leo’s barbeque: hopelessly devoted to ‘que. when it comes right down to it, it’s usually utterly pointless to write about and recommend barbeque joints because no matter who you talk to, everybody already has their own personal place that they think serves “the best barbeque in the world” and nothing will ever change their mind about that.
and when you think about it, that’s really a testament to not only the power of this culinary artform, but to the loyalties that the devotees to it have. when they find that one place that they believe was made specifically for them, they will defend it to the last log of hickory that has turned to ash.
i’m no different.
sure, it’s a part of my job as afoodcritic to try different places around town and while i might find a bbq place that i truly dig every now and then, always remember one thing: the bar that i am grading that ‘que against is a little shack off ne 36 and kelley called leo’s. to me, this is the best barbeque in okc.
housed in what looks to be a former gas station, leo’s is that quiet little okc institution that, while other rib joints tout their meats with athlete endorsements, white boy pseudo-blues music and jacked-up prices meant to justified the gentrified location, has happily puffed along for decades, dedicating themselves to the art and craft of smoking meats, no flair or dramatics needed.
their menu remains pretty static—ribs, beef brisket, hot links and bologna are the main staples—so it’s pretty pointless to “try something new.” find a favorite and make it your usual; mine are the ribs. so tender, so moist and with a little dip in leo’s special spicy sauce, so perfect.
for this review however, i ordered a dinner plate, splitting the usual helping of ribs with their brown sugar-sweet beef brisket ($10.29), along with sides of collard greens and fried okra, with a nice tall glass of their signature lemonade ($1.50) sweating off to the side.
on most nights, leo’s offers complimentary slow-cooked pinto beans (mixed with plenty of meat bits and drippings), as well as the tart and tangy cucumber salad, doused in vinegar and oil and complimented with sliced onions and peppers. the salad is just fine, but those beans are something you’ll be thinking about the next day, wishing there was a warm crock-pot full of them somewhere in your general vicinity. they’re a steal and a real meal unto themselves.
after a short wait, the waitress brings your order on flimsy paper-plates, smothered, covered and overloaded with generous servings of these majestic meat-stuffs, smoked all day and smelling like it.
the brisket is so juicy and unexpectedly sweet that sauce is practically unnecessary. use one of the slices of white bread as a shovel to cram every last dripping down your gullet. as for the sumptuous ribs...you’ve never had any like this, guaranteed. the phrase “fall off the bone” doesn’t even do it justice.
as for my sides, the fried okra was extremely fresh and the seasoned shell crunchy, while the collard greens full of vinegar and spite, harboring such a kick that it’s impossible not to shout “whooo-wheee!” after the first bite. i also recommend the mac and cheese and their extremely unique take on potato salad.
finally, as a tip, you just gotta—just gotta—save room for dessert. besides the bbq, another thing leo’s is famous for is their strawberry-banana cake ($3.50), a moist, glazy confectioner’s wet dream that i’m begging any friends and family to please serve at my next birthday or funeral, whichever comes first. this cake is almost worth a trip itself.
leo’s isn’t your typical tailgating corporate dad-in-the-backyard nonsense. this is a serious business for only the most serious of bbq connoisseurs, but never on those pretentious terms; it’s a down home secret that might not even be aware of how locally influential it is, something that could never duplicated, imitated, bottled-up or mass-produced. it’s is absolute perfection, and it’s the best bbq in the city.
but that’s just my opinion, of course.