Mr. Cecil's California Ribs

03/13/2008 Posted by l84dinner

A great BBQ Restaurant with homestyle cooking! You will not be let down! Everything comes out exactly they way you order it. The service is excellent as well!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

03/07/2008 Posted by iknowfood222

went there to see how bar b que could be in LA. I have lived in Houston, Austin, Miami, Ashevile, and wanted to get a better idea about what this place was. Went there and was surprised that the prices where so high for dinner entrees with two sides. I thought i will try the rib entree with grilled corn and baked beans. The Ribs looks like they were cooked yesterday, the corn was cold and the beans tasted like honey. i was diappointed at first and then really diappointed when i paid 34 dollars for a cold dry meal. Texas still has the best BAr b que

Pros: none

Cons: dirty, bad tables, building is a death trap

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

09/15/2007 Posted by phillyboy2431

I'm on the L.A. bbq quest. I'm having some fun with it. But sorry to say, this place scores a D-. Their meats have this weird, gas like flavor. And because I guess they boil their ribs, they are, in fact, tender. But they're also bland. And how they managed to get the gas like odor in there is beyond me. I'm not sure if they're grilling over a propane tank or what, but it ain't workin'. That said, the service was friendly.

Pros: When I left

Cons: When I arrived

08/13/2007 Posted by jtripper2007

This place used to be awesome. They had excellent big beef ribs that were juicy and tender. I used to go there often as I live very close (walking distance). However, for the past few months, this place has changed dramatically. I keep giving them one last chance because I love ribs, but I've had it - no more chances. They have really messed up the past four times I've been there (in the last 4 months). I don't know why they're allowing this place to serve such horrible food when they once used to be awesome. Their big beef ribs are now much smaller. They are also way overcooked (new chef?). It doesn't just fall off the bone like they used to. I went there last night and decided to have the smaller baby back ribs, but I feel sick today. First time I didn't want to finish ribs on my plate. Extremely dry. I am afraid to say the ribs from Ralphs a few blocks away are much better and cheaper. Their service was never good, but I didn't care as their ribs were good. Now they have nothing. No more chances for them. They lost me as a customer for good. I love ribs and am very sad to have lost this place. Note the good Zagot reviews were written in 2005 - back when they were good.

Pros: No pros

Cons: Horrible dried up food

08/05/2007 Posted by moonchilde

I pass this place literally every day on my way home from work, but have never stopped. Today I had a craving for ribs, so decided to have lunch. I ordered the half "order" of baby backs, baked beans, and cornbread. Citysearch's 'nanny' function won't let me use the correct word for it, but you know. It starts with an 'r'. The ribs are TINY; while a whole "r" would have been too much, and at $24 pretty steep, $16 for six small ribs, an average sized serving of beans and a teeny, crusty, half stale piece of cornbread was way too much. The place is very bare-bones inside, and small. The ribs were good and I enjoyed them, but I honestly do not see why anyone would drive across town or make a special trip to eat here, as while they were good, they were not mind-bogglingly great. I've had better ribs and a lot more food, presented with more style, at Lucille's and Zeke's, and even at The Elephant Bar, which serves a delicious, huge platter of of an *entire* "r" of ribs plus sides for $1 more than Mr. Cecil's teeny half "r". Feeling ripped off aside, the BBQ beans with bacon were DYNAMITE.

Pros: The food was good if not great, and my service experience prompt

Cons: Too expensive, portions too small

07/04/2007 Posted by happyrembrandt

Ok, I drove past WLA Mr. Cecil's many times, thinking, "who would eat in a shack that looks like it's ready to fall down and the place is probably unclean." Ok, Ok, it's a front for a corrugated-steeled welding shop. If you want to impress a date, it's not it. It's also opposite from my favorite places....Asia de Cuba, The Penthouse, Katusya/Brentwood, Pedal's Cafe, but the food is to die for. Baby back ribs (best "dry-rub" BBQ in LA. Love it w/o any sauces: juicy, melt-in-your-mouth tender, meaty, tasty), hush puppies (as good as the best of the deep South w/ a kiss of chili) and the coleslaw (freshest, crispiest, cleanest tasting) are on my "Last Meal" list. Chicken ? Never had one better, but the baby back ribs is extra ordinary !!! Clientele ? Parking lot (too small) is taken-up by RR/BMW/MB. Prices ? It's not a Tony Roma's or a Chili's (though they look better)...nor more expensive WLA BBQ restaurant w/ table cloths and cloth napkins, but it's in WLA and one bite tells you that ingredients are the best. It's ZAGAT rated. Ambience & Service ? Chill out, it's a neighborhood BBQ "joint." Service is on-par w/ the other famous neighborhood BBQ joints. Chill, sit back and just don't be shy to flag a waiter/waitress over...and you'll enjoy the food, the "ambience" and the service. I've been there "in a hurry"...and "to relax and enjoy", but never been disappointed. Tip ? Go early (5-5:30pm, if on Saturday evening) to get easy seating. There are only 4 booths in the middle and few wood tables (the kitchen and serving area is bigger than the seating area). If you've eaten in the "best of the best" throughout the world and US, rated 4 stars to a road-side stands...and appreciate excellent, world-class cuisine in any form, for an honest price...and are a meat lover, you'll like Mr. Cecil's, but this review is from a "dry-rub" BBQ devotee (though, I appreciate a fine wet-BBQ, as well, once in a while...but I like dry-rub, just fine)....Enjoy !

Pros: Best dry-rub BBQ, Hush puppies to die for, Cole slaw, House wine

Cons: Parking, no reservations

01/18/2007 Posted by tootzee

Why does anyone come here anymore? I went a few weeks ago and drove past it today and thought what exactly is it that keeps people coming back; or their new customers coming in? Even from the outside the place looks dirty - going in it looks even worse. The place needs a few cans of paint on the inners and outers as well. They charge enough for the food and bottled water (4.25 for a Figi) you would think that somewhere in between paying their employees $6.75 an hour (which is a little too much for the service I have received there) and paying off the light bill they could take down all those awful, dusted knick-knacks and reclaim what could be left of a decent restaurant. The food is great, sometimes. Then there are times when things just seemed like they were sat under a heating lamp or left at the bottom of a pan all afternoon. This particularly happens with the cornbread. I do not recommend it at all - or I do, just know you could get sent to the dentist with a chipped tooth. I would say waiting for a seat to get into this place was a problem because it used to be but now its easy to get in because everyone is getting take out. This could actually be more of a problem then dining in because the focus for your "wait staff" is not preoccupied with answering the phones and bagging up your items. Ugh, man. Really this place needs some help or maybe it just needs to be torn down and turned into a gas station. I don’t recommend it at all. Save your cash for the liquor store across the street where you can at least get what you expected for a better cost. And it’s faster as well.

Pros: blue cheese, free tap water, sometimes the beef ribs, sometimes the veggies

Cons: parking, 4 dollar fiji water, the beef ribs, the veggies, the service, the take-out

12/12/2006 Posted by rsmc

This place is pretty small but has really really yummy food. The hush puppies are to die for, as are the sausages with mustard. The wings were okay, and I'm not really a rib eater but my husband liked them a lot, especially after smeraing them with extra sauce provided on the tables. I was surprised at how expensive the place was, but it was really cute (and casual, think Jasper White's Summer Shack from Boston). The food was really good, but it was just too much for the price - I won't be coming here again.

Pros: cute location

Cons: too pricey

09/14/2006 Posted by rms723

The food is good, but when we tried to add things to our order, the food didn't arrive while we had our main course. We asked several of the servers to help, but promptness was not to be found. I may go for take out food, but I'll have to hand them a list of exactly what I want. I was dissappointed.

Pros: Pretty good BBQ

Cons: Not conducive to large parties. Small facility.

08/12/2006 Posted by jeffson

Mr. Cecil's is great, and will surely take care of any barbecue craving that you can possibly have. Despite being a small joint, their menu is quite extensive, offering all sorts of meats/cuts. However, I've always gone there for the mainstays: st. louis ribs, baby back ribs, tri tip, beef ribs, and good ole chicken. The two sauces they offer you in their syrup pitchers are very tasty, although the meat is well flavored enough to where you don't mind eating without it. I personally enjoy the red containered "spicy sauce" more... it's more on the tangy side and barely can be considered spicy. The two pork rib selections have always been AWESOME; tender, and falling off the bone. The chicken is solid too, juicy with a good smokey flavor (even thugh they don't smoke the meat first?). I have found the beef ribs to vary in quality... sometimes they are great but somedays they are soo charred i feel like i'm getting cancer just chewing on it. The sides are pretty damn good too. I love their baked beans, cornbread, and cole slaw (they put scallions in it yumm). Though I never get the corn on the cob, one of my best friends swears by it. Overall, if you are a fan of barbecue, you will not be disappointed by what they've got here at Mr. Cecil's!

Pros: Great barbecue in general, decent prices by LA standards

Cons: Small joint gets packed... food sometimes not quite as good when very busy