Best BBQ in Okc metro.

[boscorama]

Billy Sims is opening in Guthrie next month. This is good news!

[RealJimbo]

Jack's BBQ near NW 39th and Meridian - excellent ribs and slaw. JT's - excellent ribs and beans.

[Roger S]

Two new places getting ready to open soon...

Simmons BBQ Shack - scheduled to open in April

Back Door BBQ - scheduled to open in May

Looking at the pics on their Facebook pages both have potential. Simmons appears to be a competition cook by the look of his photos and Back Door is being piloted by two of the three Big Truck/Mutts owners.

[Corndog1]

Can't place where Simmons would be located. I guess in th old shopping center? Subway just moved, maybe they are asking that little spot over. Hope he does great. I have done competative and catering for years and it's a vast difference from a full time joint. can't wait to try it out since I'm just down th road.

[Roger S]

Yeah, in the shopping center between the Taiwan Chinese restaurant and the bank.

[progressiveboy]

I think that "Red Hot and Blue" is great BBQ, even though it is a chain. There very popular here in the DFW area. It would do well in OKC area.

[Corndog1]

Red hot and blue has better wings than BBQ. Kind of a bad deal when ur a BBQ joint. But I do eat there and like it.

[Roger S]

Red hot and blue has better wings than BBQ. Kind of a bad deal when ur a BBQ joint. But I do eat there and like it.

Yeah, That's kind of how I feel about Earl's Rib Palace here.

[Rover]

I think that "Red Hot and Blue" is great BBQ, even though it is a chain. There very popular here in the DFW area. It would do well in OKC area.

It is a franchise and very spotty. Failed in Wichita. They haven't been successful in someone getting the franchise here.

It is very mediocre Memphis style BBQ. In Dallas there is not good BBQ competition. I don't think they would do well here.

[Rom]

I'll pass on franchise BBQ

[RadicalModerate]

I read an article in USA Today, this afternoon, regarding Zagat's List of ten restaurants that really capture the "culinary spirit" of the city in which they are located. For example, The Four Seasons in NYC, Spago in LA, etc. I was surprised to see a "non-official" mention of "Rudy's" in Dallas as an example of fine BBQ (although Dallas had nothing on the "official" list--some la-de-dah spot in Austin got the nod =). The article mentioned that it apparently began as a filling station that happened to serve a little BBQ. This tidbit of information somehow reminded me of Gary Dale's at the corner of Eastern/MLK and Reno many years ago and the Q that came out of the back of a "Stop-N-Rob" on the east end of Main St. in Jones.

I suppose that my big question about all this is how it could be even remotely possible to produce anything approaching that initial, nearly perfect, product without using the exact same pit and pitmaster . . . which is, of course, impossible to duplicate. (I was also reminded, again, of Tom's Barbeque at 10th and I-35 and the Original George's just north of 63rd on Kelly =)

btw: i ate at a Red Hot and Blues location somewhere next to a freeway in the vicinity of Six Flags while visiting some friends in the Dallas area several years ago. personally, i didn't think it was that bad . . . and i liked the options provided to select the "style" of rub/etc. that might be most appealing. locally, i still pick Oklahoma Station . . . maybe because i like the decor with pictures of trains. =)

oh! there used to be a little BBQ Shack on Eastern, in what looked like a converted house, on the west side of the street, up there just across from whatever The Omniplex is called now, in the vicinity of the recently permitted and approved Remington Park Racetrack/Gambling Den. it was apparently operated by a kindly grandmother of african american heritage who introduced me to the concept of a "rib sandwich" . . . fortunately that little taste of heaven (three perfect ribs and two pieces of bread with a little sauce on the side and a couple of pickle slices, to go) never morphed into some sort of chain concept.

I suppose that the bottom line on this topic is that "[The] Best BBQ in Okc metro" doesn't exist yet. =)
Now . . . If Beasley's had only had a truck . . . =)

(spotted, resting, on an offramp from an interstate in iowa):


except with real, authentic, bbq of course. rather than simply brats.

[soonerguru]

OKC barbecue is not bad. But it's not really good, either. I've yet to enjoy a truly transcendent barbecue experience here, with a couple of minor exceptions. At one time, I thought George's Happy Hog barbecue was godlike, particularly the ribs. However, I haven't been there in several years and I'm not sure if George is still there. Also, way back when I remember Tom's being quite good (is it still open?). Leo's is strong.

Tulsa has better barbecue. Not sure why. In fact, Tulsa has some damn good barbecue.

For a state that is as meatcentric as Oklahoma is, though, one would expect better barbecue overall. In fact, there are a lot of mediocre to bad barbecue joints in this state. And you can't even trust the locals. Without naming names, I've visited some "locally highly recommended" establishments that turned out to be rather terrible.

Lots of hits and misses in the big picture here. The original Van's in Shawnee is solid. Watts barbecue in Eufaula is good.

But the barbecue hotspot in Oklahoma seems to be in the Tulsa-Tahlequah-Muskogee triangle.

As far as west of I-35 is concerned, I'm very fond of Roy's Barbecue in Chickasha.

[Roger S]

OKC barbecue is not bad. But it's not really good, either. I've yet to enjoy a truly transcendent barbecue experience here, with a couple of minor exceptions.

Pretty much my thoughts on OKC exactly. I'm hoping that the soon to open Back Door BBQ is about to change this.

At one time, I thought George's Happy Hog barbecue was godlike, particularly the ribs. However, I haven't been there in several years and I'm not sure if George is still there. Also, way back when I remember Tom's being quite good (is it still open?). Leo's is strong.

I have heard that George has passed on and it has recently changed hands for a second time since. The last time I was there the Q was good but really only "if you're in the neighborhood" good.

Tom's has been closed for several years and my last couple of visits there left me understanding why. It had long since passed it's glory days.

Leo's is still one of the best in OKC in my opinion but even they have been a little inconsistent on my last couple of trips.

Tulsa has better barbecue. Not sure why. In fact, Tulsa has some damn good barbecue.

Burn Co BBQ is the only place in Oklahoma that I have seen people waiting in line to get in before opening. It's not uncommon in Texas but in Oklahoma it's an anomaly.

For a state that is as meatcentric as Oklahoma is, though, one would expect better barbecue overall. In fact, there are a lot of mediocre to bad barbecue joints in this state. And you can't even trust the locals. Without naming names, I've visited some "locally highly recommended" establishments that turned out to be rather terrible.

I can name 3 in the state that I would be comfortable recommending to anyone..... The BBQ Joint in Pond Creek. Mud Creek BBQ in Ringling, and Burn Co BBQ in Tulsa.

Burn Co was the first in Oklahoma to recieve my "I would drive 3 hours to eat there again" award and they are on the edge of the coveted "I would drive 6 hours to eat there again" award.

Lots of hits and misses in the big picture here. The original Van's in Shawnee is solid. Watts barbecue in Eufaula is good.

Have not been to Watts but agree on the Van's in Shawnee. It has been a couple of years since I ate there but the last time I nearly gnawed off two fingers while plowing through a slab of spare ribs.

But the barbecue hotspot in Oklahoma seems to be in the Tulsa-Tahlequah-Muskogee triangle.

Last time I checked. Muskogee had seven Q-raunts not counting the Rib Crib. I am in the planning phase of a road trip just to hit all of the non-chain Q-raunts there in one weekend.

As far as west of I-35 is concerned, I'm very fond of Roy's Barbecue in Chickasha.

Have not tried Roy's yet. The weekend I had them scheduled we pulled up just to find a sign saying they were on vacation. I have been to Jake's Rib and while I can say the portions are huge I wasn't impressed with the meat.

[bluedogok]

Leo learned his craft at one of the pitmasters at an old North Tulsa BBQ institution (can't remember the name of it) and moved to OKC to open up his own place. So Leo's has its roots in that Tulsa BBQ culture.

In Dallas, Sonny Bryan's was the only BBQ that I ate when I lived there, tried many places once or twice but Sonny Bryan's was the only place that I went to consistently.

The "fancy" Austin BBQ place was probably Lambert's in downtown, the owners sister also owns the Hotel San Jose on South Congress and some other places. I never ate at Lambert's, too many other not-so-fancy places that were great to go to for BBQ.

[rezgirl]

I really like The Boundary on Route 66... The BBQ and there BBQ sauce is really good.

[RadicalModerate]

Is that the place on the north side of the road between Arcadia and Luther?

(p.s.: speaking of places outside of the OKCMetro, i tried that place in Wellston ONCE (it was awful) and the place at the curve in Davenport (once)(way overrated in my opinion)

(p.p.s.: the place on Britton Rd that is now a doughnut shop not far from Westlake hdw. used to have good BBQ, as did KC Blues BBQ and the BBQ place that replaced it in the same building. i think i liked the short lived, second incarnation even better than KC Blues.

If it says Barbeque or Bar-B-Q instead of BBQ on the sign, it's probably not very good.
~Joe Bob Briggs

[ctchandler]

RM,
Yes, it's on the Indian Meridian and Route 66. By the way, I have found the best "Que" in Oklahoma. See below.
C. T.

[RadicalModerate]

CT: I am not surprised that someone out there in the vicinity of The Hinterlands of Suburban Spencerian Sprawlville would appreciate the concept of multitasking.

I wonder if they are selling a setup like that at that Upscale Barbecue Cookery Emporium on May, north of Memorial . . . =)

btw: "en espanol" (with a squiggle over the second "n") "Que" means "What". as in "que the [f-word]." =)

(someone getting offended countdown . . . 8 . . . 7 . . . 6 . . . =)

Thanks, again, amigo!

[SSEiYah]

I'm excited for Back Door BBQ to open on 23rd. I've been nothing but disappointed with Bubbas, and have been there several times hoping the quality would improve.

[ctchandler]

I haven't seen any comment on "Smokin Okies" truck. Has anybody tried it? I will next week if I don't hear anything bad about them before then.
C. T.

[Roger S]

I haven't seen any comment on "Smokin Okies" truck. Has anybody tried it? I will next week if I don't hear anything bad about them before then.
C. T.

Smokin Okies <---- Complete with commentary and photos.

[ctchandler]

OBEA,
Thanks for the review. I'm a fan of brisket (too bad I guess), and ribs. I think a slab is in order for me next week at Kelly and Covell. They also have beans that apparently really spicey and I like that.
C. T.

[Roger S]

OBEA,
Thanks for the review. I'm a fan of brisket (too bad I guess), and ribs.
C. T.

Maybe I just caught them on a bad day. I haven't seen them parking downtown recently so I haven't been able to make a followup visit.

[ctchandler]

OBEA,
Their web site tells you where they will be during the week. I will give their brisket a try.
C. T.

Maybe I just caught them on a bad day. I haven't seen them parking downtown recently so I haven't been able to make a followup visit.

[soonerguru]

Have not tried Roy's yet. The weekend I had them scheduled we pulled up just to find a sign saying they were on vacation. I have been to Jake's Rib and while I can say the portions are huge I wasn't impressed with the meat.

Jake's Rib is the tourist BBQ in Chickasha. Locals will all tell you that Roy's is the real deal -- and it is.