So if it's subjective there is some doubt which way is best?

Guess it's the KCBS judge in me... I was taught to evaluate each bite of BBQ I took based on it's own merits and not how it compared to anything else I've eaten prior..... I've eaten some amazing BBQ cooked on just about every type of cooker out there and I've eaten some really crappy BBQ cooked on the same cookers some of the top places in the country use.... The one variable being the pitmaster.

I discount comp results. At KCBS events, those people are putting a lot of different flavors on top of the smoke. Some who've done it that I respect, say it matters most what's put on the meat in final few seconds before turn in.

And they're flavoring meat for one bite, so its going to be very rich. I don't know how its possible to separate out those other ingredients from the smoke flavor.

Backyard and restaurant is a different animal. I think a safe statement is that the general consensus of backyard barbecue, is that a vast majority would prefer a stick burner. But they don't want or have the time to babysit the cook. So they use other methods. Its fair to discuss whether the improvement from burning pure wood is worth the extra trouble.

I think the safe statement is that BBQ is subjective and their is no consensus "best". It all comes down to personal choice.

I know a lot of people, usually women, that love Swadley's for the sauce... Personally I really like BurnCo in Tulsa and they cook on charcoal fueled Hasty Bakes. I also like Maple's and they're cooking on a custom built stick burner with oak, and I like Butcher BBQ who uses a pellet cooker, and I like The Flying Pig who uses an Oyler.

I've not seen Clark Crews commercial smokers but I know for competition he uses a Jambo.

Well, we're gonna have to agree to disagree.

I firmly believe there is no doubt, that pure wood is the best way to barbecue for smoke flavor.

That does not take into account many other factors , however, when people decide what type smoker to use.

I firmly believe there is no doubt, that pure wood is the best way to barbecue for smoke flavor.


To quote the Dude....... That's just like, your opinion, man. ;)

Just having fun with you here.... Debating BBQ is akin to debating religion or politics..... Just with a lot less name calling fortunately. ;)

Thing about a barbecue joint using a gas or electric assist ......... is its awfully tempting for them to scrimp on the wood to save cost. And serve barbecue that does not have much smoke, then cover it up with injections, rubs, sauces.

If they're smoking with pure wood ............ there's no shortcuts.

I also wonder about air flow inside assisted smokers and pellet poopers. They have convection fans ............but I still wonder.

It appears Clarks Crew BBQ team has won the 2019 Jack Daniels , that's a prestigious title. Was won by Butcher BBQ a couple of years ago .

They have the sign up for this place now, does anyone know how far out they are from opening?

They have the sign up for this place now, does anyone know how far out they are from opening?

Article from Sep 12, just says this fall, but they are hiring , sounds like a KC style restaurant and operated by Famous Daves

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2019/09/12/clark-crew-bbq-oklahoma-city-famous-daves.html

They have the sign up for this place now, does anyone know how far out they are from opening?

Article from Sep 12, just says this fall, but they are hiring , sounds like a KC style restaurant and operated by Famous Daves

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2019/09/12/clark-crew-bbq-oklahoma-city-famous-daves.html

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/clarkcrew102719a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/clarkcrew102719b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/clarkcrew102719c.jpg

Here's a Travis Clark competition brisket recipe. Which is far more complex than anything I would do in the backyard. I'm a wood/fire/smoke and salt and pepper, central Texas style brisket guy , real simple.

And Clark uses Kosmos Q rubs and injections, a local guy who has a store near H&H Gun Range. Not surprising, really. I've not tried Kosmos rubs but I do watch his YT vids. He's better known nationally than here.


https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/beef-and-bison-recipes/award-winning-competition-brisket-recipe

They are spending a lot of money on this place and that smokehouse is huge.

Will be really interesting to see if they can pull off high quality Q on a big scale.

That article I posted from KC , makes it sound like this will be the first of many for Famous Daves. They hired Clark as their " National Pitmaster " and they say his style of barbecue is KC .

Just an FYI... Travis Clark won the Jack this weekend.

It appears Clarks Crew BBQ team has won the 2019 Jack Daniels , that's a prestigious title. Was won by Butcher BBQ a couple of years ago .

Yep

Billboard around the corner from them says they’re taking bookings for holiday parties.

They should open in early or mid November.

Here's a Travis Clark competition brisket recipe. Which is far more complex than anything I would do in the backyard. I'm a wood/fire/smoke and salt and pepper, central Texas style brisket guy , real simple.

And Clark uses Kosmos Q rubs and injections, a local guy who has a store near H&H Gun Range. Not surprising, really. I've not tried Kosmos rubs but I do watch his YT vids. He's better known nationally than here.


https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/beef-and-bison-recipes/award-winning-competition-brisket-recipe

I like the Kosmos rubs a lot, for what it's worth. His SPG is my favorite premade SPG.

I like the Kosmos rubs a lot, for what it's worth. His SPG is my favorite premade SPG.

I gotta drop into Kosmos and pick up some of his rubs. My problem is I have so many others that I like, its hard to make a change. And I make a lot of my rubs from recipes.

I gotta say though, he's not too kind to his home state in his YT vids. He would drive some posters on this site into fits ;) I've heard him say that almost all of his business is from out of staters, for some reason, he's not caught on here locally, he says Okies haven't caught on to barbecue.

...he says Okies haven't caught on to barbecue.

If you go by the massive number of people here that think Earl's, Billy Sims, Swadley's, Leo's, Oklahoma Station, etc. is really good barbecue and that Earl's has ridiculously won "Best Barbecue Restaurant" for so many years in the Gazette, he's probably not wrong. :Smiley122

Yep... What Travellers said... :yeahthat:

If you go by the massive number of people here that think Earl's, Billy Sims, Swadley's, Leo's, Oklahoma Station, etc. is really good barbecue and that Earl's has ridiculously won "Best Barbecue Restaurant" for so many years in the Gazette, he's probably not wrong. :Smiley122
While I agree with this, I will say that I worked at Earl's for a while after high school and they would have the employee's fill out stacks of the Gazette to make sure they won the award. We would literally spend our slow times filling those things out, it was ridiculous to see how much that meant to the owner, he is a strange guy.

If you go by the massive number of people here that think Earl's, Billy Sims, Swadley's, Leo's, Oklahoma Station, etc. is really good barbecue and that Earl's has ridiculously won "Best Barbecue Restaurant" for so many years in the Gazette, he's probably not wrong. :Smiley122

I agree, but I ate at Leo's Just last summer and that place is an old time barbecue joint, with a brick pit, and they give you a wet towel to clean up. Reminded me of going to Bob's in Ada or Bens in Wewoka, where they had a wash bin set up outside the front door. I would not put Leo's in with those others. Don't know I'll be goin back soon, though. The ribs were good. Did not like how the brisket was served and it could be done better.

Leo's can be hit and miss... When they get it right it's pretty darn good but occasionally they miss the mark.

Definitely more of a nostalgia joint for me.

Leo's can be hit and miss... When they get it right it's pretty darn good but occasionally they miss the mark.

Definitely more of a nostalgia joint for me.

They missed big time when we went a few weeks ago. Brisket had *huge* chunks of gristle/fat in it, was chopped and not sliced (to hide the gristle?), the sides were bog-standard, if not below standard, they didn't have any cake ready, had to sit and wait for 15 minutes after we finished to get the cake (which was just OK), their floor has steel plates covering up god-knows-what and is so rickety it's unbelievable. Went there when I went to Northeast High back in the 80s and they suck compared to back then.

While I agree with this, I will say that I worked at Earl's for a while after high school and they would have the employee's fill out stacks of the Gazette to make sure they won the award. We would literally spend our slow times filling those things out, it was ridiculous to see how much that meant to the owner, he is a strange guy.

Yeah, *any* "people's choice" poll is going to just be a popularity contest instead of an actual "best-of". I never pay serious attention to the Gazette's best-of, or any others (Zagat, Tripadvisor, etc.), also don't pay attention to the Grammys, Emmys, Oscars, etc...

I gotta drop into Kosmos and pick up some of his rubs. My problem is I have so many others that I like, its hard to make a change. And I make a lot of my rubs from recipes.

I gotta say though, he's not too kind to his home state in his YT vids. He would drive some posters on this site into fits ;) I've heard him say that almost all of his business is from out of staters, for some reason, he's not caught on here locally, he says Okies haven't caught on to barbecue.

I hear ya. I do like his rubs, but I buy a lot of different ones, too. If you haven't yet tried Bexten's, look them up online. His coffee rub is great.

I used to make rubs, but I don't have the energy to do it anymore. I'd rather buy a bunch of different ones and switch it up all the time.

I hear ya. I do like his rubs, but I buy a lot of different ones, too. If you haven't yet tried Bexten's, look them up online. His coffee rub is great.

I used to make rubs, but I don't have the energy to do it anymore. I'd rather buy a bunch of different ones and switch it up all the time.

The rubs I make are usually specific to a certain recipe and are in small quantities, like these Tuffy Stone baby backs (http://coolsmokebarbeque.com/recipes_glazed-baby-back-ribs.html) I smoked recently

or this Chris Lilly Championship Injection pork butt (https://www.virtualweberbullet.com/pork-butt-chris-lilly-big-bob-gibson-championship-injection/) I smoked last weekend

I like doing these recipes because I want to know the flavors the creator is after. Problem with doing this, is I generally am buying an ingredient or two that I will never use again, or if I do, it won't be fresh.

Which is also the problem with store bought rubs. I think they've got a shelf life of about 2 years. I try to buy from the rub maker to get them as fresh as i can, but still I never know how long its set on the shelf.

I agree, but I ate at Leo's Just last summer and that place is an old time barbecue joint, with a brick pit, and they give you a wet towel to clean up. Reminded me of going to Bob's in Ada or Bens in Wewoka, where they had a wash bin set up outside the front door. I would not put Leo's in with those others. Don't know I'll be goin back soon, though. The ribs were good. Did not like how the brisket was served and it could be done better.

Mmmmm, Bob's in Ada... you got me drooling now. My parents used to live in Ada and we would go there every chance we got.

The rubs I make are usually specific to a certain recipe and are in small quantities, like these Tuffy Stone baby backs (http://coolsmokebarbeque.com/recipes_glazed-baby-back-ribs.html) I smoked recently

or this Chris Lilly Championship Injection pork butt (https://www.virtualweberbullet.com/pork-butt-chris-lilly-big-bob-gibson-championship-injection/) I smoked last weekend

I like doing these recipes because I want to know the flavors the creator is after. Problem with doing this, is I generally am buying an ingredient or two that I will never use again, or if I do, it won't be fresh.

Which is also the problem with store bought rubs. I think they've got a shelf life of about 2 years. I try to buy from the rub maker to get them as fresh as i can, but still I never know how long its set on the shelf.

I tend to use up my store bought rubs fairly quickly, so it hasn't been a problem. With so many good rubs out there, I just can't be bothered to sit and mix my own. I do wish there were more with no salt, so I can feel free to salt the meat as I wish. A few of Malcom Reed's rub recipes were on his site for a while. I'm sure he wasn't giving all the secrets, but the Killer Hogs BBQ rub recipe was pretty darn close. He also sent me a pretty good set of ratios for making his AP rub.

dupe

If you go by the massive number of people here that think Earl's, Billy Sims, Swadley's, Leo's, Oklahoma Station, etc. is really good barbecue and that Earl's has ridiculously won "Best Barbecue Restaurant" for so many years in the Gazette, he's probably not wrong. :Smiley122

Leos prob has the best ribs in the State IMO. It's real Q cooked on brick pit with real wood.

Leos prob has the best ribs in the State IMO. It's real Q cooked on brick pit with real wood.

How many places have you eaten ribs in the state?

How many places have you eaten ribs in the state?

Prob 50 or so over the years.

If Leo's and George's Happy Hog would up their brisket game, they could both be top notch barbecue joints, cuz the ribs are good, very good.

If Leo's and George's Happy Hog would up their brisket game, they could both be top notch barbecue joints, cuz the ribs are good, very good.

Was planning on hitting up George's for the first time soon, so the ribs are the way to go there?

Was planning on hitting up George's for the first time soon, so the ribs are the way to go there?

Yes, the ribs are top shelf at George's.

But the one time I had George's brisket, it was way below average. I got lean sliced way too thin and it was stiff. Brisket from the flat should pass the " drape " and " tug " test for doneness.

This is a slice of lean from Cornish Smokehouse. Its cut to the right thickness and drapes properly. And if one end is held between the fingers, it will hang without falling apart. But when given a slight tug, it breaks apart easily. And it has great bark and flavor.

15707


15706

I've had brisket from Texlahoma and Maples that was equal to Cornish, although Maples is the only joint I've been to in OKC that gives a choice of fatty or lean.

Leo's brisket had good flavor, but I want a choice between lean and fatty ( or really its between point and flat ) . Leo's is not far off.

While I agree with this, I will say that I worked at Earl's for a while after high school and they would have the employee's fill out stacks of the Gazette to make sure they won the award. We would literally spend our slow times filling those things out, it was ridiculous to see how much that meant to the owner, he is a strange guy.

I thought the owners were Steve Mason & Kym Mason, now owning different locations.

I thought the owners were Steve Mason & Kym Mason, now owning different locations.

It's been over ten years, so my early Earl's knowledge is a little hazy. Ex-wife got the visitation rights to Earl's in the divorce, so I had to move on to other restaurants.

Steve Mason was the money man and majority owner when they started about 20 years ago on Western. There were two junior partners who split day to day operations. Matt, the red head who is still there, and a light color haired gent whose name was Andrew, IIRC. Business was so good that they opened the Reno & Meridian location within a couple years and "Andrew" moved there as store manager and Matt stayed on Western as store manager. I think those two have a higher ownership percentage in their individual locations.

RedDollar,
Backdoor Barbecue has "wet or dry" brisket.
C. T.

A lot of overhead to start, that's so hard to get that money back. Hopefully it works out for this Guy, but restaurants have to be one of the least successful business ventures out there.

A lot of overhead to start, that's so hard to get that money back. Hopefully it works out for this Guy, but restaurants have to be one of the least successful business ventures out there.

Clark Crew BBQ has a lot of momentum behind it already due to his status on the KCBS circuit. It's already known nationally at this point by all of the KCBS judges and cooks around the country and winning the Jack a couple of weeks ago made him known to even the less hardcore BBQ fanatics out there.

Remember, this is part of the Famous Dave chain so they have a ton of resources behind them.

Remember, this is part of the Famous Dave chain so they have a ton of resources behind them.

I'm encouraged by the gigantic smoker room buildout. I'm very intrigued by this place, and hope it is good stuff.

Travis Clark did a interview with Sam Mayes on his Podcast, listening to this guy it is very difficult to see him fail. He is not opening this because he wants too, he is opening this to be the absolute best BBQ joint in the nation. The drive that he has to succeed is amazing, the smokehouse itself is $250k.

Travis Clark did a interview with Sam Mayes on his Podcast, listening to this guy it is very difficult to see him fail. He is not opening this because he wants too, he is opening this to be the absolute best BBQ joint in the nation.

Yeah... He pretty much came out of nowhere and has dominated the competition circuit.

I remember the first time I met him was at the Fire Lake BBQ Cookoff in Shawnee about 5 years ago and he had forgotten his sauce for his chicken and had to improvise on the fly with what he had on hand. I was talking to him after judging and before the awards and he was sure he was going to get hammered in that category... Turns out that not only did he get a Grand Champion call that day. He also got his first perfect Chicken score.

Yea, I think you will see people driving in from 100s of miles to buy smoked meats off of Travis.

Should be very good for the adjacent CRE owners, too.

This is all very encouraging! Can't wait to try it out!

Travis Clark did a interview with Sam Mayes on his Podcast, listening to this guy it is very difficult to see him fail. He is not opening this because he wants too, he is opening this to be the absolute best BBQ joint in the nation. The drive that he has to succeed is amazing, the smokehouse itself is $250k.

Smoke house was the phrase I couldn't come up with! I want to take a look inside when he gets up and running.

Smoke house was the phrase I couldn't come up with! I want to take a look inside when he gets up and running.

It apparently as windowed overhead doors, he wanted the public to be able to look in and see what goes into the food they are eating. Sounds like he really has his stuff together.

I used to work at the Macaroni Grill. Planning on being one of the first in line opening day. I might even try to crash the friends and family day like I did with Maple's when they first open their trailer.

Can't wait for this place to open.

They aren't messing around. From their FB page:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/clarkcrew110919a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/clarkcrew110919b.jpg

Interview with Travis Clark here

http://thebbqcentralshow.com/travis-clark-wins-the-jack-and-the-guy-suing-popeyes-shows-up-for-real/

I'm not a fan of this guy's podcast though he gets big name BBQ world guests and must have a large audience, but if ya wanna skip what I consider BS, Travis starts at 13:50 mark. Talks restaurant at 24:00 minute.

*Drooling Homer Simpson GIF*

Driving by there pretty much every day it looks like they’re pretty close to finished.

Ran into Travis Clark while taking these; they have not set a hard opening due to pending inspections but hopes to be ready to go around Thanksgiving.

Just a huge investment has been made here.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/clarkcrew111019aa.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/clarkcrew111019.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/clarkcrew111019a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/clarkcrew111019b.jpg

Wow. Really looks like a nice upgrade to that building!

I really hope this does well, gonna take a lot of brisket to pay that thing off - Hopefully he used someone else's money.

After seeing what's going down at Maples and then the closing of the Boar place on Britton I think many Oklahomacitians refuse to pay for a superior product.