Les BBQ Draper: How Utah's Viral Oxtail King Brought Texas Tradition to the Wasatch

Walk into Les BBQ on a Tuesday afternoon in Draper and you might catch the end of something beautiful—those softball-sized candy apple red oxtails, glistening under the restaurant lights, being boxed up for the last lucky customer of the day. Because here's the thing about Les BBQ: they sell out. Daily. And when you taste what pitmaster Les Rhodes Jr. has been smoking since 5 a.m., you'll understand why one customer drove five hours just to get there when the doors opened, calling it "some of the best BBQ I've had in a minute."

This ain't your typical Utah BBQ joint. Les Rhodes Jr. learned his craft under the searing Texas sun at Black rodeos, riding alongside his grandfather Norman Davis, a true Black cowboy and legend in his own right. Between the dirt, the sweat, and the sound of hooves, there were those brisket sandwiches so tender they barely held together—the kind of smoke that hugged your clothes and never let go. Those summers didn't just raise Les Jr. They seasoned him.

From Hurricane Harvey to Utah: The Oxtail King's Journey

Les Rhodes Jr. spent 15 years drilling oil and gas wells, once even drilling into a volcano in the Caribbean. He was a bodybuilder, a personal trainer—cooking was never on his agenda. It just happened. In 2017, Rhodes moved to Tooele with his wife and three boys, just before Hurricane Harvey ravaged their home state of Texas. "We watched the destruction go on and all we could do was say, 'Damn glad we're not there,'" he recalls. They decided to stay, finding a fresh start in Utah that would eventually change everything.

What began as a simple gesture—grilling for his kids' football games—soon took on a life of its own. At first, they were just winging it: $12 sandwiches, no permits, no clue they even needed them. But they were coming home with cash. They made things official in 2019, got the licenses and certifications. But it was what happened in the winter of 2021 that birthed the legend.

Business had slowed down that winter. Bills were piling up. One day, walking through a store picking up some meat, Les came across some whole oxtails. "I looked at them and said, 'Man, that'd be something that I could smoke on a pit, just to see what it looked like.'" He bought about three bags, took them home, and smoked them low and slow. When he pulled them off the pit, they were "beautiful"—that deep candy apple red color that would become his signature.

They put oxtails on the website and everything took off. Every platform blew up. Orders started pouring in from all over the country. That's really when the "Oxtail King" was born. Today, Les Rhodes Jr. has nearly 1 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, ships 150 orders a week nationwide, and operates both a Draper storefront and four massive pits in South Salt Lake.

The Smoked Oxtails Utah Can't Stop Talking About

Let me tell you what happens when you order the Famous Oxtails at Les BBQ Draper. Each bowl has about three softball-sized oxtails, and they provide plenty of meat for two reasonably hungry diners. But here's where it gets interesting—these babies have been smoked for hours before they hit your plate. The candy red coloring comes from the smoking process. Rhodes smokes his oxtails "slow and low" and then braises them. "In order to get them tender, you have to braise them," he explains. A fork should go through them with no resistance.

One customer who flew from Texas specifically to try Les BBQ said it simply: "Food is awesome (well seasoned and great presentation)." Another reviewer couldn't contain their enthusiasm: "EVERYTHING we've tried from this place was fireeeee!!!! We've been following Les on IG for a while, so we've been waiting to try it and it definitely was WORTH the WAIT! My favorite is definitely the smoked oxtails but everything is delicious!!!!"

But what makes these oxtails special? Rhodes and his team don't fuss about dry rubs, marinades or sauces; they know how to dress and serve their proteins without moving those tricks to the forefront. Instead, what you get is a concentrated dose of pure beef flavor that offers plenty of time to meditate on the nuances you never knew were there. When chef Kevin Johnson, owner of Taste by Chef Kevin, tasted his first batch, the first bite blew him away. "Smoke, you taste the smoke," he says. "The flavor is amazing."

Beyond the oxtails, Les BBQ serves up authentic Texas-style BBQ across the board. The brisket sandwich has all the telltale signs of a classic Texas barbecue: pink smoke ring around the edges, impossibly tender texture and a deep flavor with each bite. One customer praised multiple proteins: "I started with the pulled pork, it was well-seasoned, flavorful, and perfectly moist. Next up was the oxtail sausage, which was packed with flavor and expertly seasoned. The spare ribs followed, offering that classic 'fall-off-the-bone' tenderness and bold taste. Finally, I tried the smoked oxtail, which ended up being my favorite dish of the meal. It was incredibly tender, so much so that you could eat it with a spoon, and absolutely delicious."

The loaded baked potatoes deserve their own paragraph. Picture this: a massive Idaho potato loaded with your choice of pulled pork, brisket, or that oxtail-infused beef sausage that's become a cult favorite. One group of friends got "the oxtails, baked potatoe with pulled pork, and nachos with brisket and all 3 proteins were unreal." They called the crew "incredibly nice" and promised they'd be back.

Don't sleep on the sides, either. The dirty rice—made with seasoned ground beef, herbs, and spices cooked with beef broth and finished with Cajun-style seasonings—is savory with a little kick. The pinto beans are slow-cooked and packed with flavor, seasoned with garlic, onion, black pepper, paprika, and a hint of smoky Worcestershire. And if you're lucky enough to snag some before it sells out, the banana pudding from Pudding N Pillows is the perfect sweet finish.

Texas BBQ Meets Utah Spirit in Draper

Every order at Les BBQ is made with care, not speed. The pit-masters fire up the smokers at 5 AM every morning, slow-cooking every cut to perfection. Rhodes operates a storefront in Draper and four massive pits in South Salt Lake, where he uses specialized smokers he calls "the oxtail carousel." "See their change in color," he points out. "We call it candy red."

This is Texas tradition applied with precision on the Wasatch Front. Salt Lake City Weekly food critic noted that while Utah has some great regional barbecue places, "With Chef Les Rhodes, Jr. bringing all that Texas swagger, technique and penchant for spectacle—you see it every time you open a bowl of those signature smoked oxtails—our overall barbecue status level is becoming more legitimate."

What sets Les BBQ apart in the competitive Draper dining scene is its authenticity. This isn't someone trying to recreate Texas BBQ—this is a true Texas pitmaster who learned at Black rodeos, weathered Hurricane Harvey, and brought his grandfather's legacy to Utah soil. Oxtails have deep roots, especially in Black history—they go all the way back to slavery. No one had seen them smoked before, and that uniqueness caught fire, especially in the South. It connected with people, not just because of how good it tasted, but because of the culture and story behind it.

The viral success followed naturally. Between Instagram and TikTok, Les posts slow-motion close-ups of cut brisket, videos of those candy red oxtails coming off the pit, and the kind of content that makes you stop mid-scroll and think, "I need that." One of his latest videos has been viewed more than 10,000 times in less than a week. When he's not at the Draper location, he's on tour doing barbecue pop-up events around the country with Candi Red—traveling to Tampa, Houston, Atlanta, and beyond, selling $100 tickets that include a plate of that famous BBQ.

Planning Your Visit to Les BBQ in Draper

Here's what you need to know: Les BBQ is located at 12059 S State St, Suite 80, in Draper, right on State Street in the heart of South Salt Lake Valley. They're open Tuesday through Sunday, 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and closed Mondays. There's a drive-thru if you're in a hurry, but fair warning—the sandwiches are really stuffed full, so if you plan on frequenting the drive-thru, don't try and eat this one while behind the wheel.

Pro tip from customers who've been there: get there early or call ahead. When asked if the oxtails are worth it, one regular customer said "YES. But pro tip..."—and the implication was clear. These things sell out. Rhodes ships out 150 orders a week across the country, with his oxtails often selling out within hours.

What to order? If you're new, start with a bowl of the Famous Oxtails ($40)—it's enough for two people and you need to experience what made Les the Oxtail King. If oxtails are sold out (they do tend to run out fairly quickly each day), the brisket sandwich is an excellent alternative. The sandwiches come with sliced onion, pickle, and housemade barbecue sauce—that acid is the perfect foil to all that rich protein.

For bigger groups or serious appetites, the Ranch Size Oxtail Bowl comes stacked with 2-3 signature oxtails over dirty rice, plus your choice of side and two drinks. It's big enough for two, bold enough for Texas, as they say. The Full Rack of Spare Ribs serves at least two as well, and comes with any two sides and two drinks.

And if you can't make it to Draper? Les BBQ ships nationwide. Their meats are slow-smoked in Utah using traditional smoking techniques, then vacuum sealed to preserve freshness and flavor. It takes about 4-6 days to process and ship orders because everything is prepped, cooked, and packed fresh by hand. That little wait ensures your BBQ arrives tasting like it just came off the pit.

Follow @lesbbqsandwiches on Instagram (609K followers and counting) for drool-worthy content, pop-up tour dates, and to see exactly what you're getting into. The Utah location also has its own account @lesbbqutah with updates on daily specials and what's still available.

The Verdict on Draper's Viral BBQ Destination

One customer summed it up perfectly: "Finally good bbq in the SL valley." Another who'd visited many disappointing BBQ spots in Utah called it "a refreshing surprise" and said they were "genuinely impressed." This is what happens when real Texas tradition—learned at Black rodeos under a legendary cowboy grandfather, refined through years of dedication, and catapulted to viral fame through nearly a million social media followers—sets up shop in Utah.

Les Rhodes Jr. didn't just bring smoked oxtails to Utah. He brought a legacy. He brought his grandfather Norman Davis's spirit. He brought the taste of those Texas summer rodeos, the resilience of surviving Hurricane Harvey, and the bold flavor of Black cowboy heritage that's been overlooked for far too long. And he's putting Draper on the map as a legitimate destination for authentic, Texas-style BBQ that makes people drive for hours and wait in lines just for a taste.

The candy apple red oxtails aren't just food—they're a story you can taste. Every bite carries smoke, history, and the kind of flavor that connects you to something bigger. That's what makes Les BBQ more than just another barbecue spot in Utah. It's a cultural experience, served hot on State Street in Draper.

Get there early. Order the oxtails. Thank us later.