When traveling throughout barbecue country there are a few telltale signs that let you know you have found a good "cue" joint. These include outside smokers where the meat is slow cooked and large numbers of vehicles parked outside (particularly pickup trucks) demonstrating the restaurant's popularity with the local population. It does not hurt if the restaurant is actually an old, converted house (this seems to be a requirement for BBQ restaurants in eastern Oklahoma), and of course it must have good food. Fortunately, Mo'Z Barbecue Restaurant has all of these characteristics, and I would even say it is even fancier than a lot of BBQ joints since the former living room of the converted house has been turned into a dining room with several tables (the back bedroom has also been converted into what looks like a bar, but I did not investigate it very thoroughly).

What I did investigate was the Brisket, a slow cooked beef that had been rubbed with the owner's special seasoning and cooked over mesquite wood until it ended up with the classic moist and flavorful meat with a smoke ring along the edge. The brisket sandwich had an intense smoky flavor that is not found in all barbecue restaurants, although any one worth its salt will use a smoker for cooking. I found the smoky flavor to be a throwback to the Oklahoma style barbecue joints I knew while growing up. I think Mo knows how to do it right, although I do not have enough points of comparison to know how this would rate on a statewide basis. Mesquite wood is used quite a bit in authentic Texas barbecue, while hickory wood seems to be the norm in Oklahoma. The sandwich came with a sauce that I thought made it more flavorful, although a brisket plate is also available where it could be eaten without the sauce if desired.

Several types of meat are served, but the employees seemed to indicate that the ribs and brisket were the most popular.

Several sides are available a la carte (I think they come on the plates as part of the meal). The pineapple flavored Cole Slaw was not as memorable to me as the one at Great American, but it was similar with a thin, creamy sauce and fresh cabbage. While many barbecue restaurants have weak side dishes, the slaw here was enjoyable.

Prices are cheap and many people get the food as take-out. I think most people who dine in, though, will find it to be a hoot with the paper plates and plastic forks. In back are the smokers where you may run into the chef and find out why the food here is so good.