I though I was driving towards a major fire as smoke poured over Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank yesterday afternoon. As my hand fumbled for my camera, I came closer and saw the smokescreen was actually coming from a number of grills set up outside of Handy Market. I squealed on the brakes as soon as the scent of ribs and bbq sauce hit my nostrils.
The Handy Market itself is a cramped local grocery store that, frankly, I felt a little too claustrophobic to enter. Besides the blinding smoke from the grills set up in the driveway, I’m surprised that this place is able to pass firecode… until I remind myself firemen LOVE barbeque.
On the outdoor menu: chicken, ribs, tri-tip, and turkey drums. Not cheap, the half rack of babybacks I ordered ended up setting me back $13… I think they deliberately smother it with bbq sauce to make it heavier. But I’ve never had meatier, more succulent bones in L.A. (the half rack was also substantial enough to break in two, and had the leftovers as a late dinner. tip: keep foiled, toss in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees).
The best deal on hand is the $3.99 turkey drum, which I swear weighed as much as an average sized turkey. I bought one for my girlfriend, a tryptophan addict, and she was unable to keep from multiple return trips to the fridge for “a nibble”.
I’m unsure how frequently they do the outdoor ribs, so it wouldn’t hurt to give them a call at 818-848-2500 before you rush over.
Handy Market
2514 W. Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank


