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 record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. 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.
The details, verified.
- 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
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.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Barbecue in Oklahoma City Oklahoma City, OK · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit Leo's Bar-B-Q
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for Leo's Bar-B-Q (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
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 for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
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.