At Royce’s, Barbecue Is Still King

It used to be that you could only get Rick Royce’s barbecue at catered affairs or at the charity events where Royce showed up with admirable frequency. But over the years, he has branched out, first bottling and selling his barbecue sauce, and then designing and selling gas barbecue grills. Finally, a year ago, Royce broke down and opened a restaurant, Rick Royce’s Premier BBQ on Pico, just west of the Westside Pavilion.

The restaurant is a modest, whitewashed room with exposed ceiling brackets and the kind of abstract posters sold framed at the mall. The atmosphere is so unpretentious and relaxing, it has the soothing, companionable air of a picnic. Everyone--from UCLA students to matrons to a young family of four to a gay couple--looks like what they are: average Americans enjoying a classic American pastime--gnawing charred bones.

If you aren’t hungry when you come in, you will be shortly. The sight of huge plates of food and the aroma of grilled meats work a magic. Don’t fill up on the sourdough bread, though, and avoid devouring that entire basket of onion strings (lightly battered, slightly spicy lengths of onion).

Soon, whether you order onion strings or chicken wings, you will meet up with Rick Royce’s barbecue sauces. One is sweet and mild, the other sweet and slightly spicier. As sweet barbecue sauces go, both are just fine. The best news may be that these sauces are served on the side for you to slather on at will.

You might not wish to do so. In most cases, meats are rubbed with dry spices, “marinated” overnight, then cooked over alder and hickory. The results are already smoky and deeply flavored. But some people think that sugar can improve anything.

*

Baby back ribs are the most touted of Royce’s products: These ribs were pronounced the best back ribs in America in a 1985 National Rib Cookoff in Cleveland. And they are good, cooked in smoke until a shiny, lacquer-like film forms over the meat, sealing in flavor and moisture. Each bite involves a moment of resistance; then there’s almost a snapping sensation, and a burst of juice, and your mouth is filled with succulent, smoke-infused pork. Quite a pleasure.

Beef ribs aren’t quite as seductive--not as meaty, or juicy, or delicately sweet as the baby backs--but they’re quite popular. In my opinion, being blander, the beef ribs take the sauce better--they even need it. And one of the amusing things about being at Rick Royce’s is looking around and seeing otherwise civilized, even prim people tearing at hefty bones the approximate size and shape of gently bowed rulers.

Tri-tip, a tasty cut of beef that seems designed for barbecuing, is served in thin slices, medium-rare and as tender as tri-tip gets (not very). It’s so good, the trick is to save enough for a sandwich tomorrow. (We failed.)

The chicken is right up there with the baby backs: I’d be hard-pressed to choose between them. One solution would be to order an appetizer of spicy chicken wings (they’re not that spicy--add a few drops of Tabasco if you must). Again, the barbecuing process has accomplished its sealing, lacquer-like magic. The chicken’s exterior has a dark, taut sheen. Bite into the thick side of the wing, and, again, there’s a gratifying burst of juice and smoky, rich flavor. Breasts are tender, astonishingly pale and moist under the dark, crisped exterior.

The available fish varies. A gorgeous, thick wedge of swordfish is lightly cooked, with a lovely hint of smoke and a sweet, mild teriyaki sauce on the side. I loved it, but some folk at my table found the fish undercooked.

Barbecue is the focus and the star of this little restaurant, and side dishes play mere supporting roles. Cole slaw, a dill-rich red potato salad and pasta salad with peas are all bland paeans to mayonnaise. Corn on the cob is sweet. “Powerhouse” baked beans have a slight spicy kick to them, and a lot of sugar.

My big regret? After dispatching onion strings and combination plates, I never did save room for apple or cherry cobbler.

* Rick Royce Premier Barbecue, 10916 W. Pico Blvd., West Los Angeles, (310) 441-7427. Open 7 days, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Beer and wine served. All major credit cards accepted. Dinner for two, food only, $18-$45.