After a day of trout fishing at Bennett Spring State Park or floating down the Niangua River in a canoe or kayak, it’s hard to beat a barbecue dinner at Ollie’s BBQ & Steakhouse. It’s also equally good to begin the day with a hearty breakfast at Ollie’s before wetting a hook or a paddle. For that matter, it’s good to eat at Ollie’s anytime, whether you’ve been enjoying the great outdoors, toiling away in the office, or just have to urge to go out to eat.
Folks who live in the Lebanon, Mo., area can partake of Ollie’s good home cooking anytime, but for those of us who only pass through occasionally, a stop at Ollie’s is a major reason for the trip or detour.
Located on Missouri Highway 64 between Lebanon and Bennett Spring State Park, Ollie’s BBQ & Steakhouse is a local landmark. Oliva “Ollie” Kennedy is the driving force behind the successful restaurant and the other businesses it has spawned: the Creel RV Park, Creel Inn, and Ollie’s 2, a sandwich and ice cream shop in Lebanon.
Barbecue and pie: a winning combo
With her wide smile and welcoming personality, Kennedy makes her guests feel right at home and seals the deal with her smoked ribs or homemade pie.
The barbecue is cooked in a smoker outside the restaurant. The smoker temperature never exceeds 250 degrees as the dry-rubbed meats slow-cook to perfection. The smoker can hold 500 pounds of meat, and in the summer, it is often at maximum capacity.
Barbecue isn’t the only thing on the menu, however. Steaks are a big seller, and prime rib is popular on Friday and Saturday nights. Fish, seafood, burgers, hot dogs, chicken strips, BLTs and breakfast (served all day) round out the menu. But the homemade pies are the magnet for many customers.
“It’s okay to run out of ribs,” says Kennedy with a laugh, “but it’s not okay to run out of pie.” She bakes 35 to 40 pies and cobblers a week. On a recent visit, folks at our table were fighting over who would get the last two servings of gooseberry cobbler, while others opted for blackberry, cherry, peach and coconut cream pie.
Kennedy makes the pies because they have to be done “the Ollie way,” she admits. All the crusts are from scratch–she uses Gold Medal flour and Crisco shortening. She also makes fruit crisps, bread pudding and “brownie delight” prepared with homemade brownies.
Although there’s a full bar at Ollie’s, that is not the focus of the business. In fact, there’s a limit of two drinks for those who are not eating.
“We have lots of local customers, and we want a family-friendly atmosphere,” she says.
Modest beginning spurs multiple businesses
Ollie’s BBQ opened on St. Patrick’s Day 2004 in a gas station convenience store. It was immediately too small for the booming business, and by Father’s Day, the barbecue operation had moved next door to the current building. In the same complex are the Creel Inn, a small motel with rooms and suites, and the Creel RV Park with full hook-ups, showers and laundry facilities. Ollie’s 2 opened in January in Lebanon. The sandwich and ice cream shop serves smoked turkey and pulled pork from Ollie’s BBQ, but otherwise the menu is different. Ollie’s also does catering for area events, schools and businesses.
The restaurant’s motto is “Eat well. Laugh often. Live long.” Combining a fishing vacation at Bennett Spring State Park with dining at Ollie’s BBQ & Steakhouse is a great way to make that motto come true.
Before you go:
Ollie’s BBQ & Steakhouse is at 12940 Highway 64, eight miles from Lebanon and two miles from Bennett Spring State Park. Open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (8 p.m. in winter) seven days a week (closed Tuesdays in winter). Accepts major credit cards, checks or cash. Same address and phone number for Creel Inn and Creel RV Park.
Ollie’s 2, 1401 North Jefferson, Lebanon; 417-532-3371. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For information, call (417) 588-8828; www.creelinn-olliesbbq.com.
Barbara Gibbs Ostmann is a contributor from Gerald, Mo.
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Slow-cooked for five hours in a smoker, Ollie’s barbecued ribs are a signature dish. Barbara Gibbs Ostmann photos |
What’s Cooking at Ollie’s BBQ & Steakhouse
Breakfast:
Biscuits and gravy, $2.99; half order $1.99
Pancakes, $3.29
2 eggs with toast, hash browns and choice of meat, $5.29
Omelets, $5.99
Barbecue:
Smoked sandwiches with one side, $6.99
Three ribs with two sides, $6.99
Short end rib dinner, $14.99
Long end rib dinner, $12.99
Brisket dinner, $8.29
Burnt ends dinner, $8.29
Chicken half, $9.99
Meat and fish:
10-ounce ribeye, $15.99
14-ounce ribeye, $18.99
12-ounce Kansas City strip, $18.99
8-ounce filet, $19.99
10-ounce flat-iron, $13.99
12-ounce prime rib, $18.99
8-ounce porterhouse pork chop, $11.99
7-ounce chicken breast, $9.49
Rainbow trout or tilapia, $10.99
Seafood platter, $12.99
Pies, $3.29 slice
