Glencrest Bar-B-Que Restaurant

This was by far the easiest day of the 7in7. I didn't have any meetings scheduled during my lunch hour and I could see the light at the end of the reviewing tunnel. I decided the sixth BBQ restaurant of the 7in7 was going to be the Glencrest Bar-B-Que Restaurant on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice. I had visited the restaurant once, long ago, and couldn't remember whether I had liked it or not. So why not give it a try and throw some photos up on my blog while I'm at it?

The restaurant is small, with a couple of tables for alfresco dining and a few stools inside. You can't beat the location on a day that's warm and sunny, like today. It has a very mom-and-pop feel. As I entered the building there was an undeniable smell of smoked wood — always a sign of good BBQ. The menu was written on a mocha-colored chalkboard, and I couldn't help but notice that the BBQ menu had a soul food twist. The side dishes included everything from collard greens to mac and cheese. They also had a good variety of desserts on the menu, like 7-Up cake and peach cobbler.

The prices were some of the most reasonable I had seen thus far. I had the BBQ pork rib dinner and a strawberry soda for $10.25. This rib dinner was the most expensive item on the menu — not bad by BBQ standards. I also liked that you didn't have to order the ribs by the rack. The dinner came with two sides, so I opted for the collard greens and red beans and rice.

The ribs were very filling and had good smoke flavor. My biggest complaint was that the texture was a bit uneven — tender in certain areas, a little tough in others. The collard greens were very satisfying and the cornbread was pretty delicious. The red beans and rice lacked seasoning and flavor. Not sure what happened there. The strawberry soda was the perfect way to wash things down.

The BBQ wasn't perfect, but you can't beat the location on a sunny California day. Have BBQ and go shopping on Abbot Kinney? I'm in. I'm going to have to return and see what their other items are like — and try some sock-it-to-me cake.

**Glencrest Bar-B-Que Restaurant** *(permanently closed)*
Formerly at 1146 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291