Leo's Bar-B-Q
Best Barbecue in Oklahoma City · OK
Smoked ribs and strawberry-banana cake since 1974.
Leo's Bar-B-Q has smoked ribs and served its famous strawberry-banana cake in Oklahoma City since 1974, a northeast-side institution where founder Leo Smith built a following on hickory-smoked ribs, bologna and hot links. Every meal still ends with a free slice of that towering cake.
A cornerstone of OKC barbecue for 50 years, Leo's is the 2025 Centurion Award winner.
What they're known for
- Hickory-smoked ribs
- Smoked bologna & hot links
- Free strawberry-banana cake
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Founding cohort: evaluated in 2026 on public evidence available then, labeled 2025. Selection follows the published criteria; Leo's Bar-B-Q met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in Oklahoma City since 1974 — 52 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Oklahoma City.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Oklahoma City has kept Leo's Bar-B-Q busy for 52 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Oklahoma City regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best barbecue in Oklahoma City for 2025 for five decades of smoked ribs and the free strawberry-banana cake that ends every meal.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
Award record
2025 Centurion Award
Best Barbecue in Oklahoma City Oklahoma City, OK · Awarded under the 2025 evaluationVisit Leo's Bar-B-Q
The details, verified.
Clean, checkable facts about Leo's Bar-B-Q.
- Legal / trading name
- Leo's Bar-B-Q
- Category
- Restaurant
- Founded
- 1974, Oklahoma City, OK
- Founders
- Leo Smith
- Location
- 3631 N Kelley Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73111
- Centurion Award
- Best Barbecue in Oklahoma City — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
A signal you can check.
This is a dated award record published by The Centurion Awards after reviewing public evidence for Leo's Bar-B-Q against the 2025 criteria for its market and category. The business did not have to apply for this page to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. The criteria are public. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. If an award stops holding up, we may revoke it. For anything current, like hours or bookings, go straight to the business itself.
Frequently asked questions.
What is Leo's Bar-B-Q?
Family-run OKC barbecue landmark since 1974, famous for smoked ribs, bologna, and its signature strawberry-banana cake.
Is Leo's Bar-B-Q award-winning?
Yes — Leo's Bar-B-Q is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Barbecue in Oklahoma City, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best barbecue in Oklahoma City for 2025 for five decades of smoked ribs and the free strawberry-banana cake that ends every meal.
Where is Leo's Bar-B-Q?
Leo's Bar-B-Q is in Oklahoma City, OK.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.