Papalo Bbq

I was sad when Chef Bent’s bbq closed. Now he has his own place in La Mesa. Parking is metered so you may get lucky or not.

I was able to say hi to him before the lunch rush.

I ordered everything a la carte as I am mostly interested in proteins.

Buttermilk fried chicken was a thigh with the bone removed. Batter was light and crunchy. Loved the lightly seasoned batter. Chicken was tender and moist. Normally I prefer the bone in but this was a great tasting piece of chicken.

Smoked cherry pecan glazed pork ribs had a sweet cherry sauce glazed on the pork. Loved the smoky flavor imparted from smoking with white oak mixed with the sweetness from the sauce. My favorite menu item so far.

Smoked beef short ribs were tender and sourced from very high quality beef. Never had any beef this good from the supermarket.

Dry rub formed a delicious bark around the rib and the smoky flavor from the cherry wood made this a very tasty rib.

House made lemonade had just the right amount of sour lemon flavor with a little sweetness to give it balance. I won’t drink the lemonade from the soda machine as it’s too sweet with a small amount of lemon flavor.

When I need a break from Texas or Santa Maria style bbq I’m heading to Papalo Bbq for some Sonoran style bbq. Staff was friendly, provided great service, and answered all my questions.

I got a photo of his smoker at his last location.