I love barbecue. I mean who doesn't? Oh wait, yeah my husband. He doesn't like barbecue. I know. He hates the sauce. Yeah I know. This is my life. That's a story for another time. A majority of my thoughts today kept leading me back to okra. I got my braces tightened today so I decided to play the victim and guilt him into a barbecue joint. It wasn't as hard as it sounds. Tender meat for a tender jaw, it just seems right. Plus okra! Arriving at the Earl's on Reno, we were greeted immediately by our soon to be waiter JD. We were seated and then after him waiting patiently for us to decide we ordered. Hubs got the smoked turkey sandwhich and was very pleased. ERM, Come again? This speaks volumes of Earl's skills because we are talking just meat and bread, no sauce, cheese or anything. He chose their signature curly fries as his side and he ate every damn thing on that plate. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and of course my side was crispy battered okra. The meat was far from dry and so tender I could handle it with my sensitive jaw. This being my first time at Earl's I had to try both their hot bbq sauce and their original. I am not one of those people who have a good idea of what is spicy and what isn't, but I feel that Earl's spicy sauce is enough to give you the kick you crave but nothing that will annihilate your senses. The batter on the okra was a little heavy but that doesn't mean that it isn't everything that I needed in my life. It was fried perfectly. Not too soft so it's just oily and not too hard to where it's an edible rock with the taste of okras past. Ranch became my temporary best friend as I could drown the okra in it and take away some of the pain from my braces. For the love of okra I was making it happen. I could not complain about one thing. The food was phenomenal. The service was rad. JD was not only patient in dealing with our indecisiveness but made sure that I never knew what the bottom of my cup looked like. Then he did the unthinkable. He ate our dessert. Can you believe that? Who does something like that? NO. Totes just kidding. That would be hilarious. Depressing and enraging but hilarious. Anyway we ordered the blackberry cobbler which homes told me is like everything else there, made from scratch. It was 1 of 2 options (the other being peach) but let's be real if blackberry or bacon are on the menu it's going in my mouth. Then JD got crazy and was like, "Do you want ice cream?" My brain pop up is like uh fuck yes we want ice cream, then I recover and channel my normal human self and say heck yes we would love ice cream. At this point I'm 88% sure that JD lost his GD mind because he asks, "How much ice cream do you want?" Brain pop up is like only enough to bathe in. Then my brain panics because it's overwhelmed by the ice cream situation and JD can tell and he said you can get 1-3 scoops. Calm Cool and Collected I say, "oh, 3. Yeah 3 scoops would be great." Like that was even a real consideration. Back to realness here JD I don't fuck around with sweets. Load me up with as much a la mode magic that Earl's will allow. Was that real, what person who lives in misery chooses 1 scoop over 3? Don't put me around them. I don't need that negativity in my life. I'm assuming that this is going to be one of those mini bowls with the handle that you get from the buffet. You know the ones. They are usually in some earth tone or that signature chocolate brown from the 70's. The ones that make you look like you're 73 when you hold them no matter how old you are. The ones that force that awkward moment of getting to the table to devour your food (while not looking like a savage at the buffet) but yet slow pacing so you don't spill and burn the fuck out of yourself because you were the child that couldn't handle carrying your soup to the table. However JD comes baring this beautiful blackberry baby with 3 GIGANTICNORMOUS scoops of Vanilla Bean ice cream. *Cue eye watering and sensory overload* Y'all I don't know shit about pre workout. My gym friends talk about it all the time crazy with the scoops. I WENT CRAZY WITH THE SCOOPS. Pw scoops don't have shit on Earl's vb scoops. There is this harmony of the blackberries hugging out any differences they had in the past (all families have their arguments) to make a sweet and tart combo that could make the toughest man cry from happiness. The crust pieces in the cobbler were buttery but not so much so that it overpowered the acidity from the berries or the creaminess of the ice cream. It wasnt burnt and it still held up to the liquid in the cobbler and didn't mush under pressure. *raises glass to delicious but durable cobblers everywhere* The ice cream was just melting over the cobbler to make a beautiful off white granite pattern with the specks from the vanilla bean and the deep purple lines/marks from the fruit. My only regret is not being able to finish it and I even shared with Joey. Lucky him, Amirite? Y'all. Don't wait to try Earl's for as long as I did. An if you have had it then it's time for you to go back, I don't care if you just went yesterday go back. I know barbecue can be pricey but it's for the effort, quality, and love they pour into the food. Sometimes they even rub it into the food. See what I did there? You're welcome. We went to the location on Reno in south Oklahoma City but they have quite a few locations around the state. This has certainly been a first trip of many. Locate your Earl's. Order all the things. Especially order the blackberry cobbler. GET THREE SCOOPS. Find inner peace and quite possibly your soul. Repeat as soon as possible.
Think I might recommend that last part be a shirt.
