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Burnt

Same thing happened to me when I was the sports editor at the Sapulpa Daily Herald about 100 years ago. The publisher was such a huge dick. I really enjoyed sticking it to him.
 
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I love their food but either make them salaried or pay them the actual hours they work...it's not hard to figure out (I don't think making them salaried is an option...don't know many line cook job descriptions that would get approved for exempt status).
 
They would just have to go back and document the education and specialized experience of smoking meat to competition quality requires knowledge skills and abilities similar to chefs. Not hard. It would stand up to scrutiny.
 
I went to the famous place in Wellston a few weeks back, with @goldfan83 no less. There was this dude behind us who kept talking the place up. Turned out he is a chef for Mahogany. I asked him what he thought of Burn Co. He said the ribs were good.

I think their sausage, burgers, steaks, burnt ends, the fatty, and random experiments are incredible. But everything else is kind of whatever. And they sell a lot of whatever to people who don’t know better. Also, they need to be legally obligated to make all the Mac and cheese.

The Wellston place had no shortages, 5x as many people, better beer, and about 10% of the overhead. And overhead kills these places. Which gets you in trouble with stupid OESC and so on.
 
It seems like every time I’m in line at BurnCo, there’s two guys behind me saying that the place in Wellston is the best BBQ in the state. Which makes me wonder if there’s always two guys in line in Wellston saying BurnCo is the best in the state.

I’ve always wanted to try Wellston, but I’m skeptical that driving an hour one way, then waiting in line around 90 minutes is worth it. I could be convinced otherwise. I’d drive 2 hours for BBQ. I don’t know if I’d drive an hour and wait an hour. They may have legit infrastructure issues.

BurnCo seems to intentionally manufacture their line. Which leaves you thinking “It’s good but get over yourselves.” BurnCo is not worth the 20 to 60 minute wait. It’s great BBQ if you go in after the line and don’t mind eating anything other than what you would want on the menu. The Mac is solid but best consumed in small portions. They kinda jumped the shark when they moved off 11th. They’ve been doing it long enough and have enough experience now and money to study what other high capacity BBQ places do to manage rush demand. That tells me they manufacture the line as a marketing word of mouth gimmick destination BBQ joint.

Lots of little towns in Oklahoma used to have a BBQ shack like the one in Wellston. Except they were tiny and filthy. One of the things that made me fall in love with northeastern Oklahoma was driving around looking for the places people mentioned. I still remember the first time my Dad pulled into Slick’s in Muskogee. We had the windows down on the car and one whiff and I knew it was going to be special. I was probably 8 or 9.

There were some legendary black pit masters in Oklahoma with their own places. Are they all gone?
 
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It seems like every time I’m in line at BurnCo, there’s two guys behind me saying that the place in Wellston is the best BBQ in the state. Which makes me wonder if there’s always two guys in line in Wellston saying BurnCo is the best in the state.

I’ve always wanted to try Wellston, but I’m skeptical that driving an hour one way, then waiting in line around 90 minutes is worth it. I could be convinced otherwise. I’d drive 2 hours for BBQ. I don’t know if I’d drive an hour and wait an hour. They may have legit infrastructure issues.

BurnCo seems to intentionally manufacture their line. Which leaves you thinking “It’s good but get over yourselves.” BurnCo is not worth the 20 to 60 minute wait. It’s great BBQ if you go in after the line and don’t mind eating anything other than what you would want on the menu. The Mac is solid but best consumed in small portions. They kinda jumped the shark when they moved off 11th. They’ve been doing it long enough and have enough experience now and money to study what other high capacity BBQ places do to manage rush demand. That tells me they manufacture the line as a marketing word of mouth gimmick destination BBQ joint.

Lots of little towns in Oklahoma used to have a BBQ shack like the one in Wellston. Except they were tiny and filthy. One of the things that made me fall in love with northeastern Oklahoma was driving around looking for the places people mentioned. I still remember the first time my Dad pulled into Slick’s in Muskogee. We had the windows down on the car and one whiff and I knew it was going to be special. I was probably 8 or 9.

There were some legendary black pit masters in Oklahoma with their own places. Are they all gone?

Wellston is that kind of place. I won’t do it justice, but the story is great. The line was maybe 45 minutes on a Friday. I hadn’t had any time off due to you know what, so my buddy and I met up with some OKC friends (and prestige level TU alumni) and it was worth it. The brisket and burnt ends were amazing. Burn Co’s regular brisket was inspired by Billy Simms.

I also saw several people in TU gear. I had to scratch my head on that. The dirt was too red for blue and gold.

Buffalo Barbecue up in Sperry is like that. Have you been to Mac’s? Many people think it is better than Burn Co and they aren’t wrong. After that, a lot of times the small town places are too much like Bad Brad’s in Pawhuska, which is to say about as inspiring as Rib Crib.

You make an interesting point about Burn Co and the manufactured experience. It’s not so bad on Saturdays, if you have the time. But the cashiers take an amazing amount of time with each customer. Also, many of the customers haven’t read the menu until they get to front of line (which is amazing because it is normally on a screen). That’s true Okie. I went earlier this week with my brother and it wasn’t bad, but also seemed kind of sad with Covid.

I miss the early days with the old co-owner. It went a little faster and he would always try to make you a deal on something good. Since he left, it seems like more of a money grab. I tried the old “what’s left” trick a couple of years back and the lady wanted me to guess what they had. I didn’t go back for a time.

I’ve always thought that Burn Co should auction off one golden ticket a year for charity. Gets you to front of line and guarantees you something good. You could pay for some teachers with that.
 
Also, many of the customers haven’t read the menu until they get to front of line (which is amazing because it is normally on a screen). That’s true Okie.
One of the few times I wish Okie's would get a New York attitude. You got's to avoid pissing off the Soup Nazi customers like myself.
 
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Wellston is that kind of place. I won’t do it justice, but the story is great. The line was maybe 45 minutes on a Friday. I hadn’t had any time off due to you know what, so my buddy and I met up with some OKC friends (and prestige level TU alumni) and it was worth it. The brisket and burnt ends were amazing. Burn Co’s regular brisket was inspired by Billy Simms.

I also saw several people in TU gear. I had to scratch my head on that. The dirt was too red for blue and gold.

Buffalo Barbecue up in Sperry is like that. Have you been to Mac’s? Many people think it is better than Burn Co and they aren’t wrong. After that, a lot of times the small town places are too much like Bad Brad’s in Pawhuska, which is to say about as inspiring as Rib Crib.

You make an interesting point about Burn Co and the manufactured experience. It’s not so bad on Saturdays, if you have the time. But the cashiers take an amazing amount of time with each customer. Also, many of the customers haven’t read the menu until they get to front of line (which is amazing because it is normally on a screen). That’s true Okie. I went earlier this week with my brother and it wasn’t bad, but also seemed kind of sad with Covid.

I miss the early days with the old co-owner. It went a little faster and he would always try to make you a deal on something good. Since he left, it seems like more of a money grab. I tried the old “what’s left” trick a couple of years back and the lady wanted me to guess what they had. I didn’t go back for a time.

I’ve always thought that Burn Co should auction off one golden ticket a year for charity. Gets you to front of line and guarantees you something good. You could pay for some teachers with that.

Finally went to Macs a month or so before COVID and it was good. Nothing special to my son and I but, my wife loved it.

I’ll have to try Buffalo. Fairly close and I’ve never heard of it.
 
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When were you the sports editor there ?

I think it was early 94 to Aug 96, which is when I started my 22-year run at PennWell.

Speaking of Bobba-Choo, I just had a three-meat dinner from Alpha Grill at Mall 31 (31st & Sheridan). Pretty damn tasty and now I must go night-night for a bit.
 
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CoVid and mid summer. I’m surprised this thread isn’t in the Alley due to general lack of convo topics.
 
I think it was early 94 to Aug 96, which is when I started my 22-year run at PennWell.

Speaking of Bobba-Choo, I just had a three-meat dinner from Alpha Grill at Mall 31 (31st & Sheridan). Pretty damn tasty and now I must go night-night for a bit.

You’re a baby. I worked for the Herald from 81-82 in the sports dept which consisted of one writer and wherever else they needed while I was in high school.
 
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It was definitely a one-man show. Write the stories, take your own photos, develop the film, and lay out your pages. I was actually the one who yelled STOP THE PRESSES! when the OKC bombing went down since we printed every morning.
 
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It was definitely a one-man show. Write the stories, take your own photos, develop the film, and lay out your pages. I was actually the one who yelled STOP THE PRESSES! when the OKC bombing went down since we printed every morning.
I don’t know how we never crossed paths back then. Both working sports in Tulsa. Both playing soccer with many of the same people. Strange.
 
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maybe you lived in different dimensions, like Lost or the Upside Down. Maybe that’s where Ripppin comes from.
What’s really incredible is that the US government has made significant strides into next dimension research in the last year thanks to some policy shifts. The people making those policy changes and many of the people performing the research are from the Tulsa area and once had jobs like writing sports coverage for the classic gridiron battles between Hooker and Beaver in the 2A playoffs. But the Upside Down is real and so is the lab. No word on whether Matthew Modine is really kidnapping kids though.
 
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What’s really incredible is that the US government has made significant strides into next dimension research in the last year thanks to some policy shifts. The people making those policy changes and many of the people performing the research are from the Tulsa area and once had jobs like writing sports coverage for the classic gridiron battles between Hooker and Beaver in the 2A playoffs. But the Upside Down is real and so is the lab. No word on whether Matthew Modine is really kidnapping kids though.

I thought that was Tom Hanks.
 
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I think Burn Co is highly overrated. Everyone, where I work, loves it so we order it for every all-company gathering and I just don't get it.

I'll eat it, but I just don't get the obsession that some people have. I personally think Dink's BBQ in Bartlesville is far better than Burn Co.
 
I think Burn Co is highly overrated. Everyone, where I work, loves it so we order it for every all-company gathering and I just don't get it.

I'll eat it, but I just don't get the obsession that some people have. I personally think Dink's BBQ in Bartlesville is far better than Burn Co.
Truth.

40 years later and it is still criminally under mentioned on the Best Okie BBQ lists
 
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I don’t know how we never crossed paths back then. Both working sports in Tulsa. Both playing soccer with many of the same people. Strange.

It is odd. I had lunch with Coach Self one day when he was at ORU. It was the old John Starks restaurant at 61st & Memorial. He walked in with those huge thick glasses he wore back then before he got Lasik and I remember thinking, Damn, what a tool. He's gonna fail miserably. Funny how quickly my thinking changed lol.
 
Wellston is that kind of place. I won’t do it justice, but the story is great. The line was maybe 45 minutes on a Friday. I hadn’t had any time off due to you know what, so my buddy and I met up with some OKC friends (and prestige level TU alumni) and it was worth it. The brisket and burnt ends were amazing. Burn Co’s regular brisket was inspired by Billy Simms.

I also saw several people in TU gear. I had to scratch my head on that. The dirt was too red for blue and gold.

Buffalo Barbecue up in Sperry is like that. Have you been to Mac’s? Many people think it is better than Burn Co and they aren’t wrong. After that, a lot of times the small town places are too much like Bad Brad’s in Pawhuska, which is to say about as inspiring as Rib Crib.

You make an interesting point about Burn Co and the manufactured experience. It’s not so bad on Saturdays, if you have the time. But the cashiers take an amazing amount of time with each customer. Also, many of the customers haven’t read the menu until they get to front of line (which is amazing because it is normally on a screen). That’s true Okie. I went earlier this week with my brother and it wasn’t bad, but also seemed kind of sad with Covid.

I miss the early days with the old co-owner. It went a little faster and he would always try to make you a deal on something good. Since he left, it seems like more of a money grab. I tried the old “what’s left” trick a couple of years back and the lady wanted me to guess what they had. I didn’t go back for a time.

I’ve always thought that Burn Co should auction off one golden ticket a year for charity. Gets you to front of line and guarantees you something good. You could pay for some teachers with that.

Damn. Gold knows about the Butcher Block in Wellston.

There goes the neighborhood.
 
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Has anyone tried 1907 BBQ at Cabin Boys Brewery? I read their sliced brisket is supposed to be top notch. Hoping to get by there in the next week or two.
 
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Has anyone tried 1907 BBQ at Cabin Boys Brewery? I read their sliced brisket is supposed to be top notch. Hoping to get by there in the next week or two.
Been meaning to go for over a year. It keeps weirdish hours.
I tried it about 6 or so weeks ago with a caveat. I went there around 6:30ish. They were out of brisket. The ribs and sausage were pretty good. They told me to show up around 5, to ensure I would have a shot at Brisket. It seemed a little pricey. I'll wait till I try their brisket to give it a full review.
 
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I think so. The building is for rent. There hasn’t been anything official said. It had really been struggling. We got it often. I still think it was the best in town, but it could be inconsistent. Ribs were great when they were done right. Sides were the best around.

It closed about 15 years ago for a year or so. Maybe it makes a comeback again. That’s a tough business.
 
There was a place about 10 or so years ago on Pine and Harvard called Carls. Seriously was the best place but the lack of a clean inside made you wonder how bad it was in the pit and kitchen.
 
I'm a big fan of Mac's. I wish it were closer than Skiatook, but it is well worth the trip. I need to go back on a day they serve Beef Ribs. I've heard they are manna from Heaven.

Has anyone tried Oakhart BBQ in the Pearl District?
 
I think so. The building is for rent. There hasn’t been anything official said. It had really been struggling. We got it often. I still think it was the best in town, but it could be inconsistent. Ribs were great when they were done right. Sides were the best around.

It closed about 15 years ago for a year or so. Maybe it makes a comeback again. That’s a tough business.
It's tough to make it as a lunch only establishment. It's in a tough part of town to be a lunch/dinner place.
 
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