CENTURY CITY, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Anthony Anderson and Cedric The Entertainer are best known for their comedy. Now, they also want to be known for something culinary.
They already have a line of rubs and sauces for barbecue lovers. On Wednesday at the Westfield Century City Mall, the two cut the ribbon to officially open their first restaurant, AC Barbeque.
They quickly got to work cutting up some beef for the customers ready to try out their menu.
The two performers are barbecue lovers. And while they’ve both been behind a barbecue on their TV sitcoms, “The Neighborhood” and “black-ish,” it’s now very real.
“This is something that was culturally part of who we are,” said Cedric The Entertainer. “We love the idea of what brings about celebration, food, fun, people coming together, the spirit of that. And so that’s why we feel like we needed to do this.”
“Yeah, we needed to do it, just so there were faces like us that are representing the Barbeque brand itself,” Anderson added.
Those who gathered to help celebrate the opening felt that sentiment.
“It’s very nice to order from two guys I grew up watching, yes, sir. And in this mall, by them being men of color, there’s not too many men of color representing in this mall in particular, so for them to be here is extra surreal,” said Michael Jay.
The celebrity restaurateur say, eventually, they’d like to see AC Barbeque all over the country, but this venue is their start.
Rema Mays said she wanted to make it out to the opening to support both men. Plus, she was looking forward to what she called “well-cooked barbecue and real good, delicious sauce.”
When it comes to the sauce, things can get messy.
“I’ve learned to eat barbecue like this,” said Cedric The Entertainer as he pretended to distance his food from his clothes. “It’s a 90 degree angle where you keep your outfit clean. But the sauce? The hand? The hand is in trouble.”
The menu at AC Barbeque includes dishes with beef, pulled pork, chicken and plenty of sides.
“You have to get the side of mac and cheese and then after that you gotta get the bottle of the barbecue sauce and then you’re all right,” said King Moore, a child diner at the restaurant.
While there are secret family recipes on the menu, Anderson says there’s not a one from his Mama Doris.
“We don’t want any of my mama’s recipes on our menu! Grand opening? Grand closing! So we will not be doing that,” he said with comic conviction.
