Barbecue purists may cringe because chef Charlie Kleinman and owner Matt Wexler take barbecue from the pit and present it on oversize white plates. Just about every savory dish has some smoky element -- even the onions that go into the Little Gem salad with cornbread croutons. Kleinman uses all the techniques he's learned at the Fifth Floor, creating food you won't find anywhere else. The interior is just as stylized, with long black wavy slats that run down the center of the ceiling, exiting above the door to serve as a canopy for the entrance. Wexler and his pals know their stuff and craft splendid cocktails, including a mint julep served in a frosty metal cup.

 
Specialties: Barbecued Scotch eggs; barbecued quail with creamy slaw; slow-smoked short ribs; inside-out root beer float; bourbon banana cream pie.

Hours

Lunch 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday; lunch and dinner 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, until 11 p.m. Friday; dinner 5:30-11 p.m. Saturday.

Cuisines

• BBQ
• California

Features

• Credit Cards: Accepted
• Full Bar
• Parking: Street (Easy at night)
• Seating (47)
• Lunch
• Reservations: Accepted