If it is your first visit to Ribs 'n' Kabobs in Artesia, order the Back Ribs in Hickory Smoked BBQ sauce and add Brisket Burnt Ends as a starter. That covers the two things our hickory smoker does best, beef ribs and brisket, in one meal. Both are hand-slaughtered Zabiha halal, which is why people drive in from across Southern California for a plate of smoked beef they can eat without asking questions.
This guide goes cut by cut: what each rib on the menu is, how the brisket is served, which of the five sauces to pick, and what to order when you come back. For the bigger picture of our smoker and the rest of the menu, start with our guide to halal BBQ in Los Angeles.
What is the difference between beef ribs and brisket?
They come from different parts of the steer and they eat differently.
Beef ribs are bone-in. The meat sits on and between the bones, and when it is smoked low and slow it pulls away clean, fall off the bone tender, with a sauced, sticky outside. You eat ribs with your hands. The bone keeps the meat juicy and gives each piece a bit of chew near the edges.
Brisket is boneless, from the chest. It is a big, hard-working muscle with a thick cap of fat, and it needs about 12 hours in the smoker before the connective tissue gives up. The reward is meat that falls apart under a fork, with a dark crust and a deep smoke flavor. At Ribs 'n' Kabobs the brisket is chopped or pulled into dishes rather than served as a sliced plate.
Both cook in the same hickory smoker. Neither is better. Ribs are the plate you share and make a mess of. Brisket is the richer, softer bite.
Which beef rib cuts are on the menu?
| Cut | What you get | Order it when |
|---|---|---|
| Back Ribs | 3 pieces, in your choice of sauce | You want the classic rib plate for one |
| Short Ribs | 4 pieces, meatier and richer, same sauce choices | You want more meat per bone |
| Dino Ribs | Half-cut short ribs with two sides | You want a full plate with sides built in |
| Whole Rib Cage Dry Rub | The whole rack, dry rub only, special order | You are feeding a table and want a centerpiece |
| Ribs Platters | 10, 20, 30 or 40 pieces | You are feeding a party or a meeting |
Back Ribs come from high on the ribcage, near the spine. The bones are longer and the meat between them is lean and tender. Three pieces is a proper serving for one hungry person.
Short Ribs come from lower down, where the meat is thicker and marbled. Four pieces is a lot of beef; this is the plate for anyone who finds back ribs too dainty.
Dino Ribs are half-cut short ribs served as a full plate with two sides. The name comes from the size of the bone. If you want one plate that needs nothing added, this is it.
Whole Rib Cage Dry Rub is a special order: the whole rack, smoked with our house rub and no sauce, so the hickory and the beef do the talking. Ask ahead for it.
Ribs Platters of 10, 20, 30 and 40 pieces are the party format. Split the sauces across the platter so there is something for everyone. For a bigger group, see the catering page.
How is the brisket served?
There is no sliced brisket plate on the regular menu. The brisket shows up in four dishes instead:
- Brisket Burnt Ends. The appetizer. The darkest, richest pieces from the smoker, tossed in sauce.
- Loaded Fries. Fries topped with chopped brisket and BBQ sauce.
- Drip Beef Sandwich. Smoked brisket on bread with its own juices.
- Brisket Weekend Special. A weekend plate built around the brisket. Ask what it is when you visit.
If you want to understand why halal brisket is such a rare thing, read why wood-smoked halal brisket is rare in Southern California.
Which sauce should you pick?
Every rib plate and platter comes in your choice of five sauces:
- Hickory Smoked BBQ. The classic. Start here.
- Korean BBQ. Sweet and savory. The one for anyone who likes galbi.
- Spicy. Heat without the BBQ sauce.
- Spicy BBQ. The classic sauce with heat added.
- Tikka. South Asian spice on smoked beef ribs, the house crossover you will not find at a Texas pit.
The brisket dishes come sauced as described above. The Whole Rib Cage has no sauce at all, just the rub.
Ribs or brisket: what should you order first?
- First visit, one person: Back Ribs in Hickory Smoked BBQ, plus Brisket Burnt Ends to start.
- First visit, hungry: Short Ribs or Dino Ribs. Dino Ribs if you want the sides included.
- Two people: Short Ribs in one sauce and Back Ribs in another, plus Loaded Fries to share.
- Lunch at a desk: the Drip Beef Sandwich.
- A table of six from Cerritos or Norwalk: a 20-piece Ribs Platter in two or three sauces, a Kabob Platter for anyone who wants chicken, and Brisket Burnt Ends while you wait.
- A party in Long Beach or Anaheim: a 40-piece Ribs Platter, or talk to us about catering.
- Second visit: Tikka ribs, and the Brisket Weekend Special if it is the weekend.
Which sides go with which?
The sides list covers both the American BBQ and the grill side of the menu: basmati rice, BBQ beans, naan, paratha, mashed potatoes, grilled corn, grilled asparagus, garlic bread and green salad.
With ribs, BBQ beans and grilled corn make the classic plate. For the kids at the table, add mac n cheese from the kid's menu. With brisket, mashed potatoes soak up the juice from the Drip Beef Sandwich, and a green salad cuts the richness of burnt ends. Basmati rice and naan work with either; a plate of Tikka ribs over basmati with naan on the side is about as Artesia as a meal gets.
Everything is on the menu with current sizes.
Visit us in Artesia
Ribs 'n' Kabobs, 18925 Norwalk Blvd, Artesia, CA 90701, is a family-owned, HFSAA-certified, 100% Zabiha Halal BBQ and grill restaurant serving Los Angeles County, Orange County and the rest of Southern California since 2014. Every rib and every piece of brisket is hand-slaughtered Zabiha halal, smoked over hickory in a smoker that has never held pork, and the standard is published at hfsaa.org.
Directions and ordering are on the contact page. Come hungry, and come with people; ribs are better shared.