APL BBQ
1680 Vine St., Hollywood
This year might have been the year of the backyard smoker turned pro (Slab BBQ, Moo’s, Bartz), but the best ’cue in town is still made by a guy who put in a decade or so at New York’s top fine-dining kitchens. At lunchtime Adam Perry Lang’s eponymous nighttime steakhouse turns into APL BBQ, a brick-and-mortar version of the chef’s smoke-filled pop-ups behind the Jimmy Kimmel lot. Pulled pork and smoky, tender brisket are the stars, but it’s the massive spice-rubbed beef that steals the show. No sauce required.
Cassell’s Hamburgers
3600 W. 6th St., Koreatown
Sure, Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat are all the rage these days, but the best meatless patty in town is the one that doesn’t have millions of dollars in venture capital behind it. At Cassell’s Hamburgers, the iconic lunch counter that dates back to the 1940s, chef Christian Page makes his patty from mushrooms, farro, zucchini, red onion, miso, and flax. The combo makes for great savory flavor and a crunchy exterior.