Saturday 25 May
OKG Newsletter
Topic: barbecue
Slab slingers
Pecan-smoked pork ribs, beef brisket and hot links make this unpretentious barbecue joint a local favorite.
Bite size
Chow chat
Bite Size
Carol Smaglinski
Chef Donnie Samara helped open Papa’s Lil Italy, worked at Michael’s Grill and owned and operated the much-missed Vineyard in Edmond.
Backyard blitz
Not all alcohol can go toe-to-toe with the sweet, smoky and spicy flavors of a summertime cookout.
Food and Drink Features
Charles Martin
Don’t take that to mean that there are no right or wrong answers, however. Especially when trying to find a perfect match for the savory and sweet flavors of barbecue, where a cherished red wine can end up fumbling awkwardly with a slab of ribs like two nervous junior-high kids during their first slow dance.
Cowpoke paradise
Swadley’s serves top-notch barbecue in a chuck wagon-themed dining room.
Restaurant Reviews
Doug Hill
Swadley’s Bar-B-Q’s original theme song plays when you open swadleys.com. Complete with manly man vocals, mustang snorting and spaghetti Western whistling, the lyrics in part tout their catering: “If there’s a crowd you need to please / We’ll grab our meat and haul our buns.”
Love me tender
Get a hunk of meat (and maybe even a side of nostalgia) from the barbecue joint serving memorable meals for 24 years.
Restaurant Reviews
Greg Elwell
Steve's Rib
7202 W. Hefner
728-9555
What works: Spicy sauces and tender meats.
What needs work: Soggy french fries and flavorless green beans.
Tips: The two-meat plate is enough for two meals, if you’re the kind who likes next-day barbecue.
Pig out
Van’s Pig Stands have been feeding hungry Oklahomans for more than 80 years.
Restaurant Reviews
Doug Hill
Van’s Pig Stand
320 N. Porter, Norman
364-0600
pigstands.com
What worked: outstanding hickory smoked barbecue that rivals any of the best in the country
What needs work: The baked beans need bolder flavor.
Tip: tried-and-true Oklahoma family recipes at a reasonable price
