Rib Crib in the Blue Dome

[RecycleMichael]

Location(s) Being Reviewed:
Downton at 1st and Detroit 302 E. 1st

Date/Time of Visit:
Thursday June 13, 2013  11:24am

Quality of Food (1-5):
3.5
Everything was fine. Like many of you, I am kind of a BBQ snob. I know what I like and expect it to be the way I do it at home. I went the first week the restaurant was open so I knew that it would be challenging, but everything was fine. I am a critical judge of food in general and you reall have to wow me to get a score of 5.

Menu/Food Options (1-5):
5
They had a lot of choices. I ordered a lunch combo of half rack of baby back ribs and thick cut beef brisket (I like more than one animal and/or vegetable to die for my lunch). They had appetizers from quesadillas to chicken wings to chicken nachos. They sell three different salads, eight different sandwiches ranging from a Philly to a combo thing called a "pigman". They sell burgers included one topped with sliced sausage and eleven different sides orders including "cowboy" beans that are as much sliced brisket as they are baked beans. They also sell stuffed baked potatoes and a fried tortilla wrapped item called a "Bar B Rito".  

You could order ribs of course and also have catfish, fried shrimp, sliced sausage, pulled pork, chicken breasts, smoked turkey or hot links. You can get ribs in baby back or St. Louis style as either dry-rubbed or slathered with a sweet sauce or a tangy version called "spicy Carolina".  

Quality of Service (1-5):
5
They were packed with three cash registers running as you walked in the door. I was greeted by a hostess and then also by the manager after I paid. I mentioned that I knew the building well and the district manager came over and gave me a full tour including the kitchen. I got my food to go in about 8 or 9 minutes. I learned the kitchen was a whole new design for the chain with all the hot things added last and larger work areas in food prep. I saw at least fifteen people handling food and another five or six handling cash registers and cleanup.

Atmosphere (1-5):
5
They have done a beautiful job taking my old broken down warehouse and making it shine. The outdoor dining area separated by a glass wall gives a great downtown dining sidewalk experience and the main room is solid wooden tables and chairs. They did a great job on the brickwork and the lighting make everything shine. You can be too slick when serving BBQ, but it felt comfortable and clean.

Overall Rating (1-5):
4.5

Price ($-$$$$$):
$$
I had the Texas brisket and ribs, with cowboy beans, corn on the cob and fries for $12.99. With tax it was $14.10 without a drink. That is too much to spend for lunch each day, but I got a lot of food and liked it very much.

What makes this restaurant unique:
The location makes it worth going to. I suspect the downtown lunch crowd will insure that it succeeds and I think it will be a cornerstone of moving the viable Blue Dome district a little bit to the west. Detroit is the new Elgin. The building is spectacular. It has raised the bar on all other remodels in the area and everything was done first class. I love the simplicity and feel of Elote and the Phoenix Cafe but what they have done with this remodel is simply stunning.

It is also a great Tulsa success story. They opened a single restaurant 21 years ago on Harvard and now are in 8 states including as far away as Florida and northern Iowa. I have eaten at many of their stores and at times the quality has suffered, but my experiences are mostly positive. I have used them to cater some big parties of 200 and they have usually come through fine.  

Tell us about your experience:
My brisket was a little too thick a cut. It felt a little dry but after I put on the sauce, it was good. It had good flavor and was just the perfect amount of crunchy outside and pull apart texture on the inside. The ribs were better. I asked for and got some ends and they were cooked well but not overdone. While I appreciate dry-rubbed Memphis style BBQ the most, my desire today was more KC style of lathered in a sweet sauce. Their sauce seems very similar to Head Country that I use at home and purchase at a local grocery.

The fries are seasoned with pepper and a little over-cooked. The corn on the cob was plain with nothing on it and I wish they had added butter to my to go option. The cowboy beans were very good would be a great meal for my teenage son who eats more than most and needs protein for football workouts. I will always get the beans as one of my side choices from now on.

This is going to be a nice place to get BBQ downtown. I will have no problems taking out-of-towners here especially on an evening when we are trying to eat before a concert or ball game.

[sgrizzle]

Location: I will say this is the nicest buildout of an existing structure in downtown, by far. They appear to have put far more into making the building look good than anyone else. The indoor/outdoor patio that is a fancier version of Joe Momma's. More signage than the rest of Blue Dome combined, stained concrete and great flow to the space. Even when it's packed it doesn't feel packed.

They have a few "new restaurant" issues but far less than most places. By and large they are on top of everything. Ordering when you walk in will serve them well in terms of speedy food times. You can also get a good grasp when you walk in of how long you'll be there. Food arrives in about 5 minutes after you order. They are using paper-lined trays and paper bowls to lower the amount of cleanup. A speed-optimized menu is above the 4 ordering stations for quick ordering. Definitely can eat here on a lunch hour with no problems. Free ice cream on the way out is nice, although they need a trash can outside for wrappers.

I'm not a BBQ snob. I want consistent, fast, good service and not too expensive. Every BBQ restaurant I have gone to that is supposed to be amazing has failed at one or more of those things. I don't care if you use special wood or get deeper smoke penetration if I have to wait half an hour for my food, get crappy service, don't have a place to site or get little food for the price. If you can give me good service quickly for a good price, I'll eat your barbecue.

Rib Crib might as well be investigated for counterfeiting, because it will look like they are printing money it at this location.

[Gaspar]

We taught a class at the Stock Pot last night and one of the guys came up to me after the class to discuss the RibCrib downtown.  He said he was there yesterday for lunch and they were packed at 1pm.  He was also impressed with their ability to deal with a very large crowd of people almost effortlessly.  Hope they can keep up the momentum.

I had to commend him for eating a big BBQ lunch and then coming to a BBQ class where he was fed a ton of chicken, pork, beer and roasted corn soufflé. I like a trouper!

[Conan71]

I think Gaspar identified Rib Crib as "fast casual", forgive me if I got that wrong.  One thing Brett Chandler and his team have done well from the start is understanding who their customer is, how to reach them, and how to provide consistently good service with a consistent product from one unit to the next.  He comes by it honest as he used to be a Mazzio's franchisee before he started the RC concept.  It sounds like they went completely outside the box to make the downtown location successful with this new style of ordering.  They understand most people have an hour or less for lunch so they are doing what they can to give them a quick lunch that doesn't look or taste like drive-through food.  I'm pretty certain this location will be one of the bigger producers in the RC chain, especially with catering sales.

On the rare occasion that a client wants to go to Rib Crib, I'm never disappointed when I leave and it's never a major ordeal getting in and back out in a reasonable amount of time.  Their BBQ simply does not overwhelm me, that's my only real issue with it, well other than a few crutches to try and make their product more consistent and tastier.  I'll eventually eat at this location, but I owe Back Alley another visit first.

[davideinstein]

They are running three registers? 

[RecycleMichael]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Rib_Crib_Blue_Dome_Speed_is_priority_for_new_site_serving/20130620_39_WK9_ULNSir134061

Of the 47 other Rib Crib restaurants scattered over eight states, none is quite like the newest version located in downtown Tulsa.

This one even has its own name, Rib Crib Blue Dome, as well as a streamlined menu and fast-casual service approach that is unlike its sister restaurants. "Customers place their orders at the counter, get their drinks and choose a table," said Rib Crib president Marc Chastain. "The food is brought to the table. Our target is eight minutes at the most. Our goal is five minutes. "We don't have a full menu like the other Rib Cribs. This one is almost all barbecue and sides. Speed is a priority here for the lunch crowds and the concert and theater crowds."

We visited on a quiet afternoon when crowds were not an issue and took a seat at one of the high-top tables in the covered patio area with glass garage doors that open to the sidewalk. We ordered the Rib 'N' Chicken ($10.99) and smoked chicken salad ($8.99). Sauces on the table included mild and hot barbecue sauces and a Carolina mustard sauce. My basket included two meaty, tender ribs that almost were falling off the bone and a mound of sliced chicken that was lightly coated in a mildly spicy dry rub. I used a mix of the mild and hot barbecue sauces for the ribs and the tangy mustard sauce for the chicken.

The basket included a half ear of corn on the cob, toast, seasoned fries and the choice of one side. I traded out the fries for coleslaw and selected baked beans for the extra side. The coleslaw was different, as though it was made with something like a barbecue ranch dressing, but flavorful with a simple mix of cabbages and carrots. The thick beans had pieces of brisket or rib ends and a smoky flavor. The salad was huge - a server said it had a half-pound of lettuce - and was full of shredded cheese, smoked chicken and tomatoes and was served with crispy, curly tortilla strips. The menu has a variety of smoked meats, sandwiches, salads, sides and baked potatoes. A children's menu has a choice of ribs, a sandwich or mac and cheese with one side for $4.99 each.

Diners may stop by a stand-alone freezer on the way out to pick up a free Blue Bell Ice Cream dessert item. Tuesday is all-you-can-eat ribs day for $12.99.

The beverage list includes a small selection of beers and four Barefoot wines. My advice is to stick with the beer or have tea, a soft drink or water. Although customers order at the counter, servers and managers are on the floor to take care of diners' needs. The restaurant has three dining areas that seat a total of 127 customers. The rooms have a lot of brick and concrete, and one of the coolest decorations is a large photo of the old Gulf White Star service station once located in the iconic Blue Dome building.

Rib Crib was launched by Bret Chandler in 1992, and 39 of the 48 restaurants are corporate owned, including Rib Crib Blue Dome. "Tulsa is our heritage market, and the Blue Dome District is a heritage area," Chastain said. "It has been 15 years since we opened a new Tulsa property, so we're excited about this restaurant."

[Rogers64]

Forum Friends,

Just about a half-century ago, I used to babysit for Brett Chandler and his siblings. His grandparents lived next door to us, and his parents, Don and Pat, were good friends. Don, who was called "Babe," was a kicker for the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers. I used to shag footballs for Babe during the off season. As I remember, Brett was a fiesty little guy. He was the ring-bearer at my wedding.

Regards,
Mike

[DolfanBob]

http://smgspecialevents.wix.com/getsaucedtulsa/?_wcsid=A1DB1E02BE700A99CD491DD6BC646E5D508BC6750EF7561C54FC9C67392BA92E