Lon’s Cookin’ Shack
(6 votes, average: 3.83 out of 5)
Loading ...Ok, I admit it. I’m a barbecue addict. What can I say? I grew up in the south. So barbecue, for me, is nearly a religion. I must admit though, that until fairly recently, it was very difficult to get good barbecue in Utah. Joe Morley’s, in Midvale (post coming soon) was about the only place for good ‘cue. But now, Lon’s has two locations in Utah County. One in Provo, and a new one in Orem.
For me, barbecue means slow smoked, pulled pork; served with coleslaw (to put on top!) and a spicy vinegar (not tomato) based sauce. Well, I can’t get the vinegar sauce at Lon’s, but they do have several flavors of tomato based sauces, as well as a honey-mustard one for chicken that’s delicious.
–Jason
The Orem Lon’s is just south of Park’s Sportsman. It used to be the Hotdog King, which sadly closed but I think it was due to painfully slow service not undelicious food. Luckily Lon’s swooped into the space and placed an offset smoker out front. It puffs away, like a mired steam engine, inviting you to sample the slow cooked meat. As soon as you get out of the car you can smell the inviting aroma of slow-burning applewood.
There is something about slow cooking animal flesh that locks in succulence and creates flavor unmatched by any veggie burger that has yet been invented. Trust me, I have tried them all. And take all of that and blow some applewood smoke up, I mean on, it and you have the essence of barbecue. The slow cooking over a fire melts away most of the fat and the tough connective tissue is broken down creating something that you don’t even need teeth to eat. That is what Lon does.
The ribs, as Jason has said, are hit or miss, I think it depends on who the chef is the day you go there. I haven’t tried the brisket yet because hey, there is barbecue pork and pork ribs to be had.
However, the Orem location is very small. They do a lot of take-out orders, and they also cater, but if you want to eat it there, you might have to share a table with some other customers. I’ve never seen it as much of a problem. Their clientèle are fairly decent and friendly people.
–Joe
Categories: American · Barbecue · Inexpensive · Orem · Provo · Restaurants · Utah County
Tagged: Brisket, Chicken, Pork, Smoked
5 responses so far ↓
1 Phil Cherry // Jun 24, 2008 at 7:26 am
Mmmmm… Lon’s. That place was a Godsend after interning in Texas with Texan BBQ and then having to endure grilled hamburgers and hotdogs called BBQ in Utah while at BYU.
After having consumed an enormous amount of BBQ meat now, in Texas, I still would say that Lon’s is excellent. A little out of the way, but excellent and worth a drive if you are craving meat the way men should eat meat.
2 Anonymous // Aug 17, 2008 at 2:12 pm
I have been a “Lon’s Shack Kid” for awhile now, and I think I can give you a hint on why the Ribs/Brisket vary.
Brisket is very finicky, it has to be left in the smoker for an exact amount of time, or it is t00 dry or way too juicy. Also, It depends from which end of the brisket the slice came from or if the cutter removed the fat earlier or right before he cut it for you. Always ask your cashier (or best ask the actual cutter) how the brisket is, and ask for a sample. They will be willing to give you one. Or if you like it really juicy, ask for “Wet Brisket”
The Ribs are a different matter. When they are cooked at the Orem Store, they are delicious. When are cooked at the Provo Store, not so much. Ribs need much more babysitting than the Pork or Beef, and since we had to remove the outdoor pit at the Provo Store, they don’t get as much attention as the normally do. As with the Brisket, ask your meat cutter/cashier how they are and request a sample. They might not be able to give you a sample, seeing how Ribs go really fast, but it doesn’t hurt to try.
And NO they don’t have the Fried Cauliflower at the Orem Store yet, so make the trip to the Provo one if you really want it. It’s worth it.
But Orem is the only place you can get the Cool Cucumber Salad, which is really tasty.
I hope that helped any of you and I hope you come out to Lon’s to try the delicious food.
3 Brandon // May 10, 2009 at 6:01 pm
BBQ places in Utah County are hard to come by and I guess the lack of competition makes quality low. At Lon’s the portions are very small and extremely expensive. The meat has a very strong Liquid Smoke flavor to it. Although the staff is friendly the company policies are geared toward whats easiest for the owners and not the customer. No substitutions or if getting the all you can eat you must order the same two sides every time even though its the same price and portion. Bottom line is if your mouth is craving BBQ make it at home or go without because at Lon’s you’ll go away poor, hungry and mad.
4 Jason // May 11, 2009 at 10:24 am
You know, I’ve been hearing more and more comments like Brandon’s (above) over the past three or four months. I have to say that I haven’t made it back to Lon’s in a while, but I’m starting to believe that their quality has gone down hill. One of these days, I’ll make it back down there and give it a try. I’ll be sure to let you all know what I find out!
5 Tim Zeidner // Jun 28, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Need you to check out Pat’s BBQ in Salt Lake for (or better yet, WITH) us. Just features on the Food Network and it looks quite tasty. We miss our Nashville BBQ. And I miss my cue from Florida.
Leave a Comment