The SmoKING Ribs
A Garden Grove destination for traditional Southern barbecue, with particular expertise in ribs
Although two newer Orange County restaurants (Heritage Barbecue and Smoke Queen BBQ) have collectively monopolized local barbecue discussion in recent years, The SmoKING Ribs certainly deserves to be considered in the same “best of OC” discussions. Located in Garden Grove, which happens to be home to countless Vietnamese restaurants, The SmoKING Ribs doesn’t leverage Smoke Queen-like Asian fusion recipes to make its menu stand out; it is the latest evolution of a traditional barbecue-focused catering business that dates back to 2010.
Open five days a week for lunch and dinner, their single-page menu includes typical Southern U.S. BBQ standards – baby back pork ribs and pork spare ribs, beef back ribs, smoked brisket, bbq pulled pork, and hot links – plus a novelty: smoked fried chicken quarters and wings, served with a mix of charred and crispy seasoned skin. Onion rings, fries, slaw, blueberry corn muffins, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, and beans are all available as side dishes.
As these items are all very good to excellent, demand was historically high enough that their famous (and particularly tender, intensely flavored) beef ribs and only slightly less famous pork ribs would sell out before the start of the dinner hour – 4:45PM in our earliest experience. Years later, ribs can still sell out on weekend afternoons, and though they remain enjoyable without adding anything, BBQ sauce on the side punches them up to majestic levels.
Unsurprisingly, expect to drop just under $40-$45 for a full rack of ribs, $35 for a pound of brisket, or $25 for pulled pork – the chicken and hot links are less expensive, with side dishes at $5 each. Those prices generally don’t deter BBQ fanatics, so if you’re one of them or want to become one, we’d suggest a visit.
Stats
Price: $$/$$$
Service: Counter
Open Since: 2015
Addresses
14211 Euclid St.
Suite D
Garden Grove, CA 92843
714.867.6057
Instagram: @thesmokingribs