OU great Billy Sims opens a Tulsa restaurant

OU football great Billy Sims' latest venture is off-and-running. Billy Sims Barbecue opened Thursday at the Farm Shopping Center in Tulsa. <br/><br/>News on 6 business reporter Steve Berg talked

Thursday, July 29th 2004, 9:58 am

By: News On 6

OU football great Billy Sims' latest venture is off-and-running. Billy Sims Barbecue opened Thursday at the Farm Shopping Center in Tulsa.

News on 6 business reporter Steve Berg talked with Sims about his spicy enterprise.

More than 25 years after he won the Heisman Trophy at OU, Billy Sims can still draw a crowd, a fact that wasn't lost on his friend Jeff Jackson, the owner of the nearby Sports Fan-Attic, which has hosted lots of Sims autograph signings. "And the restaurant was kind of his idea. I said well, I think it's a good idea, but I'm not going to be doing any cooking, I'll clean up for you though."

There's no secret Sims family recipe. He says he just likes food and he likes people. "I've seen guys over the years, who aren't going to take time out, just be there two hours and when they leave, they've got 50 people 100 still waiting in line, and I'm totally the opposite, I'll stay from morning till night."

Red-and-white dominates the color scheme at Billy Sims barbecue, but there's a splash of orange here and there, a tribute to his friend and fellow Detroit Lion Barry Sanders.

Besides the friendly atmosphere, did we mention the food is really good.

We asked if he's trying to start a beef with fellow Sooners and barbecue business owners, the Selmon brothers. "I forgot about them, nahh, maybe I'll get their sauce in here. I hear they've got a great sauce."