Maple Block Meat Co.

First time coming here and it certainly won’t be our last. The place is small, so I suggest making reservations or if you don’t want to sit at the bar. The ambiance is pretty casual and the staff is friendly. They have their own selections of wine and a few beers on tap. Tried their own blend of Cab it wasn’t too bad. From the description on the menu the portions sounded small, but boy was I wrong. What we tried and what I recommend.
1. Rack of spare ribs– sooooo good! The meat is pretty tender and the spices are on point.
2. Brisket — yuuuum! The meat was so tender and it just melts in your mouth.
3. Collard greens– yuum
4. Mac n cheese

As a Texas native, people like to think that I eat, breathe, drink barbecue. Well, they’re correct!
Just kidding.
It’s as if everyone from Texas is automatically a barbecue judge. I mean we do barbecue well, so when I hear that there’s a restaurant that serves up stellar barbecue, I’ve got to see/​taste this for myself!
The lady taking our order said that a three meat plate (which comes with two sides of your choice) and an additional side generally filled two people. So, my boyfriend and I ordered what she told us. We got the three meat plate (fatty brisket, sausage link, and chopped pork shoulder) along with mac & cheese, potato salad, and braised greens.
The brisket meat was moist and the outer edge was crispy and delicious. The sausage link was juicy and the chopped pork shoulder was moist and had crispy bits as well.
I’m not an expert on barbecue, but I was pretty impressed. Nice job, Maple Block!

I got the wings, but don’t get the grilled romaine salad. It was not executed well and didn’t taste that interesting or great. The pork belly sliders were also just okay. We LOVED the mac and cheese; it’s made with an onion reduction sauce of sorts. We wish they had more greens/​veggies like collard greens or something. This place is PACKED and the service is great so make an RSVP. Small parking lot so you will most likely need street parking and the intersection is not great. My boyfriend really liked his pork spare ribs. Great service!!! Other fave BBQ places are Charcoal, Gus’s BBQ, and JnJ’s BBQ.

One line review: Fantastic brisket — everything else was pretty decent.
Longer review: order at the window and wait for your food. Maple Block is the new BBQ kid in town with lots to boast about. You can get an idea of what their food looks like at the counter.
I like the seating and service. I might go back for brisket, but need to try out some other spots first.

Food: Excellent BBQ in Los Angeles! We had one pound of mixed cut brisket which was delicious. It was plenty for the two of us, and we were able to take some home. We also ordered the grits, mac and cheese, mixed green salad and biscuits. I recommend all of these side dishes especially the biscuit. The large portions are huge so plan to share. For dessert, we grubbed on the strawberry cobbler, and it was worth it!
Parking: There was plenty of parking on the street after 6 for free. There is also a parking on the side which doesn’t charge.
Service: We ate at the bar, and it was super. FYI, they serve beer and wine only which doesn’t bother me at all. I recommend calling ahead of time for a table as several people were standing around to get a seat.

There is a different menu for lunch and dinner! Lunch options include plates and sandwiches, rather than purchasing meat by the pound at dinner. Dinner also has biscuits, and table service. I stopped in for lunch and I look forward to trying out dinner.
The staff was super friendly. When I called to verify if dogs were allowed on the patio, they kindly reminded me of the law that allows dogs in all outdoor dining areas (sometimes I just like to check). Also, the person who appeared to be the manager kept checking on us to see how our dining experience was, which typically doesn’t happen during lunch when you order at the counter and there is no table service.
I ordered a two-​meat lunch plate, which came with 2 sides, a little bit of pickled veggies, and paired sauces. Maple Block meats have so much flavor, the sauces weren’t really needed, but they were complimentary (we got BBQ sauce, a chimichurri-​type green sauce, and a horseradish mustard aioli). The meat is also super tender and soft.
The sides weren’t bad either – my favorite was the brisket chili, which was a tomato-​based chili and chunks of tender brisket, no beans. The mac and cheese wasn’t overly greasy and just the right of cheesy. The potato salad was a little too acidic for my liking.
Lunch portion sizes looked small for $ 17, but I think it’s because the lunch trays are so big. After a 3.5 mile hike, each person couldn’t finish their 2-​meat plate and still had left over meat to take home.
Lastly, the cookies were super buttery and not overly sweet. They may not look tasty because they’re not consistent in roundness and are bumpy in shape but I inhaled two of them pretty quickly. I also look forward to trying one of their skillet desserts.

Finally got to try this place, and was pleasantly surprised. They have a really small parking lot in the front of the restaurant, so bring a small car if you can. The interior is not overly big, but there is outdoor seating as well. The service was great. Very friendly, honest and efficient. The food was amazing! Got to try several of the dishes, and was not disappointed by any. Unforunately the spare ribs were sold out by the time we got there, so didn’t get to try those. Overall, great experience and great food. Will definitely come back to check out other items on the menu!

Since my last few reviews were really harsh I have been searching for good food in hopes of giving a good review.
The murdered animal Gods have answered. And delivered us to the Maplethorpe Meat Company or whatever the name. Once getting pressed the confusion on how the menu worked it was all uphill from here, or downhill. Whichever means smooth sailing. Uphill sounds like an uphill battle and downhill sounds like the best years are behind you but just know I mean it was all smooth sailing.
First let me mention the décor, it was your stereotypical industrial woody upscale hipster style. But not over the top and really nice.
Now that that is out of the way, the order.
I ordered the two meat plate, lean brisket and pork shoulder (apologies to Yahweh). For side I got ranch beans and Mac n cheese. Both sides were solid but nothing to scream out in bed. The Evans were pretty good but could of been gooder. The mac n cheese was just ok. I read online once on a comment of a photo on someone I don’t know’s Facebook that the way to tell the Mac n cheese in really good is if it has that amber color. It didn’t but I may be color blind #blacklivesmatter. They just weren’t very flavorful. They had bread crumbs on it which saved the day by adding some texture.
The meat tho, the meat tho, that’s the move. I got spicy barbque sauce and regular and both were citizens of flavor town. Population: my tongue. The little pickled thingies on the side were also great and would of preferred a large portion of those over the beans or Mac.
The meat is masterful. Everything else will at least make you full, master.
All in all this place is really nice and would really consider getting friends so I could bring them here.

Heaven, to me, is soft meats and cheesy goodness that my lactose intolerant ass could die for. Maple Block, as you can tell below, has a delicious selection of salty sweet cured hot delicious meats — but I’m not here to reiterate that. The service was incredibly nice. We cruised in 5 mins before the mid day close down before dinner and the staff couldn’t be more accommodating or nicer. (I honestly, hated myself enough — god forbid the staff was going to lose it, I’m sure)
Highly recommended; lots of open space, parking lot, LOTS of food — and very delicious sides. Highly recommend the brisket chili — it’s so flavorful and elevated for what normally is a soup of beans. Mac and Cheese, a given — very thick and indulgent.
Meat plat for 4 – 6 well overserves the group. While the pulled pork and brisket will always please, the sausage was something I really dove into (all jokes aside).
Please go and tip well, Maple Block is a lovely spot for food and friendship. And cheese. Always, cheese.

Met up with a close friend to try this pace out. A wonderful bbq aroma welcomes you the moment you step in. A little more formal setting than I am use to for a BBQ place that give you real plates and silverware. Definitely a great place to celebrate something special or just hanging out with good friends. A great thing about this place you can order fatty or lean brisket. We ordered mixed which gave us a bit of both. Good quality beef ribs that had pink ring. From the brisket to ribs and to the chicken wings you can definitely taste the smoky flavor. One of the definite high lights of our meal was the pork belly. It has the right amount of cruchiness and salt. Service was top notch from the moment you walk in to when you leave. I will have to come back to try more sides and this ranks as one of those places to come back and try more.

It’s a cute new restaurant. really close to Metro Café. The wait here was not insane like it was at the other restaurants we Unilocaled nearby on a Friday night at 9 pm. They have a parking lot and inside and outside seating. Parking isn’t difficult here on the street.
This is like a fancy bbq spot. I go to Texas often for work so I get bbq that is better and significantly cheaper (e.g. Hutchins bbq). You’re going to pay about $ 50+ if you have alcohol at this place.
Tried a few things:
— Mac and Cheese: got the large portion. it was a bit sweet for what I expected and it’s topped with a fried onion thing. It tastes way better with hot sauce on top. I am surprised they didn’t have it at the table. or fresh ground pepper
— Lettuce Wraps with Pulled Pork: This uses Bibb lettuce instead of iceburg lettuce which is fine. Unfortunately I didn’t think the pulled pork was too extraordinary… nor was the quantity too much. Meh. I’d pass.
— Biscuits: It comes with three which surprises me. most people eat in groups of three or four. I had a bite. tasted like a biscuit to me. I don’t think I know what a good or bad biscuit tastes like
— Large Portion of the ribs: Humongous in size… It didn’t taste like the ones I am used to in Texas. They have a salty rub on it. with a side of bbq sauce. I would have preferred actually just no rub on it. just bbq sauce. We took some home.
— Pork belly: It was like a thick strip of bacon that was smoked. I liked the red cabbage it was served with but I don’t think it was anything that was out of the ordinary.
— Mixed fat brisket: Meh. it was okay. There were just fatty portions with a layer of fat running through it and then lean ones that were tough. I think they just don’t do it the same way as they do in Texas
Again, I may be rough because I know it’s a lot cheaper and better in Texas… it’s fine if you want a fancy BBQ place. I am okay with waiting for my work trips.

Loved the sides, meh on the brisket.
Biscuits were melt-​in-​your-​mouth good and the collard greens were some of the best I’ve had. The ranch beans were tasty, if not a little spicy for my taste.
We ordered a half pound brisket and received 2 slices… that’s $ 7 per slice! I know BBQ is not cheap, but wow. We both agreed that we would come back for the sides but we can get heaps of tasty BBQ meat at a couple of other places.
Try an Old Rasputin stout after you’ve had your fill of BBQ… they have a version with added vanilla and coffee. A nice after-​dinner drink.

Another day, another hipster interpretation of food that should be fairly easy but has been translated to metal trays, Edison bulbs, «distressed» menus, small portions, and larger bills.
This is actually my second attempt to come here, because due to numerous articles claiming Maple Block to be «one of the best BBQs in LA,» the wait at 7 on a Friday night was approaching the two hour mark. No thanks.
I made a return trip here, and ordered the Pickle Plate, the half pound of Brisket (which comes with NO sides), the chili, and the kale salad. All of the portions that came out were abysmally small. The chili came out in something barely larger than a tea cup. My boyfriend polished it off before I even got a nibble (which was annoying, but i don’t even blame him for it).
When we received the check and saw the total amount for the meal, we were kind of blown away. I was BARELY satisfied. And our party of three had spent nearly $ 100 on a meal (no alcohol). And the food itself wasn’t that amazing. It was fine, but I think the Holy Cow a few blocks away offers MUCH better BBQ at a way smaller price point.
I will definitely not be returning here. And I would recommend to my friends who are looking for real BBQ instead of the bougie hipster interpretation to head over to J.R.‘s.

Meat moist and with great flavor and bark. Would Love to give it a 4star but service was really slow and didn’t really care about us sitting at the bar…
Place is beautiful and it’s great to sit at the bar by the kitchen!

How did I discover this place: Someone from the Texas Monthly claimed that Maple Block Meat Co. has the best brisket in California (
).
Maple Block has their own parking lot and you can also park on Sepulveda Blvd for free after 6 PM (parking meter is $ 0.25 per 15 minutes). I actually made a reservation on their website, but it is not an absolute must. The lunch menu is slightly different than the dinner menu (sandwiches are only served during lunch hours).
*** Weekend Dinner ***
Mac & cheese (cheddar crumble, $ 10): Flavorful, but slightly too salty. It was definitely my least favorite dish. (3.5÷5)
Buttermilk biscuits (3 piece, whipped honey butter, $ 7): Oh, these biscuits were pre-​sliced and they were some of the better biscuits I’ve had! (4.5÷5)
Smoked Pork Belly (finished over a wood grill. peach mustard, grilled apples, $ 20): I liked their fatty pork belly, but meat tasted slightly dry. Pretty decent, but I am not sure whether these slices of pork belly actually worth $ 20 of price tag. (⁴⁄₅)
Beef Brisket (finished over a wood grill. pickled pears, white sauce — $ 27 for one pound, mix option [lean + fatty]): Do yourself a favor and just forget about lean brisket … Maple Block’s fatty beef brisket was the most TENDER brisket I’ve had. Just note — fatty brisket was really fatty … but hey why bother coming to an American BBQ restaurant if all you care is calorie control? BBQ sauce was pretty good, but I wasn’t a fan of their green sauce. (4.75÷5)
***
The fatty brisket is the main reason why you should come here and it is definitely worth the hype. This is probably one of the more expensive American BBQ restaurants in the SoCal, but I can’t really deny the amazing meat quality and delicious fatty brisket.

So here’s the deal. I’ve spent the past three years living in Dallas having relocated from Los Angeles, and in those three years I’ve come to firmly believe that the barbecue in the state of Texas can’t be beat. anywhere.
After having visited Maple Block Meat Co. I still think that’s the case, but let it be known that MBMC is the best barbecue in Los Angeles, and serves up barbecue that’s at least comparable to what you can find in Texas.
Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere?
Given that quality barbecue is so difficult to find in LA you can imagine how crowded MBMC can get, and the result is lengthy lines — so get there early if you don’t have a reservation. My party of five tried to get a reservation for Saturday evening on a Thursday and it was already sold out. Upon arriving (at 5PM) without our res, we ended up waiting an hour, which wasn’t bad but is worth pointing out.
Once you’re in the door the service and atmosphere are excellent, and while Maple Block is by no means the traditional Southern meat pit with the grill right there in front of you, it makes kitchen to table barbecue classy in a way that caters to the city. Our server was witty and friendly, and the food came out quick once ordered. Star Granted.
Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost?
Even in Texas barbecue is expensive, but Maple Block has taken those prices and jacked them up to LA levels. That’s fair because… well… they can, but know that this really isn’t normal for good bbq. A pound of brisket, $ 20 at even the finest Dallas, Austin, or Lockhart establishment, runs $ 24 here at Maple Block, and the rest of the menu follows suit from the ribs to the sides.
While expensive, it’s worth pointing out that the portions for the sides and not weighted items are huge, and at the end of the day I wasn’t disappointed for a second at the $ 200 my party of five threw down for every meat on the menu. Star Granted.
Stars 3 and 4: How was the food?
I enjoyed every single dish at Maple Block Meat Co., and I’ll rank them just for the hell of it.
1. Beef Sausage
2. Brisket
3. Mac & Cheese
4. Chicken
5. Pork Belly
6. Grilled Salad
7. Pork Ribs
The beef sausage, of note, was absolutely spectacular, and it was even beyond what I’m used to in Texas.
The brisket was excellent, with good consistency flavor, and crust, although the crust was quite a bit smaller than what I’ve experienced elsewhere.
From there everything fell in line, and rolled up this was a fantastic barbecue meal, although not one that would necessarily make the Top 10 in Texas. Dual Stars Granted nonetheless because you can’t find anything close to this elsewhere in Los Angeles.
Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could?
Maple Block is excellent, but the sky high prices and product that falls ever so slightly short to the status quo outside of California keeps me from dishing out a fifth star here. No Star Granted.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (For me, service is greater than food. In this case, Mable Block Meat Co. you won us over with your food)
Reason for visiting: Thought it would be a great place for a night capper for our Valentines Day. Who doesn’t leave MEAT! I sure do! Just make sure you eat a lot of fiber afterwards! :)
Parking: They have a parking lot, but if you drive to fast you’ll miss it. I did that and improvised by parking across the street. Free parking on Sundays and after 6pm along Sepulveda Blvd on the weekdays + Saturday.
Pricing: A bit pricy, but the quality of the food shows.
Entrance: Enter from the patio! We entered from the street and waited for awhile, but we noticed there was a line forming from the entrance of the patio.
Ambiance/​Décor: Very nice place with modern furnishings. The lighting is a bit dim for me. Plenty of seats inside and outside in their patio. If you want the best seats in the house, park yourself in front of the meat cutting section of the full service bar or sit at the side of the bar (might feel neglecting at times, but spending time with your companion is always nice) like we did. Something about watching these staffers work was entertaining.
Service: Service was a bit slow (ordering, getting hot water replenished, and our bill taken care of) that night, but the food came out at a decent rate!
Food: We had three items and they were truly YUMZ:
1) Mac & Cheese: Sooo cheeesy and so stretchyyyyy with every forkful! I admit some of stretchy cheese hit the table, but I quickly picked it up and ate it (5 to 10 second rule applies). Had some spicy kick to it and greatly enhance the eating experience much more.
2) Smoked Pork belly: When I read this on the menu, my inner boar (zodiac astrological sign) wanted to come out. I elected to squeal like a little piggy silently! This slab of pork belly was the biggest I’ve seen and the garnishes of peach mustard and grilled apples made this plate excellent. A bit of salty and sweet to get the taste buds dancing.
3) 1 lb of Beef brisket (mix of lean and fatty meats): Yum! So tender, flavorful, and juicy! I admit I loved the fatty brisket slices better than the lean ones. Comes with pickled onions, and red and green sauce which was great. The beef brisket is equally great if you don’t apply any sauce.
Cheers and beers Maple Block Meat Co.

The mister and I have passed this place so many times that we’ve always wondered what kind of restaurant and never really thought about looking it up. It just looks so cute and hip from the outside. So one night when we didn’t know what to eat, and we drove around Downtown Culver, but there was absolutely no parking, we decided to drive some more. We ended up seeing this place again and said, «Let’s go try that place out!» Luckily, there was parking and there was no wait! Phew, I think we were both getting really hangry too. (In case you didn’t know the term, hungry + angry = hangry)
As we parked and go out of the car, you could smell the sweet bbq. There was our clue, a barbecue joint! It was a chilly night for Cali, so the heaters were all turned on. The waitresses were all very nice and accommodating when I couldn’t really feel the heaters, so they had moved me closer to one.
The menu is very simple and not overwhelming at all. We decided on sharing a salad, biscuits, and ½lb of tri-​tip. It doesn’t sound like much, but it was perfect for us. A lot of bbq places have overwhelming portions, but not here! You can eat as little or as much as you want and it’s all up to you. I do have to say that I tried one of their cream sodas and didn’t enjoy it. It was way too sweet and I’m a sweets person too, so that kind of says a lot.
This is a really cute date spot or friends gathering/​coworker outing. Will come back again!

What’s the first sign of a good BBQ restaurant? Obviously when you can smell the meats being smoked before you even walk in. That being said, park anywhere along the street by Maple Block Meat Co. and you can’t miss the overwhelming smell of barbecue – and that’s just the start of it.
The reviews of the brisket brought me in here but it’s the pork shoulder that has easily become my favorite. All the meats are tender and flavorful, with a hearty balance of meat and fat, charred to perfection and piled high on both the meat plates and sandwiches. You can even watch them cut it right there while you wait. Talk about #foodporn! I love the Pork Ribs so much too. SOOO much.
There are four sauces available for the meats as well (red, spicy red, white, and green) but I prefer the red and spicy red, which are both similar to a more traditional BBQ sauce. The white sauce doesn’t have a ton of flavor and reminds me of mayo and the green sauce is similar to a chimichurri or pesto, but it’s just not my style.
If you can come in for lunch, I would recommend the Old School Chopped Pork Shoulder Sandwich with creamy slaw and red sauce: how the taste of everything comes together simply can’t be beaten. For dinner, meat plates are the way to go, since you can try different meats and sides, and it’s pretty reasonably priced too. Don’t forget a side of their Mac & Cheese or Ranch Beans either with whatever you get – both are tasty! But my favorite appetizer of all is the Biscuits with Honey Butter. Seriously the best biscuits I’ve ever eaten. And to top it all off, their Homemade Sodas are delicious, but I especially love the Citrus one. It tastes like it has some grapefruit, orange, lemon, and lime and makes for a refreshing break from the fatty meats you’ll be filling up on.

Get the brisket, the fatty one if you can. It’s on the pricier side but it’s one of their specialties. The ribs weren’t as «fall off the bone» as we thought it’d be. It was actually yummier the next day. Great leftovers! The biscuits are on the sweeter side, not my fave. Fluffy though. Romaine salad was pretty good — helped us feel better after all of the gluttonous grub we were scarfing down. The mac ‘n cheese was super cheesy but was sticky and a bit bland.
The vibe of Maple Block is homey! The «Chef table» area is right by the carving table. Make reservations if you want a seat here so you can get a fresh, hot slice! Not to worry though if you don’t get a seat there because you can still chow down on the same specialties anywhere you sit. The patio is cozy with tower heaters and plenty of comfy seating throughout.
Next to the brisket, the service is awesome. Our waiter anticipated our needs, brought everything out in the manner we asked (hard to come by these days!), and was sweet and as nice as can be! Definitely not impatient as we enjoyed our belated birthday celebration!
Maple Block is easy to miss — look for the pretty sign! Small parking lot is to the left.