OKLAHOMA: Earl's Rib Palace
6816 N. Western
Oklahoma City, OK 73116
405-843-9922
Open M-Sat 11-9, Sun 11-8
www.earlsribpalace.com
If there's an option on the menu with a name like "Earl's Binge", you know I'm ordering it. I've been coming to Earl's for years now when I visit OKC because it is the preferred joint of my family there. I'm normally drawn to the Smokestack sandwich, but on this day I needed a wider variety of protein offerings.
Along with perfectly crispy okra and a creamy yet chunky cole slaw, the Earl's Binge plate comes with ribs, brisket, hot links and bologna. Bologna tasted very little of smoke, and could have been warmed in a pan for all I could tell. Hot links had a bologna-like consistency with a one-dimensional heat with little additional flavor. Brisket was flavorful and moist, but lacked a solid smokiness. On this plate, the best item was the smoky rib with a well formed crust. The meat was moist and not overcooked, but the fat could have been more well rendered.
The real standout on this menu is the Smokestack. Layers of chopped brisket, hot link slices, barbecue sauce and cole slaw melt together between two halves of a buttered and lightly grilled bun. These items alone are decent, but together they create an incredible sandwich bursting with different flavors that work so well together.
After a pretty good meal, the rating of this joint was right on the edge, but the beauty of the Smokestack sandwich gives this joint the edge.
Rating ***
3 stars...really?
ReplyDeleteThe brisket flavor is OK. No bark and it's waaaay overdone. So much so that they have to cut it into 3/4 in slices and even then it falls apart.
Corporate que at its finest IMO.
I apologize, but when I assign a star rating (based on distance worth traveling) to BBQ joints, I must take into account their location. This one being in OKC was simply better than the average in the area (which happens to be pretty bad), so along with that and their tasty smokestack sandwich, they got the extra star.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time that I considered Earl's good BBQ.
ReplyDeleteThen I learned what real good BBQ is. I don't eat at Earl's anymore.