Living in a beach town, a good taste of barbeque is available 365 days of the year. The warm weather of this city creates a desire for great BBQ food year-round. This craving can only be quenched by the comfort food made available at the Johnny Memphis BBQ. Although there was a recent name change of this restaurant, from Joey’s BBQ to Johnny Memphis BBQ, the food has remained consistently delicious. The partial owner of this restaurant is Los Angeles Laker star, Luke Walton. It is special to have a well-known basketball star own a local restaurant. Some foods that can be ordered are not always on the menu, such as their salmon salad and veggie burger. When I went to the restaurant, we ordered a chicken tenders meal, a veggie burger with salad, and a hamburger with fries. The fried, juicy chicken tenders are by far my favorite food in the South Bay. The combination of warm, soft chicken with the crunchy, delicate coating of bread crumbs hits the spot. The french fries are petite and perfectly seasoned. Fortunately, Johnny Memphis BBQ puts regular salt and red seasoned salt on their fries which gives them a heavenly taste.

The fantastic veggie burger was predominantly rice-filled without much taste, but I drenched it in BBQ sauce. The patty always enters your mouth intact, but quickly crumbles and dissolves in your mouth. As for the side salad, it is crisp and fresh, with variety as there is lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and a blend of cheeses.

The regular hamburger has a lovely favor, especially when covered in the savory, sweet BBQ sauce. It is firm and it has enough toppings like lettuce and tomatoes, while not being too overcrowded.

Staples such as baby back ribs, BBQ beef, or a mouth-watering hamburger are available. After ordering your meal, each customer has a choice between two unique and delicious BBQ sauces, the regular and the sweet barbeque. They can be used for dipping more neutral foods such as my personal favorite, the chicken tenders, or for augmenting the already flavorful smoked and barbecued meat dishes.

Some of the other dishes served, such as their french fries, sweet potato fries, baked beans, and coleslaw, are all homemade and never disappoint. Along with these sides, they have a condiments bar, where pickles, peppers and lemons are offered. These free condiments are a great addition to any meal. From homemade iced teas and lemonades to fountain drinks with endless refills, the drink situation at this restaurant is incredible. As for ambience, this is the perfect restaurant to watch a sports game because of the TVs lining the inside of the restaurant. With the restaurant’s name change, came new TVs that are unfortunately not as crisp or high-definition as the TVs before. This was not a huge problem for me, although I could see how this would be an inconvenience. The service is great, but not a major part of the dining experience at this restaurant. Food is ordered first, the customer is given a number, and then the food is quickly brought out, therefore there isn’t much need for one-on-one service. In addition to the delectable food and inviting ambience at Johnny Memphis BBQ, there is always ample parking. Numerous parking spaces available right at the door of the restaurant are incredibly convenient. A great selection of tasty BBQ food and a welcoming environment are what make up the wonderful restaurant, Johnny Memphis BBQ.