At 84 years old, Leon O’Neal still wakes up early, fires up the smokers, and greets the customers who have made his Galveston barbecue joint a culinary landmark for over three decades. Known for his down-to-earth style and delicious smoked meats, O’Neal’s Leon’s World Finest Bar-B-Que has become a must-stop spot for barbecue lovers.
Located on Broadway in Galveston, the pale-yellow building with the sign reading “Leon’s World Finest Bar-B-Que” has long been a landmark for anyone heading to the island. But recently, a “For Sale” sign has appeared on the building, signaling that O’Neal is preparing to step into retirement.
Despite plans to sell, it’s business as usual for O’Neal. On a recent visit, he was seen walking through the dining room, chatting with regulars and newcomers, and personally cutting plates of brisket, ribs, and sausage from well-worn cutting boards in the back pit room.
O’Neal has become passionate when talking about the evolution of barbecue and how it has changed over the years. “People want brisket and ribs now,” he says, noting how much things have changed since his childhood on a farm along the San Bernard River in Brazoria County in the 1940s and ’50s.
He learned to cook barbecue from his father, who ran open-pit barbecues using a trench-style fire pit for family gatherings. As a boy, O’Neal helped dig four-foot-deep pits and mop the meat with a homemade seasoning blend of lemon, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and oil. He later worked in a meatpacking house, learning the ins and outs of various cuts of meat, before joining the military at 18.
After earning a culinary degree from Prairie View A&M University and receiving further training at a U.S. Army cook school, O’Neal spent 25 years cooking in military kitchens, including serving generals and dignitaries. One of his proudest moments came when he catered a Supreme Court event for Sandra Day O’Connor.
After retiring from the Army, O’Neal returned to Galveston and started a bail bonds business upstairs in the building that now houses his barbecue restaurant. When the beer joint downstairs went out of business, O’Neal saw an opportunity and in 1990, Leon’s World Finest Bar-B-Que was born.
“Back then, the Galveston barbecue scene was kind of so-so,” O’Neal recalls. “It was a lucrative area for barbecue, and I knew I could step it up. And I did.” He certainly did, with his Texas trinity of brisket, pork ribs, and sausage links becoming the centerpiece of his menu.
O’Neal’s brisket comes in several styles, including the “Leon’s Cut,” which uniquely combines both the lean and fatty parts of the brisket. His homemade “Downtown Link” sausage, a variation of a classic Beaumont-style beef link, is one of the best in Southeast Texas. O’Neal learned to make these sausages from a local sausage maker in Beaumont, and eventually took over the recipe to make them his own.
For nearly three decades, O’Neal has worked tirelessly to elevate the barbecue experience in Galveston, adding his own unique touch to every dish. As he prepares to pass the torch, his legacy in the local food scene will no doubt continue to inspire future generations of pitmasters.
