If you fancy yourself some great tasting barbeque and you find yourself in Marina Del Rey, California – please make a stop at this place. Morfia’s is delicious! Plain and simple!

I had the distinct pleasure of dining here back in mid-December, while temporarily working in Marina Del Rey. I as drove between work and my hotel each day/night, I saw this little building, painted a bright yellow with red trim. It called out to me.

Of course I decided to so some quick ‘research’ on this little gem and found a plethora of great reviews. I also found some ‘not-so-good’ ones too. But that being said, the good totally outweighed the bad. So it was decided – I must try this place.

Morfia’s Yelp Page

One side note: As a chef/foodie, I am aware of the Health Department inspections and grades for restaurants.  One thing that worried me about Morfia’s was their “B” rating. I read their inspection report from the Health Department. I was convinced that they were still a safe place to eat. So if you see their grade “B” in the window, just know that I gave them a chance and have no regrets.

The building is tiny. Literally a ‘shack’. The inside ‘dining room’ had about four tables, each sat two guests. Outside along the sidewalk, there were four more tables (two guests each). The weather was perfect for outside dining – so after I ordered, I grabbed a table outside and ate in the warmth of the SoCal sunshine.

Their menu was chock full of all types of proteins! Ribs, brisket, pulled pork, etc. I had to take about five minutes to finally decide what I wanted. I chose the #27 – Beef Brisket Sandwich on a French Roll with two sides.

Take a look at this plate! First thing to note – all of their plates are various colors. I loved it! Rustic and ‘comfy’. Next, every guest is handed a tub of baby wipes with their plate. I was amazed – most places have paper towels or those little moist towelettes. Not Morfia’s! Fresh scented baby wipes kept my fingers squeaky clean.

Next, the sides. For those who actually KNOW me – KNOW that I LOVE mac and cheese. (Shoot! I just made three different gourmet mac and cheeses for work on Valentine’s Day – blog post soon to come!) Their mac and cheese was fantastic! The sauce was creamy – not grainy. Very savory. Topped with grated Parmesan cheese. I honestly scarfed it down so quickly! BAM! The coleslaw was very fresh too. The dressing wasn’t too sweet or tart – just ‘perfect’. The vegetables were crisp and refreshing.

During my dining experience, I had the pleasure and honor of chatting with Morfia herself! Such a wonderful hard-working woman and very dedicated to her business. Her husband helps out in the kitchen. We talked for what seemed like thirty minutes while we both ate our meals. Note: she was eating HUGE beef ribs! I will definitely be getting those next time!

Now lets talk about the brisket sandwich. The bread was buttered and toasted. Thankfully, it was soft and not charred. The beef was tender and smoked perfectly. The sauce was savory. Not sweet nor spicy. I savored each bite, masticating slowly to ensure my taste buds were enveloped in the flavors of the smokey beef and savory sauce and soft bread.

Morfia’s is also known for its pies (and other desserts). After I completed my meal, I went inside to take a look at their display case. Oh my goodness!

My eye quickly eyed her Reese’s peanut butter cake (top shelf, second from left). Chocolate and peanut butter is the perfect marriage of dessert flavors. Look at the photo below – AMAZING!

However, when you go to Morfia’s – you need…no, you MUST try a slice of her Baklava Cheesecake! Morfia’s baklava cheesecake is so good that she actually has it patented! How frigging cool is that!?

Here is the slice of heaven! Creamy NY style cheesecake on the bottom with flaky nutty baklava on top. Such a wonderful marriage of sweetness all in one dessert. Normally this is served with a dollop of whipped cream but I had asked for mine without. As I sat back at my table outside, I took bite after bite of this decadent pastry. Morifa came out to check on me and I could see the pride on her face! She was beaming with excitement as I continued to shower her with mouthfuls of compliments.

I cannot wait to come back to Morfia’s! If you are in a hurry, order ahead of time and come by to pick up your order. It can and does get busy here, especially during lunchtime hours. Let me know if you’ve had any experiences here at Morfia’s!

Until next time…#ForkThisPlate!