WOODY'S IN ENCINO IS RIGHT ON 'CUE.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

Woody is Woodrow Phillips, and he's a brave man.

Owner of two barbecue outlets in the heart of L.A.'s rib-and-linkdom, one on Slauson Avenue and the other in Inglewood, Phillips has opened his third Woody's Bar-B-Que in the heart of frou-frou Encino. And not only that, but he picked a location across the road from - almost facing - that famous chain barbecue guy, Tony Roma's.

The ex-Denny's site has been spruced up, not radically changed, and has yet to procure its beer and wine license.

Consequently, Phillips has one more hurdle to overcome, appeasing the beer and 'cue set with iced tea or lemonade.

Luckily, his barbecued fare stands up pretty well against the competition.

Of all the items tried to date, I have yet to find any major faults.

Minor faults numbered just two. One being the pastiness to the dough atop an otherwise delicious premises-baked peach cobbler ($4.99) that, incidentally, was corrected when placed in the oven for a minute. The other is the delivering of a much smaller-in-size whole catfish ($13.99) than expected.

But the size of the catfish didn't diminish the quality and taste of the deep-fried denizen, coated in a crispy, light, seasoned batter, covering moist, flaky flesh easily removed from the bone.

Similarly crunchy and almost as endearing are the half-dozen deep-fried gulf shrimp ($14.99).

However, the meatier items are the biggies at Woody's, from really excellent chicken links - on the appetizer platter ($10.99) with good wings, spicy jalapeno poppers, rib tips and zucchini sticks - to a nicely presented, lean, sizable hamburger ($5.79 at lunch, $7.49 at dinner) on a classy, toasted, poppy-seed bun.

All the ribs here receive thumbs-up approval. Restrained smokiness, enough meat, juicy but firm - these seem to be the basic characteristics of Woody's spareribs, baby backs, rib tips and hefty beef ribs.

Sides are equally impressive, though I still prefer not to have foil left on the baked potato.

Woody's baked beans are rich with meaty undertones, the cole slaw creamy and fresh-tasting, the potato salad and macaroni salad about as good as you'll find anywhere and the fries just right; not too firm, not too mushy soft, right in the middle and without any suggestion of that hated oily residue.

Order a peach cobbler ($4.99), and you receive a whole, premises-baked effort looking every inch like one your grandma made.

And the waiting staff projects a warm and enthusiastic approach to serving that is rather rare today.

In fact, there are all-around good feelings here. There's a sort of homey righteousness about Woody's that's really likable.

It'll be even more likable when Woody gets brew to go with his 'cue.

THE FACTS

The restaurant: Woody's Bar-B-Que.

Where: 16624 Ventura Blvd., Encino. (Also in Inglewood and Los Angeles.)

When: Open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, for dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. nightly, to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Behind the scenes: Chef-owner is Woodrow ``Woody'' Phillips.

Recommended items: Woody's loaf of onion rings, chicken wings, jalapeno poppers, barbecue beans, macaroni salad, beef or chicken links, spareribs, baby backs, beef ribs, deep-fried catfish or shrimp, sliced pork, Woody's burger, premises-baked peach cobbler.

How much: Starters from $2.50 to $11, entrees from $11 to $19, desserts from $2 to $5. No alcohol license yet. AE, MC, V, DC.

Reservations: Taken. Call [phone].

Our rating: Three stars for food; Three and one half stars for service.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: Managers Ameenah Shaheed, left, Hugo Medina, Tony Siano and manager/chef Kenny Taitt are bringing Woody's Bar-B-Que to Encino diners.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer