I was born in Whittier and raised in that area in the 60's, 70's and left there in 82 and moved to…read moreVentura County and been here ever since. This has always been one of my favorite places to go growing up down there and was a treat to hen we did go. I still make the 2hr trek from Ventura and go here once in awhile. After I heard they closed the Bellflower location I made it a point on 9/5/2026 to the Downey location. It was packed and they had a wait which I (Myself) was happy to see, I waited about 10 or 15 minutes and ordered the baby back ribs - Hawaiian style along with the Hawaiian style chicken with a salad, BBQ beans, and bread. It did not disappoint! 5 for me! Keep in mind this location is one of the original if not thee 1st one to open. It has a ambiance feeling when in there = Landmark. Chris & Pitts' Downey location has been operating since 1949, the year the chain was founded. All available records point to the Downey restaurant being one of the original early locations that remained open continuously while other branches closed over the decades. What a Gem! I almost forgot, the service was excellent too.

Food was tasty, I hadn't been to a Chris and Pitts restaurant in 30 plus years and my fiance set up…read morea dinner here with her meetup group. Service was terrible, we had a lot trouble getting a server's attention to order drinks and again for main course meals. Long time between orders and food arriving. Then again when we were ready to pay our checks. The food was good but the service was really lacking. I don't think that I will return.

I am so bummed out that they have permanently closed down this location…read more Another great eatery gone!! Support your Local Eateries, share them and let others know of the hidden gems they may be driving by and not checking out or the spots they didn't know existed!!!! RIP S&F Social Eatery

Really liked this place. Wish they hadn't changed the menu; still sad they closed already…read more Found a brand new place in compton called 'City BBQ & Catering' on 1001 rosecranse. Been twice now cuz that smoked brisket is , in my opinion, pretty damn good.

Met up with 2 friends for a light bite and cocktails. It's a bar, no frills. Serviced by Nicholas…read morewho was alone and excellent. Food was good. Quesadilla Tacos had plenary of meat. Bastard Burger had all the trimmings. Sent the Lemon Pepper Wings back for more seasoning. Loved the Raspberry Lemon Drop. Wanted to order another but they ran out is raspberry so I got blackberry.

Food was delicious, every item we ordered was excellent a little on the greasy side but fresh and…read moretasty. Would order again. Raspberry Lemon drop was amazing. Only 1 bartender and server inside so it was a little slow but worth the wait. He was attentive and prompt as he could be for serving the whole bar alone. As a Veteran I appreciated the canteen style and ambiance they even had the missing man table which gave me a chance to explain that to my child. Overall great food, close to where we were and fed our bellies.

We came on a Saturday night at 6 and the wait for 3 was 30-45 mins. (2 adults and a 10 month old)…read moreNo problem! I had to go to the bathroom and when I walked thru the restaurant there were a lot of empty tables. Odd that there would be a wait. There was a table for 4 near the front door, without a reserved sign on it, and it was empty the entire time we waited. We were finally seated and they put us at a table for two. Meanwhile, that table for 4 was still empty. I'm not sure if you've ever spent time with a 10 month old, but clearly the hostess hasn't. They are grabby and want to explore everything they can possibly get their hands on, including hot plates on a table. Luckily, our server knew this and when a large party in the restaurant left, she brought us one of the 2 person tables they'd been using. Fortunately it also aligned with when our food was coming out so we didn't have to worry about our baby burning her hands on the plates put down on our table with a "they're hot" warning. The kitchen was really slow. I'm not sure if they were backed up, but with the amount of empty tables, they really shouldn't have been. It took at least 20 minutes for us to get our appetizer after we ordered it, which was the chile verde fries. Luckily, all of the food made up for the previous paragraphs and is the reason for 4 stars instead of 3. The Chile verde fries were so good! Not too spicy, a great balance of fries, meat, sauce, and cheese. The egg was a nice touch and made the dish feel like chilequilles with fries instead of chips. We also ordered a 3 meat plate with pulled pork, brisket, and tri tip. The pulled pork was pretty standard. The brisket was falling apart delicious and I liked that it didn't have a ton of fat in it. It was interesting that the tri tip had grill marks on it, I don't think I've ever seen that before, but it was very soft and delicious as well. For our sides we got the collard greens and mac and cheese. The collards were very high in vinegar, something we aren't used to, but my husband enjoyed them. The mac and cheese was really good! You can tell they use fresh cheeses as opposed to velveta. The garlic bread was good and really flavorful, but I do wonder why other tables around us seemed to get 2 slices per person and we got 2 slices total. Not a big deal tho, just found it odd. Overall, we really liked Steve's and will be back, as well as recommend it to people. We'll just make sure to have a reservation before we go, and maybe make it for a party of 4 to ensure we get a good sized table.

First time at Steve's after hearing raving reviews for years. Seriously, what took me so long? For…read moresome reason I thought the inside was larger but it is a cozy place, large enough for a group of two. Ordered a shareable platter which on the menu, I think it states for 3-4 but dang. I think it could feed *at least* 5-6. I would def recommend if ya'll can agree on the sides. I love Mac n cheese, I mean who doesn't, but if you're that one weirdo than opt for something else. The Mac isn't the best I've had but it's worth a try. The meats are delicious, except for the chicken. For some reason I wasn't really impressed with the chicken. Service was pretty good and easy parking in the back. After lunch or dinner take a stroll in uptown and check out the shops. Overall Steve's is solid and I'll go back.

Pitmasters' Society BBQ Grill…read more This is a review for my dining experience at Pitmasters' Society BBQ Grill. https://www.bbqgrillpitmasters.com/ My friends and I enjoyed eating at Pitmasters' Society BBQ Grill. Words to describe the cuisine would be sophisticated and elevated BBQ with Romanian fusion. Very flavorful and filling! LOCATION: It is located in the food court at Stonewood Mall. HOURS: They serve lunch and dinner. 10:00am-8pm SERVICE: We were greeted with a warm smile by Lori. I have never tasted Romanian food before, so I was excited to learn about their menu. She recommended several items for us to choose from. MENU We ordered the 3 MEAT COMBO PLATTER: You can select different meats. We chose: pork belly, sausage, and ribs, with corn and french fries. Wow! Every bite was delicious! I loved the seasonings! Salty goodness from the pork belly, the Romanian sleeveless sausage, "Mici" made from beef and pork was perfectly seasoned and paired well with mustard, and the ribs were tender and fell right off the bones. None of the meats were tough and were very scrumptious! :) ------ BRISKET SANDWICH -Delicious! The brisket was very tasty and was definitely the star of the sandwich! The bread, cheese, and the veggies that accompanied the brisket was the perfect ratio. I could taste each element in every bite! Other dishes we ate: PASTRAMI SANDWICH: Fun fact, Pastrami originated from Romania! Pastrami comes from the word pastramă which means to preserve. So of course their pastrami was top notch! BURNT ENDS TRITIP SIDES: For the sides they were all yummy. Sides they serve include frenchfries, vegetables, macaroni, mashed potatoes, and corn. My personal favorite was the mashed potatoes! They were whipped to perfection and creamy. I enjoyed the meal with my friends! I liked the presentations of each dish. The generous portions, fresh ingredients, and the garnishes on top of the foods made it look very special. We had to give accolades to the cook, Manny who made each dish. ***All in all I had a great experience dining at Pitmasters' Society BBQ Grill! If you are a meat and potatoes person, THIS IS THE PLACE! Their specialty is their grilled and smoked meats. It is great bbq packed with unique flavors inspired by Romania. Everything is fresh and appetizing! Poftă bună! :)

Have been eyeing to try this place for a while - I finally ordered via uber eats. First the price…read moreand value is really great for bbq. I wanted to try a little of everything so I ordered the 3 meat combo (chose ribs, chicken & brisket) & a burnt end pork belly / sausage mix. I really enjoyed the baked beans, burnt bit pork belly, & brisket - they all had good flavor. The chicken was good and not dry. The bbq ribs was decent but not super juicy / tender. The sides were a miss for me (besides the baked beans), the fries were a bit soggy (I mean could be because I got takeout), and the flavor of the slaw and the potato salad (?) could be better imo. But overall the bbq was tasty and is a fantastic value & i would order again to try more of their selections!

Deliciousness BBQ beef brisket with fried cauliflower. Spicy & mild BBQ sauce with pickled onions…read morewith jalapeños balance the sweet/spicy/rich meaty flavors. Fast service and friendly folks. Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) wings with garlic soy was great, but I forgot to take a photo ‍

Yesterday, my wife made some black-eyed peas--but nothing to go with them. That was my cue to find…read moresome meat and cornbread. On the way home, I stumbled across Wholly Smokes. I'd never been there before, so this review is all about first impressions. As we approached, the sign caught my attention: "Under New Ownership." Outside, an employee sat scrolling on his phone. It was a quiet Sunday around 3 PM, and we were the only patrons in sight. Checking Yelp beforehand had been a bit of a letdown, as their menu featured items they no longer offer. No links were available either. We ordered half a pound of pulled pork, half a pound of brisket, and four pieces of cornbread--all priced reasonably. Their tap selection turned out to be decent. The Cali Squeeze Blood Orange was a standout, and they also seemed to carry Firestone Walker products, including 805. The staff were friendly and responsive, which was refreshing. While the brisket had cooled by the time we got home, it was still tender and flavorful--just like the pulled pork. The real surprise? The chimichurri that accompanied the brisket--an unexpected and delightful touch. Overall, I'd rate the experience as average. While it's clear they've got potential, a bit more effort could turn Wholly Smokes into a go-to spot. Leaning in on those small details would really elevate the experience.

Sunday barbecue that hit the spot! Do NOT sleep on the…read morebriskets! I ordered pickup, my car still has that sweet, savory smokey flavor. (My favorite.) The owner was very personable, curious about why I decided to patron his local, the food and service did NOT disappoint. I am coming back and bringing family with me. I just wish there was an IG account to follow.

The fam was craving some bbq and boy did this place not disappoint! We got the 3 meat special…read moresausage, brisket and baby back ribs. mac and cheese, potato salad and coleslaw. Meats were all delicious, smoked too perfection. would go back and try the tri tip. Coleslaw was a little watery but thats just their style, all other sides were definitely hitting. There is parking but the front sign is missing so I did a little run around. The guy was nice no line and food was ready to go. I asked for hot bbq sauce and he delivered, very glad I asked. Would go back to try the chicken also probably, there are 2 huge smokers out front. This guy does it right!

So i am a bit confused about the photos here, because there is an actual restaurant looking place,…read moresome little cart and a food truck. Hopefully they are all related. My review is based on the food truck. It was my son's birthday. He was allowed to chose anything he wanted for dinner. Any price point... anything. Well i had seen this on Instagram and shared it with him two weeks prior. At first he wanted to go to Nobu or there were a few other high end options, but that is not his style honestly. Luckily, he remembered the post that I shared. He wanted to go here. Well, buckle up kids, we are going on a field trip! We left work/schools early and took a drive to Compton. When our navigation said we had arrived it suggested we park in the lot across from the library. Ok. There directly in front of the library was the food truck. There was a small line, so that was ideal. Not a long wait. My other smaller human and i went to wash their hands in the library. When i came out he had ordered the hungry man or something. It was more than enough for us. The oxtail was good. The ribs were good. The chicken was good. The cornbread was yummy. Just not over the moon for the greens... and i loooove collard greens. But that's ok. We went for the meats. They were out of the dinosaur ribs, so maybe if we go early enough next time, we can try those. We took it across the street to the park and ate and that was enough time for the small one to also play to get energy out before we headed home. The drive home was long, now that rush hour traffic had started. But none of us complained, because the meal was worth it.

I tried this for the first time last week. I went to the Compton location. By the time I got there…read morethey were out of yams and something else. I appreciate him letting me before I started to order. I got the three meat combo with ribs, links and brisket. I got greens, bbq beans and Mac & cheese. It did not disappoint! The meat was tender and the sides were delicious!

Parking: small lot attached and another located down the street…read more Not so traditional bbq. Here at Smoke Queen, East meets West through fusion bbq! Ordered: Wagyu Tri-tip Japanese Curry Bowl Pit Madam Japanese Curry Bowl pork belly char siu brisket pulled pork sausage Mango Michelada Strawberry Lemonade I love that the chef-owner incorporated her background into the food. I was so happy to try the the new Japanese curry bowls. The meats were packed with so much unique flavors. The drinks were also very refreshing.

Review # 17 for 2026…read more Went here for my b-day to enjoy some BBQ. I've had this place bookmarked for a while and have been wanting to try it. The place is located in a quiet neighborhood. There is a small parking lot and street parking, both free. There are not many other vendors in this complex, but I think they have been working on getting more vendors. As far as the space, I LOVE the outdoor space here. It is spread out and very kid friendly with lots of activities for the kiddos. My 2 year old had a lot of fun and did not want to leave!. As far as the restaurant goes, there is plenty of seating dedicated to the place, but you can really sit anywhere in the complex and enjoy. There are some tent seating too which I thought was super cute. This is a casual place. You order, get a buzzer and come get your food. Everything is pretty much self serve. We ordered the 4 meats, 4 sides platter, which starts at $92. We upgraded some meats and got the brisket, waygu tri tip, crispy pork belly, and pulled pork. For our sides we got the tallow fries, mac and cheese, sesame slaw, and dirty rice. I got a special lemonade which actually ended up costing more than a beer! There was a daily beer special so the beer was cheaper. Anyways, the food took a bit of time to come out, but everything was delicious! The brisket and tri tip were tender, juicy and tasty. The crispy pork was super crispy and tasty. The skin was so crispy!! The pulled pork was my least favorite. It was good, but did not stand put like the other meats we ate. As for the sides, I really loved the dirty rice and the fries were super crispy! The mac and cheese was okay to me, I felt like some bacon was needed. My husband ate the sesame slaw and he said it was really good. He ate the entire thing! My lemonade drink was good, but not worth the $9. Would I come here again? I would for an occasion. While the food was good, it is too expensive to come here on a regular basis. Come here to try the bbq with an Asian twist!

I didn't have the experience I expected to have with Gus'. It came so highly reviewed online and by…read morefriends so maybe I came on an off day. But the food seemed very "regular" and I missed out on the hype of the big portions and "worth the price" flavors. There were many menu options and kind service but I wish I could say more about the food. I got the Submarine and really expected much more reading the description. The quality was very much like the sandwiches that you can get in the fridge in the lunch room. I would like to go back for a more "meatier" sandwich but I'm worried for a back to back bad experience. I'll give it another try and hope for redemption

The best steak sandwiches around. Chicken sandwiches are bomb too, get the Chile torreado for an…read moreextra kick.