I figure we need a thread where we discuss eating in actual restaraunts and other establishments, as they really don't fit the theme in What's Cooking. If youse guys want to contribute, feel free to follow my formula, or don't. Whatever.
So, the lady and I went out grocery shopping this morning and hit up a local spot for lunch, they're pretty popular and I've heard good things, but they close early so we've never been.
Box Car BBQ (Sapulpa, OK)
So this place is basically a little hole in the wall. It's an old truck stop or gas station or something off RT-66, about 20-30 minutes west of Tulsa. Their prices are about on par with most BBQ joints in Oklahoma - they charge per meat, either by weight or in combo dinners, and it's about ten bucks for a pound of meat or for a combo meal big enough to feed one person. They also have the standard assortment of meats - Brisket, Pork Butt, (chopped or sliced, not pulled - that's a st louis thing) Hot Links, Polish Sausage, Ribs and Bologna. Everything's served smoked and dry, the way it should be.
We picked up a pound of ribs and another pound of chopped meat ; half a pound of brisket, half a pound of pork, and ate at home as there wasn't much sitting room in the restaurant. (only four tables and they were filling up fast) The meats came in two styrofoam containers, marked with their contents, and a large tub of BBQ sauce. The meat was... underwhelming, to be honest. Pretty bland and overcooked. I get that smoking isn't an exact science, given that good BBQ takes many hours to cook, but the pork and the brisket were bone dry. The Ribs were moist and had a a perfect smoke ring, but they weren't very flavorful, either. I suspect the pitmaster does not use any kind of rub or seasoning on the meat. Unfortunate.
I'd have written this off as a waste of money altogether, but then we tried the sauce, which is just God Damn Incredible. We had a big bag of Kaiser rolls, and used those and the sauce to make chopped meat sandwiches and dipped the ribs in the BBQ sauce as we ate. Pretty great meal with the addition of the sauce but as my wife put it, "good BBQ should stand on it's own." I hate to be a purist, but BBQ should be about the seasoning, the smoke, and the meat itself, not the sauce. Leaving your meat unseasoned so you can really taste the sauce is interesting in theory, but it's not what I expect from southwest BBQ. Our next BBQ trip will probably be to Wrangler's Drive-Thru in Tulsa or Big Daddy's in Jenks, as I think this place is just thoroughly overrated.