Love’s
There was a time when Love’s Wood Pit Barbecue restaurants dotted the California landscape and seeped into other states, as well. Some folks believe it’s impossible to get decent barbecue in a chain. You need a small, one-of-a-kind restaurant in a building that used to be a welding shop and was converted by some guy who’s obsessive about good bbq and has been doing it all his life. I’ve been to some great places that fit that description and also some where the food was close to inedible.
Love’s fell somewhere in-between but they were always conveniently located and there are times you need to eat and you can’t find one of the “other” kind of bbq joint, or maybe you’re just not in the mood to gamble. Love’s had decent ribs, great chicken, terrific sandwiches and easily the best beans I’ve ever had in my life. I used to go to every Love’s I ventured near and for a time, I had a running correspondence with a gent who was either the president of the company or very close to that. Each time I ate at a new (to me) Love’s, I’d send him a critique. He’d write me back a nice letter and toss in coupons for free meals. A fine relationship.
But I liked Love’s for other reasons beyond the coupons. They were friendly and dependable and the food was pretty darned good. So you could often find me at the one on Pico Boulevard near Beverly or at the one on Hollywood Boulevard at Cherokee or at the one in Encino or the one in Pacific Palisades or any other one. I probably went to twenty different Love’s including the one Love’s Junior they operated (briefly) on Ventura Boulevard in Van Nuys. It was an attempt to repackage their cuisine into something that functioned like a fast food outlet. Had that experiment succeeded, I assume we’d have seen them in locations too small to handle a full-sized Love’s or in food courts.
Alas, over the years the chain just lost business and got smaller. The one on Pico, which had once been a kind of “flagship” Love’s and was used as a model and training facility for others, turned mysteriously one day into a place called Noonan’s. Noonan’s was the name of the company that supplied uncooked ribs to many L.A. restaurants and they went into business in some kind of partnership with Bob Morris, who had founded R.J.’s for Ribs, Gladstone’s and other popular Los Angeles restaurants. (Morris now operates the Paradise Cove Beach Cafe in Malibu, which is not covered on this site because it’s open and thriving.) Then it became Bob Morris’ Beverly Hills Cafe even though it wasn’t really in Beverly Hills…and it may have changed names one or two more times before closing down. The building is now the office of a limousine company. The Love’s on Hollywood Boulevard changed identities at least ten times and is now a restaurant called the Geisha House.
There were some changes of ownership and some lawsuits in the Love’s operation. A lot of them closed and the ones that didn’t changed names. The Love’s in Brea, for instance, changed its name to Riley’s and went on serving the exact same menu for years. The one in Chula Vista renamed itself The Great Rib Restaurant, which was a subtitle that Love’s sometimes used in its advertising and on its signs. Eventually, all such after-life Love’s closed. According to the company website, there’s still a Love’s in Jakarta, Indonesia but I’m skeptical that’s so. If it exists, it’s the only one.
Click above to enlarge
Folks who loved Love’s still love it…and miss it. If you do some Googling, you’ll find a number of different recipes that purport to be the secret to replicating Love’s Beans and others that teach you how to make the sauce. Since the recipes differ, some or all of these are obviously wrong. I haven’t tried making any of them but the recipes for beans (which is sometimes attributed to the L.A. Times) strike me as dead wrong. Some of the sauce recipes seem credible, especially this one…
2 cups cider vinegar
3 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons celery seed
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons lard
1/4 cup pickling spicesPlace lard (not shortening) in a pot. Add sugar and then other ingredients. Cook over a low flame stirring occasionally until sauce reaches the desired consistency.
As I said, I never made this but it sounds like it might be the secret. And the reason I’ve never made it is that every three or four years, I order another case of the genuine article from the Love’s website. I have no idea why they’re still bottling this stuff if there are no restaurants to sell it in. Maybe there is one in Jakarta and it’s thriving. Anyway, it’s been more than two years since I ordered any of it. I don’t guarantee that the site is still active but you can inquire there if you long to get some. As you might imagine from all that brown sugar, Love’s sauce was very sweet but it was awfully good.
42 Responses to Love’s
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While I only went to a handful of the restaurants; it always amused me that of the ones I went to the smallest one, in the sketchiest area (Garden Grove) had the best food and service. Although the Chula Vista/Bonita location had a pretty good breakfast. The only location that I went to that had one. Do you know which location is in the picture? It kinda looks like the Brea location.
That’s one of two that were located in Camino Del Rio near San Diego.
Thanks. Now that you’ve pointed it out, I actually recognize the topography. I’d forgotten that Mission Valley had Love’s.
I think the one in the picture is one of two in the San Diego area I used to eat at about every other time I went to San Diego from El Centro back in the late 70s. As you said, the beans were excellent and the BBQ was very good for a chain.
Later, I moved to Orange County and ate frequently at the one in Garden Grove or the one on Euclid in Anaheim. Still later, I ate occasionally, at the last one I knew of as being open, in Claremont or maybe it was West Covina. It’s still there but the name has changed and most of the menu.
I always looked forward to eating at Love’s, it was pleasant, the food was good and the prices were fair. And the slogan of theirs I remember was, “When you’re in Love’s, the whole world is delicious.”
I used to live around the corner from the Love’s on Hollywood Blvd. in the mid-70′s and I have to agree–their beans were the best I ever had in my life–anywhere–anytime. The rest of their food was good, but those beans were amazing!
I remember the Love’s resturant that was located across from the Lakewood Center Mall and One that was located off of Stanton Ave in Buena Park which is now a Korean Christian Church. Love’s had real excellent food including their BBQ ribs!
Ohhhh, Loves! I went there all the time as a kid growing up in San Diego, various locations throughout Southern California. I was obsessed trying to find out if there was one still open somewhere and I’m crestfallen to find out that they are gone. BUMMER! I miss those beans!
I worked at Love’s as a pit master–I use this designation loosely, because I was still wet behind the ears in those days–and I recall making the base for the beans right in the hotel pan. After everything was blended, the pan was topped with chopped trimmings and fat (Yes, some fat was used. But pure gelatinous fat) from previously smoked meats, and the concoction was placed in the pit to smoke for hours. The result was a thick and rich sauce and a taste that would curl your toes. Many of the online recipes use canned pork and beans, but we used can beans and a tomato based sauce; I don’t recall if it was tomato past or sauce or a combination.
We used to have one near us when we lived in Torrance and were pretty much regulars there. I recall that I used to have their Heart’s Delight roast beef sandwich and their garlic bread. I still miss that garlic bread!
I have two brothers and whenever our family wanted to go out to eat in the early 70′s we would each suggest a place and then fight over where to go. The fighting would always stop the second anybody mentioned Love’s. I live on the east coast now and I can’t believe they are closed. How could you current residents of Southern California let that happen? It’s a damn shame.
I use to go to the Garden Grove location across the street, almost, from my husbands business “Polaris Battery Co.”. Ahhhh the beans, the short ribs and the garlic bread dipped in the beans…such a loss! Can’t someone publish the recipes?? I’d even pay for them!!
My grandmother and I would stop at the Love’s restaurant in Brea whenever we were in the area for family gatherings. I believe San Bernardino had one too. Maryann and I had the best meals of our lives in those restaurants. Great food and great memories.
I sure miss this place. I used to go to the one in West Los Angeles and Encino. Great ribs, beans and chicken. The store in Encino closed and never billed me for a dinner and I took a group of friends out .
I lived in Encino from 1951 to 1969. I remember a Loves there near Havenhurst and ventura when I first moved there as a kid of 14. There was a Love’s that had a kids pony ride next to it and and a bar called the Mardi Gras club next to that. My friends and I used to hang out at the Mardi Gras when we were in our 20′s. It was a 1960′s single bar with a dance floor and a band and lots of women arond 21 to 30… a great place for a twenty something when you could ask a girl to dance, hold her as close as could be to a slow number and not even know her name… What a time to be young. The hectic life style of the young people today have no idea of how great life was in the 1950′s and 60′s for a valley boy. I don’t think though that the city kids had it as good as life in the Valley in 1965. Cruzing Van Nuys blv and going to Bob’s Big boy or the Van Nuys drive in was the type of fun we had… some of the stuf in Armerican Graffie (I be that is spelt wrong) was right on .. except of course racing a 57 chevey and a 48 Merc in the wash was BS…. no repecting guy who owned one of those would even think about that.. not even in his dreams. A real movie about teen life in the early 60′s is Dukes of Flatbush..Check that one out…… Slvester Stalone and Winker (The Fonze) the first ever movie they were in… Winker got the part in Happy Days a little after that movie was made.
The Lords of Flatbush (not “The Dukes”), filmed in the pre-home video era of 1974, has the distinction of having had a theatrical release three times. The original distribution featured Perry King as the star; he was riding high after headlining 1972′s Slaughterhouse-Five, which was a big winner at the Cannes Film Festival. Then, Henry Winkler became the most beloved character on TV on Happy Days, and he was the star attraction. Then, after Rocky came out of nowhere and won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Lords was back to the theaters with Sylvester Stallone as the main draw.
Lightning struck for three out of the four leads in Lords. The fourth was played by a actor named Paul Mace. According to IMDb, in 1983 he died in an traffic accident in Southern California at the age of 33. But, at least he’s remembered in a “Fifth Beatle” sense.
Used to haunt the bar at the Pico location, back in the 1980′s to early 90′s. Great place for food and drink. Miss it, now and then. Always remember it fondly.
I would go to the Brentwood location and always get a quart of beans to take home.
Loves BBQ Pit is one of our family’s ‘Top Ten Favorite Restaurants’ from back in the 70′s/80′s, that we can remember well and miss dearly to this date. The Ribs were always prepared perfectly and met a standard that seemed to be consistent with every bite. They were meaty and succulent and the flavors of the smoke pit and their famous BBQ Sauce was always infused right down to the bone to deliver the best flavor ever. The variety of sauces on the side were also a lot of fun to try out and sometimes dip into the big steak-cut french fries. Plus, don’t forget the awesome beans and that delicious cheese-bread was always like an extra bonus with your meal and we always ordered extra with our meal. I just loved that place so much, I can recall those wonderful flavors, like it was yesterday and I can honestly say that it’s one of the best BBQ’s that I’ve ever had from my childhood, hands down ~ Good Stuff! ;)
The beans! The beans! The BEANS!!! Heaven on Earth, those were. I used to eat at the Huntington Beach or the Orange (Tustin Ave) locations and if I wasn’t having the pork ribs (the baked-on sauce was like candy) I would order the frank and beans (with a side of — beans. What else?). A hot dog absolutely smothered in those beans. My God. Somebody please invent a time machine. My wonderful sister-in-law made me some beans from one of the recipes from the internet and although not exactly the original they kick-arse over anything else out there.
Great website — great memories.
Back in 1972-1975, we went to the Love’s on El Camino Real north of the 78 freeway in Oceanside. My parents loved this place. We also went to the one down in Mission Valley in San Diego. Great restaurant!
I recognize the photo at the top, as I often ate at that location. It’s the Love’s in Mission Valley, off I-8 in San Diego.
I miss Love’s lot. I liked the short ribs. Obviously we all enjoyed the baked beans.
Thank you for this website. It’s nice to preserve our memories of places where we had good meals and good times.
The top photo looks like the Mission Valley (San Diego) store. This was the first franchise location and was one of the first businesses located on this south side of the I-8.
I worked at this restaurant from 1972 until 1978. The restaurant opened in 1967 and I can remember older kids in high school ditching school to go eat lunch there. It was considered very cool.
However, as of 1972, the sign is wrong and the garden around the sign is also wrong. Moreover, to the right, there is a car parked diagonally. There were only parking spots running parallel to the building in 1972. To the left of the building was a Jack-in-the-Box rather than a vacant lot.
Beyond that, the topography of the hill is consistent with the Mission Valley store and I can see that as businesses were rapidly developed in this area, changes to the entrance (sign) and parking lot design (chopping diagonal parking to parallel parking) would have occurred.
I miss the Love’s restaurant chain. It’s almost impossible to find a good beef sandwich these days. The beans were great and so was the garlic bread.
I truly miss it.
As a note, I’ve eaten regularly at the Garden Grove restaurant as well as the ones in Lakewood, Costa Mesa, Garden Grove, West Covina, and Torrance.
I miss them all.
I miss Love’s, I lived in San Diego from the time i was born till june 82. ONe of th first times i ate there was in 77. From 77 to 82 and each time my family would go to San Diego from were the Navy moved us to between 82 to 85 we stop at both loves and Garcia’s that was located on Sport Arena blvd. When we lived there in 86 prior to moving to Colo in Nov, we went there quite a few times. Our last time eating there was in Aug 1993 trip to San Diego and Las Vegas. Is this location still around anyone have the adress or Phone would love to get some Fed Ex to my present location.
Also the Jakc that was located there next was torn down in 80 or 81, also next to it was anothe restraint that closed in 80 that got most famous for a food outbreak that cost em there business due to law suit, I remmber when that closed Love’s used there parking lot for a year . I remembe rto get there, you had to exit near the old John Hine Pontiac ..
I grew up in Long Beach and used to go to the one on Lakewood Blvd next to the mall. Also one on Bristol in Santa Ana and finally “Rileys” in Brea until just a few years ago.
With all of the many locations and hundreds of previous employees and managers, why can’t someone duplicate their recipes….especially the baked beans?! If someone were to open a new restaurant with the original food it would be very popular. Just look at all of the bbq places that have sprouted up over the past couple of years but none equal the unique delicious Love’s beans, cheese bread, ribs, ….on and on…!
I lived just down the street from the Garden Grove location but we as a family visited only one time back in 1977 I dont remember much but many years later I just on a whim visited it in about 2000 I think and wow it had turned into a nasty dirty pit and ran out the door too bad for years I had an understanding they had a nice place and good food
My father used to be the GM at the one in Lakewood, Colorado on W Colfax- I think there used to be one in Aurora, Colorado as well. I worked with him for awhile, back in the early ’80′s. Loved the smoky smell of the place- very ’70′s styling in the furniture, building, etc.
GREAT food- wish they were still in business, they sure would beat out all the crappy restaurants out there today. The cole slaw was fabulous. I also remember how the bottles of sauce, if left sitting around too long would explode! They apparently didn’t have much of a preservative in them and the vinegar and such would just poof! Blow up. I remember working the hostess stand one day and one of the ones on the wall display above me went ker-pow and blew sauce all over the place!
We frequented the Loves at La Tijera blvd and Centinela Blvd, and later the one on Tustin Ave. in Orange. I remember that had a very large hot dog with bacon and cheese and Love’s sauce. I still cook those on the grill today, and still buy the sauce.
Those were some outstanding beans! The closest in taste I have found are at a place in Gardena called Jay Bee’s. I wasn’t that enamored with the rest of their food, but when I tasted their beans my taste buds perked right up and I thought I heard them singing, “when you’re in Love’s the whole world’s delicious.”
Oh my gosh do I ever miss Love’s BBQ restaurant!!! My husband now of 28 years used to eat there all the time. We went to the one in Orange on Tustin Avenue. It has very special memories for my husband and I. We worked next door at the Sav-On drug store and began going out to lunch there and sort of dating I suppose and they were fun, happy times. Love’s food was simply the BEST and most delicious BBQ food I had ever had, real quality and generous potions. My personal favorite were the BEANS!!!! Makes me so so sad to know they are gone now. Why do things have to change so much. Well, at least we will always have the old wonderful memories. Enjoyed reading everyone’s memory of “their” Love’s restauant.
In 1973-74 we had a Love’s in Ventura. I remember the seldom Sunday evenings where we as a family would go there to eat. I was 8-9 at the time. I remember eating my Love Burger, fries, and loving those beans. Then I remember going home and getting ready for bed. While doing that, I remember letting out a burp and still tasting the burger and the beans. Those were some good times and they served good food.
My husband and I met as two marines and lived in Oceanside, Ca back in 1997. We would go to the mall and then across the street to Love’s. We can still distinctly recall the flavors and the intimate setting. It was like no other. Every valentine we went there. We would travel from the east coast there in a minute to capture those memories. All we have is memories of this lovely Place. If i weren’t skeptical about the trip, i would travel to Jakarta. I’ll do the research and if the restaurant is really there, we are on the way!
Ive lived in the San fernando Valley all my life and started working at Loves Northridge @ 16 yrs old as a BusBoy as my first job and was there for 10 years (Asst Manager for the last five years) Had two great owners who also owned the one in Encino & one in Maui. Great Food & Employees
I was the manager of the Love’s in Hollywood and Beverly Hills as well as the relief manager of all the Southern California Restaurants and then the Area district Manager of the Washington and Oregon Restaurants (company stores) from 1976-1981. These were owned at the time by IHOP. A great place to Eat! Any old friends/employees out there let me know how your doing(Email)
I lived in Newbury Park from 1969 to 1976. We went on Sunday’s to the one on Ventura Blvd.
There has to be someone: a cook or waiter, that has a book of the restaurant’s formulas…somewhere! I do not desire to go to my grave without tasting those amazing beans at least one more time!
C’mon people: cough it up!
It’s a shame they are gone. I just don’t understand why. It’s hard to find good BBQ anywhere! The closes I have found is the Yard house in Temecula near where I live now and they are expensive.
I first started visiting Love’s with friends as a teenager in 1969. We went to the one La Tijera blvd and Centinela Blvd and the one in Torrance on Hawthorne Blvd I think was it’s location. I wish they would bring them back!! I believe a lack of customers wouldn’t be a problem.
I seriously miss this place. Those baby back ribs – super tender, fall off the bone meat, with just the perfect amount of char and slightly sticky to the touch. The cheese bread, the perfectly cooked thick steak fries that you could dip in a little puddle of Love’s bbq sauce on your plate, and of course….da beans! Oh the beans – the sauce was smokey with a hint of sweet and bits of meat – divine. If I won the lotto and became an instant multi-millionaire, I swear I’d hire someone to hunt down/recreate these recipes, and would throw them out on the web for all of us to enjoy.
1959 through the 70′s we ate at the Ventura Blvd location in Encino. It was a
regular for my 3 kids and if my son had a particulary good game in baseball,
football or bb he would ask for Love’s ribs as a reward. He’s 56 now, has his own boys, and has been financially successful in business but whenever he
makes a successsful business move, he always asks me if gets his Love’s as a reward. That let’s me know that was and is…the Ultimate.
Update to my first post;
I ordered a case of the BBQ sauce from the link above and received it today. It took no more than 10 days to receive. Can’t wait to make my ribs over the weekend. Thanks for the link.
I reviewed all the letters about Love’s and realized that so many wondered
about what gave the ribs that distinctive taste. It was cloves.
My father Dan Smith and his partner Irv were the owners of all of the San Diego county Loves the top picture is their first store they opened in Mission valley . THey also owned el cajonCa , Escondido,Oceanside , harbor Island ,chula Vista,and a small version in hillcrest. My father is retired and his partner Irv past away last year. These restaurants where the best truly family restaurant,and a very inportant part of San Diego’s history ,we as a family miss them very much we all grew up working there and considered the employees as one big family!
Ants
Was there a Love’s in La Habra, corner of Beach Blvd. and Imperial Hwy. in the 60s or 70s? or possibly earlier??
We always mowed Loves at the La Crescenta/Tujunga location. All these years later and I’m still jones-ing for their food. I tried the BBQ bean recipe from copycat recipes and it was real close. If I added some smoked meat to it, it would have been perfect. I wish they were back.