96th BBQ - The phoenix pit
By Josh Foreman
Loaded fries made with the brisket and rib meat from 96th BBQ
After a tragic fire that closed down 96th BBQ, a new competitor of Owasso barbecue took up the torch and re-opened the doors. With a new mindset and a fresh start, 96th BBQ is back and ready for business.
Speaking with the new owners, James Taylor and Derrick Bush, I found out their entire outlook not only on barbecue, but on business as a whole. Taylor told me about why he bought the business in the first place – a mixture of his dad’s passion for barbecue and his own eye for business opportunities. Both Taylor and Bush believe that their hard work will pay off in the end. That is what drives them to put everything they have into their business.
“My dad is the whole reason I bought the place. If he didn’t agree to help, I wouldn’t be standing here right now. He’s been smokin’ meats since years before I was born, so I couldn’t have started it without him.”
Taylor and Bush didn’t start their business career in the restaurant business, though. Bush explained how their trucking company started, how it practically runs itself and how they used their skills to branch out into the restaurant business – all while expertly trimming a fresh fifteen-pound brisket hot off the 600-gallon smoker behind him. It’s a pretty big leap to go from trucking to barbecuing, but they both have the tools under their belts to make it a success story.
Now for the exciting part: the food. The menu was extensively tailorable. Being a small startup business, there are limitless options. Tons of sides to choose from, plenty of meal packages and even the amount of salt on your fries are all options they have readily available to give you the perfect meal. The meat itself was juicy and tender, the brisket perfectly seasoned to let the natural flavor of the meat shine, and the ribs weren’t quite fall-off-the-bone tender, so they had a perfect amount of bite to them. They even added what seemed to be beef trimmings to the green beans for an extra fatty flavor. Alongside the plates of meat that they offer are baked potatoes, loaded fries and nachos that can be ordered with almost anything you could ask for.
For a great meal, a night out or even just a conversation, 96th BBQ is the place to be – their southern hospitality and southern-style food are unmatched. When it comes to homestyle barbecue, it doesn’t get much better than this.