Welcome
to Les Sisters Southern Kitchen & BBQ
"The
Valleys Best
Cooking since 1986"
Named Top in Category, ZAGAT Guide LA, 2004-2011
A Tale of LesSisters:
Founders of
LesSisters
(Left to Right) Rhoda Hadi, Willie Stanford, and Clara Huling
When Clara
Huling, Roda Hadi, and Willie Stanford opened a small café in Chatsworth in
1986, none of them could possibly have predicted the bright future of their venture. For them, it was an adventure; an attempt to
realize lifelong dreams. Each brought to
the table a special talent. At the time,
Roda was a master Cajun chef, and ran the seafood bar at the popular Fireside
Inn in Encino. Willie was the
owner-operator of Our Place, a very popular bar and gathering place in Northridge. Clara’s mother owned a restaurant in
The first year was a trying
experience, but after a few rave reviews from the likes of Elmer Dills, the LA
Times, and Valley News, they survived.
Meanwhile, due to personal setbacks and illness, Roda and Willie had to
leave the fledgling business, and Clara had to go it alone. She briefly turned the restaurant management
over to another team, but in the end, she had to reassume the helm. That’s when fate stepped in and administered
a devastating blow. Clara succumbed
suddenly to a stroke in June 1992, and Les Sisters’ was devastated. That’s when Kevin, Clara’s son, stepped up
and took charge of the restaurant. With
the support of a loyal staff (especially Susan Warner, our head server), and
loving customers, we rode out the storm and thrived . . . until the earthquake
of 1994. We rebuilt, reopened, and regained
our customer’s support. But, there is
more. The next year, we were victimized
by a fire, and were once again sidelined.
After a few setbacks with building codes, we were able to reopen in a
scant three weeks and there were our clients waiting, clamoring to have another
go at our unique menu.
Les Sisters’ . . . 2006
So, here
we are, celebrating our 25th anniversary, and feeling the humility
of knowing that we could not have done it without the consistent support of
you: our customers. Now, Kevin’s daughter Jessica and son Kevin have joined the
staff. It is hard for us to believe that
we have three generations of Hulings involved in keeping our commitment to our
promise to satisfy your good taste.
Lastly, it pleases us to know that all
of the accolades that we have accumulated through these years are due to the
appreciation shown by you, our valuable customers. After all is said and done, our being named
Number 1 by Zagat many years in a row, and having been selected as the best in
class by City Search is only due to the fact that we have made an impression
upon both your tummy and taste buds, and we thank you for owning up to it.
Now, let’s go for 30 years.
Les History/ Definitions:
WHAT'S IN LES NAME? In
May 1986, Roda Hadi, Clara Huling, and Willie Stanford decided to open a restaurant
in Chatsworth. However, they couldn't
agree on an appropriate name; one that would give it a unique identity. Clara's husband Dr. Bill overheard them
"discussing" their plight and said, "You ladies argue like
sisters, so why don't you call it ‘THE SISTERS’?" Aha! It was a beginning,
but they couldn't decide whether to feature Roda's spicy New Orleans Cajun,
Clara's South-Western Soul, or Willie's East-Coast Southern. So, they opted for all three, deciding to let
the people have their way with them. The name LES SISTERS' SOUTHERN KITCHEN captured
the "flavor" of the menu.
LES MENU: Our food nestles into three tantalizing categories: SMOKED,
SPICY, & SOUL.
SMOKED: Thundering out of the Southwest comes our RENOWN Barbequed
Ribs ( Baby Back, or Spare), Sliced Top Round, Chicken, and for good measure,
Shrimp, Hot Links, Char-bequed Fish, and Honey-Glazed Pork Chops (pardon me for
drooling). There's this incredible dark BBQ sauce-, but you get the picture.
SPICY: Here is where we create the Cajun stuff. From our
award-winning Jambalaya (Shrimp, Crawfish, Chicken or Veggie) and Creoles to
our Filé Gumbo and (of course) Blacken' Fish, or Shrimp, your taste buds
are in for a surprise. The scintillating effect of our secret blend of
SOUL: Ahh, at last, the real deal meal. Some of the best food in
the world is called SOUL FOOD, but we concentrate only on the tried and true
stuff that made us grow up HEALTHY (and obviously PRETTY!) It includes good ol'
Southern Fried Chicken (Regular or Spicy), Fish, Catfish n' Hush Puppies,
Shrimp, and world-class Smothered Chicken or Pork Chops. We offer you a choice of embellishments (Fixin's, honey!) which include Red Beans, Rice, Black-eyed
Peas, Candied Yams, Corn Muffins, Collard Greens, Macaroni and Cheese, Potato
Salad, and our own special Creamy Slaw and Spicy Rice, probably the best you
have ever eaten. Mercy!
LES PORTIONS: We just can't convince our chef that you can get
too much of a good thing. Our portions are too large! So, please help us by (1)
complaining about too much food, (2) grinning and bearing it, (3) be extra
hungry when you come in, or (4) all of the above. By the way, as good as they
are, we bet you can’t save room for one of our desserts!
LES ATMOSPHERE: We are a cozy, fun place where you can mingle informally
with nice people including sometimes, a few celebrities like YOU! However, be
forewarned that we have been favorably reviewed by people like Elmer Dills,
Eric Boardman, Larry Lipson, and Merrill Shindler. So, sometimes you might have to
call ahead for a reservation ( parties of 5 or larger). In any case, we have but one mission:
WE VOW TO HONOR YOUR GOOD TASTE!
Made by Nicole :)