Earls Rib Palace

What Earls Rib Palace does

Earl's Rib Palace is a privately held, full-service Oklahoma-style barbecue restaurant chain founded on June 20, 1996, in Oklahoma City. The company operates five physical locations across the Oklahoma City metropolitan area (Western Avenue, Memorial Road, Edmond, Yukon, and Reno, with Reno currently closed due to October 2024 fire damage), employing over 200 people and serving as a regional BBQ institution approaching its 30th anniversary in 2026. The business is owned and operated by two lifelong Oklahoma City friends who inherited proprietary dry-rub and sauce recipes from pitmaster Earlywine 'Earl' Jackson via his great-grandson Merle Jackson.

The core product is slow-smoked barbecue prepared over Oklahoma hickory kindling using the founder's proprietary dry rub, featuring brisket, ribs, pulled pork, smoked turkey, multiple sausage varieties, and smoked bologna, accompanied by a portfolio of house-made sides (baked beans, cob corn, mac and cheese, coleslaw, potato salad, fried okra, etc.). Revenue is generated through dine-in service, takeout and delivery via the Toast Tab online ordering platform, full-service catering for groups of 10+ through TapTapEat, weekday lunch specials ($7-$12), seasonal holiday meal packages, and a digital and physical gift card program. A proprietary loyalty program (Pig Points) awards 1 point per dollar spent at $0.06 redemption value, with sign-up and birthday bonuses. The chain is a certified Made in Oklahoma (MIO) business, reinforcing local sourcing and Oklahoma brand identity. All revenue streams operate on a transactional, pay-as-you-go pricing model with no subscription, enterprise contract, or recurring billing component, and the company has no disclosed outside capital, no parent company, and no subsidiary structure.

Name

Earls Rib Palace

Legal name

Earl's Rib Palace

Website

https://earlsribpalace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Earl's Rib Palace is a privately held Oklahoma-style barbecue restaurant chain founded in 1996, operating five locations in the Oklahoma City metro area. It serves dine-in, takeout, delivery, catering, and holiday meal customers using proprietary dry-rub recipes slow-smoked over Oklahoma hickory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

BBQ Restaurant / Casual Dining

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

BBQ & Smokehouse Fast Casual (THAFABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Casual Dining Restaurants (THAFACAB)

Keywords

• Smoked bbq restaurant
• Bbq catering services
• House-made sides
• Loyalty rewards program
• Oklahoma barbecue

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Revenue from customers dining at five Oklahoma City metro locations. Includes weekday lunch specials and regular menu items.
2. Takeout and Delivery: Online ordering through Toast Tab platform for takeout and delivery from all locations.
3. Catering Services: Full-service catering for groups of 10+ with customizable packages including meats, sides, and beverages. Also offers boxed lunches and burger/potato bars.
4. Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards sold online and at all locations, redeemable across all five locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Earl's Rib Palace operates a multi-location Oklahoma BBQ restaurant chain serving slow-smoked meats (ribs, brisket, pulled pork, turkey, sausages) seasoned with a proprietary dry rub and smoked over Oklahoma hickory, alongside house-made sides. The business offers dine-in service at five Oklahoma City metro locations, supplemented by online ordering for takeout and delivery, full-service catering for groups of 10+, weekday lunch specials, holiday meal packages, gift cards, and a customer loyalty rewards program (Pig Points).

Product overview

Earl's Rib Palace is a single-brand BBQ restaurant chain operating as a unified product offering. The core product is slow-smoked Oklahoma BBQ served across five metro Oklahoma City locations. The portfolio consists of on-premises dining, takeout, and delivery services featuring smoked meats (brisket, ribs, pulled pork, turkey, sausage varieties) sold by weight or as complete meals, family-style bundles, sandwiches, grilled items, and house-made sides. Adjacent offerings include a loyalty program (Pig Points), digital and physical gift cards, full catering services with multiple package tiers, and seasonal holiday meal packages. All locations offer dine-in, curbside pickup, delivery, and catering, integrated through third-party ordering platforms (Toast Tab, TapTpeat).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Family Packs Pre-selected meal bundles designed to feed multiple people: Rib Pack (1 slab ribs, 2 pints sides, feeds 3-4, $42); Pig Pack (1.5 lbs meat, 2 pints sides, feeds 3-4, $52); Big Pig Pack (1 slab ribs + 1.5 lbs meat, 2 quarts sides, feeds 4-6, $90). All served with sides, toast, pickles, and onion.
• Meats by the Pound Individual smoked meats sold by weight: slab ribs ($28), half slab ($16), chopped brisket ($26), sliced brisket, pulled pork ($19), smoked turkey, smoked chicken breast, polish sausage ($17), hot links, jalapeno sausage, and smoked bologna ($14).
• Dinners Full dinner plates served with choice of two famous sides, 'Okie' toast, and something green. Options include Earl's Binge ($20), The Big Earl two-meat combo, rib dinner, sliced/chopped brisket, pulled pork ($18), smoked chicken breast, smoked turkey, polish sausage, hot link, jalapeno sausage, and smoked bologna. Light portions available for $2 less.
• Sandwiches Slow hickory-smoked meats piled high on buns: The Smokestack (chopped brisket and hot link with cole slaw), The Big Earl Sandwich, and various single-meat sandwiches. Served with one side, pickle, and red onion.
• Grill Items Grilled items including half-pound hamburger, half-pound cheddar burger, grilled chicken sandwich, and grilled chicken dinner. Served with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, and curly fries.
• Baked Potatoes Loaded baked potatoes including basic loaded, super loaded (topped with smoked meat), and The King (topped with chopped brisket, hot link, and smothered with baked beans).
• House-made Sides House-made side dishes available in single, pint, or quart sizes: curly fries, baked beans, cob corn, mustard potato salad, original potato salad, fried okra, green beans, mac & cheese, house-made chips, baked potato, and coleslaw.
• Weekday Lunch Specials Weekday lunch deals: Monday Super Loaded Potato ($10); Tuesday Rib Basket ($12); Wednesday Pulled Pork Sandwich ($7); Thursday Cheddar Burger ($12). Available Mon-Thu 11am-3pm.
• Catering Services Full-service BBQ catering for groups of 10+ with three package tiers: Package 1 (1 meat, 2 sides, $14/person); Package 2 (2 meats, 2 sides, $15/person); Package 3 (3 meats, 3 sides, $17/person). Includes relish tray, sauces, bread, plates, napkins, and plasticware. Add-ons include Boxed Lunch ($12/person), Burger Bar, and Baked Potato Bar ($13/person).
• Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards redeemable at all five Earl's Rib Palace locations. Digital cards sent electronically to recipients via the Toast Tab platform.
• Pig Points Rewards Program Customer loyalty rewards program where customers earn 1 Pig Point per dollar spent; each point is worth $0.06 toward future purchases. Includes a 10-point sign-up bonus and $10 birthday bonus points annually. Account tracks spending across all locations and online orders via the Toast Tab integration.
• Holiday Meals Seasonal holiday meal packages including the Turnkey Turkey Feast (smoked turkey breast with sides, feeds 6-8 for $130, double order +$120), Holiday Hams (smoked spiral-cut glazed ham, $70), and Smoked Turkey Breasts ($70), with full holiday catering services available.

Quantifiable outcome

• Each point is worth $0.06 towards future purchases
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Toast TabcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline ordering platform for takeout and delivery orders. Customers can place orders for all five locations through Toast Tab website. Also used for gift card sales and loyalty program management.
• TapTapEatcoreTechnology or IntegrationCatering ordering platform for groups of 10+. Enables customers to place catering orders online for all locations with package customization options.
• Made in Oklahoma CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState program certifying Oklahoma-based businesses. Earl's Rib Palace is a certified MIO business, supporting and using Oklahoma products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Billy Sims BBQ: Oklahoma-based BBQ chain founded by former NFL running back Billy Sims; multiple metro and statewide locations. Direct regional competitor with similar dine-in/takeout/catering model and locally-rooted BBQ positioning.
• Famous Dave's: National full-service BBQ chain known for hickory-smoked meats, family meals, and catering. Comparable dine-in plus catering business model with proprietary seasoning recipes and a multi-unit footprint.
• Smokey Bones: Casual dining BBQ-focused chain with locations across the U.S. Offers smoked meats, ribs, burgers, and bar service - similar full-service restaurant experience with broader menu than Earl's.
• Oklahoma Joe's BBQ: KC-area BBQ concept that earned national acclaim after appearing on Anthony Bourdain's show; operates catering and restaurant locations. Comparable hickory/wood-smoked meats menu with strong regional identity.
• Dickey's Barbecue Pit: Large national BBQ franchise with hundreds of locations across the U.S. Offers dine-in, takeout, catering, and proprietary rub/sauce recipes - closely aligned operating model, though at significantly larger scale than Earl's.
• Swadley's BBQ: Oklahoma-founded BBQ restaurant chain with locations across the OKC metro and surrounding region. Direct competitor offering smoked meats, family meals, and catering with comparable price points and service model.
• Sonny's BBQ: Florida-based BBQ chain with 90+ company and franchise locations offering slow-smoked meats, family packs, and catering. Closely comparable in product mix (ribs, brisket, pulled pork) and casual dine-in service model.
• Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q: Texas-based BBQ chain selling meats by the pound with family meals and catering. Comparable meats-by-weight pricing model and counter-service style; primarily a regional player but broadly similar concept.

Broad incumbents

• Arby's: National QSR chain (Inspire Brands) with a BBQ-leaning sandwich and smoked-meat menu (gyros, brisket, smoked pork). Broad incumbent in adjacent fast-casual protein category competing for the same meal occasions.
• Saltgrass Steak House: Texas Roadhouse-owned casual dining chain featuring steaks, BBQ, and seafood. Broader menu than Earl's but comparable full-service Texas/regional dining experience and scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/43946831305
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/earls-rib-palace
• Instagraminstagram.com/earlsribpalace
• TikToktiktok.com/@earlsribpalace
• Xx.com/earlsribpalace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Earls Rib Palace