ZEKE'S PROVIDES SOME OLD-TIME SMOKY GOODNESS.

Byline: ERIC NOLAND

>LA.COM 

When you get home, you notice that your shirt smells like smoke -- richly scented smoke that has been wafting off savory slabs of beef and pork. If you've had ribs, the scent is on your hands, too, even after a couple of washings. Clearly, the slow-smoking process at Zeke's Smokehouse in Montrose (also West Hollywood) permeates everything -- but best of all, the wide assortment of meats on the menu.

For barbecue, this is the real deal. Many restaurants brag about how the meat on their ribs is "falling-off-the-bone tender," but that doesn't count for much if the racks were par-boiled far beyond par, surrendering most of the flavor to the pot. Here, all the meats spend an extended residency in a big red smoker that you can see (and smell) at the back of the house, and only then are they slathered with sauce and finished on the grill.

"I think in Los Angeles people confuse grilling with barbecue," said manager Susan Rosen, wife of co-owner Michael Rosen, who collaborates here with fellow barbecue master Leonard Schwartz. "In authentic barbecue, the heat source is indirect."

Zeke's also makes all of its side dishes -- from applesauce to baked beans -- from scratch.

A house forte is Carolina pulled pork, most popular here on a sandwich ($10.95) but also available as a dinner ($14.95). This is nicely executed -- lean, richly spiced pork, juicy and flavorful, almost like carnitas. A perfect complement to it (or any of the pork dishes) is the homemade applesauce, which is reddish-brown, lumpy, accented with cinnamon and currants, and bursting with flavor. Who makes their own applesauce anymore? (Most dinners are accompanied by two sides of your choice; otherwise they are $2.95 apiece.)

Three types of ribs are available, in as many different preparations, and all can be sampled in a mixed plate ($19.95). The best of these were the Kansas City-style spare ribs, meaty, juicy and pleasantly pink around the bone, with a sauce that carried a hint of molasses. Memphis-style pork back ribs and Texas-style beef ribs are the others. All share that trademark smokiness, and are lightly charred around the edges.

The meatloaf ($11.95) is Schwartz's specialty, a blend of beef and pork that might be more finely ground than you're used to. We also sampled the fried chicken ($14.95), which is lightly browned and juicy but seems to be aimed for Southern California sensibilities -- it's all white meat, boneless, with the lightest of spices.

Accompanying the meatloaf and the chicken are mashed potatoes that leave little doubt that they're made here, because they're rife with lumps. Another superb side dish is made- from-scratch baked beans, a sweet and smoky concoction that is laced with lean meat and chunks of bell pepper. The potato salad is commendable, too.

Disappointing were the Southern green beans, which had been cooked beyond recognition, robbing them of flavor and natural texture. At dessert, we were similarly unimpressed with a blackberry-and-peach cobbler with ice cream ($6.95). Cobbler is at its best when at least some of the pastry is high and dry and the fruit retains some of its original form, but this was one big gooey (though tasty) mess.

Zeke's best improvement since its 2002 opening is instituting table service. You used to order at the counter, stand around and wait for your food, and carry it to a table.

At its best: Food from another time (at least 50 years back) and another place (generally below the Mason-Dixon Line). Zeke's cuts no corners in its preparations.

Could be better: Too bad this is yet another restaurant that feels it has to have a TV on at all times. Green beans need much less time on the stove.

Eric Noland, [phone]

[e-mail]

ZEKE'S SMOKEHOUSE

>Rating: Two and one half stars

>Details: 2209 Honolulu Ave., Montrose. Open Monday through Thursday from 11a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. [phone]. www.zekessmokehouse.com. Also at 7100 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10p.m. [phone] (same Web site).

>Cost: Salads $4.95 to $14.95, sandwiches $7.95 to $13.95, dinners $11.95 to $24.95, desserts, $1.95 to $6.95.

>Noteworthy: In Montrose, there's a big, free parking lot in the rear, off Florencita Drive. The wine selection is pretty limited, but beer goes better with barbecue anyway, and there's an extensive list, including full-flavored, amber Shiner Bock from Texas on draft ($4.95).

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Zeke's Smokehouse in Montrose (also in West Hollywood) is the place to go for barbecue. It employs the traditional technique of slowly smoking the meats before they hit the grill.

ERIC NOLAND>LA.COM