It all started in 2008 when Kevin Bludso opened a small walk-up stand in the heart of Compton. But that was only the beginning for Bludso's BBQ, as Kevin went on to open multiple locations in California, Texas, and even Australia – becoming not only a staple in the LA BBQ community, but the world. He has brought the fire to the reality scene as a recurring judge on the hit Netflix BBQ competition show The American BBQ Showdown and as a guest judge on Bar Rescue. He has also appeared on multiple television shows like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Bong Appetite. We are honored to have him mentor us on Kings of BBQ. His James Beard award winning cookbook, The Bludso Family Cookbook: BBQ Soul Food and Family, From Compton to Corsicana, is available now on Ten Speed Press.

Simply said, Woody’s Bar-B-Que is the real deal. Since they opened their doors in 1975, they have catered directly to their community – cooking their meat fresh daily, going from the Pit to the steam tables, and out the door to the customers. They have since expanded to four locations and have continued cookin’ up the same quality meats that made them famous.

Founded by Armond Keys, Bootsy’s BBQ is the true hidden gem of the LA BBQ scene. In the View Park-Windsor Hills neighborhood, you’ll smell Bootsy’s before you see it, but if you follow your nose, you’ll hear a speaker playing some classic R&B and find yourself at a smoker off the back of Bootsy’s International Scout. With his hometown pop-up, Bootsy is as authentic as it gets– locals know him for his expert technique and tender meats, from beef ribs, baby backs, and brisket to his mouth-watering Salmon.

The name says it all – The Park's Finest is some of the Finest BBQ on the West Coast. It all started with founder Johneric Concordia, who created a local catering company in 2009 with a dream of curating BBQ flavors he grew up with. By 2012, The Park's Finest gained its first sit-down eatery experience in Echo Park, Historic Filipinotown, all the while still catering parties, weddings, and other events across Southern California. With a fusion of American BBQ and traditional Filipino cuisine, the Park's Finest created a culinary experience of celebration, a product of a group of friends' adventures growing up and cooking on the block. Check out: Mama Leah's Coconut Beef as a reflection of the Philippine islands, Ann's Cornbread Bibingka as the experience of growing up in L.A., and Big Tony's hood famous sauce as the soundtrack to it all – mixin’ cane, pineapple, simmered soy sauce, peppers, and spices.

It all started when Winnie Yee-Lakhani picked up a brisket and fell in love with live fire cookin’. Mixing the spices and flavors of her Chinese & Malaysian heritage with the traditional American style of smoking, Winnie wanted to create a unique style of barbecue in a class of its own… and that she did. From backyard pits to 1000 gallon smokers, Smoke Queen BBQ now offers California Prime Beef Brisket & Heritage Pork slow smoked with white oak and infused with the flavors of her childhood. From the ever so popular Cantonese style Pork Belly Siu Yuk (Crispy Skin Pork Belly), to the Texas style Smoke Brisket, to the not-so-traditional, yet perfect fusion of Chinese-American style Pork Belly Char Siu, each cut of meat is made from scratch with family rubs and sauces, reaching new levels of heat and defining a new culinary experience of Asian American Barbecue.

Zef BBQ is Chef Logan Sandoval’s manifesto to his culinary experience: the culture, the cookin’ and most importantly, the people. Amid the pandemic, he and his wife Anna Lindsey found themselves at a crossroads, heading back to Logan’s hometown Simi Valley and starting a true family-run BBQ operation out of their garage. An overnight popup sensation, Zef BBQ was born just like that… and since then, has spread like wildfire, creating some of the most innovative flavors in the BBQ game. Every weekend, they sell out their rotating menu in minutes. This reputation brought Logan right to the center stage, where he competed and became the runner-up of Netflix’s American BBQ Showdown Season 2.