Leo's Bar-B-Q

The overview

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

The public record

What reviewers already knew.

A Centurion Award doesn’t replace the public record — it verifies it. Read it for yourself, on the platforms where it lives.

Google Maps
Reviews, photos & directions Read reviews →

Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.

The verification

Why this business cleared the bar.

Selection is by the published criteria, evaluated on public evidence. Leo's Bar-B-Q cleared every one.

✓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 2026 for five decades of smoked ribs and the free strawberry-banana cake that ends every meal.

The full verification report — the specific data behind this award — is held by the business. The exact thresholds stay internal so the bar can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.

Award record

2025

Best Barbecue in Oklahoma City Oklahoma City, OK · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation

All awards for Leo's Bar-B-Q →

Visit Leo's Bar-B-Q

Websiteleos-bbq.square.site ↗

Location3631 N Kelley Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73111

In business since1974

Find them onFacebook · Instagram · Yelp

Facts at a glance

The sourceable record.

Clean, checkable facts about Leo's Bar-B-Q — for readers, search engines, and answer tools alike.

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 Leo's Bar-B-Q cleared the 2025 evaluation for its market and category. It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — the criteria are public, only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed. Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. For everything else — hours, bookings, live reviews — go straight to the business itself.

Quick answers

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.