Dink's Pit Bar-B-Que

2929 E. Frank Phillips Blvd., Bartlesville, OK - (918) 335-0606

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Posted By Michael Stern on 10/31/2008 4:23:00 PM

A Bartlesville barbecue beacon since 1982, Dink's cooks brisket, spare ribs, and pork tenderloin over hickory smoke in an outdoor pit. When plated, the meat is brushed with a judicious amount of marvelous red-orange sauce that has a deep, tangy flavor, but not so much punch that it in any way detracts from the elegant flavor of what it adorns. A hotter version of the sauce is available, and we liked it so much that we dipped our toasted bun in the bowl, bite for bite.

The spare ribs were so good that we left only denuded bones on the plate; the brisket, while a bit dry, had a deep smoke flavor, and was fully revived with a squirt or two of Dink's sauce. Both are served, curiously, with a single green onion as a garnish on the plate. Subjects for future research on our return include the pig dinner – pork loin cooked in smoke 4-6 hours, smoked ham, smoked sausage, and a Dink's burger (the last, only because Oklahoma hamburger standards are so high everywhere in the state).

It's a big, multi-room establishment, occupied the night we dined by a widely varied clientele of couples and families, a large group of festive square dancers, a table of local ambulance personnel, some guys in overalls, others in pressed slacks and button-down shirts. Décor is cowpoke style, meaning mounted steer horns, pictures of hunters, cowboys, and Indians, and displays of the "Barbed Wire that Fenced the West."

Scorecard

Overall: Legendary - Worth driving from anyplace

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Reviewers Photos [Upload Your Photos]

"The pig platter features a large portion of well-sauced pork meat. The crusty burnt parts are especially flavorful."
Cliff Strutz

"The brisket is sliced thin, and while it does not ooze juice, its flavor is exemplary. And this is one of the few briskets that we feel is dramatically improved by the application of sauce."
Michael Stern

"Dink's cole slaw is especially good: glistening bright, tart, and refreshing. Here it is accompanied by a bowl of pinto beans. Baked beans and green beans are also available."
Michael Stern

"Big, chunky spare ribs have soul and savor that, in our opinion, puts wimpy baby-backs in the shade."
Michael Stern

"Two more of Dink's sides get the thumbs up: the crunchy, salty fried okra and the well-seasoned green beans."
Cliff Strutz

"Barbecue eating is messy business. Each table at Dink's is outfitted with mounds of napkins to deal with drips and spillage."
Michael Stern

"Along with really good barbecue, you can also get a lesson on the history of barbed wire at Dink's."
Cliff Strutz

"Dink's on a rainy autumn night. Even as it poured and thundered, there was no avoiding the alluring aroma of hickory-smoked meat permeating the parking lot as we made a dash from our car to the front door."
Michael Stern