Gates Bar-B-Q

After living many years in both Oklahoma City and Austin, that still does not make me a barbecue expert. I did not try to order the more exotic dishes at most restaurants, and it was usually brisket in Austin and pulled pork in Oklahoma. One reason I like Gates s that it provided a revelation about what barbecue could be if they step it up a little bit.

I have made comments about how much I like the brisket sandwich at Joe’s KC Bar-B-Que restaurant, but when it came to trying Gates BBQ, it was obvious that I needed to venture into some new territory. My inaugural meal here was an attempt to get two small portions of meat so that I could try more than one thing (because they said this would be less expensive than ordering a combination plate). In case you want to try what is pictured here, though, it is  “Nooner, add 2 bones.” I think I have it figured out, or at least I know how it tasted.

The Barbecue

Ribs

The “Bones” was their small order of ribs, which I think is one of their more popular items. This reminded me very much of Oklahoma BBQ, especially with the way the sauce was made. It was flavorful, had a little bit of a kick, and didn’t get in the way of experiencing the flavor of the meat. I did not figure out why it was served on bread, and I knew I would not have a large enough appetite to eat it anyway.

Brisket

The “Nooner” is the weekday lunch special served Monday through Friday, on which I got a very interesting sandwich with french fries on the side. I think this was their Combo Sandwich served at a lower price than normal. What it looked like was a brisket sandwich, which I thought was as good as the brisket at Joe’s. It was topped, though, by burnt ends which not only elevated the sandwich quite a bit, but also might have brought my enjoyment of the brisket to the point that I thought it was as good as the one at Joe’s. I really liked the burnt ends, and thought this was a very creative way to serve them. Just in case anyone is wondering, I do recommend this sandwich which makes both the brisket and the burnt ends more enjoyable than having either one of them separately. In fact in some ways it makes my recommendation of Joe’s brisket sandwich moot because brisket can be elevated by adding a number of other meats on top for enhanced flavor. I still like Joe’s sandwich, though, when I want something simple but good.

Drinks
One disappointment here was that the only tea they had was sweetened. There are other drinks–just not unsweetened tea.

Other Considerations
There are several locations of Gates and Son’s BBQ (the official name) so take your pick.

The daily specials Mon-Fri seem to be a very big deal both on their price and on what you are likely to order. The fact that everything seems to be good reduces the need to order any specific item.

RATING: 26

Cuisine: Barbecue
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: No

Most Recent Visit: Jun. 11, 2026
Number of Visits: 1
Best Items: Brisket, Burnt Ends, Ribs

Special Ratings

	Brisket
	Burnt Ends
	Ribs