1019 Manhattan Beach Blvd.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 545-8500

Ribs are a tough cook. You can't microwave them. You can't quick-cook them (without disasterous results). They have to be slow-cooked over hours and hours in anticipation of customers. Prepare too many and you "should" throw them out, because they will be too tough/dry if you hold them -- and they aren't exactly cheap. Prepare too few and you got angry customers.

So a good rib joint is a difficult find. Fortunately, not many years ago the Southbay got Chicago Ribs. It's just a few buildings down from Sepulveda on the right. Parking is behind it, but it's pretty small spaces.

The inside of the establishment is plush and classy. It's got a bar with stools, nice leather booths, pleasing decor. But what about the food?

If you hit them at their sweet spot, which seems to be exactly lunch time or exactly dinner time and DINE IN, they have ribs that you can merely scrape with a fork and all the meat just drips off. The tenderest ribs I've had this side of the Mississippi. Their side dishes aren't anything to write home about and I don't have a clue about any of the other servings, it's a rib joint, so I order ribs.

I mention dine in because I've ordered them delivered and I've eaten in at off-hours. In each instance the ribs weren't nearly as good. They were still solid eatings, but you could tell they had been sitting in that cooker. I wish they would adjust their prices based on that, but who am I kidding.

Speaking of cost, a full meal is going to run you maybe $20-25 without drinks. If you get them at their best, it's easily worth the money.

4/5 dine in at prime times, 3/5 delivery or non-prime

Steven Campbell