1959 Wabasso Dr, West Palm Beach, FL 33409
The Okeechobee Steakhouse has been a staple of high end dining in Palm Beach County for 7 decades and has been recognized as the oldest steakhouse in the state of Florida. After coming under new ownership in recent years they have slowly expanded their brand to include a meat market, a bbq food truck, and a seafood restaurant all within walking distance of the original steakhouse. Today I sampled and will be reviewing Okeechobee Prime BBQ.
FLAVOR
Let me preface this review by acknowledging that I am not the biggest BBQ fan. I am always open to trying new restaurants in hopes that I'll be pleasantly surprised and find a GREAT meal due to BBQ's popularity but more often than not I'm left disappointed. I ordered the brisket sandwich, smoked mac and cheese, and a bottled water. The brisket tasted good, but it was a bit dry. It wasn't the worst brisket I've ever had, but also wasn't the best; and for a location with the reputation for quality meat that Okeechobee has that was very disappointing. The person preparing the sandwich for me recommended I try their mustard sauce on the brisket, which I did, and it wasn't bad but I definitely preferred their BBQ sauce. The BBQ sauce was the saving grace of my meal, probably the best BBQ sauce I've ever tasted and helped mitigate the dryness of the brisket, so I would recommend not being stingy with the sauce if you'd like to try their brisket. I also ordered the smoked mac and cheese. For me the Mac was even more disappointing than the brisket. It did have a robust smoky flavor but I couldn't really taste the cheese at all, so really what's the point? There was also a nice spice profile on the mac but, in my opinion it tasted a bit too dry. Again nothing was terrible, but I don't foresee myself ever having a craving for these two dishes in the future.
My Flavor Ruling:
SERVICE
The people operating the truck were very friendly and helpful with assisting in my ordering. The food was also prepared and served relatively quickly. It can be difficult to assess this category because it's not a full sit down experience, but for what they were required to do they exceeded my expectations. But since a large part of the dining experience is self serve I feel its only fair to remove some of the service points.
My Service Ruling:
VENUE
The truck is located in the parking lot of the Prime Meat Market. There was plenty of access to available parking and there was an area to prep you food with sauces, silverware, and napkins before heading over to the dining area. The decor of the dining area definitely had a nice All-American BBQ feel to it. The area is covered in wood chips and the seats weren't the most comfortable, but most people seemed to just pick up their food and jump back in their cars. I think the location works well on nice breezy days of spring or fall, but since it is located outside I would be concerned about the Florida humidity and mosquitos/flies that might accumulate during the summer. You can see photos of the location below.
My Venue Ruling:
VALUE
Okeechobee Steakhouse is a high end establishment and as you might expect the prices reflected that to an extent. The cost was cheaper than what you would expect at the Steakhouse or seafood restaurant but it was much more expensive than I've seen at other BBQ sit down locations and food trucks. The combo of the brisket sandwich, mac, and a bottled water was $21.34. When you take into account that the food itself wasn't that great, this location is in no way a great value pick. One interesting thing to note on cost is that they did not appear to have a place for tips, so perhaps they are going with a European approach and including tips in the menu price?
My Value Ruling:
OVERALL
If you have a BBQ craving and are looking for something quick and easy to satisfy your craving Okeechobee BBQ is an adequate option. However, if you're on the search for great juicy brisket at a good price point, I wouldn't recommend this as the location for you. They do have other options on the menu, and I might go back in the future to try their burger because I love Okeechobee Steakhouse's burgers but I won't be ordering the mac or brisket again.
My Overall Ruling: 3 Gavels