Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ - Long Beach, California

Address: 4828 E 2nd St, Long Beach, CA 90803

Items Ordered (lunch menu):

• Southern fried dill pickles, 1/2 order
  
• Southern fried chicken with gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, & vegetables
  
• Ribs and hot link with macaroni & cheese

There are many-a-days when I sure do miss Texas friends, family and food, and while I can't materialize the former two, I can continue my search for scrumptious Southern food in California. I always find the plating a little too fancy compared to some of the really home style restaurants in Texas, but nevertheless, Lucille's BBQ was pretty decent. The ribs actually fell off of the bone and had a nice smoky flavor, and my favorite, the fried chicken (which was actually chicken fried steak) had a nice crispy skin and savory seasoning. I prefer fried pickle chips so the appetizer was just okay, and the macaroni and cheese was too dry for my taste. Lucille's is not my favorite BBQ joint on the West Coast, but it suffices for a quick, reminiscent lunch, and I would return for the fried chicken.

--y

The Salt Lick - Driftwood, Texas

Address: 18300 FM 1826, Driftwood, TX 78619

Items Ordered:

• Family style BBQ: unlimited sausage, brisket and pork ribs complete with bread, pickles/onions, potato salad, coleslaw, and beans

After a fun-filled day at Lake Travis, our group decided to drive to the boonies of Driftwood, TX to try this famous BBQ joint. After waiting in line for 1 hour and 40 mins, Victoria and I decided this had better be the best BBQ we've ever tasted. Almost everyone ordered the family style all you can eat meal, and we popped open beers from our cooler in anticipation of the BBQ feast. The spread that arrived looked amazing and the pork ribs took the prize. Fall off the bone tender and tasty, it was definitely worth the wait. Honorable mention goes to the sausage and sides as well. However, the brisket was lacking in that it was a little tough and needed BBQ sauce for improvement. Overall, we asked for 6 plates of meat for approximately 10 hungry people and left stuffed with BBQ and happy about it.

--v & y