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Maple Block Meat Co. Aims for Barbecue Greatness in Culver City

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Is this the barbecue messiah LA's been waiting for?

Matthew Kang is the Lead Editor of Eater LA. He has covered dining, restaurants, food culture, and nightlife in Los Angeles since 2008. He's the host of K-Town, a YouTube series covering Korean food in America, and has been featured in Netflix's Street Food show.

Maple Block Meat Co. takes over the former Villa Italian along Sepulveda in Culver City, with the aim to bring a different level of barbecue to the Westside when it opens August 10. Founded by Adam Cole, who's learned under pitmaster Ken Hess, and also worked at The Bazaar and the Dining Room at the Langham before striking out on his own (his wife Holly Jivin currently helms the kitchen at The Bazaar). Cole also spent three years butchers whole animals at Lindy & Grundy and plans to do the same here at Maple Block.

Partnering with Daniel Weinstock and Mike Garrett, Maple Block Meat Co. promises to be a smokehouse first, with brisket, chopped pork shoulder, pork spare ribs, and turkey breast, though dinner will offer large-format smoked bone-in prime rib (seriously!), whole smoked chicken, and pork shank. Think of this as a pure carnivore's paradise.

On the side, cole slaws, charred rapini greens, smoked and seasoned beans, macaroni & cheese: basically all the things you want to eat with your barbecue. During lunch, you can have a more digestible set of sandwiches, like turkey with smoked bacon or chopped pork shoulder with peach mustard and fennel slaw.

The clean, classic interior is designed by Scott Kester has a mix of natural woods, black and red tones, and of course, a massive maple block that's truly the heart of the space. Everyone who comes will get to see the slicing and dicing in action, though the best seats just might be the twelve stools at the bar. Lunch service starts first, with dinner coming in a few weeks time.

Maple Block Meat Co.
3973 Sepulveda Blvd
Culver City, CA 90230