According to the well-publicized restaurant lore, this original Long Beach restaurant and the other non-LA locations it has spawned were named after Lucille Buchanan, a sassy lady who brought her granny's barbecue recipe all the way from the unnamed Southern backwoods where she grew up. A mix of lore and family-oriented dining make for strange bedfellows: The restaurant prominently features flying pigs in aviator wear, paintings of bucolic scenes of pre-World War II black South, and a display smoker which proclaims, "Tru Bar-B-Que cain't use no trickery, jus' sweet smoke from apple & hickory."

Questionable dcor aside, the barbecue is the best you're likely to find in Long Beach. And with a bar and two floors of seating, Lucille's provides for a better dining experience than your average cramped BBQ joint. There are also plenty of booths, so you won't have to worry about bringing along the whole family. And note for the holidays: if you don't feel like channeling your inner grill master, Lucille's caters.

Categories: Restaurants-Barbecue, Restaurants

Official Website | Directions | Nearby Businesses | Send to Cell