Smoke Ring BBQ

Probably the best option when you’re at Angels stadium. They keep the line moving along. I ordered the brisket and the dog for my boys. Both were great. The bread was a bit dry though. Overall, this is probably the place I’ll go to when I’m at the stadium.

Meh… Located inside the gates but outside of Angel Stadium, this place offers half a dozen types of BBQ meat. Platters or sandwiches. Over $ 9 for a big hot dog and over $ 11 for a kielbasa on a roll. The meat was good, the service was very friendly but the rolls sucked. If you charge that much, give me a roll that is not stale and holds up to the meat. They ran out of onions which is just inexcusable in the 3^rd inning. Get your game up… you and the Angels.

Smoke Ring BBQ has the best hot dog experience at The Big A.
Baseball and hot dogs go together like beer and hot dogs. Or even baseball and beer. At any rate they lend to each other perfectly and beer, hot dogs and baseball are all better together than not. With that in mind I am always looking for the best dog at Angel Stadium and Smoke Ring BBQ is it by a long shot. As you jump in line you can smell the smoke in the air as they barbecue beef briskets, chickens, links and the like but stay on course, the hot dog is the coup de foudre here folks.
$ 8.50 nets you a freshly grilled thick frank with plenty of char, snap and very lovely salty versus smoky notes. The hot dog has a surprisingly clean mouthfeel free of that overly greasiness lesser dogs seem to have. I take mine with just French’s Yellow Mustard for a tangy zip that contrasts perfectly with the dog. The bun is fresh and airy and spans the length of the super sized frank. This is a hot dog of wonderful quality and easily my favorite west of Wrigley Field. Pair with a Stone IPA and you have a grand slam.
Naturally I tried the Brisket as well and that is about where my adoration ceases. The Brisket is pretty rough, if not all out terrible. The meat itself is quite fatty and poorly trimmed prior to being smoked. Speaking of the smoke, the bark and smoke ring are nearly unidentifiable, funny considering the moniker of the restaurant. The brisket is also a strange grey color and mealy to the tooth. The majority of «smoke» flavor I got came from the KC style sauce I was forced to drench the meat with in order to get it down. I hate saucing barbecue bit was given no choice thanks to the post nuclear state of the meat. For $ 12.00 this particularly horrific experience can all be yours and comes flanked by a gummy and flavorless mac & cheese and dry corn bread.
I happily threw out over ½ of the serving, it was that bad. A total strike out.
In closing, Smoke Ring BBQ is pretty poor at the art they profess to in their title and perhaps should but down the fork and tongs and stick to what they do very well: those wonderful hot dogs. Any Unilocaler should have a 4 star experience or better so long as they stick to the frank.

What’s the best thing to eat in all of Angels’ Stadium? All my votes go to the Legends Dog!
Smoke Ring BBQ is outside on the 1^st level between 3^rd Base and Left Field. You can’t miss it, it has a huge area all to itself. There’s a line before the game, but if you go a few innings in, your wait is only 5 minutes at most.
Jumbo Dogs ($ 8.50) — It’s a thick foot long hot dog that is cooked on the grill, not steamed. Largest hot dog in the stadium and you get a lot, a better hot dog and better value than getting a hot dog at a normal stand.
Smoked BBQ Brisket Sandwich ($ 12) — The bun (sort of like a hamburger bun) is stacked with fresh cut, warm beef brisket. The brisket is charred, crusted and crisp on the outside, fatty, moist and tender on the inside, topped with bbq sauce. As you walk by in line, you will see the chef cutting the brisket for the sandwich you just ordered. A good bbq sandwich, served with Mac n’ Cheese and Cornbread.
Legends Dog ($ 10.50) — HOWIE C’S AWARD FOR *BEST THING* AT THE STADIUM! So for $ 8.50 you get a foot long hot dog. And what if someone said, «Hey for $ 2 more, do you want me to pile it full of Smoked BBQ Brisket on top?» Sure, I’ll give it a try. Holy smacks, the meat is endless! You get your jumbo hot dog plus they put on half a sandwich worth of bbq brisket. They do not skimp on the brisket. Crispy, burnt ends, fatty beef brisket with bbq sauce, melting in my mouth with the hot dog, it can’t be beat. If you are normal hungry, you can share this with another person and then split nachos or garlic fries and you are set for the night.
So yeah, it sucks if you’re sitting upper level and have to go all the way down in the 3^rd inning to get your food. But exercise is good for you and the food is worth the walk. Just make sure Trout and Pujols aren’t due up to bat, watching them is still better than any food you can eat at the park.
***Hot tip*** Ask for chopped onions when you check out. It’s free. And extra bbq sauce is around the corner by the ketchup and mustard.

The smoked bbq brisket is fantastic. The brisket is piled high and it has just the right amount of sauce. The bun isn’t the best but the brisket is good quality. You also get 2 sides with the sandwich. It’s worth $ 12…I’ve paid more for less at a sit down restaurant. We got double Mac and Cheese. It looks delicious but it’s flavorless. Tastes subtly of butter… and that’s it.
We also got the jumbo hot dog. The bread was cheap and cold and the dog was over charred. I wouldn’t get it again.

Located close to Gate 1. You can’t miss it… You’ll probably see the line long before you see the huge booth… It’s one of the more popular food booths in the ballpark.
The prices aren’t cheap. We ordered two jumbo dogs (one w/​brisket), a bottled water, Coors Lite, and peanuts… $ 42. What?! Goodness.
The Jumbo Dogs were good. Better then the regular hot dogs at the other stands. The Jumbo Dog w/​brisket was good too– just a little on the sweet side. If you like your bbq sauce on the sweeter side rather than tangy, then you may really like it.
I had to take away one star because the hots dogs were not that warm. Otherwise, a delicious hot dog… I would return next time I go see the Angels.