Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on July 6, 2023.
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Burk's BBQ is now closed.
Burk's BBQ is a popular barbecue spot in Oakmont, PA, just tucked off the main road. After hearing great reviews of this one, I naturally had to make the trip out to see what this one was all about.
A Limited, But Delicious, Menu at Burk's BBQ
The menu at Burk's BBQ is fairly simple, and more or less what I expected of a place that is mostly set-up as a to-go barbecue joint (although there are a few bar seats for those, like me, who simply cannot wait).
Most of the menu items here revolve around sandwiches, which can be as simple as featuring single type of meat to something more complex with multiple meat types loaded together.
Not being one to go basic, I opted for The Standard- a sandwich that was half pulled pork and half brisket that came out quite literally overflowing with meat (as it should be) and topped with smoked gouda.
Both of the meats were quite tender, and while the pork that was on my sandwich didn't have any appreciable bark to speak of, the meat was juicy and had some rather nice smoke flavors to it all the same.
To go along with my meal I ordered one of the few standalone meats offered at the restaurant- a half rack of ribs. This is where I am a bit torn as about half of my ribs had a nice bark and a deep smoke ring throughout, but the other half had no bark or visible smoke ring to speak of.
It was almost like another rack of ribs was stacked on top of mine in the smoker. The meat was cooked quite fine but did not have the wonderful dried bark that the rest of the rack had (although how this happened is purely me speculating). Had this not been the case I would be more glowing in the assessment of the ribs, as they were tender and hit just about everything else I look for with this kind of meat.
The sauces at Burks' BBQ follows a standard spread of regular barbecue sauce a bit on the vinegar side of things, a spicy and extremely spicy, as well as conventional mustard. This is definitely one of those spots where sauces are not required but did feel a bit simple all the same.
To round out the meal I ordered the cowboy baked beans (their most popular side) which is loaded up with onions and bacon- so much that calling the dish beans may be doing it a disservice. My portion really had a ton of bacon in it which I could not get enough of. No matter what you do, this one is a must-try side.
Overall, Burk's BBQ offered some pretty delicious meats and some fairly attractive pricing for what you get. My monster order of ribs, a premium sandwich, beans, and cornbread ran just about $30 and provided ample leftovers as well. Although the bark was a bit of the issue on the ribs, I'm very much looking forward to returning to try them again soon.
Burk's BBQ was located at 319 Maryland Avenue in Oakmont, PA.
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After visiting Burk's, go get a treat at nearby Brr-Kee's Ice Cream or Oakmont Bakery!