This is the Butcher BBQ podcast, David Bouska with Travis Clark, and yes , he's gonna open Dec 9th. Talk about the restaurant starts about 20 minute mark.

On comp cooking, said he changes the flavor of his meats by adjusting air flow on his Jambo offset ............. good grief, that's fine tuning.

https://butcherbbq.com/2019/11/interview-with-travis-clark/

I hope it's as good as Crockett's Smokehouse. More Hoopla on this place than I can remember, and hopefully it won't be closed in a Year. His overhead has to be tremendous.

I hope it's as good as Crockett's Smokehouse. More Hoopla on this place than I can remember, and hopefully it won't be closed in a Year. His overhead has to be tremendous.

Where are you hearing " hoopla " ?

I would not confuse postings in this thread with " hoopla " .

I hope it's as good as Crockett's Smokehouse. More Hoopla on this place than I can remember, and hopefully it won't be closed in a Year. His overhead has to be tremendous.

I believe he's backed by Famous Dave's and they have over 180 locations in 33 states, so they can probably handle the overhead.

Good video from KFOR; confirmed the Dec. 9th opening:

https://kfor.com/2019/11/27/the-best-kind-of-advertising-winning-a-barbecue-world-title-weeks-before-opening-your-okc-restaurant/

Good video from KFOR; confirmed the Dec. 9th opening:

https://kfor.com/2019/11/27/the-best-kind-of-advertising-winning-a-barbecue-world-title-weeks-before-opening-your-okc-restaurant/

I love those great state segments. The inside is beautiful.

Well, how was it?

I’m there now and will give a full report later

2PM on a Monday and the place is jammed packed.

Stopped by just after 2PM on what was opening day and the place was packed. Was fortunate to find a seat at the bar.

They were completely overwhelmed by the crowd and they were out of several things. I ordered burnt ends and sliced brisket and after waiting 45 minutes, was told they were out of both so I re-ordered, this time pulled pork and jalapeno sausage (2-meat tray was $20 which also included 2 sides).

The bar prices were very reasonable $5 for a pint of Coop F5 is about as low as you'll find in this town.

When the food came, I found the pulled pork to be the best I have ever had. It was moist and full of smokey flavor. I used a tiny bit of their spicy bbq sauce but it wasn't needed. That sauce was awesome, though. The sausage was fine but I've never been a big sausage fan to start, so I'm not a good judge.

For the sides, I thought the beans were outstanding. Smokey flavor with a bit of meat and just damn good. The mac & cheese was creamy and quite good.

I liked the bar area and directly behind is the huge patio area, which is about half covered and great space. Will be a big hit come spring IMO.

There is a separate door that leads directly into a little to-go area with a couple of cash registers. Directly next is where they are prepping the meats and behind both is the smokehouse. I didn't count but there seemed to be a small army working there.

I think this place is going to be a hit as long as people don't mind paying a bit more for high quality. The lack of meat directly after lunch is completely forgivable given the crush of people and the long lead time for batching. I'm sure they'll figure out the quantities and I look forward to trying both the burnt ends and brisket.

If you go, I'd choose off-hours for now as this place is already drawing a crowd.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/clarkcrew120919a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/clarkcrew120919b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/clarkcrew120919c.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/clarkcrew120919d.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/clarkcrew120919e.jpg

Had a friend go last night, reported similarly to you. Ordered brisket and burnt ends, after 45 minutes was told they were out of them, so they re-ordered. The restaurant was going to comp his meal but he insisted on paying. Said the beans were "legit". Said he'd definitely go again, but might get it "to go".

Also, he said on his way to work this morning (6ish), there were people in the smoke house. I'm really looking forward to visiting this place.

With that expansive menu the smoked meats could be a logistical nightmare for awhile

If all you sell is BBQ. You can get a pretty good feel for how much you need a day. When you add burgers, steaks, and seafood.... Well that really complicates the equation and I can't imagine Travis Clark is going to be the kind of owner that will allow leftover BBQ to be served the next day.

With that expansive menu the smoked meats could be a logistical nightmare for awhile

If all you sell is BBQ. You can get a pretty good feel for how much you need a day. When you add burgers, steaks, and seafood.... Well that really complicates the equation and I can't imagine Travis Clark is going to be the kind of owner that will allow leftover BBQ to be served the next day.

It's probably why they do offer alternatives.

The plan will probably always be to sell out of BBQ, but when they do they can offer you a pretty damn good steak.

All other legit BBQ joints, when they sell out they effectively close for the day. It actually seems like it could be a great business model.

We picked up to-go late in the day and got brisket and turkey and some sides. The brisket was excellent. Turkey was turkey but the sauce made it very good. One thing that also stood out - cornbread. Man that and some of their brisket chili on a cold day...:)

We picked up to-go late in the day and got brisket and turkey and some sides. The brisket was excellent. Turkey was turkey but the sauce made it very good. One thing that also stood out - cornbread. Man that and some of their brisket chili on a cold day...:)

Hey!! That reminds me I didn't get cornbread with my tray!

It's probably why they do offer alternatives.

The plan will probably always be to sell out of BBQ, but when they do they can offer you a pretty damn good steak.

All other legit BBQ joints, when they sell out they effectively close for the day. It actually seems like it could be a great business model.

Seems like that would be a deterrent to maintaining a good staff that depends on full schedules to earn a living wage.

Hey!! That reminds me I didn't get cornbread with my tray!

You need to go back Pete and get two pieces since they shorted you!:) How about that 5xl sandwich on the menu....I may have to order that sometime just to see it!

I also went on opening day. I could hear people in the booth behind me who weren't very happy about them being out of brisket. It didn't bother me as much because I knew it being opening day, they were going to have some hiccups.

The championship bbq beans were the best thing I ordered. They were made with kidney beans, pinto beans and giant chunks of brisket. The okra, potato salad, and coleslaw all tasted store bought IMO. Ribs, chicken, and pulled pork were delicious but were served to us cold. Plating could use some work, but that's being picky. Overall I would give day one a C+. Will definitely be back because I really want them to succeed.

Hey!! That reminds me I didn't get cornbread with my tray!

We also got shorted our cornbread. We had to ask for it.

We tried to go today at 11:15, and there was a 45+ minute wait for 3 people. The place was absolutely packed and we didn't have the time to wait. I'm glad that they're getting this much business early on... there was a guy that had driven up from Norman just to eat there next to us. I look forward to giving it another shot when I have more time.

We tried to go today at 11:15, and there was a 45+ minute wait for 3 people. The place was absolutely packed and we didn't have the time to wait. I'm glad that they're getting this much business early on... there was a guy that had driven up from Norman just to eat there next to us. I look forward to giving it another shot when I have more time.

There is a group on Facebook called the Fat Guy Club with over 4300 members. They had an 11 am lunch gathering there today. You will notice on some restaurant doors and on cars a sticker that is "FGC"...means they are a fellow fattie. Don't have to be a fat guy....just a fellow food guy

There is a group on Facebook called the Fat Guy Club with over 4300 members. They had an 11 am lunch gathering there today. You will notice on some restaurant doors and on cars a sticker that is "FGC"...means they are a fellow fattie. Don't have to be a fat guy....just a fellow food guy


Confirmed. I met a few of them at Vuong's pop up dinner at Piatto's.

Sorry for the double post.

What an outstanding restaurant opening in OKC. I guess we were fortunate to wait until Thursday to try out Clark Crew after a couple of aborted attempts to get lunch there.

I ordered brisket and chicken. My wife ordered burnt ends and smoked bologna. She got the Mac and cheese and okra. I had the beans and Cole slaw.

As for the restaurant itself: what a beautiful and fun interior. It has the feel of something big and reminded me of a place one might see in Austin or Dallas. Lovely interior with great lighting, layout and design finishes. It has a refined rustic Okie flair, but not rednecky at all. Just a great space with a cool bar area.

As for the meat: the brisket was out of this world good. Fantastic, flavorful bark (mine may have been slightly overdone but it was remarkably tender), and unlike what I've come to expect from Maple's, it's not overly fatty but has enough for flavor.

The chicken was well cooked but came pre-sauced (actually more like a glaze). If I had a choice, I would ask for it naked going forward, as I'm not a big fan of sweeter sauces, and this had a sweetness to it.

The burnt ends were fantastic. They also are pre-sauced.

The bologna was very good but not necessarily a standout.

Of the sides I sampled, the Cole slaw and beans won hands down. As for the cornbread, it is a bit sweeter than I prefer but I'm sure most will like it.

One other note: they provided us a sample size of their brisket chili and I will be ordering that itself very soon. Fantastic.

I was impressed with the service we had, the creativity of the cocktails, and was surprised at the wine options, which paired very well with the meat. I had an extremely tasty and drinkable Malbec with the right balance of acid to prepare the palate for the barbecue.

It's obvious this team knows what it's doing, and the attention to detail is something I didn't expect. They did work with seasoned restaurateurs in planning this location. I would be shocked if they don't open locations in Tulsa and elsewhere within the region, as this seems like a concept that would make an excellent regional chain.

This place will be a runaway hit and fills several voids: quality full service sit-down restaurant on NW Expressway; quality BBQ restaurant with great atmosphere. BBQ place with expansive menu of non-BBQ items that look very appetizing. I could go on.

I went for lunch with some friends on Friday. Got there around 1030 just because I had time to kill, so I had a look at the smokehouse and waited for my friends. By the time they showed up at 1045, there was already a line forming. The Fat Guy Club was there in full force, and apparently had reserved the big room, so they all went in early. A little irritating, but whatever.

The interior of the place, as has been mentioned, is really nice. Unrecognizable as a Macaroni Grille in its former life. I ordered a 2 meat tray with sliced brisket, burnt ends, beans, Mac and cheese, cornbread.

Brisket was outstanding. The bark was incredibly delicious. Burnt ends were too sweet for my taste (sauce). Beans are some of the best I've had. Mac and cheese was nothing crazy or fancy, but pretty much perfect. The cornbread, though... Holy crap I could eat that all day.

We also got deviled eggs, fried pickles, and cheese curds for appetizers. The fried pickles are good, but made with sweet pickles, which aren't my thing. The deviled eggs are yummy and rich, but the curds are something else. I could eat those for a meal and be very happy.

This place is going to be a destination restaurant. People will come from miles to eat here. It's that good.

Prices on the menu might seem expensive, but they're using very good beef, and you get a lot of food for $20.

Multiple posts on Yelp saying they have suspended To Go orders until after the first of the year.

Seems like they are trying to concentrate on having enough quantity for dine-in customers.

BTW, there is the possibility this place will become somewhat of a regional draw.

Besides Cattleman's (and I know that's debatable), do we have any other places that fit that category? Perhaps Nic's?

Multiple posts on Yelp saying they have suspended To Go orders until after the first of the year.

Seems like they are trying to concentrate on having enough quantity for dine-in customers.

They had a sign on the window saying there wouldn't be To Go until January.

BTW, there is the possibility this place will become somewhat of a regional draw.Besides Cattleman's (and I know that's debatable), do we have any other places that fit that category? Perhaps Nic's?If you're Famous Dave's and CCB is obviously going to be extremely successful, don't you try to open 100 or so locations?

If you're Famous Dave's and CCB is obviously going to be extremely successful, don't you try to open 100 or so locations?

Their plan has always been to replicate the concept.

But Travis Clark may not be up for many more. He has very, very high standards and that's difficult to control once you branch out.

Their plan has always been to replicate the concept.

But Travis Clark may not be up for many more. He has very, very high standards and that's difficult to control once you branch out.

I overheard him telling the table behind us he's already got interest in opening one in Dallas and one in Chicago, but he said he wants to get this one right before he'll even think about other locations.

BTW, there is the possibility this place will become somewhat of a regional draw.

Besides Cattleman's (and I know that's debatable), do we have any other places that fit that category? Perhaps Nic's?

Well, with the big award last year, I think Nonesuch might still qualify, but it is a small scale, high end kind of draw. Other than that, there are some definitely popular places, but I don't think anyone is driving from out of state for it. Eischen's pulls a bit, but it is on the downward trend.

I tried to get reservations at nonesuch when they opened again in, I think, September, but they were all gone when I checked that morning. I don't know where the reservations were coming from, but it definitely still has a draw.

Tried to go today for lunch but the line was out the door, it would seem the word is out on this place.

Tried to go today for lunch but the line was out the door, it would seem the word is out on this place.

Holy cow.

It's a big place, too.

The feedback I've heard from most of my KCBS friends has all been positive and even though they are all friends with Travis they don't typically hold back if they don't like something about BBQ.

This is the first big restaurant investment on NW Expressway in quite some time, unless you count Fuze/Feast and maybe Whiskey Cake and Cheesecake Factory, although those were driven much more by the mall than anything else. Dave & Busters may count but you can't even get there directly from the expressway.

At the same time, there have been scores of new, expensive places out on or near Memorial, most with pretty sketchy results; a bunch have closed over the last several years.

Perhaps this success will encourage more quality investment on NWEx?

As somebody who is in the area, I'm here for it.

Tried to go today for lunch but the line was out the door, it would seem the word is out on this place.
I went today. Got there early and there were probably 25 people waiting in line when the doors opened. The place looked great and the service was very good.
As for the food, the cheese curds were good and the deviled were OK. The ribs were good as well as the jalapeño sausage and the burnt ends. The brisket was a bit dry and a tad too salty IMO, but I'd definitely try it on my next trip. The brisket chili was basically their BBQ Beans with a couple chunks of brisket thrown in. I was disappointed in their beans after reading good reviews, but I've never found any that could top my own recipe. The Okra was standard BBQ okra which I like fine. The Cole slaw was a bit bland and their Mac and Cheese was fine, but I'm not much of a M&C guy.
The patio wasn't open, but will be a great venue during warmer weather. All in all, I think this place was very good, but not great which is pretty good considering they've only been open 8 days. I look forward to going back.

I went today. Got there early and there were probably 25 people waiting in line when the doors opened. The place looked great and the service was very good.
As for the food, the cheese curds were good and the deviled were OK. The ribs were good as well as the jalapeño sausage and the burnt ends. The brisket was a bit dry and a tad too salty IMO, but I'd definitely try it on my next trip. The brisket chili was basically their BBQ Beans with a couple chunks of brisket thrown in. I was disappointed in their beans after reading good reviews, but I've never found any that could top my own recipe. The Okra was standard BBQ okra which I like fine. The Cole slaw was a bit bland and their Mac and Cheese was fine, but I'm not much of a M&C guy.
The patio wasn't open, but will be a great venue during warmer weather. All in all, I think this place was very good, but not great which is pretty good considering they've only been open 8 days. I look forward to going back.

I went again today and your points are on target. The slaw was too dry and rather flavorless, whereas it was spectacular last week. The brisket was a bit salty but I still thinks it's amazing.

As for the beans, it's not the style I would make but they are quite good.

The kitchen was definitely struggling to keep up today. It took quite a while for our food to arrive after our order was put in.

Tip: They have open seating at the bar and all of the communal bar tables, so it's worth a look before giving up. Today, despite a long line, we found seats immediately.

They definitely have a few kinks to work out.

I agree with Pete and stated earlier that this is the first major new restaurant on the NW Expressway corridor in a long time.

The only real full-service sit-down restaurants on the expressway west of I-44 are Charleston's. Red Lobster, Friday's (is that still open), and then you're looking at places like Hideaway. The expressway is just littered with fast food chains and little else. This definitely fills a void.

They quoted a 30-minute wait at 130 today but was more like 20. There was room at bar and community tables though. Greeter said usually not much wait from 230 - 430ish if looking for a non-busy window.

Food was great. We had done take out before, but this was first time for the sit down. It's a great place to have in that central location.

A lot of the negative critiques I have seen on here will be remedied after a bit more than a week of being opened. Mistakes happen, in restaurants from here to Vegas to NYC to PDX, and they are more likely to happen the first 2 to 3 weeks.

I went last night it was pack I walk to bar area and a couple had just finished eating their dinner.So within 30 seconds of walking in I get a seat at the bar. I get a glass of water and peach tea. Then I order the two meat combo ribs/brisket, corn bread, okra and there bake beans. The ribs and brisket are the best I have ever tasted. The corn bread, okra and baked beans were great also. I ate at about every barbecue place in OKC hands down Clark Crew BBQ is number one in OKC.

Went there Friday night about 6:15 and it was a 45-50 minute wait so we went to the bar and within 10 minutes had someone get up so we just ate there. This place is fabulous. Having eaten at Franklin BBQ in Austin earlier in the week this place was far better. Agree with the other posts that this will be a regional draw. - Travis Clark is a great guy and made his way throughout the venue talking with everyone. - He mentioned to us that Terry Bradshaw and Bill Murray were in there last week.

This place will be a gem for OKC.

Brisket was a little too dry, ribs a bit too tough (difficult to get the meat off the bone). All the sides are good. Burnt ends were good. Our waiter was outstanding however the waitress on the table next to us forgot about them and the couple were pretty upset about it. I will certainly be back to try more of the menu, it is massive.

Stopped by today for lunch

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Kecc5zMLe9fc8CPH8

My brisket was also a bit dry. Enjoyed the ribs and burnt ends, 1 and 1a on the plate. Macaroni was creamy, but I'd like another cheese involved.

Trying it tomorrow for my 40th bday.... Supposed to be there around 10:45 with a fairly large party. Looking forward to trying it!

Had their ribs the other day, very very good.

Got to try it out the other day. First the good things: Turkey, jalapeno sausage link, burnt ends, mac and cheese, corn bread, okra, and comp beans.

The bad: Brisket was dry city. Not my favorite at all. I have had brisket in many places and smoked my own. They clearly had this one pre-cut or sat in the warmer farrr to long. I asked if the brisket slices could be fatty. The waiter said all slices have fat on them. It was 4 pretty lean slices lol. The sweet BBQ sauce helped it. The pork was okay but had almost no smoke flavor to be honest. The service was still pretty bad but I expected that based on the newness of the place and amount of people.

I think it is a good place overall but I honestly don't think it is worth waiting and hour or so in line at dinner time. I'll try it out again this summer when I can sit outside and hopefully some of the newness has worn off.

The bad: Brisket was dry city. Not my favorite at all. I have had brisket in many places and smoked my own. They clearly had this one pre-cut or sat in the warmer farrr to long. I asked if the brisket slices could be fatty. The waiter said all slices have fat on them. It was 4 pretty lean slices lol.



This happened to me too!

I have been two times once for dinner and once for lunch and there brisket was very moist the best in OKC area. Both times I got slice brisket.

I'll be waiting a while, as both on here and on Yelp! they seem to have service and food consistency issues to work out. Looking forward to it.

Texas Monthly barbecue snob made it to Clarks Crew


https://twitter.com/BBQsnob/status/1210676563601219584?s=20

https://twitter.com/BBQsnob/status/1210718902038065155?s=20

Has anyone told Travis the brisket is coming out dry? Seems like there should be an easy fix.

Has anyone told Travis the brisket is coming out dry? Seems like there should be an easy fix.

Probably, depends upon time of day that the brisket is ordered.

This is why so many joints are lunch only. There seems to be a great difficulty in serving both lunch and dinner. Especially meats like brisket, spend too much time in the warmer.

But I'm sure Travis will get it worked out. Which is why I'm waiting a few months to visit.

...
But I'm sure Travis will get it worked out. Which is why I'm waiting a few months to visit.

That's our strategy for *every* new restaurant, wait one or two months for the inevitable food and service hiccups to be fixed, and by then you know if they're going to get the kinks worked out or not (some never do). Almost the only restaurants I haven't seen any griping about when they opened were the La Baguette/Grey Sweater/can't remember the other name ones.

That's our strategy for *every* new restaurant, wait one or two months for the inevitable food and service hiccups to be fixed, and by then you know if they're going to get the kinks worked out or not (some never do). Almost the only restaurants I haven't seen any griping about when they opened were the La Baguette/Grey Sweater/can't remember the other name ones.

That was my plan for the smoking boar too. Oops..

That was my plan for the smoking boar too. Oops..

Ha, I know, we've missed out on probably half a dozen, but others have been added, so it evens out... Oh yeah, Black Walnut is the other DD place.

That's our strategy for *every* new restaurant, wait one or two months for the inevitable food and service hiccups to be fixed, and by then you know if they're going to get the kinks worked out or not (some never do). Almost the only restaurants I haven't seen any griping about when they opened were the La Baguette/Grey Sweater/can't remember the other name ones.

Well , yeah .... but this is different.

Clark is trying to serve high quality brisket all day and that is a challenge.

There's reasons why Aaron Franklin has not expanded. Why he smokes 100 someodd brisket a day, opens at 11 and closes at sell out. Mess with that equation and he can lose the quality he's known for.

Here's a new joint in central Texas, Wimberly, that has gone brick and mortar. They're a barbecue joint for lunch then change the menu and become a steakhouse for dinner. I think that's a smart approach if quality is the goal .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq3rltHR7UI&feature=emb_logo

^^^ It's not different - "trying to service high quality brisket all day" is a food problem - he can't get it out in the quality it needs to be in. Same as if pasta at an Italian place came out undercooked - food problem.

^^^ It's not different - "trying to service high quality brisket all day" is a food problem - he can't get it out in the quality it needs to be in. Same as if pasta at an Italian place came out undercooked - food problem.

Ok , I'll argue with you .................. pasta does not take 12 to 15 hours on the smoker.