The sun was slowly going down on Oklahoma City as I made my way to the Northeast part of town, in front of an old, abandoned barbecue joint. As shadows were growing longer, a line had already formed near the dull red food truck, all hungry people willing to stand for a while just to reacquaint themselves with that vaunted flavor that has turned Bobo’s Chicken into a local food truck legend.
For a while now, I’ve heard that Bobo’s—the best chicken in Oklahoma City—was back but I never seemed to catch it, eagerly hunting for it on lonely Friday nights and typically going to the same old spot, only to find a barren parking lot, my dejected stomach heading back home. But not tonight.
I found out that it’s not only open currently on Saturday nights, but they’re in a new home a few blocks down the road in the NE 23rd and Lottie vicinity. With the car parked and a spot in the growing line secured, you could collectively hear the stomach rumblings of a starving community that had made it more than a year without this God-blessed meal.
Sure, some may call it just another fried chicken joint, but there has always been something special about Bobo’s. From the way they proudly cook it—fried, then smoked (or is it the other way around?)—to the way they humbly serve it up in a food truck with barely any signage, it’s an honest part of this city that’s been sorely missed during this pandemic.
And now, finally, I was going to have it once again.