If there is one thing I know, it is this: America is the place for barbecue. I think it’s the best genre of food to study when in the US. One problem with it? Eating low and slow every day will cause you to become the size of a house. Say goodbye to your size‑8, pristine body before you arrived… A few days of short ribs and brisket will undo all the hard work you put in over the last two months. If I could eat this every day without causing havoc to my heart and arteries, it would be the only style of food I would choose while I’m here — especially in Los Angeles. Tacos and barbecue… look no further.
Bludso’s is in Santa Monica, and I’ve watched the barbecue master that is Kevin Bludso on countless episodes of Netflix’s The American Barbecue Showdown. I watched each episode back‑to‑back without stopping, completely fascinated, and I was always wondering if Kev really knew his stuff. He certainly sounded like it. I listened carefully to what he had to say as he critiqued everyone cooking brisket, down to the finest detail. Brisket seems to be one of the most important cooks for “low and slow”, and I’ll confess now — as a barbecue obsessive — mine is nowhere near this level.
Going off topic for a moment: I often have back‑and‑forth conversations about the technicalities of brisket with my friend Albert (@fromscratchbyalbert), a barbecue aficionado who knows a thing or two about it. He tells me it has to be a “whole packer brisket” (flat and point together) and stresses how critical that is, going into even more detail as he shares his expertise. Like everything, there is knowledge and know‑how behind delivering perfection — something I have nowhere near nailed yet. Thanks, Albert, by the way! If I ever need an American 5–6kg packer, I know who to ask.
Back to Bludso’s. First off, I liked the menu — it was focused on exactly what it should be. And for those of you out there moaning that the portions are too small, you’ve gone insane and completely lost your marbles. Offering ¼ lb, ½ lb, and 1 lb portions of the different meats is a fantastic idea. I don’t want to walk in and be overwhelmed by too much food, especially for health reasons — this stuff can kill you in large amounts!
As I dug my fork into the brisket to test the tenderness, I nodded my head and thought, “OK, this guy knows what he’s doing.” It was soft as butter — even I can’t achieve this. I also ordered the pulled pork in a ¼ lb portion. My only criticism was that I got a lot of the fatty part and not the meat itself, but the pork was ‘pulled’ giving me that real perfect tenderness within those strands. This hadn’t just been left to cook on its own — there was care, consideration for timing, and temperature control. I was quite impressed.
Hush puppies, beans, two different kinds of barbecue sauce (nobody is telling you those recipes), and even a gluten‑free option were put on the table. Coleslaw, the “Texas red hot” (sausage), and some corn chips with one of those bad cheese sauces you used to get at the cinema with nachos before the film. Remember those? OK, it’s not refined or good for you in any way — but I couldn’t resist. You just wanted to keep dunking your corn chips into it. Jalapeños were served on the side to bring heat; they burnt my head off, but I kept going back regardless.
Finally, for sports fans, you can lounge in your booth and enjoy all of this while watching your team play. It’s a brilliant, homely joint to slip into after a challenging day. Whatever happened earlier, you’re guaranteed to change your tune when you walk in — see it as your ‘hang out’ like you just got home. Awesome.
