Oklahoma Station keeps it simple with a few types of meat available. The Sliced Beef Brisket is cooked for several hours in a smoker using hickory wood, giving it the smoked flavor for which Oklahoma barbecue is famous. My sandwich had excellent quality meat, excellent flavor, and excellent sauce. I really do not think they could do it much better in any of the backwoods barbecue places in eastern Oklahoma that I sampled in my younger days. Many barbecue joints have excellent ribs, but Oklahoma Station is one of the few I have found in which the brisket is of equal quality.

On one visit my serving of brisket was the first to be cut off of the slab of meat that was wrapped in a clear plastic wrapping. I was somewhat alarmed because of the high fat content that was evident on the beef, but the fat was cut off before the serving of meat was expertly sliced and placed on the plate. My thought about this was that this was clearly a high fat meat, likely giving it the flavor that I think is so much better than average, yet individual servings have the fat removed from the outside. I do not know all the secrets of good barbecue, but this seemed to be one of them.

Sliced beef brisket

I haved also noticed that chopped brisket is more popular than the sliced one at many restaurants because the sauce is better able to permeate the meat when it is chopped. At Oklahoma Station, though, I find the meat tender and flavorful enough to eat by itself (although I think it is better with the sauce). Because of the quality of the meat, this is one of the few places that I prefer sliced brisket.

Half order of smoked turkey

Brisket seems to be Oklahoma Station's specialty, but it is not the only meat available. In order to try to stay on a more healty diet, I have tried the Smoked Turkey several times. While the brisket passed one of my tests for good barbecue, that it could be enjoyed plain without adding sauce, the turkey did not quite measure up. Compared to most other barbecue restaurants the turkey here was quite flavorful, and the smoke from cooking was evident, but it was not what I considered to be a great example of Oklahoma barbecue. It was a good healthy meal, though, about which I had no complaints.

I sampled the Polish Sausage and thought it tasted very good, but I still would not recommend it over the brisket. After eating sausage from a Czech town in Nebraska when I was younger, I will not go wild over anything I try now unless it is comparable. Like the turkey, though, just because the sausage at Oklahoma Station is not the best I have tasted does not mean it is not good.

Brisket and pork tenderloin

I have found the Pork Tenderloin to be among the restaurant's top three meat choices (unless I want to get turkey as a healty alternative), with the flavor, texture, and lack of too much fat all being top notch. The funny thing is that many barbecue restaurants do not offer this type of meat, even though I do not think Oklahoma Station offers a large number of choices compared to other restaurants. Oklahoma Station also has pulled pork (which most other restaurants also serve), but the pork tenderloin was the winner for me.

Pork spare ribs

The Pork Spare Ribs were excellent, and probably equal in quality to the brisket (and equal to the ones at several other very good barbecue restaurants). I thought they had a good combination of smoky flavor, tenderness, and good quality meat. I have not ordered them as much as at other restaurants, though, because of the fact that Oklahoma Station has several other very good choices that at most other restaurants are not nearly as good as the ribs.

Brisket and pulled pork with two side vegetables

Getting somwhat close to the end of the list of meats to try, I ordered the Pulled Pork on the two-meat dinner along with the brisket (this is a slightly smaller serving of each of the two meats, but it comes out to be a better deal for the money than ordering two individual plates of meat). I thought maybe the meat in the pulled pork had too much fat or something that made it not as flavorful as others I have had (such as at Billy Sims). This plate did confirm, though, that the brisket was probably the best item served at Oklahoma Station (as well as being one of the best in the state of Oklahoma).

The mild and hot sauce were both worthy of high quality meat here. I thought the mild sauce was a little sweet, but one of the best I have tried.

The former branch of Oklahoma Station on Northwest Expressway closed in 2010. The smoker for cooking meat was the same type as the one on N.W. 50th, and the fact that all meat is cooked on site is one of the factors that make this a legitimate Oklahoma style barbecue restaurant.

One outstanding feature of Oklahoma Station, that is not available at all barbecue restaurants, is the excellent selection of side dishes. Dinners come with a choice of two side dishes, and salads or desserts can be subsituted for one of the vegetables. I usually do not want to substitute the vegetables, though, because I enjoy the variety of items here that are not available at many of the barbecue restaurants in town.

The Cole Slaw is the side dish I have tried that I judge to be the best (although the lady in the serving line also suggested the macaroni salad). The sweet cole slaw was one of the best I have tried anywhere, but there is also a vinegar style that I have yet to try.

The Potato Salad had the skin attached, and I thought overall it was better than many in the city but not as flavorful as the one at Billy Sims.

The fried Okra was very good, but I have found the one at Swadley's to usually be better.

Texas toast is served with all plates, and some items such as pickles can be included free if the customer wishes.

Banana pudding

Although several desserts are available, I usually get the Banana Pudding. This is a dessert that seemed to be an integral part of my childhood, and Oklahoma Station brings back fond memories with this simple yet pleasurable dish (and I have a very hard time finding it anywhere else).

I have discovered that high quality iced tea is an integral part to the full enjoyment of a barbecue meal, and the fresh brewed tea here is among the best (sweet tea is also available).