P.J.'s Bar-B-Que

Oklahoma sits at an interesting barbecue crossroads — influenced by the Texas brisket-centric tradition to the south, the Kansas City sauce-and-burnt-ends tradition to the north, and the broader Southern pork-barbecue tradition to the east. Oklahoma barbecue draws on all of these influences, and the small-town BBQ joints along Route 66 produce some of the genuine culinary highlights of Mother Road travel.

The Route 66 corridor through Oklahoma includes numerous notable barbecue operations — Jiggs Smoke House in Clinton (a nationally-recognized brisket operation), the various Tulsa and Oklahoma City BBQ joints, and the smaller-town operations like P.J.'s in Chandler. For Route 66 travelers who care about barbecue, planning meal stops around these operations is one of the genuine pleasures of the trip.

P.J.'s fits within this corridor BBQ tradition. The Chandler smokehouse provides the wood-smoked barbecue experience that Route 66 travelers seek, contributing to the broader Oklahoma Route 66 barbecue circuit that distinguishes Mother Road dining from generic interstate-highway chain food.

The menu focuses on the standard smokehouse range. Smoked brisket is typically the marquee item, produced through the slow-smoking process that develops the proper bark, smoke ring, and tender texture. Pork ribs, pulled pork, and smoked sausage round out the meat offerings. The various BBQ sides — beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and others — complete the barbecue meal.

The wood-fired smoking is what distinguishes serious BBQ from the various shortcut methods. Traditional wood smoking requires substantial time, attention, and craftsmanship — the overnight low-and-slow process that develops genuine barbecue flavor and texture. P.J.'s wood-smoked approach produces the authentic barbecue experience that Route 66 travelers seek.

Pricing is mid-range — appropriate for the quality of genuine wood-smoked barbecue. Barbecue is typically sold by weight (for the meats) with sides priced separately or in combination plates. A substantial barbecue meal at P.J.'s typically runs $12-$25 depending on selections.

P.J.'s operating hours can vary, and the BBQ often sells out of specific cuts before closing. Calling ahead is recommended both to confirm current hours and to check availability of specific items, particularly brisket. Arriving earlier in the day improves the odds of getting the full menu selection.

The smokehouse fits naturally into a Chandler Route 66 stop as the barbecue dining option — a step up from the casual roadside-diner experience of the Steer Inn for travelers specifically wanting genuine wood-smoked barbecue. A barbecue lunch at P.J.'s combines well with a morning of downtown Chandler heritage exploration.

For Route 66 travelers building a barbecue-focused Mother Road itinerary, P.J.'s contributes to the Oklahoma Route 66 barbecue circuit alongside Jiggs Smoke House in Clinton and the various other corridor BBQ operations. Travelers who care about barbecue can plan meal stops to sample the various Route 66 smokehouses across the Oklahoma stretch.