with my combo order. I have to admit I was a little taken aback by the prices here - they weren't that good. My two item combo was well over 15 dollars (this review is late, so I don't remember the exact price), but it wasn't cheap. You can get three items for less in any other place.

Okay so expensive, but maybe the portions were decently sized. Nope. There were three slices of brisket and a few beef rib bones, placed next to a withered little roll.

Now the food itself was actually pretty good. The ribs were fantastic, and the brisket was passable, but the price/quantity ratio was so bad I spent the whole time feeling cheated. Hannah and I both enjoyed the fried zucchini, which brought back good memories for her of her hometown. She also noticed that they served Shiner Bock beer on tap, which is apparently only available in Texas. Hannah's San Luis Obispo-living uncle complains that he can't get it. But this place has it.

The brisket was moist and flavorful, although I wondered if it had been truly "applewood smoked" like the website claims. I didn't see much of a smoke ring on the meat. The beef ribs were much better, but that might just be because of the fact that beef ribs are inherently awesome. The sauce was more Kansas City than Texas, but I imagine that's a necessary compromise, as true Texas sauces are more like glorified ketchup than anything else. I also appreciated that the meat wasn't disguised by some sort of marinade or overly powerful rub - you could really get the flavor of the beef on its own.

Even though the food wasn't worth the price it was still pretty tasty, and Hannah really enjoyed the throwback to her Texas heritage. But if you want Texas barbecue that's a much better value, try one of the many Texas places in LA like Hogly Wogly's, Swinging Door, or Barbecue King. They may not have the peanuts and decor down, but they're a much better deal on the food.

PROS - Great Texas atmosphere, clean, peanuts served to munch on, decent food and good service.

CONS - Ridiculously overpriced, small portions, no clear smoke flavor

CONCLUSION - There are better places to go if your interest is pure food quality, but if you want Texas atmosphere, this is the place to be - Otherwise, save your money.

Barn Burner is located at 1000 S. Fair Oaks Ave. in Pasadena. They have a great website at http://www.barnburnerbbq.com with all pertinent information, including catering options.