December 31, 2017

The Weekly Bite: Gus’s Barbecue in South Pasadena

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to South Pasadena’s Gus’s Barbecue.

We’d love to learn the story behind Gus’s Barbecue.
Our father immigrated from Greece when he was 15 and by 19 he owned and operated the first Tops restaurant in Pasadena. That was in 1952. This is where my brother, and business partner, Chris Bicos and I (John Bicos) learned the ins and outs of the business.

My brother got into the business after he graduated college, which was about 13 years before I started working with him. Honestly, it’s not something that I saw myself doing growing up. It wasn’t until halfway through college that I decided that it was the right business for me. I switched majors, got a job at a 5 star restaurant in San Diego and never looked back. When I graduated in 2006, I joined my brother at The Original Tops. Within a year, we bought Gus’s BBQ, shut it down, and started a complete remodel and rebranding. Gus’s was a staple in South Pasadena and had been since 1946. By the time we took over it was in need of a revamp. It was also around the time that BBQ started becoming popular in LA. Our focus was on making it an authentic Southern experience with the best real pit BBQ around.

Successfully running a restaurant is extremely difficult. Tell us about some of the challenges you’ve had to overcome.
There are always challenges in the hospitality business. We opened Gus’s in 2008, right in the middle of the recession. We experienced many challenges. Aside from the economy, we were taking a 64 year old brand and completely changing it. The only thing we kept was the iconic neon sign in the front. We had quite a few regulars that were not happy with the changes, but were sure that we were elevating the experience and providing something that South Pasadena and the greater LA area didn’t have. It took a little while for people to take to the changes, but eventually we regained the trust of (some) of regulars and along the way picked up a whole new set of people. Thankfully it became not only a staple in South Pasadena, but a restaurant that people traveled from out of town to come visit.

Is there something unique or interesting about Gus’s Barbecue that our readers should know about?
Our “secret sauce” is the True Southern Hospitality that we offer. When we traveled through the South before we opened, we were amazed by the genuine hospitality that we received. We wanted to bring this idea to LA, where you couldn’t always find it. Funny enough, this was the way our father ran his restaurants while we were growing up working in them. Along with the hospitality, we wanted to focus on what we call Honest BBQ. The idea that there are no shortcuts to the art of BBQ. It takes simple, high quality ingredients, a lot of time and of course soul. Today, we take great pride in crafting authentic BBQ in a welcoming environment, just like the South.
Although the core of our menu is BBQ, Gus’s has a lot more to offer. We have unique Southern dishes, great salads, sandwiches and burgers. This has allowed us to attract a large range of people. We’re currently coming out with a house smoked pastrami sandwich that should become a staple on the menu.
Our bar also has an impressive selection of bourbons and 12 beers on draft that focuses mostly on local breweries and is always rotating.

Most Popular Items

Picnic Platter

Your choice of: Memphis Baby Backs or St. Louis Spare Ribs, and BBQ Brick Chicken or Southern Fried Chicken, and one of the following: Carolina Style Pulled Pork / Texas Beef Brisket / Smoked Sausage
Pulled Pork Nachos

Four Cheese Sauce, BBQ Baked Beans, Smoked Mozzarella, Jack Cheese, Tomato, Red Onion, Pickled Jalapeños, Original BBQ Sauce

Pulled-Pork Tostada Salad

Mixed Greens, Corn Salsa, Tomatillo Black Beans, Smoked Mozzarella, Guacamole, Tortilla Chips, Balsamic Vinaigrette

Gus’s Fried Chicken Sandwich

Spicy BBQ & Ranch Slaw, Pickles, Smoked Jalapeño Aioli, Toasted Bun

Gus’s Famous Burger

Cheddar Cheese, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Shredded Onion Strings, Original BBQ Sauce, Roasted Garlic Aioli, Toasted Bun
Dietary: vegetarianParking Advice:
We have a free parking lot next door do our restaurant that is available to customers

Happy Hour:
Yes. Our Happy Hour is Monday-Friday from 3pm-6pm with food specials including half-sized pulled pork nachos, mini brisket sandwiches plus $3-5 canned/draft beers, $6 red & white wine, and $7 well drinks.

Average Entre Cost:$13

Address: 808 South Fair Oaks
South Pasadena, CA 91030

Phone:(626) 799-3251

Website: www.gussbbq.com

Social Media links