Billy Sims BBQ — Restaurant in Owasso

UPDATED REVIEW: Decided to just do some BBQ research in Owasso.... so today I headed to Billy Sim's BBQ for lunch. I ordered the 2 meat dinner with pulled pork and bologna, beans and potato salad, water to drink.

Ordering is simple and not at all confusing. Read from a simple menu, place your order and get in the line to the cash register. Honestly the dude behind the counter was less than congenial, but it didn't impact my lunch or my review. Food was ready soon enough, given the 5 people ahead of me, so I count that as speedy enough.

Food, in tasting order....

The toast.... definitely not the star of the plate. Texas toast instead of regular sliced, so it was more dense and chewy, and only toasted on one side. Who does that? And it wasn't hot or fresh. You could tell it'd been toasted and held for a while. But, you don't go to a BBQ joint for the toast, so that is what it is.

The beans.... BS does what they call 'cowboy beans', and they're good, if not a little one-note. Basically they were canned pork and beans with some meat thrown in and a splash or two of BBQ sauce. I doubt they'd seen the inside of a smoker. They were fine, but they could have been oh so much more with just a little time and effort.

The potato salad.... tender, creamy and packing a subtle but noticeable tang. I wouldn't call it outstanding, but it was a definite addition to the plate. The pulled pork... while having a moderate smoky flavor, it was also dry, lacking any of that fatty, juicy mouth feel that a good pulled pork should have. And, it got cold really quickly, so I suspect their holding process needs to be tweaked. You can hold pulled pork for a good long time without it drying out if you make the effort. The few bits of bark I got were outstanding, they were just few and far between.

The bologna... sliced sandwich thin, there were at least 2 slices. It was pretty well done.... good taste, texture and mouth feel. I felt a little miffed at how thin it was sliced, but I readily admit that's just me. When I do it at home, it's sliced nearly 1/2" thick so you get a good bite. Again, not a detraction here, just an observation. The meats are 1/4lb each, clearly stated when you order, so you know what you're getting.

Personally, I think the portions were a bit light for the money, but I don't run a restaurant and I'm not privy to BS's P&L statements, so that will just remain an opinion and nothing more.

Cost ran to $19.51 for lunch, which is about a buck more than OJ's, but I also got a tad more food and it was a whole lot better, so I think value wise, BS nosed out a win...

As a Celiac, I miss eating meat-heavy meals at restaurants, due to the fact so many restaurants put gluten-containing marinades, seasonings and sauces on their foods.

This past weekend, I was in Oklahoma and stopped by Billy Sims BBQ with my family. This is an order-at-the-counter place with self-serve drinks. I told the guy who took my order that I am celiac and he instinctively grabbed a piece of bread to put in the toaster, caught himself and asked me if I wanted him to change gloves. He and the manager told me that their potato salad, their meats and their sauces are gluten-free!

Aside from their $5.99 sandwich and drink deal which is an amazing value but not gluten-free (my husband ordered it for himself) we got a few items to share with family.

For $21.99 we got a 3 meat plate which came with 2 sides, pickles, peppers, onions and a slice of bread (obviously I didn't get bread.) I chose the polish sausage, sliced brisket and pulled pork along with double potato salad.

My other family members ordered the $12.99 smothered baked potato (jacket potato) that comes with butter, sour cream, cheese, chives, meat, sauce. They wanted to split it so the potato pictured is only half of the potato! It's huge!

This is a casual restaurant chain owned by a former local footballer, and there are locations in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan in the USA.

While the brisket was a tad dry for my tastes, I enjoyed all the sauces, the other meats and sides. The service was great and the price was a fantastic...

I tried to order online prior to their opening time of 10:30 am so I could pick up my order fast. Their system asked me to sign up my email to get a free dessert cup. I really didn't want to but the page was a pain to make go away and it kept popping up, so I signed up my email for the free dessert and went to order my food. When I went to pay, it said that the coupon could only be applied after 12 noon. I was not real happy about the fact that I was almost forced into signing up for the dessert that I didn't even want just so I could make my order, THEN the coupon they were forcing on me didn't even work. I'm not sitting around for an hour and a half just so I could get the dessert. That's when I cancelled the subscription and order and said to myself that since I'm here and it's already like 1032 am and they open at 1030 am, I might as well just go inside and order. So I got out of my vehicle and went to go order inside. When I got to the door it was locked. To hell with these guys. First the online pushyness of desserts and emails that are only valid for part of the day, now they can't even open their doors on schedule? I ended up going to another BBQ place down the street that was recommended by a lot of people. Great atmosphere there and...