Loves Wood Pit Barbecue

When you're at LOVE'S, the whole world is delicious...




How I miss "Love's Wood Pit Barbecue". Back in the 1970s and 1980s, these recognizable retro structures were all over Southern California. They always seemed to be conveniently located and had pretty decent ribs for a chain. I have vivid memories of dipping that delicious bread in the BBQ sauce, (with the little seeds) with a side of their famous baked beans that tasted like candy. Mustn't forget the bowls of water and lemon to clean your hands and face afterward. I felt so 'adult' getting Shirley Temples and walking through the the bar area to the ladies room. Their Heart's Delight sandwich and hot fudge sundaes also stick out in my mind. You wonder how a place that good and that successful could go out of business, but sadly they no longer exist. 

'Love's" starting closing in the late 1980s. There were some changes of ownerships and lawsuits over the years that took it's toll on the corporation. The "flagship" location on on Pico, mysteriously turned into a place called Noonan's. Soon after most of the locations started changes names and all those love-shaped pole signs were soon repurposed into other business marquees and advertisements.  


My favorite celebrity sightings were The Jackson 5 and Tony Randall at the Beverly Hills location between Beverwil Dr. and Roxbury Dr. My friend, Michael Hagerty recalls seeing Linda and Paul McCartney at the location on La Tijera, "the American wife schooling the British hubby on American Barbecue". 

I also remember a "Love's on Montana Ave. and San Vicente in the Brentwood during the late 1970s. I used to call it, "Wood's Love's Pit". I truly miss the American family style restaurants (especially their straight-up, no nonsense cuisine) of the 20th century. 

I've also been searching for their commercial for years, but no dice. It was like a romantic love song about BBQ sauce. No commercial voice over talent, before or since, has ever said "bar-b-qued beans" or "baked buh-tatuh" better.  

"Love's" on Hollywood Blvd, 1983

I would spend hours at the Hollywood location flipping through rare collectibles that I had just purchased next door at "Book City". And I used to use the "Loves" pay phone in the back to call friends after school. 





I "loved" their heart shaped logo. I would get so excited spotting them from various freeways. That sign on Pico was there for most of my life. It always reminded me of being little and going there with my folks. I became more sentimental about as I got older and things changed drastically here and around it. The iron handrails on Pico were made to include a heart in the design and the handrails are still there. The
 heart sign was still there a few years ago, no name, just the pole with the empty heart.


Seeing old photos of "Love's" takes me back to my childhood, when everything about L.A. was a dream, still is, in my mind, and I cherish the memories.



"M'Goo's" and "Love's" Restaurant at Hollywood Blvd. and Cherokee Ave in 1972. '


Photo Bruce Torrance 





Vintage "LOVE'S" menus



My friend, Ilene Waterstone at Wood Pit BBQ on Reseda Blvd. in Northridge on March 21, 1972. 



One of the first"Love's location located at Valley Plaza in 1965

And Tommy Gelinas of 'Valley Relics' saved one of the original neon signs and it's all lit up out at the Valley Relics Museum. 




And  BTW, you can still purchase "LOVE'S" BBQ sauce! Click here!



Alison Martino is a writer, television producer, and pop culture historian. She founded the Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles in 2010. 
Follow Alison on  Twitter and Instagram





Comments

  1. what happened to them? did they just fade away of go chapter 11?

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  2. I grew up going to the Love's on Pico.... The last celebrity sighting I remember was Carol Lynley, circa early 70's..... Worked just about across the street for a few years... You described the food to a tee.

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  3. Hi Alison!
    When I was a kid I would imitate television commercials. Drove my parents CRAZY!
    One of my favorites was the Love's Barbeque commercial.
    MmmmmmmmmMmm.!

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  4. They had the best food oh my God there beans and their cheese bread where to die for

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  5. The one in Buena Park was my restaurant-of-choice for my birthday. Your recollections nailed it for me: the Heart's Delight, the bowls of water with lemon, the Shirley Temples (or Roy Rogers in my case), and walking past the bar to go to the restrooms. I also loved the little bottles of Martinelli's cider, it made me feel so fancy! Thanks for this.

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  6. My family loved Love's! We used to go to the one in La Habra.

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  7. My mouth is watering just thinking of the beans. Sliced pork with Cole slaw and the sauce was great. I've ordered the sauces and they are as close as we are going to get. Sigh..

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  8. went to love’s bbq in Lakewood 2006? before it was closed. the bbq beans had beef instead of pork. beef short ribs was excellent. corporate drove it to the ground.

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  9. The last one I saw was in Fresno in 1980. It closed a few years later. Most of the iconic marquee sign is still there even today minus the heart. It's a Mexican seafood restaurant currently. Someone uploaded the commercial to youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3MoM79yY_Y

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  10. One would have to wonder what world-famous vegetarians Paul and Linda would order there.

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  11. Used to take the wife, go to the Motel 6 in Ventura, ring a checkered tablecloth and go to Love's and bring it back to the room.


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  12. this must have been before they became vegetarians @ Michael Hagerty recalls seeing Linda and Paul McCartney at the location on La Tijera, "the American wife schooling the British hubby on American Barbecue".

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  13. When your in Love’s, the whole worlds delicious.

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  14. My Grandfather was the Originator of Loves BBQ
    The original was on Ventura Blvd in Encino. Many people have very
    fond memories of Love's. That food is missed tremendously.

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    Replies
    1. My grandfather was friends with your grandma and grandpa, I have a painting from your grandmother.

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  15. I used to work at Love’s BBQ in Torrance on Hawthorne Blvd as a hostess when I was 16. It was my favorite restaurant so I wanted to get a job there when I was old enough and I did. Our families favorite snack I would bring home was the French fries and baked beans. Dipping the fries in the beans was so yummy!! I wish it was still here!!

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