Growing from a pop-up and catering service to a full on brick-and-mortar house of smoke, Moo’s Craft Barbecue has made a name for itself in only four short years since opening. The restaurant has earned acclaim from notable outlets, such as The Infatuation and Eater LA, and has even earned a spot on the Michelin Guide for not just its traditional pulled pork, brisket and various sides, but for its more specialized items such as the Korean BBQ Burnt Ends. While not every dish was a home run at this Dodger Stadium-adjacent restaurant, it didn’t leave a bad taste either.
Open Thursdays through Sundays from noon until it runs out of supply, Moo's Craft Barbecue and Taproom comes in high demand. Come early and come with patience, as this joint has had customers waiting for up to an hour or more. Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
The line queues customers against eye-raising signage by some of the food scene's finest outlets giving praise for Moo's Texas-style barbecue. On occasion, a voice on the microphone took attention away from the wall-written reviews to reassure patrons not to abandon the line. Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
Seating can be scarce at Moo's, but customers who finally do find an indoor tabletop enjoy an island in a sea of islands to dig into meats and sides. Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
When one passes through the doors of the white cement walls and pull-to-open front doors, they are met with a vibe simply put as “California Kool.” A full bar is set up on the leftmost wall, outfitted with all varieties of beer on tap. Tan wooden tables with black metal legs are dotted with a paper towel roll and two kinds of BBQ sauce – one a mustard base, the other tomato-based. In spite of the seating being crammed into the smallish establishment, both inside and outside, it is spaced out just enough so as to not pack this beef-based institution. Behind the counters hangs a pull-down projector screen, and in our case, it showed the Dodgers game as we waited in line. Once the order is taken, customers can go around back to check out the many smokers housed in the courtyard – it’s like walking into a meat scented Bath & Body Works. With abs and sides picked up from the register, it’s time to taste some of the most hyped up BBQ in the city.
Step out the back gate and you'll find yourself amid the smokers, where the high pressure slow-cooking happens. Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
Since this is California, BBQ starts and ends with a good sauce. The yellow one is akin to a Carolina Gold with a strong punch from the vinegar and twangy mustard paired with a solid kick of heat and a heavy amount of peppering. The red sauce is a flavorsome friend to its yellow counterpart, as it is sweet from its tomato paste base while also including substantial heat from the red pepper flakes. For customers wondering which sauce to pair with their entree, the Carolina variety works better with pork dishes, chicken quarters and sausages, while the red sauce better brings out and cuts through the richness of beef ribs, brisket and burgers.
An impressive sight, the pulled pork sandwich packs in an ample amount of pork but, when sauced right, presents a consistently savory bite. Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
Lording over its accompanying entrees, the Pork Sando’s size promises more than just a rotund stomach. Crowned with a lightly toasted brioche bun, this kingly pulled pork sandwich reassuringly offers no twists: It’s a simple matter of pulled pork and coleslaw. The two-inch-tall pile of pulled pork is bound to outmatch the structural integrity of the sandwich bun, so no matter how delicately you take your first bite, there’s bound to be spillage. Yet, this is no failing for the experience as the pork’s tenderness (and necessary pairing with the red sauce) makes sloppy seconds equally enjoyable to the sandwich taken in toto. You might be surprised to find that what remains of the sandwich in your hands might vanish in a few bite-sized moments – though the sandwich’s immensity can look daunting, the campaign of chomps it actually takes to vanquish this beast is certain to end before Christmas, as the moisture of the pork combines with the compact and complimentary coleslaw to ease the effort of each bite.
The Korean Sticky Glazed Pork Belly Burnt Ends are both a mouthful of a name and a mouthwatering entree to order. Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
In addition to the traditional pulled variety, Moo’s Craft serves another swine dish they are more famous for – the Pork Belly Burnt Ends. Delectable cubes of pure pig fat are smothered in a sticky Korean BBQ sauce glaze before they are topped with scallions and sesame seeds. One bite in and there’s no question why these little pieces of piggy put Moo’s on the map. The sauce is sweet like honey but has a soy sauce quality that truly balances it out. The greens give the dish an earthiness, and the sesame seeds add nuttiness. Because the burnt ends are 80% pure juicy fat, they carry the flavor in a mad dance across the palate – transforming these hunks of piglet into sticky, savory, succulent, umami bombs.
The beans do not lack when it comes to their broth bath – a good, peppery pitstop to relax on after the heavier barbecues. Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
Detouring to the sides, there were two – the Brisket Loaded Beans and the Mac and Cheese. Bathing in a pool of their own juices, the pinto beans were the most bean-like thing on the planet, managing to overpower the pieces of smoked brisket mixed into them. They were peppery and had some spice, but both only complemented and heightened the bean flavor. All this to say, customers expecting homestyle barbecue baked beans might be disappointed.
The panko-sprinkled Mac and Cheese offers a light and creamy side to balance out the heaviness of the main course meats. Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
Onto the Mac and Cheese which was another one note wonder – that note being creamy. Yes, mac and cheese should be creamy, but it could have been more. There were panko bread crumbs sprinkled on top, but they provided no textural variety the second they dissolved into the luscious land of milk and cheese that were the noodles, which, while being perfectly al dente, only added to the singular smooth mouthfeel because of their lack of bite.
The chopped brisket comes in the shape of a citadel: a drier outer shell baked with burnt ends and a peppery feel that surround the softer inside. Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
Back to the final entree, the Chopped Brisket is served as a little beefy dome with a dry outer shell from the Maillard bark and a moist interior. While this contrast made for well-rounded bites if a forkful were to include the textured crust alongside the juicy center, picking apart one versus the other does service to neither – as one is a bit on the dry side and the other is merely a soft cut of meat. Flavorwise, aside from a definite smokiness and a slight sense of spice from Moo’s Craft’s dry rub, there wasn’t a definite flavor to really put a finger on. By the time the last bite was satisfyingly swallowed, it signaled the conclusion to a good meal.
"Para la gente," Moo's Craft prides itself on embodying Los Angeles culture. This story began when the Muñoz family first started serving its amateur pit barbecue across the LA street scene and led to this Lincoln Heights location. Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
Moo’s Craft Barbecue smoked up some delicate BBQ twists, but the staples of the cuisine might leave some customers looking for flavored distinction – though they might feel full the whole way home.
