By Joe Dargan
If you’re seeking juicy, smokehouse, Texas-style barbecue in East Los Angeles, look no further than Meme’s Little Taste of Texas smokehouse barbecue restaurant.
As you enter Meme’s through its sliding screen door, you are immediately engulfed in the aroma of a variety of smoked meats infused with a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce.
The menu boasts an assortment of barbecue staples like pulled pork, barbecue chicken, beef brisket and barbecue ribs.
Your choice of coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, potato salad or cornbread is included with the purchase of any main dishes.
Topping the list of taste was a succulent slice of beef brisket that was smoked to perfection with a drizzle of sweet barbecue sauce.
The combination of beef and fat was melt-in-your-mouth good. The jam-packed pulled pork sandwich was not only juicy and bursting with smoky, barbecue flavor, it was held together with a soft, buttery roll with toasted edges.
The coleslaw, which uniquely included fresh pineapple chunks, added a sweet component to compliment the savory taste of the pork.
While the macaroni and cheese was a bit over cooked, the toasted bread crumble topping made up for it.
The barbecue chicken sandwich, served pulled-pork-style, maintained the same standard of taste as the pork while providing the customer with a flavorful poultry option. Quality does come at a price, as meals range from $8-$12.
Inspired by his grandfather Meme, who perfected the family’s style of barbecue in Seguin, Texas, Manuel Hernandez is a third-generation barbecue enthusiast who shares ownership of Meme’s with his wife Julie, daughter Cristina and his son Manuel Junior, making Meme’s a truly family owned business.
The address is 5372 Whittier Boulevard. The doors are open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The restaurant closes earlier on Tuesdays at 3 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m., and is not open on Mondays.