Anyone else eat there before? I've passed by the location on 145th in BA several times and figured I'd try it last night. I've usually found the best BBQ is in a road-side dive and generally try to avoid something that looks corporate which is why I hadn't tried it before.
Cool building, cool landscape, not impressed with the 'que. Anyone can do passable sausage, hot links, or bologna. So I use ribs and chopped beef for my barometer on how good a place does with smoked meats. Ribs were like wood, splintery, dry, and not much flavor. When the bones are more tender than the meat, it's overdone. Chopped beef was almost like the stuff you buy out of a bucket at the market with the sauce already mixed in.
For all the production and price, I was really disappointed.
That will not do.
I ain't saying that Tulsa is like Memphis, where barbecue is darned near a religion. But I think Tulsans' opinions of BBQ are pretty spot-on.
It ain't local, but here's the finest ribs I've ever had:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/entertainment/reviews.nsf/restaurant/story/9158E9D1ACC204E78625706700329659?OpenDocument
I'll have to ask my friend Jim, who lives in Belleville about that BBQ joint.
Around here, Papa Tom's in Bixby had pretty good ribs last time I was there. I'm seldom disappointed with Knotty Pine or Albert G's. Rib Crib was great when they had only one or two stores. They've kind of re-enforced my thinking on corporate BBQ.
The Best BBQ is usually the result of one person or family's passion for it. You can't franchise passion and know-how.
If you are directly from that area, maybe you might remember Viviano's Italian restaurant in Belleville. They were there from '77 until '01 or '02. Jim's family owned it. He said basically the Olive Garden's, etc. made their place irrelevant. I think it was a nice way of saying his younger brother ran the family business into the ground. [V]
Billy Sims Boomer Q is spot on for pork ribs. All you can eat on Tuesday nights. Is that tonight? Ummmmm
Farm Shopping Center and on East 71st Street by Rhema.
http://billysimsbbq.com/index.php
I live pretty close to this one, so I've visited 4 or 5 times now. I've never had any problem with the ribs, so far. We usually do the drive through thing to save on gratuity. In fact, we've only eaten inside once. The atmosphere is a bit too open for a bbq joint, but it's very clean. I still prefer Wrangler's at 71st and Memorial, but Stone Mill's brisket and baby backs are acceptable around my house.
quote:
Originally posted by Conan71
Anyone else eat there before?
Yep...all the time. I think the place is really good but I have had a few bad meals there like you have stated.
The other Bar BQ places in BA that I have ate at are Runts, which I found over priced and won't be going back. And Big Daddy's Bar BQ which is my favorite. I haven't been to Billy Sims yet but I've heard it is very good.
Billy Sims sucks. They are the only BBQ place in town that measures their portions of meat out to two decimal places on a NASA-issued scale.
Legends is excellent, and they have all you can eat pork ribs on Tuesday I think. Wilsons is good, and so is Albert G's.
I've eaten at the new Wilson's on 11th St. several times. Dinner seems to be better than lunch.
I quit going for lunch because the last few times the beef was really dry. All I can figure is they are recycling yesterday's brisket for lunch. It's one thing if I take left-overs out of a container at home, quite another if a restaurant serves them.
I took a client to lunch at the one on Apache a few months ago and had no complaints that day.
The one on Apache is the best and before papa Wilson died the prices for his Q were outrageously low, unfortunately not the case anymore.
Stuts House of Bar B Q down the street from Wilson's on Apache is another great one.
And Carl's at Yale and Pine where George's Grill was before.
Carl has some good Q there.
I went ahead and tried Billy Simms out in BA tonight even though IP said it sucked. I had an hour to kill while my daughter was at cheer practice.
I'd give it a B-. Chopped beef was good, somewhat greasy. Ribs- they gave me the short end which usually I usually don't like because it is burned up, and the meat fell off the bone and was done just about right. They don't seem to use a rub though, or if they do, it's pretty innocuous. Polish sausage was so-so, I like the big Ekrich's, they use the smaller link type. Price was reasonible. I paid $3 or $4 less for a three meat combo than I paid for a two meat at Stone Mill.
BTW, IP- I left there full, even though I think the little scale is pretty cheesy.
Looks like Papa Tom's closed down seeing how some stuff was torn down. Anyone know if this is true?
Went by there again and looked and it looks like no more Papa Tom's.
Bummer. Someone had bought it a few years ago from "Papa Tom". Wonder if there's new construction or if they frittered it away.
quote:
Originally posted by AMP
Stuts House of Bar B Q down the street from Wilson's on Apache is another great one.
And Carl's at Yale and Pine where George's Grill was before.
Carl has some good Q there.
No beer at Stuts though.....Oklahoma Style is good too....
Lady that owns Oklahoma Style is the niece of the late owner of Pete's Bar B Q that was located across from North Land Shopping Center in the house for many years.
Pete's had some of the best sweet potato pies.
I miss Pete's Bar B Q alot.
Rib Crib has all you can eat pork ribs this month for 10.95 after 4pm I believe the ad stated every night. Call to make sure..
www.ribcrib.com
Apologies to Bret Chandler, but Rib Crib is slowly evolving into dog food.
quote:
Originally posted by Conan71
Apologies to Bret Chandler, but Rib Crib is slowly evolving into dog food.
I thought I was the only one who thought this.
Elmer's in Brookside has some very good 'cue. It be bad!
quote:
Originally posted by Rowdy
quote:
Originally posted by Conan71
Apologies to Bret Chandler, but Rib Crib is slowly evolving into dog food.
I thought I was the only one who thought this.
Rib Crib is very bland. I used to live in Kansas City, and Rib Crib reminds me of KC Masterpiece: bland corporate BBQ made for the masses. Give me a hole-in-the-wall joint any day.
Last time I ate at KC Masterpiece at The Plaza was right at 10 years ago for lunch when I was up there for business. The potato salad was warm, and I made the mistake of eating it. About mid-night it came back to haunt me w/ a vengeance. I was down for two days with potato salad revenge. [xx(]
If you're ever in KC, stick with Gates or LC's. Or Arthur Bryant's, if you're feeling adventurous.
quote:
Originally posted by bugo
If you're ever in KC, stick with Gates or LC's. Or Arthur Bryant's, if you're feeling adventurous.
One of the Gate's kids moved to Tulsa and tried to start a restaurant called "KC Gates BBQ" just east of Harvard on 11th St about 10-15 years ago. I think the Right Wing restaurant is there now.
At any rate, Marcus Gates' BBQ was nowhere near as good as his pop's. That lasted about as long as his 6 month lease. [B)]
just a few:
Big Daddys=awesome
Elmers=get the 'badwitch'
Runts(the one next to BassPro.the one in Wagoner is actually pretty good...)=bad,sauce was sour
Billy Sims=ok,filling dinners
Rib Crib=BBQ made for white people
Wilsons=the Apache store is the place,the newer one not as good as the original
FamousDaves,chain stores,etc=chainstore BBQ
KnottyPine=good ol place
BillyRays=just ok.good tabouli
too many others to list...
quote:
Originally posted by nofearfactor
just a few:
Big Daddys=awesome
Elmers=get the 'badwitch'
Since you recommended Big Daddy's so much higher than the rest of them, I'll probably try it out soon. Which location of Big Daddy's is best? I'm closest to the Jenks location, but if one of the other places has better quality I'll go there instead. Elmers is the only "real" BBQ joint that I've had in Tulsa (Rib Crib doesn't count) and it is very good.
quote:
Originally posted by nofearfactor
Rib Crib=BBQ made for white people
I must not be as white as I thought I was. [;)]
Bugo, try Albert G's 27th & Harvard & Knotty Pine out on Charles Page blvd.
Hickory house in Sapulpa has a pretty big lunch buffet. Yeah, BBQ buffet [xx(]- just sausage, bologna, and pulled pork. Not bad, not great but filling. Their sides are very good, best corn fritters around.
Dives are usually the best when I'm travelling which brings to mind:
Does anyone remember Ethel's BBQ that used to be out at the flea market on Hwy 97 near Prattville? It was a dumpy little dive in a cinder block building. If I remember right, they served the 'que on wax paper. You didn't want to touch anything other than the wax paper or your food, but it was darn good. I haven't driven by there in years, but I'm assuming it's now closed.
quote:
Originally posted by bugo
quote:
Originally posted by nofearfactor
just a few:
Big Daddys=awesome
Elmers=get the 'badwitch'
Since you recommended Big Daddy's so much higher than the rest of them, I'll probably try it out soon. Which location of Big Daddy's is best? I'm closest to the Jenks location, but if one of the other places has better quality I'll go there instead. Elmers is the only "real" BBQ joint that I've had in Tulsa (Rib Crib doesn't count) and it is very good.
Big Daddy's is really that good. And it doesn't matter which one of the stores you go to, they are all equally as good.
If you like Hot Bar BQ sauce, besure and ask for their extra hot sauce. They have to keep it back in the fridge to keep it from exploding because it's so hot. It's absolutely awesome and has a kick that will make you sweat for hours. [:D]
quote:
Originally posted by Conan71
Apologies to Bret Chandler, but Rib Crib is slowly evolving into dog food.
There's nothing slow about it. Some of the worst corporate chain BBQ ever. [xx(]
quote:
Originally posted by bugo
If you're ever in KC, stick with Gates or LC's. Or Arthur Bryant's, if you're feeling adventurous.
These are good tips. All three are great joints.
Barely got a mention in this thread, but Knotty Pine about 5 minutes west of downtown on Charles Page Boulevard is good eatin. It's easy to forget that place, but they sure pack em in at lunch.
I meant no offense to RibCrib or to white or black people to what I said about the place.I used to go there when there was just one of them.I also used to get my BBQ at Martins on 21st near Memorial back in the day.
But one day me and a girlfriend of mine(I am white&1/4AmIndian,she was black,or, African/American)were out running around and wanted to get something to eat and we were driving by Rib Crib and I mentioned going in there and she had said to me "O,no,thats white people BBQ..."...hmmmm.
I think Martin's boiled their ribs before they smoked them. I only ate there once. That was enough for me.
quote:
Originally posted by AVERAGE JOE
quote:
Originally posted by bugo
If you're ever in KC, stick with Gates or LC's. Or Arthur Bryant's, if you're feeling adventurous.
These are good tips. All three are great joints.
Barely got a mention in this thread, but Knotty Pine about 5 minutes west of downtown on Charles Page Boulevard is good eatin. It's easy to forget that place, but they sure pack em in at lunch.
I know lots of people like this place, but I can't stand it. I think it's too much cinnamon in the sauce...
I also was told by some folks that one of the nicknames of that place was "The bloody bucket."[xx(]