Clark Crew BBQ Original
Background
Clark Crew BBQ is a family affair that began one day in 2012 when Travis Clark brought his clan out to a barbecue competition and they collectively decided to jump into that world together. Honing their craft on the circuit worked out well for the family, who now have over 700 Top-10 awards, was named National Team of the Year, Oklahoma Team of the Year, and took top prize at the Jack in 2019. After all of that success, the Clark Crew decided to give the restaurant business a try with their first location opening in Oklahoma City in December 2019 and their second in Tulsa in September of 2024. Clark Crew BBQ also boasts three unique barbecue sauces, three rubs, and a variety of condiments that you can pick up through their online shop.
Aroma
A deep and complex barbecue aroma fills the nose on first whiff of this sauce which includes the common tomato, vinegar, and molasses, plus a Worcestershire savoriness and a lot of spices as well. There's a lot going on here, so it's a little hard to pinpoint exact scents, but garlic and onion powders are at play along with earthy, smoky, and sharp notes that hint at a variety of peppers and possibly mustard. While this is undoubtedly a very layered sauce, it's also notable that nothing smells out of balance and everything combines to a cohesive whole.
Thickness & Texture
The dark maroon hue and opaqueness of this sauce hides all the spices except for a few white specks here and there. The sauce has a glossy sheen to it with a medium thickness and syrupy consistency that has a slight texture to it. The sauce falls in an uneven pour from a spoon, changing quickly to numerous medium and fast drips, then a few smaller and slower ones, and finally leaving a medium coating of sauce left clinging to the silverware.
Out of the Jar
A deep tomato and molasses taste starts of the flavor profile. The sweetness is kept at bay as Worcestershire and vinegar enter next and give the sauce a tang and complexity which is soon followed by all those spices that could be smelled in the aroma. The more mild elements pop out first with garlic and onion powders doing their parts and a mellow smokiness joining in too. Next the sourness and savoriness is amped by by what tastes like tamarind, while the peppers start to add earthy and spicy notes that gain more dominance in the aftertaste. The strong tomato and molasses combo never fades completely, which creates a lingering very full flavored barbecue profile.
Slathered & Cooked
The sauce brushed on the chicken in a medium, uneven layer which also had uneven setting over indirect heat. This translated to some sauce loss over direct heat, but more than enough stuck around to caramelize without any burning. From the first bite, this sauce delivered a ton of flavor. It was pretty much in line with what was experienced out of the jar, with tomato, molasses, and spices hitting first. Then a few bites more brought in the vinegar and savory elements like Worcestershire and tamarind. By the end of the leg, a mild heat and smokiness was part of the party, rounding out the full flavor profile.
Put to Use
I last reviewed a Clark Crew BBQ sauce back in 2020, and remembering it fondly and seeing they're still going strong, I decide to pick up another variety and was left equally impressed. There's so much going on with the sauce that you might think it wouldn't work out, but everything is added in the right amounts to make it noticeable, but also allows it to blend together in an incredibly pleasing and intriguing manner. It was only dinged 1/2 a star because it wasn't the best of the best in grilling performance, but that's splitting hairs because this is a sauce I would undoubtedly search out if I wanted what's coming off of my grill and smoker to be the best it could be. I liked how you could really taste everything going on against the light touch of the chicken, but I think those immense flavors would be even better served on heartier items like pork ribs, brisket, and burgers.
