For years, Robert Earl has been mesquite-smoking his meats in a hand-welded, four-barrel cooker hitched to the back of a miniature ice cream truck, which doubles as a catering van. On the back, a painted warning says, “BBQ so good make you slap mama.” Maybe so, when you're talking about Earl's pork ribs and beef brisket so tender it can't even hold its sliced shape. The homemade cooker spends most of its time heating the daily offerings in the parking lot behind Earl's year-old namesake restaurant in North Long Beach, Robert Earl's BBQ, where ribs, pulled pork and brisket have been added to the long list of sinful specialties and his wife's vegetarian sides (you'd swear there was bacon grease in the greens) come included with most meals. So skip the lines at Bludso's and, in addition to competition-worthy, Texas-style BBQ, you'll be rewarded with the option of wolfing down one of Robert Earl Jr.'s signature “golden nugget” desserts: a scoop of banana pudding atop a pan-fried piece of cornbread. —Sarah Bennett

703 E. Artesia Blvd., Long Beach, 90805. (562) 726-1116, facebook.com/R.E.bbq.

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