Maples Barbecue

[Roger S]

There was another BBQ judge, or at least I heard him say he was, there today too. Had another group sit between him and me so I couldn't hear all of his conversation to hear what he thought but his tray was empty. I didn't recognize him, and it's usually the same judges at the contests I judge, so he was possibly from out of state.

[Thomas Vu]

There was another BBQ judge, or at least I heard him say he was, there today too. Had another group sit between him and me so I couldn't hear all of his conversation to hear what he thought but his tray was empty. I didn't recognize him, and it's usually the same judges at the contests I judge, so he was possibly from out of state.

Your sausage looked more cooked than mine at least. With all the discussion here, I'd be somewhat disappointed to throw this under what we'd normally think of Oklahoma bbq, inconsistent.

[Roger S]

Your sausage looked more cooked than mine at least. With all the discussion here, I'd be somewhat disappointed to throw this under what we'd normally think of Oklahoma bbq, inconsistent.

I'm not going to label them that after two weeks.... I gave Back Door six months and as is I prefer Maple's to anything I've had at Back Door except the sausage.

[Martin]

i was able to check maples out today...

really like the atmosphere and it was great weather to eat outside... not sure how all of that will work when we hit extreme hot and cold, though. we showed up a little after 11 and the line was less than 10 deep. i think they're still getting their ordering routine down as it seemed a bit slower than what it should've been (or i'm just impatient)... but that's to be expected this close to launch. you order at one window where your meat is sliced in front of you and you pay and pick up at the next window... everyone was really personable and attentive.

i wanted to try a bit of everything... so i followed their recommendation and got a 1/4lb of each meat plus a serving of mac and cheese.

i really liked everything except for the sausage... it had a really loose texture similar to an uncured/unsmoked bratwurst and didn't have a ton of smoke flavor... i wouldn't say that it was 'bad' as it wasn't inedible or anything, just not what i would expect from a barbecue joint. i think some improvement can be made here.

everything else was top notch... so much so that it's hard for me to pick a favorite as it was all so good. the pulled pork was perhaps barely on the dry side but the flavor and texture were spot on and more than made up for it.

the fatty brisket was really moist and flavorful, among the best i've tasted around here... it just melted in your mouth and didn't taste like a desiccated pot roast as many places serve.

the pork ribs were great, too... definitely didn't fall off the bone for me. the texture was great... the meat had a chance to firm up a bit and didn't just shred when i bit into it... just right. i usually prefer a dry rub on my ribs, but these had a slight sweet/vinegary glaze on them that really complemented the meat's flavor... and it was just the right amount, not sopped in glaze.

i only used the sauce on the sausage... i'm a firm believer that 'good' barbecue shouldn't need sauce. it wasn't your typical thick, tomato based sauce served at most places around here. this was way thinner and more vinegary but also had quite a bit of sweetness to it. i typically prefer a sweeter barbecue sauce but for this style, i felt that the strength of the vinegar didn't offset the sweetness enough... it was just a touch cloying. again, not bad... and i certainly appreciated maples for doing something a bit different in this aspect.

mac and cheese was a white cheese sauce with tube pasta... definitely a notch above the 'velveeta soup' variety but not necessarily special... it was good, just not standout.

my plate plus a drink and tax set me back $24... but that was easily twice as much food as i would normally order. (seriously, i think some oompa loompas are gonna ambush me and roll me out of the office) overall, i really like the place... in my opinion, the barbecue (besides the sausage) is a cut above what other places in the metro are serving.

[Roger S]

i only used the sauce on the sausage... i'm a firm believer that 'good' barbecue shouldn't need sauce.

Shouldn't need or shouldn't need additional?

[Martin]

Shouldn't need or shouldn't need additional?

this is all just my subjective opinion, obviously. my main point in the quote is additional... mainly to explain why i only used sauce on the sausage and not on everything.

to me, barbecue that is seasoned and cooked well should have enough flavor/moisture on its own that it doesn't have to be slathered in sauce to enjoy. i guess i see it similar to a good steak... if served right, you don't need to pour a bottle of heinz 57 over it. and if you have a good steak, it'd be a crime to sauce it. now... unlike steak, i can appreciate that others prefer to put sauce on their barbecue... i just think the best stuff can be enjoyed without having to add it.

that said, i generally prefer dry rubs over adding sauce during a cook... perhaps with the exception of a flavorful, vinegar-based mixture... but i guess i don't see that so much as a sauce. i don't particularly like tomato-based sauces added during cooking.

[Roger S]

Never thought I would be linking to a GQ article about BBQ.... But this article pretty much nails what I've already said about the "Open til sold out" business model Maple's is using and why I'm so happy to see it finally reach Oklahoma City.

"The true shining proclamation that a barbecue place is worth your time and your money isn’t a line out the door and around the corner, it’s a piece of butcher paper taped to the outside of the front door at 2:00 p.m. that maybe says “Sorry y’all” or “Come back tomorrow” but almost definitely says “sold out.”"

[stile99]

Never thought I would be linking to a GQ article about BBQ.... But this article pretty much nails what I've already said about the "Open til sold out" business model Maple's is using and why I'm so happy to see it finally reach Oklahoma City.

"The true shining proclamation that a barbecue place is worth your time and your money isn’t a line out the door and around the corner,

Nothing to add, just felt it worth repeating.

[Buffalo Bill]

Does anyone find these prices a tad high? Quite a bit more than Smitty's or City Market and on par with Franklins and la Barbecue. All this without maintenance and cost of a brick (or block) and mortar establishment. Doesn't make sense to me. For this price it needs to be some other worldly 'cue.

[Roger S]

Does anyone find these prices a tad high? Quite a bit more than Smitty's or City Market and on par with Franklins and la Barbecue. All this without maintenance and cost of a brick (or block) and mortar establishment. Doesn't make sense to me. For this price it needs to be some other worldly 'cue.

Not really when I take into consideration the meats they are using..... Since you mentioned on par with Franklin's. Maple's is sourcing their prime briskets from Creekstone Farms. The same place that Franklin's gets their's.

I'm also sure they aren't parking on that lot for free and they have two trailers to maintain.... So they're not operating overhead free.

[pickles]

Does anyone find these prices a tad high? Quite a bit more than Smitty's or City Market and on par with Franklins and la Barbecue. All this without maintenance and cost of a brick (or block) and mortar establishment. Doesn't make sense to me. For this price it needs to be some other worldly 'cue.

No. They are using quality products.

We are talking about 20 bucks here for crying out loud.

[jccouger]

Do they take cards or just cash?

[BridgeBurner]

They take cards

[Martin]

Do they take cards or just cash?

they take credit card

[sooner88]

Does anyone find these prices a tad high? Quite a bit more than Smitty's or City Market and on par with Franklins and la Barbecue. All this without maintenance and cost of a brick (or block) and mortar establishment. Doesn't make sense to me. For this price it needs to be some other worldly 'cue.

I posted earlier, but for 3 of us it was ~$16/person and we ate very well. You could easily get a sandwich for less than $10. For the quality of meat I think prices are justified.

[Roger S]

I posted earlier, but for 3 of us it was ~$16/person and we ate very well. You could easily get a sandwich for less than $10. For the quality of meat I think prices are justified.

My ticket was near $35 but I ordered a lot of food since I planned on writing about it. I didn't feel the price point exceeded the product either.

Most places are charging an average of $16 a lb for CAB/Choice brisket here... So $20 for prime brisket isn't that bad in my opinion.... Unless you want to drive to Wellston... Butcher sells their prime brisket for $16 a lb..... Swadley's sells all their meats at $15.99 a lb or they offer the amazing deal of a 1/2 lb for $8.99.... <--- Yes the amazing deal part was sarcasm..... Charging an extra dollar to weigh 1/2 the amount is unreasonable to me as is the flat price across the board because pork is at least a $1 or more cheaper a pound than brisket even at wholesale prices.

[Pete]

[Roger S]

Had some brisket and ribs for lunch today.... Ribs were cooked pretty well for commercial ribs... Not falling off the bone. Fatty brisket was cooked better today too.... Line was about 15-20 people deep when we left at about 12:15.

Just my second time there and I noticed some improvement from my first trip. Hope they continue to improve and the lines continue to grow.

[Canoe]

Homemade Mac and cheese?

[Roger S]

Homemade Mac and cheese?

Yes and it's pretty good... They don't get the pasta way overcooked, not quite al dente, and it tastes like a 3 cheese blend.

[pickles]

The cook on the ribs appears to be improving. That's a good looking slice of brisket.

[Roger S]

The cook on the ribs appears to be improving. That's a good looking slice of brisket.

Yep... I've been happy with the ribs on both visits.... Brisket was definitely better this time than on my first trip and it wasn't terrible the first time.

[soonerguru]

I have yet to try this out. Frankly, I don't have time to wait 45 minutes for lunch. Then, the possibility of waiting only to find the item I'm waiting for is sold out is highly unappealing.

[sooner88]

I waited 5 minutes total and they had everything available still, had plenty of time to go during a work lunch.

[Urbanized]

I've never had to wait longer than 5-10 minutes.