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For the fifth year, American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation are partnering to support 50 small, independently owned restaurants across the nation through the Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant program. Each selected restaurant—recognized for its contribution to the unique character and history of its community—will receive $50,000 in funding to enhance their business and strengthen their local impact.
Butcher BBQ Stand in Wellston, Oklahoma, is a cultural cornerstone along Route 66, deeply tied to significant persons and events in the community. Founded in 2015 by Levi Bouska, it builds on the legacy of his father, David Bouska, a 2012 and 2018 World Champion BBQ Pitmaster, inducted into the Oklahoma BBQ Hall of Fame (2015) and Kansas City BBQ Society Hall of Fame (2025). Their expertise, rooted in 34 years of meat handling, has made the restaurant a national BBQ destination, boosting Wellston’s identity.
Located on the historic Pioneer Camp site, where Levi’s grandparents ran a tavern and BBQ restaurant since 1995, the restaurant embodies Wellston’s culinary heritage. Levi purchased the 1920s-era Pioneer Camp building in 2022 to preserve its legacy, potentially as a new burger joint. In 2023, he opened Uncle Mark’s, a 1970s-inspired bar honoring his uncle, further embedding family history in the community.
Butcher BBQ Stand fosters community engagement through charity work with the Ronald McDonald House and sharing leftovers with Wellston City Hall, the election board, and fire stations. Its national recognition on BBQ Pitmasters and nearly 500 competition ribbons elevate Wellston’s profile. By drawing visitors and preserving Oklahoma’s unique BBQ style, Butcher BBQ Stand enriches the community’s cultural and economic fabric.
Butcher BBQ Stand serves authentic Oklahoma-style barbecue, blending Carolina, Texas, and Kansas City influences. Known for award-winning ribs, brisket, and sausages, it uses signature injections, rubs, and sauces crafted from 34 years of meat expertise, delivering competition-quality flavors along historic Route 66.
Butcher BBQ Stand’s Oklahoma-style barbecue embodies the historic foodways and culinary heritage of the American heartland, particularly along Route 66. Rooted in over 34 years of Bouska family meat-handling expertise, the restaurant’s cuisine blends Carolina’s vinegar-based sauces, Texas’s slow-smoked brisket techniques, and Kansas City’s sweet, tangy flavors, reflecting the diverse BBQ traditions that converged in Oklahoma. This fusion tells a story of cultural exchange, as Oklahoma’s central location made it a crossroads for BBQ styles, shaped by Native American smoking methods, settler traditions, and African American pit-cooking techniques. Located on the historic Pioneer Camp site, where Levi Bouska’s grandparents operated a tavern and BBQ restaurant since 1995, the restaurant preserves Wellston’s legacy as a Route 66 stop, drawing travelers with award-winning ribs, brisket, and sausages. David Bouska’s 2012 and 2018 World Champion Pitmaster titles and 2015 Oklahoma BBQ Hall of Fame induction underscore the restaurant’s role in elevating Oklahoma’s distinct BBQ identity. By using signature injections, rubs, and sauces honed through decades of competition, Butcher BBQ Stand celebrates the communal tradition of barbecue, fostering cultural continuity and pride in Wellston’s heritage.
Butcher BBQ Stand in Wellston, Oklahoma, holds profound historical and cultural significance as a Route 66 landmark, embodying the entrepreneurial spirit of America’s Main Street. Situated on the historic Pioneer Camp site, where Levi Bouska’s grandparents ran a tavern and BBQ restaurant since 1995, the restaurant preserves a multi-generational legacy of hospitality. Levi’s 2022 purchase of the 1920s-era Pioneer Camp building, with plans to restore it as a burger joint, reinforces its commitment to Wellston’s heritage. The 2023 opening of Uncle Mark’s, a 1970s-inspired bar honoring Levi’s uncle, adds a personal layer to the restaurant’s cultural narrative. Butcher BBQ’s national acclaim, featured on BBQ Pitmasters and lauded by Texas Monthly, draws global visitors, boosting Wellston’s economy. Its nearly 500 competition ribbons and David Bouska’s 2012 and 2018 World Champion Pitmaster titles highlight its role in shaping Oklahoma’s BBQ identity. Special features include its community engagement—donating leftovers to Wellston City Hall, the election board, and fire stations, and supporting Ronald McDonald House charities. The restaurant’s vibrant neon signage and roadside charm evoke Route 66’s golden era, making it a cultural beacon that celebrates Oklahoma’s culinary and communal traditions.