Les BBQ — Restaurant in Draper

I have been watching les On TikTok for quite some time and Been a follower and supporter of his social media. This man knows how to advertise, so much so that I have come from Colorado to try his barbecue.

His new brick and mortar facility is located in a convenient area with lots of parking, but the seating inside is very limited (a quick mention for my ADA friends The tables are bar top height) I arrived around 3 PM and there was an open table. The restaurant itself is very clean and the staff is Very friendly, I was greeted immediately upon opening the door and wished a good day while leaving. My order process was very quick and efficient. I can’t emphasize how much care is taken by the staff to keep this place spotless.

I ordered the three meat plate $27 Which comes with three meats, two sides and a drink. The meats that I chose were the three hitters: oxtail +$7, oxtail sausage+$3, and the king of barbecue, brisket +$3. I had dirty rice and mac & cheese as a side. My total was $41 and some change for one meal with their three premium meat choices.

My food came out in a short time steaming hot. The presentation in the box for the meat was done very well, and the portions were very generous ( I had a good portion of left overs) Which made the price point much more palatable.

Everything was well seasoned, including the sides, the bark on the brisket and the oxtail were a The work of an experienced pitmaster, under this is a prominent smoke ring, with decent smoke flavor. The seasoning is pepper forward, very tender with a great flavor. The ox tail was not candy red, but it did have a beautiful bark and was fall off the bone tender, The sausage was flavorful moist with a snappy casing. I enjoyed the sausage. The mac & cheese was moist and cheesy with great seasoning. The dirty rice was cooked appropriately with good seasoning as well. Everything was done well you can tell that effort and experience are put into the product.

My conclusion on the food is this; it is a very solid barbecue restaurant establishment with original branding and flair. Is this the best barbecue that I’ve had? The answer is a simple no. I’ve had the pleasure of eating brisket from the likes of Tootsie Tomanetz, and Arron Franklin, and the young gun Chuck Charnichart. The epitome of Texas barbecue. Les Does very well with his own Texas style. Would I travel to Draper, Utah specifically for this barbecue again? No. I will say that if I am in the SLC area, I would definitely come to eat this barbecue again.

Les… The entire time I was present, the staff was busy working and if they weren’t serving customers, they were cleaning. This is a well trained staff. The place is spotless and I was impressed By the staff and their ability to keep busy with task while they were not helping customers. Thank you for the great BBQ and the entertainment on TikTok. I was going to meet you. I’ll be back before I leave Friday to try the rest of the meats on your menu before I leave town. I wanted to additionally support your business by purchasing a T-shirt but $120 is out of my bbq shirt budget! Let A fan know when we get those $30...

The Good: Brisket was very good, and ribs were pretty good. Barbecue sauce was fantastic, and is everything I could ever want in a barbecue sauce. Flavorful and sweet, I wish I could buy it at the grocery store for the rest of my life.

The Bad: Despite the few good food selections they may have, the good selections are all the most expesive by a longshot. I didn't try the banana pudding, brisket beans, or oxtail, but I would guess they are very good. My review is drawn down heavily by the fact that the rest of their menu that our party tried is pretty sad. Mac and Cheese is okay, but the noodles were very overcooked. Dirty rice was not very impressive. Again, the rice was very overcooked and the meat in it was so dry it was more like jerky. Not very flavorful.

Loaded baked potato was not what I would call "Loaded". It had a tiny squirt of sour cream, no butter that I could see, a few spring onions, and a bunch of NACHO CHEESE. Nacho cheese on a baked potato tastes stranger than you would expect. The baked potato itself was moist and cooked to perfection, but of the six people in our party, no one liked the dish overall enough to finish it. (You guys are charging quite a bit for a potato, would it kill you to just put real cheese, bacon, and more than 1ml of sour cream? We can get better fixins at Texas Roadhouse on a potato for $1)

Not a lot of sitting space, but that's not a big deal to me. I didn't appreciate the cashier casually trying to upsell on Banana pudding like it's just a little add on when they are charging $7 for it.

After $20 on a 1 meat plate, my wife (who doesn't usually eat a lot) wasn't even full and I wasn't full either with what I had chosen... So if you really want to be full and get all the good stuff that's worth getting... be prepared to pay $30-50 per person.

Conclusion: If you have money coming out of your ears and can spend $30-50 on lunch, get a brisket sandwhich and mac and cheese (and maybe a few other things... banana pudding maybe?) and you'll be happy with how the most expensive food on the menu tastes.

Personally, I don't feel like I should be weighing in my mind whether I need to buy two $16 snadwhiches an $8 side and a $7 dessert in order to be full for a single meal. Maybe I'm just too poor to enjoy places like this, but seriously, the other menu items that are not premium are pretty sad, which is a shame because they are still expensive. Probably won't come back here unless I win the lottery.

They asked for my review in exchange for a soda, and I do appreciate that they didn't ask for a 5 star review because that means they are not wholly just buying reviews.

Spending $40 to leave hungry, and have a bunch of sad menu items detracted a lot from how good the BBQ sauce...

What’s up, y’all! Gather ‘round as I spin the tale of our venture into the smoky realms of Les BBQ in Draper, Utah. When my brother-in-law threw down the gauntlet, we couldn’t resist the call of the ’cue.

First Impressions:

Rolling up to Les BBQ, we were met with a cozy setup—inside seating maxed out at about ten souls, and every spot was claimed. Outside, a couple of picnic tables beckoned, but alas, they too were occupied. With no throne to park our rumps, we opted for a takeout feast.

Ambiance:

Inside, the vibe was modern with a dash of urban flair—graffiti-style lettering adorned the walls, and a grand display of Texas pride, possibly featuring a bull, set the scene. Surprisingly, the air lacked that signature smoky embrace we barbecue aficionados crave. The atmosphere was more “fast-food chill” than “honky-tonk thrill.”

Menu Musings:

As we perused the offerings, my young’un struck up a convo with a fellow patron who didn’t mince words about the sides needing some jazz. Taking heed, we mirrored his picks to see for ourselves.

Unexpected Perks:

Before we could holler our order, the pitmasters blessed us with samples of pulled pork, oxtail, and sausage. That oxtail? Tender and flavorful—a true delight. The sausage had potential but left me yearning for a snappier casing. In hindsight, doubling down on these might’ve been the play.

The Main Event:

We went all in with two two-meat plates and a single meat plate, totaling $73. While barbecue ain’t known for being light on the wallet, the portions had us raising an eyebrow. Here’s the lowdown: • Pulled Pork: The misses noted it was on the dry side, and I tipped my hat in agreement. • Brisket: Reminiscent of cafeteria fare from days past—not the melt-in-your-mouth experience we hankered for. • Dirty Rice & Beans: Both had a salty kick, possibly from a heavy hand with the seasoning or canned origins. • Mac & Cheese: Looked like a dream, but my newfound dairy detour kept me at bay. The eldest gave it a nod of approval, though. • Toast: Standard barbecue toast—not the store-bought kind, but nothing to write home about.

A smidge more sauce might’ve bridged the gaps, as a good barbecue sauce can be the hero of any plate.

Final Thoughts:

Les BBQ has its highs and lows. While some dishes didn’t hit the high notes we anticipated, others sang a savory tune. If you’re in the Draper area and have a hankering for barbecue, it’s worth a shot—just keep your expectations in check and maybe have a backup plan for seating. Until next time, keep those fires burning and the...