restaurant review: horse thief bbq (or in other words, why is there no good bbq in los angeles?)

(Los Angeles, CA).  Other than Korean barbecue, I find Los Angeles to be seriously lacking in good barbecue - whether it's dry-rub or wet, Kansas or Texan or whatever regional style... and I simply don't understand it.  There is so much culinary talent here, sourcing meat shouldn't be that difficult and normal people here (i.e., not the models/actors or wannabe models/actors that can't gain an ounce) actually like to eat barbecue.  

For years I had been disappointed repeatedly so I don't really even try new bbq places anymore because in my cynical mind, I just didn't want to have another plate of unworthy calories.  Recently (and inexplicably) a wave of optimism came over me so I tried Bludsoe's on La Brea and Horse Thief BBQ in Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles.  (You can read my general overview of the market here.)  A friend had already told me Horse Thief wasn't very good, but I wanted to try it myself instead of always wondering when I walked by whether it was good or not.

Not to discourage optimism, but in this case, it did not prove to be victorious.  Both places were mediocre.    I can't even remember what I ate at Bludsoes, but I can say I won't be returning.  As for Horse Thief, a friend and I tried a sampling of things:

• Beef ribs - a bit tough and the flavor was nothing special
• Pulled pork - decent but the pulled pork I make at home in my slow cooker was 10X better
• Sausage - so salty that it was barely edible
• Jambalaya - I was a tad insulted this pile of salty mushy rice dared to call itself jambalaya.  Go to Mother's in New Orleans to find out what it's supposed to taste like.
• German potato salad - I think they thought adding a touch of bacon was sufficient, but it wasn't.
• Sweet tea - this was definitely not the sweet tea of the South.  it wasn't even that sweet.  Just call it slightly sweetened ice tea.

So, I will not be coming back unless there is a serious overhaul.  But at least I won't wonder anymore...  If anyone has any good bbq recommendations, please let me know!