Those who missed what was to be Bludso’s BBQ Pop-Up’s last weekend at The Reef are in luck.
Due to popular demand, the pop-up will continue through this weekend, and potentially through the next couple of weeks until Christmas and New Year’s, when The Reef will be closed for those holiday weekends, according to Jamie Schwarcz, Director of Catering at The Reef.
“We had an amazing turnout this past weekend and wanted to thank all of our Bludso’s fans for the support,” The Reef announced on Instagram Wednesday. “The great turnout allowed us to continue to operate and keep our team of 10 working through these difficult times.”
Bludso’s BBQ Pop-Up at The Reef, 880 S. Harbor Scenic Dr., will run through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., for takeout orders, curbside pickup, delivery and catering. For more info, click here. You can also follow @reeflongbeach on Instagram for updates.
PREVIOUSLY: This is the last weekend to try Bludso’s BBQ Pop-Up at The Reef
On 12/11/20 at 11:28 a.m. |
If you’re in the mood for the comfort of a full on barbecue meal, one of the most lauded barbecue joints in Los Angeles, Bludso’s, has a pop-up at The Reef in Long Beach, and this is your last weekend to try it. The Bludso family’s slow and low-smoked meats, BBQ beef brisket, pork ribs and sandwiches are available through Sunday.
While Bludso’s roots are down in Texas, where the family developed their method for slow-smoked meats, owner Kevin Bludso was born and raised in Compton. From 2008 to 2016, Bludso’s B-B-Q on Long Beach Boulevard served some of the best barbecue takeout in the region, with Bludso later opening Bludso’s Bar & Que in Hollywood and a restaurant in the Crown Casino in Melbourne, San Antone by Bludso’s BBQ.
You may also recognize Bludso from his appearances on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, he’s also a judge on Netflix’s The American BBQ Showdown.
Bludso’s, which had a spot at The Proud Bird Food Bazaar near LAX, one of The Reef Restaurant’s sister properties, moved to the waterfront location for a temporary pop-up that made sense during the shutdown.
“We just thought we’d try it out in our community, get some life [in here] and say, ‘Hey, The Reef is still here, but we’re doing Bludso’s,” said Jamie Schwarcz, Director of Catering at The Reef.
Schwarcz also mentioned that with the new health orders banning on-site dining, people don’t mind eating their barbecue in the parking lot, which we gladly did. With a picturesque view of Long Beach’s skyline across the water and not a soul around, devouring brisket, pulled pork and ribs from the trunk of a car was, dare we say, a rather delicious experience.
This will be the last weekend Long Beachers can get a taste of Bludso’s barbecue legacy at The Reef, 880 S. Harbor Scenic Dr. Bludso’s BBQ Pop-Up will run through Sunday, 1 to 5:30 p.m., for takeout orders, curbside pickup and delivery (through UberEats or DoorDash). For more info, click here.