Memphis Grill

For all the regions of American BBQ that you can find in LA, Memphis-style is still a bit underrepresented. And that’s why when we first saw chef Manu Aka appear on KTLA in the summer of 2020 talking about his new Memphis Grill brick-and-mortar in North Hollywood, we were excited. And then when we tried his cooking, we were really excited. Memphis-style BBQ leans heavily on pork that’s been smoked in a signature dry rub and served with a tomato-based sauce on the side, so when you’re at Memphis Grill, every meal needs to start with the pulled pork and baby back ribs. The meat here is sweet and zesty with a pronounced tanginess you can’t often find in LA BBQ. At $21, the 2 meat + 2 sides BBQ meal is a fantastic value for how much food you get.