Oklahoma City Natives

Many locals swear by these guys:

Van's

Not what I would call great bbq. There is several well know, Swadleys, Spencers, and Leos.

I have compiled a list. Keep in mind that BBQ is personnel to many people and that this list is based on places I have visited more than one time and is my opinion. I frequent many of these on a regular basis for lunch abd each of these have the +'s and -'s.

I would not hesitate to eat at any of the tier 1 or 2 places listed. The are 2 types of tier 3, ones I would never eat at again and ones that I would eat there for something other than BBQ and if someone else was buying my food.

If you have any specific questions about any of the places listed below let me know and I will try to answer. This list covers a lot of the metro BBQ places but maybe not all them and like I said it is my opinion and I have frequented these establishments many times over the years.

1st Tier
Leo's
Mr. Spriggs
Bedlam BBQ
Oklahomma Station (NW 50th Location)

2nd Tier
Bubba's
Swadleys
Rudy's
Pappy's (decent q poor ownership)
Earl's Rib Palace
Tom's BBQ
George's Happy Hog
Kansas City Blues
Steve's Rib
Van's

3rd Tier
Banta's Ribs
Jakes Rib
Jack's
County Line (good food/fun/atmoshpere just not BBQ)
Rib Crib
Chisolm's
Sooner BBQ

Thank you very much Milepak, Team Butcher & Exit 174. I will try several of these places dependent upon the lenght of my stay. I travel across the US and always like to try different BBQ in all area's of the country. It also makes me appreciate what I learn from all of you on this forum.

Thanks again, Gene

Let us know how much time you have.

I'll 2nd the vote for van's, but it's in Norman and Shawnee I believe, not OKC (new location?); Oklahoma Station can be good as well.

I like Steve's Ribs, but only the original location.

Leo's, when it's good it's good, but sometimes, too many people go and the quality suffers (like all Q places)

Mr. Spriggs hasn't been the same since they moved locations (for me at least).

I think we need to say what they do best. Atmosphere? Ribs? Brisket? Sauce? Sides?

mjlepak, maybe we need to come up with an OKC group and meet at these places and "review" them. There was a group that did this for the KC restaurants, maybe we have to do that for OKC too.

Then we build a website and maybe the ratings will mean something, unlike the reader polls' in the local papers.

Smokin, that's a great idea. The guys in KC had a website with pictures of each restaurant and a critique of the food. I've been trying to find the URL to post here but can't come up with it.

We could start a group like that here in St. Louis, but we'd only get to meet half dozen times or so and we'd be finished. Other than Super Smoker's I don't know of much else here. Most are just chain type operations.

The KC Group is called G.A.S.

http://www.gasbbq.net/reviews.htm

quote:

think we need to say what they do best. Atmosphere? Ribs? Brisket? Sauce? Sides?

mjlepak, maybe we need to come up with an OKC group and meet at these places and "review" them. There was a group that did this for the KC restaurants, maybe we have to do that for OKC too.

I definetly agree as each BBQ Joint has something that make is special and we may go back for whether it is one of their meats, their sauce, or their sides.

Van's does have a new location in Okc located at SW 50th and Western. It is on 59th just West of Western on the N side of the road.

I would be interested in being part of a OKC group that met, ate, and reviewed BBQ. Sounds like a pretty good idea and I got a kick out of reading some of the informatin on the GAS website.

Oh, I definetly agree with you on those silly readers poll's. I get a pretty good laugh when I read some of the choices that won!

I also agree with you on Leo's as I have gone in there a couple of times after a re-run of Diner's Dives and Drive Ins that featured them has run and the quality was way off. However, one thing that keeps me going back is their sauce. It is a thinner sauce with a little more vinegar in it that is always consistent and right up my alley.

Maybe I'll start a new thread (and I'll mention in in some other forums) and maybe we can get it off the ground, I'm up for say one night a week or something

Smokin, thanks for the URL to the GAS group. That's exactly the one I was trying to find.

SmokinOkie to answer your question, I will only be in town for two evenings this trip. In the near future I will probably be spending a week or two there. So that means for this trip two places to visit. It appears that Norman is not that far away so I can drive to Van's for one place. I am not to conserned about atmosphere. I have had some very good quality food at hole-in-the-wall places in my travels. Thanks again
Gene

So now we need to tell you which two.

One post said Van's has a new one in OKC at SW 50th and Western. I'd vote for Van's.

I'll have to think about #2.

Rudy's is a fun concept, but it's a chain out of Texas.

quote:

Rudy's is a fun concept, but it's a chain out of Texas.

Hmmmmm ..... still thinkin on that Texas thing

As chains go....Rudys really isn't all that bad. They cook on oak only. Considering the amount of product they sell...it is one of the better ones around Dallas IMHO.

I agree about Rudy's. The first Rudy's I ever visited was about 10 years ago down somewhere around Austin, TX. It was very good. I enjoy Rudy's and the conccpt as we frequent it a couple of times a year during the football season.

Reading this post I decided to visit Van's on SW 59th and Western yesterday for lunch. I have had their Sliced Brisket, Ribs, Turkey, and Chopped Pork. The only one I would probably not get again would be the Chopped Pork. When ordering I was unaware that it would already be mixed with sauce. I was expecting more of a pulled pork and it was actaully a mix of like shredded pork mixed with chunks of pork mixed with sauce and heated. I prefer to apply my own sauce to my meat. If you like fries you should try the curly fries as they are really good.