Wood Ranch Manhattan Beach, Good barbecue in a good environment

Wood Ranch BBQ specializes in wood-fired American cooking

Doesn’t try to replicate ranch decor

by Richard Foss

 In 1938, the King of England ate a hot dog. The occasion was a picnic in Hyde Park with President Roosevelt as part of the King’s first visit to the USA. The journalists noted that the King picked his hot dog up, while the Queen could not bring herself to touch her food with her hands and used a knife and fork. Lunch was served on paper plates, and they both washed their hot dogs down with beer.

The informality of the meal was startling to the British of that day, though it made the monarchy vastly more popular in America. Times have changed, of course, but eating with your hands, especially food that is greasy or covered with sauce, is still broadly regarded as caveman cuisine. This fits my family’s tradition of theatrically growling as you try to get the last morsels of meat from a bone. 

Barbecue is generally associated with a down-home atmosphere that might include kitschy images of frolicking pigs, deliberately misspelled menus imitating Southern slang, items called something like “Uncle Fred’s cole slaw,” or all of the above. A few restaurants buck the trend, including Wood Ranch BBQ, which opened on Rosecrans a few months ago. The former Houston’s still has the clubby steakhouse vibe of the former establishment, and the dramatically lit trees and wood slats between booths suggest an upscale Japanese restaurant rather than down-home Americana. 

The menu is headed “wood fired American cooking

‘, and includes steaks and seafood as well as classic barbecue, plus a smattering of salads, sides, and starters. Whatever you decide on, your meal starts with warm and very garlicky rolls – more garlicky that I prefer, and I like garlic. I wish they had an alternate bread item and gave you a choice, because these are a bit overwhelming. 

In several visits we tried sides of fried onion shreds, spinach-artichoke dip, and crispy buffalo cauliflower, as well as their caesar and a house special called Natalie’s salad. The onion had been cut very thin before frying so that it was very light and crisp, and the portion was gigantic – it’s offered in two sizes, and unless you have a large party, order the smaller one. As good as that was, we preferred the crispy buffalo cauliflower, which had a moderately spicy sauce rather than something that felt like it might melt your fillings, and a sprinkling of gorgonzola cheese that added interest. As for the warm spinach and artichoke dip, it was virtually identical to the item served when this was Houston’s, which I liked then and still like now. There’s a dash of garlic and parmesan that makes it almost impossible to stop eating once you’ve started, and as I write about it, I’m craving it again.

The caesar had a robust dressing with enough garlic and anchovy to hit the spot, though I added some pepper to mine. Those who like to try something novel should select Natalie’s salad. The mix of lettuces with candied pecans, Persian cucumber, avocado, and gorgonzola with a balsamic vinaigrette was bright and fresh. I saved some to nibble as a counterpoint to the rich meat dishes that would follow. 

We shared combo plates to try the maximum number of items, with generally positive impressions. Many barbecue items here are slow-roasted overnight, a technique that delivers tender meat with a slight crust and a hearty smoke flavor when done right. The brisket and Carolina pulled pork were very good, but I prefer beef ribs medium rare, which isn’t an option with this cooking method. The tri-tip seemed to be smoked a bit less and was finished to order, and came out moist and the medium-rare that we requested. The weak point at Wood Ranch is the sauce – only one is offered, and it’s sweet and mild. It’s not bad, but I prefer a Texas style sauce with a less sweet, more heat, and some herbal complexity. The management might consider offering a choice of sauces for those who prefer other styles.     

The pork baby back ribs are done Chicago style, in which the meat is basted with sauce while cooking so the sugars caramelize. They nailed these, and I highly recommend them. The chicken hit the spot too – it’s not sauced while cooking, though some is offered on the side, and the spice rub they use on the birds has a nice herbal flavor. 

I tried two other entrees, a burger and a ribeye steak. The burger was nothing special, but the ribeye was the best steak I’ve had in recent memory. Wood Ranch is known as a barbecue restaurant, but somebody back there knows how to make the most of the grill. 

There are plenty of side options, most of which are conventional, but a few are worthy of mention. My favorites were the peanut cole slaw, pan-roasted corn, garlic-roasted cauliflower, and the mashed sweet potatoes. A vegetarian can have a fine meal by just ordering one or two of these with some asparagus or broccoli, and if I’m not in a meat mood I might do that on a return visit. 

Wood Ranch BBQ specializes in wood-fired American cooking.

The wine and beer offerings are respectable and the prices reasonable, but we found all of the house special cocktails to be unbalanced and on the sweet side. Maybe we hit them on an off day, but on subsequent visits we stuck with wine and non-alcoholic drinks.   

We tried the butter cake and peach crisp desserts, and preferred the cake because the peach crisp wasn’t crisp. The soft, sweet topping would have been improved by a brief trip under the broiler. The butter cake had no such problem, and was a light finish for a filling meal. 

Wood Ranch’s stylish environment and modern sides and salads elevate a traditional American favorite. If you bring royalty here, or uptight business colleagues who act like they might be aristocrats, expect them to eat the ribs with a fork, but you can bring them anyway. Eating the way the rest of us do just might be good for them. 

Wood Ranch is at 1550 Rosecrans in Manhattan Beach. 11:30 a.m. daily, close 9 p.m. Sun. — Thurs., 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Parking lot Wheelchair access good. Noise level moderate. Some vegetarian items. (213) 762-0202. WoodRanch.com. ER