Rib Ranch Barbeque

Here is a major disappointment! First experience..I use to like this place but can't even remember why. So... more

Here is a tip.. DON'T EAT HERE! more

Here is a major disappointment! First experience..I use to like this place but can't even remember why. So my wife and I decided to have dinner h... more

It was a Friday night and I couldn't make up my mind whether to have BBQ or Chinese food. Having recently heard about this place, I figured I'd give it a try. In hindsight, I should have risked being hungry an hour later and gone for the Chinese take-out. It was late, about 8:20 when I arrived. As soon as I walked in I was asked, ""This is to go, RIGHT?!?"" Right there I should have taken a hint and bounced. But no, my hankering for some baby back ribs overrode my instinct. Not that I wasn't planning to take it to go anyway, but with 40 minutes left in their night, I'm sure I could have finished and left with time to spare. Maybe they all had hot dates that they had to get to. So I go ahead and order their ""Two-Step"" combination with baby back ribs and hot links. garlic mashed potatoes and baked beans. Knowing ahead that the garlic mashed was an extra 50 cents, I was ok with that. However, it would've been nice to have been reminded. Heck, even Chipotle reminds you that there's a charge for guac in your burrito! Oh, I also added apple cobbler for dessert. The guy rings up my order, charges my ATM card, has me sign the receipt and THEN tells me, ""Oh, we're out of baby back ribs and tri-tip. What other meat would you like?"" Strike two. Again, I should have taken the hint and bailed. But I didn't want to go through the hassle of having the purchase refunded. Since my only options now were beef ribs or 1/4 chicken, and I was wanting ribs, I opted for the beef ribs. Now mind you I have NEVER been a fan of beef ribs. They tend to be fattier, have bigger bones and the meat doesn't tend to be as tender and fall off the bone as pork ribs. Well Rib Ranch certainly didn't do a thing to change my opinion. Eating those ribs was like like chewing through a pair of Buster Brown leather oxfords. The hot links weren't too bad. Not a whole lot of flavor or heat. The bbq beans were mediocre as well. Usually when ordering beans from a bbq restaurant they tend to have some meat in them. These didn't seem to. It was more like canned beans than something made from scratch. The highlight of the meal was the garlic mashed potatoes. They were very flavorful and well prepared. A nice consistency and bursting with garlic. Definitely not something to order on a date unless you both do! Also, an added surprise was a pair of mini cornbread muffins. The only thing missing from the potatoes and muffins was some butter and maybe some honey for the cornbread. I don't know if Rib Ranch provides that for dine-in customers or if you have to ask for it when ordering carry-out like you do at KFC. As far as the apple cobbler goes, my jaw muscles were too sore and I had worked up a sweat from trying to eat the ribs. So that was tossed in the refrigerator. Maybe I'll get around to eating it this weekend. At least my roommate's dog seemed to enjoy the rib bones! From now on, I think I'll keep my BBQ dining to Bear Pit BBQ in Mission Hills. It's a bit of a drive, but well worth it! more

Let me start by saying I have been going here for over 8 years. Never really had an issue besides the flys or wasps in the outside eating area. I came through Topanga Canyon from LA bumper to bumper with my wife and very hungry kids and wanted to call ahead 15 minutes to get our food ready to eat. They informed us that they do not take call ahead orders and offered no reason accept policy. I said fine we will take it to go. When we finally got there I was exhausted from the drive and did not want to wait the extra 1/2 hour to get home. So I politely told the young man behind the counter that we decided to eat in, he said he would tell the waitress. We settled down in back , wife went to wash up , kids are at the table with me and the owner comes out to our table and starts yelling at me that he told us he did not take phone orders for eating in and that his OTHER customers that had been waiting would be upset. Our order was before theirs so Ok . how about telling me in a polite voice quietly that this was the reason for the policy. I was in utter SHOCK at this MANS Anger and rudeness. I told him forget it then and he HUFFED "" NO I WILL DO IT THIS TIME "" and stormed off. Like he is doing US the Favor. He showed his other customers in the room his true colors and in front of my girls age 5 & 8 WOW. I will be telling all my friends and my church family who often had events there never to go again. Serve him right to close down....... more

Wanting to give this place a fair chance we went during a slow time, mid week at 5pm. Being that there were very few customers, the service was good. FIRST THE BAD: I'm a beef rib man so I might be a bit critical, but where's the beef? The ribs were big but there wasn't much meat on them. (3 of us had the beef ribs) One our party actually showed the waitress that and asked for a replacement with some meat on it. The replacement was hardly any better.The baby backs were OK but kind of dry. Their BBQ sauce was odd. It seemed like they got regular sauce & added sugar & ketchup. It wasn't bad, but not to my liking, wish they had a few to choose from. THE GOOD: Tri-tip was excellent, as were the garlic mashed potatoes. These had great flavor and enough lumpiness to verify that these were mashed by hand, not with a food processor or from powdered... Would I go back? Yes, but not eagerly. I'll probably try a few other local BBQ's first. more

like any other biz the service is up and down, I am a regular and i do get great service and the food yummy Pros: by far the best bbq in the valley Cons: service more

Fast delivery, hot food, properly prepared bbq, ample fixins', reasonable prices... and most of all -- tasty noms! more

This joint only cares about its regular customers! If you are a regular customer and they know you by face or by name, you will get polite and courteous service. If not...........I wish you all good luck! I have been there atleast a few times and everytime I go there in hopes of getting good service but, they never fail to disappoint me. I can understand poor service if and when they are very very busy but, I make it a point to go during non-rush hours. Even then, it takes atleast the waitress about 15-20 mins before coming to take the order. If you go to the window to order food for dine-in the man or the waitress behind the tiny window will ask you (rudely) to sit down and someone will be there to help you. I expect more from a family run business, all the people who work and cook there are family members. The food is good but seriously not worth the 1 hour wait. I prefer going down just a couple of blocks to Brother BBQ or Grandpa Freds. The service and food is great at both those locations, they care about their every customer. I am never going back there again!!! Pros: Decent Food Cons: BAD SERVICE, PARKING more

Love the ribs, but the service is NOT good...one night we went there and could see there were going to be a few tables opening up soon.. so we asked the Owner if we could order the food now and sit down when a table was available (knowing that the food takes along time ) he said No and not in a really nice way. We now order the food to go!!!!! more

I have been a loyal customer for 6 years, and this place is by far the best i have ever tasted. Pros: Service, Food Cons: Parking more

I stand corrected...I originally called the bad waitress ""Stacy"" but apparently her name is ""Jaycee"" and she does still work there! run for topanga canyon everyone! Pros: no good impression left Cons: everything, especially waitress named ""Jaycee"" more

My boyfriend and I checked out this restaurant for the first time. We waited for about 15 minutes before a waitress came over to take our order. She never brought out our drinks and it took over an hour for us to get our dinner. The food was decent but not worth the wait. Pros: food Cons: service more

I consider myself a true BBQ expert and this was the most flavorful and wonderfully seasoned ribs and tri-tip that I have tasted in the San Fernando Valley. The sauce was tangy and rich. I will be back soon and often! Pros: price, quality, quantity more

A great tender rack for 15 dollars was well worth the plastic patio tables and table cloths. The eastern baby-backs were flavorful and tender, but not in that annoying fall apart way. The service is very friendly and the feeling is no-frills. The sauce is sweet and savory, ask for extra. Large, steak-cut fries, tasty coleslaw, and decent baked beans top off the meal. more