Young chef Arthur Grigoryan’s Armenian-Texas pop-up has proven to be a hit with people from across the flavor spectrum, thanks to wholly unique dishes like baharat-laced lamb shoulder, basturma-style brisket, and more. Check Instagram for pop-up dates and ordering details.

Rodney is as close to a barbecue legend as the Altadena/Pasadena area has. From his tiny parking lot setup off Lake Avenue, this longtime star serves some of the city’s best ribs (and more) with lots of sauce and plenty of love. Check Instagram for dates.

Whether it’s pop-ups, catering, or collaborations, get over to River Street. This roving setup mostly sticks to Northeast LA, including stints at spots like the Fable in Eagle Rock. Expect brisket tacos, loaded nachos, and more.

This staple barbecue spot has been a fixture in Beverly Hills for several years now, popping up at the weekly farmers market selling ribs, pulled pork, brisket, and lots of sides.

Fernando Carrillo identifies operates as a UPS Driver on the weekdays, a Saturday grillmaster, and becomes a lowrider on Sunday. His Koreatown-adjacent sidewalk pop-ups have been running for half a decade at least, a mix of Texas traditions and whatever flavors he feels like pulling from the Los Angeles diaspora. Check Instagram for monthly pop-up dates.

This Culver City pop-up operates out of a home garage or to nearby breweries. Owners Russ and Viv offer a broad array of staple meats for all to enjoy, but the star of the show might well be the slow-smoked turkey. There’s always inventiveness happening here, including the chili Frito pie topped with house-made shaved pastrami.

After parking in the residential View Park-Windsor Hills neighborhood, look for the light plume of smoke and follow your nose to Bootsy’s (there’s a lone speaker playing old-school R&B right next to a giant smoker that tells you you’re in the right spot). The proof is in the technique, which results in gorgeously cooked meats including beef ribs, baby backs, and incredible brisket. Bootsy’s salmon is what gets you, though; it’s perfectly cooked and full of flavor. DM Armand Bootsy Keys via Instagrm for details.

As the name implies, it’s hard to beat Ribs in LA. The roving pop-up trailer moves anywhere between La Brea and Downtown, so be sure to find their next location in advance when craving perfectly fatty rib tips with lots of sauce. Don’t sleep on the sides, either. Check Instagram for weekly rotating pop-up addresses.

Former respiratory therapist Jeff Mejia applies his family recipes at Taste of the Pacific, where the specialties are Filipino skewers, lumpia, and noodles that pack incredible flavor. Find him at Angel City Market events, or at a stand in front of the Lakewood Center shopping mall.

One can pick up Axiom Kitchen’s aroma from a distance. Upon closer inspection, Qiana and Ian Mafnas’ barbecue pop-up includes smoked beef ribs, brisket, and strips of tri-tip get slathered in herbed clarified butter before being dropped on a flat top for a finishing sear. Axiom pops-up Fridays and Saturdays in Long Beach.

Want a massive tray of nachos that comes topped with a pound or more of brisket? How about a torta that comes with its own beef rib inside, bone and all? At Daniel’s, the weekly food truck pop-up in north Long Beach, just about anything is possible. Including breakfast sandwiches. Check Instagram for the weekly schedule.