Kansas City BBQ
Kansas City, Mo
Brooke and I were lucky enough to call Kansas City MO, home for roughly 3 years, and we loved every minute of it! Being in the middle of nowhere and 4 hours from any other major city, makes a sense of necessity for KC to make the city fun, exciting, and to offer a lot of different things to do, but by far and away, KC is known for BBQ. As a man who isn’t shy of a good smoked meat, I spent a considerable amount of time getting acquainted with the local BBQ Scene.
I think it’s important to make a few distinctions for the remainder of this post:
BBQ is a noun…. Not a verb
This blog should be sponsored by TUMS
Kansas City BBQ is to be considered smoked, sliced Brisket
NC BBQ reigns superior to any other regional BBQ
Wesley Chapel NC VFD is the best of the best…. No questions (specifically 1997-2005 Wesley Chapel VFD Fundraiser BBQ on Bunny bread with sweet tea)
There are a BUNCH of options in Kansas City for BBQ, however I am going to give my opinions about 3 separate locations, and the reasons for them.
Joe’s BBQ
Joes is a hidden gem that started out of a gas station on Mission Road on the Kansas Side. The proper way to operate at Joes, is to arrive roughly 25 mins prior to your need to eat. There is going to be a line out the door, and around the building. I would strongly advise not to try to cut in line…. You never want to get in between hungry people and some Joes Brisket. As you snake your way through the line, about halfway through, you will reach the old gas station counter, where you can get either some local beers, or some popular brews from around the country. Once you make it to the order window, get a ZMan Sandwich with the onion rings on it. The ZMan is the signature sandwich, with sliced brisket, onion rings, cheese, BBQ Sauce, and a side of fries. You pair that with a boulevard wheat beer, it’s a match made in heaven. Once your food is ready, your number will be called, you’ll get your tray (which can sometimes be heavy, so make sure someone is there to pick it up with you if you’re in a group) find a seat outside next to the old pumps, and hammer down! In my opinion, Joes has the best meat of any of the major Kansas City BBQ Joints.
Next, I’d like to talk about sides, and for the sides, I take us to Jack Stack BBQ. Jack Stack is an OG BBQ eatery in Kansas City, with a few different locations (I always went to the Martin City location as we lived on the south side of town). Now, in my opinion, Jack Stack has perfectly fine brisket, however the sides are really where they excel! The cheesy corn is a creamy cheese with corn, and it is worth the few bucks to up charge and get a side. My personal favorite was the BBQ Beans. The BBQ Beans was the perfect amount of sweet, and hot beans, with a hefty portion of brisket mixed in with the beans. Now, Jack Stack is a little ritzier of a spot; definitely more of a pants type gala. In the words of Tony Soprano “They’re out of hot dogs and they took the bleachers out a few years ago”. While maintaining a more upscale dining experience, it doesn’t feel stuffy or snooty. Think of it as a good date spot.
And finally, in my opinion, the best dining experience (a mixture of good meat, good sides, and best atmosphere) is Q39. Q39 is a relatively new BBQ Powerhouse in KC, sandwiched between Westport (Bar district) and KU Med. Q39 is a super popular spot, to the point where, if you don’t have a reservation, it may not be worth going to wait for a table. Based on the pictures on the wall and the hefty trophy case near the back door of the restaurant, they have a pretty strong provenance of championship BBQers at the smoker and at the grill. Something that struck me immediately is that Q39 isn’t afraid of some heat (spicy, not temperature). Almost everything I ate there had a touch of some spice, and it was good! Just know that when they serve you ketchup in the ramekin, it is jalapeno ketchup! The atmosphere is that of a modern, industrial BBQ eatery, and it is ideal for business lunch or a hot date!
All in all, KC BBQ is awesome, and worth the time and effort to try them all! The aroma of smoking meat permeates the air all throughout the city, and the haze of smoke from the smokers reduces the visibility at the airport on the flight in! The restaurants listed above aren’t the only ones, so I advise you to get out to KC and try them all for yourself!