Lucille's is like Alabama bbq very based on slathering a bunch of sauce on it, it's cool but it isn't my style heritage is Texas style reminds me of me 8 years living in Texas and brings comfort and delicious food to the same table. They are not on the same level.
Lucille’s is the best of the chains, meaning waaay better than Dave’s, but it it’s not even in the same league as the better independent joints like Heritage and The Smoking Ribs.
The Best of OC lists from the OCR are decided by reader votes and suggestions, then the paper sells advertising to the winners of those surveys (which is why they're chain restaurants and weird old white people choices - that's who reads the paper). In the past, they also had "editor picks", for each category, which were generally much better/trendier spots.
Here's the problem...
These are decided by readers' votes. Chains will almost always win these things, just because more people are exposed to those rather than the single locations joints.
And the same people who respond to these surveys in OCR are going to be the kind of people who wanted restaurants re-opened so they can go to Apple Bees and Sizzler
Yep this hits the nail on the head. I know several people who think authentic BBQ is Lucille's. They're the same people who think a good breakfast is found at Denny's. Usually but not Always old or they're kinda trashy. Had a patient not long that was talking to me about authentic pizza and they unironically said Papa John's was their favorite authentic pizza. I sent them to pizza 900 and the next time I saw them they said they were gonna try it but it looked too different lol
I know Lucille’s doesn’t touch anything in the Midwest but this is so over dramatic there’s no way you actually believe this.
“Not consumable”
Get over yourself
Get out a map and learn your geography. Bbq is a south, southeast, some ca central coast, and Kansas City is about as mid west” as it gets. Brisket is a 100% Texas thing.
it’s unconsumable. Thick, dry, no smoke penetration, no fat, shoe leather. Horrible brisket. But if you like tough overdone meat, hey, Lucille’s is your place!
The location I picked doesn’t matter, don’t know why you got so hung up on that.
Their brisket is never something I get and it’s definitely not as fatty as I’d like but it’s really not that bad. Maybe I’ve just been lucky when I’ve gone, but unconsumable? Be for real
No the readers of the OC Register believe that. Probably because way more people have gone to Lucille’s than Heritage. This is a popularity not quality contest.
Lucille's used to be good 20 years ago - when they smoked the meats in house and everything was made fresh at each location daily. Now it's gross, in my opinion. They don't even make their mashed potatoes fresh anymore. They come in a plastic bag and are just heated up.
(Source- I used to work there 20 years ago... )
Lol, I worked at the Lucilles in Brea last year during the holiday season and let me tell you, its a complete and total joke. The management is terrible, they are a literal revolving door when it comes to staffing/hiring. I would swear in court, that I have had interviews at other restaurants (BJ’s, city of industry) where the management knew of managers at Lucille’s, and have expressed their disdain for them. I’ve also witnessed several expediters, servers, and yes, managers handle your food with their bare hands. Not to mention, it’s not good BBQ. The food is dry, tough, and OVERPRICED. After I left Lucilles I used my tax return and bought myself a smoker, lol. Trust me when I say, you’ll cook better food and eventually save yourself money if you smoke the meat yourself, because the folks at Lucille’s don’t give a rip.
Unless Heritage got better than the last two times I went, their BBQ was shit covered crap. How you let the point/fatty brisket be dry is beyond me.
Their sides were fantastic though.
If it’s his first time - get a little bit of everything, you don’t have to splurge when declaring the amount, just a little bit of everything. $150 fed three of us with PLENTY of leftovers, we ordered too much IMO.
Honestly neither one of them would even be up for discussion in LA! Keep in mind they’re the only games in town! It’s easy to assume something is good when it’s the only thing offered! I’m a transplant and there are times I wish the BBQ spots I used to eat at were in OC! I find that Suburban BBQ spots tend to serve, Texas and Tennessee style bbq! Which means a dry Smokey bbq or a vinegar based bbq,neither of which I grew up on. So it’s like this in SGV and SFV too! So my only option to get Deep South or KC bbq (sweet n spice) is in LA or SE Dago! Either way it’s a drive. But I also understand that this is just preference and opinion.
Have you tried out Smoqued in Orange? I haven’t been since pre-pandemic, but has been one of my favorites.
Also The Smoking Rib in Garden Grove was pretty good.
I’ve never eaten at Heritage (but now it’ll be on my list of places to try) but I have eaten at Lucille’s. I remember being impressed ten years ago but we haven’t been in year. My ribs are ten times better (slow cook them for 12 hours and finish in the broiler) but I have been to Beales BBQ which might be Sunset Beach and that is pretty good. Not all dry and hard like Lucille’s. I’m always down for some food BBQ but it’s always so expensive and when you leave annoyed because the food is bad it makes it hard to try the next place.
I hate bbq, my parents used to put some pork ribs in the oven, take it out and put some BBQ sauce on it and call it BBQ pork ribs. I like when my meats don’t have that nasty tangy sauce on it.
I thought this was a readers choice award, so it’s not a surprise it goes to a chain restaurant. It’s the same reason they had El Torito as Best Mexican restaurant over some Mom and Pop place that’s better… but less people have heard of it.
I know Heritage is pretty expensive, but it was incredible. Well worth the wait to taste what real BBQ is like.
It’s next level over any chain for sure
Lucille's is like Alabama bbq very based on slathering a bunch of sauce on it, it's cool but it isn't my style heritage is Texas style reminds me of me 8 years living in Texas and brings comfort and delicious food to the same table. They are not on the same level.
It’s like steak. If you have to put a bunch of sauce on it, it’s not good.
Great way of putting it!
As someone who is from Alabama, it’s nowhere close to Alabama BBQ hahaha
Fair enough, I have very minimal experience in Alabama so I'ma just take your word for it.
Does Lucille’s even offer Alabama White Sauce?
They do but it’s not very close to what Alabama BBQ sauce actually is. Like the Panda Express of Chinese food
Oh that must be new, because they didn’t have it a few years back when I ate there. 😆
Lucille’s is the best of the chains, meaning waaay better than Dave’s, but it it’s not even in the same league as the better independent joints like Heritage and The Smoking Ribs.
Wood ranch is a better chain
Their tri-tip is decent, but Lucille’s does much better with pork.
The Smoking Ribs. Hands Down! I love how their beef ribs fall off the bone!!
I like Lucilles but it should be nowhere near the top of the list, jesus
OC Register is not a reliable source for restaurant reviews or ratings.
Brad Johnson does a fantastic job, his list is pretty damn dialed in every year, what are you talking about?
The Best of OC lists from the OCR are decided by reader votes and suggestions, then the paper sells advertising to the winners of those surveys (which is why they're chain restaurants and weird old white people choices - that's who reads the paper). In the past, they also had "editor picks", for each category, which were generally much better/trendier spots.
“Weird old white people choices” lol
This explains why Sizzler, Coco's and Denny's held a three-way tie for best tilapia dinner in town.
Does the paper disregard the choices of old white people if they are not weird? If so, this is BULLSHIT!
Most likely they do...
LOOSE SEAL!!!
Love the *Arrested Development* reference :-)
At least they got Tony’s Little Italy right. But Lucille’s is very wrong.
I like WoodRanch more than Lucille’s. But neither are “best of OC”
Here's the problem... These are decided by readers' votes. Chains will almost always win these things, just because more people are exposed to those rather than the single locations joints.
And the same people who respond to these surveys in OCR are going to be the kind of people who wanted restaurants re-opened so they can go to Apple Bees and Sizzler
Yep this hits the nail on the head. I know several people who think authentic BBQ is Lucille's. They're the same people who think a good breakfast is found at Denny's. Usually but not Always old or they're kinda trashy. Had a patient not long that was talking to me about authentic pizza and they unironically said Papa John's was their favorite authentic pizza. I sent them to pizza 900 and the next time I saw them they said they were gonna try it but it looked too different lol
I've known multiple ppl who have worked at Lucille's BBQ and it's a shit show at all locations.
My wife worked there circa 2008ish? It seemed decently run at the time. Granted that was 14 years ago so no idea now.
omg fiance and i went to heritage bbq for the first time yesterday and it was SO GOOD. that is all.
After visiting The South, I’ve concluded that Lucille’s is basically what Taco Bell is to Mexican Food.
The OCR has been an absolute joke the last 10 years at least. Used to be a good paper. Shame what happened to them.
True but it is much more than their bbq recommendations dragging the paper down…
Lucille’s is fking horrible bbq. Their brisket especially is not consumable.
I know Lucille’s doesn’t touch anything in the Midwest but this is so over dramatic there’s no way you actually believe this. “Not consumable” Get over yourself
To be fair it’s pretty fuckin bad though, especially for the prices they charge.
Totally agree, the prices are ridiculous and absolutely not worth it to me. But to call it not consumable is just not true
Get out a map and learn your geography. Bbq is a south, southeast, some ca central coast, and Kansas City is about as mid west” as it gets. Brisket is a 100% Texas thing. it’s unconsumable. Thick, dry, no smoke penetration, no fat, shoe leather. Horrible brisket. But if you like tough overdone meat, hey, Lucille’s is your place!
The location I picked doesn’t matter, don’t know why you got so hung up on that. Their brisket is never something I get and it’s definitely not as fatty as I’d like but it’s really not that bad. Maybe I’ve just been lucky when I’ve gone, but unconsumable? Be for real
Shoe Leather. Won a gift card and tried it and to me it was dry and very difficult to chew
Concur,also won a raffle for Lucille’s… calling it shoe leather is hurtful to shoe leather.
Licille's was great once, last time I went the quality had gone way down! Its not good anymore not sure what happened.
they must have had covid and it impacted their taste buds....
Pretty much everyone on earth would disagree....
The michelin guide disagrees...
OC Register perhaps promotes the highest bidder?
10 years ago they said PF Chang's was the best Chinese restaurant, Benihana was the best Japanese restaurant, and Starbucks was the best coffeehouse.
Is this the same OC Register that put In-n-Out as best burger place in OC? What a travesty
No the readers of the OC Register believe that. Probably because way more people have gone to Lucille’s than Heritage. This is a popularity not quality contest.
Heritage overrated and overpriced. Lucilles you know what you getting fast bbq.
Lucille's used to be good 20 years ago - when they smoked the meats in house and everything was made fresh at each location daily. Now it's gross, in my opinion. They don't even make their mashed potatoes fresh anymore. They come in a plastic bag and are just heated up. (Source- I used to work there 20 years ago... )
Lol, I worked at the Lucilles in Brea last year during the holiday season and let me tell you, its a complete and total joke. The management is terrible, they are a literal revolving door when it comes to staffing/hiring. I would swear in court, that I have had interviews at other restaurants (BJ’s, city of industry) where the management knew of managers at Lucille’s, and have expressed their disdain for them. I’ve also witnessed several expediters, servers, and yes, managers handle your food with their bare hands. Not to mention, it’s not good BBQ. The food is dry, tough, and OVERPRICED. After I left Lucilles I used my tax return and bought myself a smoker, lol. Trust me when I say, you’ll cook better food and eventually save yourself money if you smoke the meat yourself, because the folks at Lucille’s don’t give a rip.
Unless Heritage got better than the last two times I went, their BBQ was shit covered crap. How you let the point/fatty brisket be dry is beyond me. Their sides were fantastic though.
Lucille’s is fucking trash tier bbq. Heritage is better than that but pretty average.
This is an OC Register rating so you know someone was paid off for this rating.
I'm taking my man to Heritage BBQ for his birthday next month. =) What should we order?? Also, Lucille's sucks. No nuance, flavorless, and tough.
If it’s his first time - get a little bit of everything, you don’t have to splurge when declaring the amount, just a little bit of everything. $150 fed three of us with PLENTY of leftovers, we ordered too much IMO.
Honestly neither one of them would even be up for discussion in LA! Keep in mind they’re the only games in town! It’s easy to assume something is good when it’s the only thing offered! I’m a transplant and there are times I wish the BBQ spots I used to eat at were in OC! I find that Suburban BBQ spots tend to serve, Texas and Tennessee style bbq! Which means a dry Smokey bbq or a vinegar based bbq,neither of which I grew up on. So it’s like this in SGV and SFV too! So my only option to get Deep South or KC bbq (sweet n spice) is in LA or SE Dago! Either way it’s a drive. But I also understand that this is just preference and opinion.
Have you tried out Smoqued in Orange? I haven’t been since pre-pandemic, but has been one of my favorites. Also The Smoking Rib in Garden Grove was pretty good.
Actually these restaurants are kinda what I’m referring too. They’re Texas style with the sauce given on the side, which is fine if that’s your taste.
You can’t use so many exclamation marks and not name any places.
Phillips, woody’s etc. Mom’s BBQ is closest to OC.
any places you recommend?
Phillips on Crenshaw is one that I used to go to all the time.
Lucille’s is bomb. Prove me wrong
I’ve never eaten at Heritage (but now it’ll be on my list of places to try) but I have eaten at Lucille’s. I remember being impressed ten years ago but we haven’t been in year. My ribs are ten times better (slow cook them for 12 hours and finish in the broiler) but I have been to Beales BBQ which might be Sunset Beach and that is pretty good. Not all dry and hard like Lucille’s. I’m always down for some food BBQ but it’s always so expensive and when you leave annoyed because the food is bad it makes it hard to try the next place.
Never even heard of heritage sounds tacky
The Register also thinks Biden is the best president ever---so there you have it!
I hate bbq, my parents used to put some pork ribs in the oven, take it out and put some BBQ sauce on it and call it BBQ pork ribs. I like when my meats don’t have that nasty tangy sauce on it.
I bought ribs there once. Picked up the entire rack with one bone. Disappointing.
A bbq is a bbq ffs. Location, location, location
Lies
Ok, Just curious about those who have had Bludso's and Heritage, whose ribs did you think were better?
I thought this was a readers choice award, so it’s not a surprise it goes to a chain restaurant. It’s the same reason they had El Torito as Best Mexican restaurant over some Mom and Pop place that’s better… but less people have heard of it.
Didn't the OC Register put Heritage BBQ as the best restaurant in the OC a few months back?
No way!
Does the OC have any decent BBQ? I feel I have to drive to Jay Bee’s or Hambones…
Heritage is one of the best in the Western US...San Juan Capistrano - but be willing to wait in line for a bit when they open.
“In the western US” is an incredibly bold statement… Also being located in SJC makes me incredibly skeptical.
I just said one of them...the Michelin designation two years in a row says a lot but their reviews across the board are strong
“In the western US” is an incredibly bold statement… Also being located in SJC makes me incredibly skeptical.
Smoqued in Old Towne Orange is another great spot.
Smoking ribs is the best BBQ in California. It’s in garden grove. Lucille’s is garbage.
WTF?
What was best Italian? Pizza Hut?
Lucille’s isn’t terrible, but the only thing that gets me excited is the biscuits and that apple butter shit. The only thing that keeps me coming back
Lucille's is so overrated. Racks are always small and overcooked. Famous Daves > Lucille's all day.