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Ancient man went through hell to get his life-sustaining meat, from exhaustive tracking, to exhausting running like a frightened bitch from sabretooth tigers, but all that's a walk in the prehistoric park compared to...driving to Venice! Now bringing the prey closer to you: Baby Blues BBQ.

A longtime favorite on the Westside, Baby Blues is launching its second LA location tomorrow, a far-more-central and triple-the-size meat-temple, with a mahogany bar, weathered walls, a mounted Black Angus head, and an open grill line, so you can see them preparing the rest of that Black Angus. The menu's crux is the same: North Carolina-style BBQ, spice-rubbed and cooked in a VW-sized smoker, then served either a la carte, as a sandwich, or plattered with two sides (sauteed okra, mashed sweet potato, stewed tomatoes, etc); protein choices include pulled pork, shrimp, catfish, and a massive beef rib the owner dubs the "brontosaurus", either because it looks like it's from a dino, or will ultimately lead to your extinction. Bolstering the mainstays is menu newness: sliders w/pulled pork, beef brisket, etc, fresh sides (hushpuppies, fried green tomatoes, sweet potato fries), salads topped w/ your choice of meat (yes, including ribs), and chicken wings, which're applewood smoked, then grilled, then topped w/ either regular or XXX sauce, depending on if you prefer your chicken just spicy, or with penetration.

Topping the Westside's beer-and-wine-only, there's a full bar and specialty cocktails (a Mint Julep w/ Maker's, the rum-fueled "Nana's Sweet Tea"), and there's plans for a weekday happy hour with half-priced drinks from 3-6pm, a deal so good, you won't even need a tiger to make you run like a bitch.

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The new menu's not finalized yet, but it'll look a ton like the one at BabyBluesVenice.com