Best BBQ in Kansas City

It occurred to me last night, over a pulled pork sandwich, that I ought to jot down my thoughts on the barbecue places I've tried so far.  It's not that everything (or anything, really) I chew or digest merits recording, but I'd like to have a list so I know which places remain to be tried.

Without further fanfare, and opinions completely my own:

1.  Q39

No barbecue yet can beat this place.  To celebrate my promotion and D's return from a month away, we took leave on a Friday a few weeks ago.  We made a nice city day of it by visiting the Nelson-Atkins Museum, and lunching at Q39 - finally!

You might think the fun of the day biases my review of lunch, but I assure you, it's not so!

I don't take pictures of food, but I should have made an exception for Q39 since I can't stop talking about it.  Everything we ordered (pulled pork, chicken, beans, ribs, apple coleslaw, fries) was the best of its kind.  Each dish we tried was unique in flavor and still absolutely delicious.  I don't typically care for ribs, but I care for Q39's.  Well-spiced and crusted, with velvety chunks sliding clean off the bone.  The barbecue sauce is perfect to my taste, and I like the confidence that Q39 has in it - there's no array of cleverly named sauces to try - just the one, done well.  The restaurant is functionally designed with barn door/contemporary urban farmhouse decor that thankfully doesn't feel like a hipster rookery.  It's pleasantly crowded, and the noisy bustle bestows an atmosphere of excitement as everyone anticipates their meal.  Even among the busy tables D and I chatted easily.  The service is well-paced without being pushy, effusive, or nosy, and most importantly didn't attempt to have a meaningful personal relationship with us.  Also, the waiter didn't sneer when I just ordered water instead of an upcharged beverage.

We did not anticipate the bit of a wait for lunch on a weekday, but it afforded us a very pleasant walk in a neighborhood of beautiful older homes.  The Thomas Hart Benton Studio is a 10 minute stroll from Q39, and this diversion of course whetted our appetites.  When our table was ready we received a text and enjoyed the well-manicured lawns and gardens on the way back to the restaurant.  

This meal was not inexpensive, but priced correctly for the value.  I say this as someone who cuts her own hair and wears jeans from 2005.  Anyway, if I had out-of-town visitors, I would take them here first to check off the "must-eat BBQ in KC" list.  The parking lot is crowded, but we lucked out and got a space right away.  Q39 caps the end of a short strip mall and I believe you can park on the streets in the area if needed.  In any event, just go, and save yourself the trouble of dabbling in barbecue anywhere else.  
 
Q39
1000 West 39th St
KC MO 64111

2.  A Little BBQ Joint - Independence, MO

Want the stereotypical relaxed summer porch barbecue setting complete with paper towels, serving baskets lined in gingham pattern wax paper, high stools and picnic tables?  A Little BBQ Joint it is then.  No hoit, no toit, and a menu just broad enough to please everyone.  The barbecue chicken was awesomely sticky and well-flavored without too much pepper or sugar.  KC style is not my preference but I recognize its merits and A Little BBQ Joint deserves my accolades.  The portion was more than I expected and the beans (my beanstick, remember?) certainly on par with Q39 - if only there'd been more!  I don't remember the fries but to me that's mere filler, and not worth calories or details.  The half chicken with pickle and beans cost $8.99 which I believe is a fair price.  

They serve Diet Dr Pepper which is Dan's go-to carcinogen, so that's a plus for him.  A Little BBQ Joint is a lively, beachy restaurant with large covered outdoor deck and stage for live music on weekends.  I arrived with a big group without advance notice, we were accommodated swiftly, and the service was on point. 

The antique cars displayed in the parking lot create a nice amusement if you have to wait for a table. Young kids would be comfortable here.

I plan to visit again for a cold drink on one of those hot summer evenings when you'd like to hear a little live music in a tshirt and old jeans.  Maybe even the ones from 2005.

There is plenty of parking in two designated lots.  The menu focuses on fuss-free sandwiches (including the Truman S - it is his home town, after all!) and unique items like a pulled-pork baked potato, brisket chili, with a few novelty bacon-heavy dishes.  The Truman Library and Museum is less than a mile up the road, so why not combine a trip to the Library with lunch at A Little BBQ Joint?  That's a memorable weekend for anyone.  And, if you've been inspired by the Thomas Hart Benton Studio that you toured while waiting for a table at Q39, you can have your breath taken away by one of his most famous murals which adorns the entrance of the Museum.  

1101 West 24 Hwy
Independence MO 64050


3.  Tin Kitchen - Weston, MO

This is a "Southern Smokehouse" with plenty that's not barbecue, but their pulled pork is the best I've ever had.  I love it unabashedly and I won't apologize for enjoying a Carolina-style sandwich in Kansas City.  The 24- hour slaw is great, too - low on mayonnaise and very tangy.  This is a pulled pork sandwich I wish I could make myself, especially as I ate it twice in the same weekend recently.  I rarely find a restaurant dish that is perfectly suited to my taste, but the downside is that I will never try anything else on their menu, because I don't want to challenge my paradigm of perfection.  Unfortunately, this means I have nothing further to share with you regarding their menu.  D always orders the Green Chili Cheeseburger so I can't even comment on any barbecue nibbles nabbed from his plate. 

Weston is a lovely place to eat a tasty meal, walk along the rolling trail paralleling the Missouri, window shop among historic homes and churches, indulge in the quaintness of a small tourist town, and build a thirst for a beer at the Weston Brewing Company.  Is that a bad day for anyone?  The Tin Kitchen is a keystone Weston establishment, and has expanded to TK2 (just around the corner) with a larger bar but same menu. 

Tin Kitchen
509 Main Street
Weston MO 64098
 


4.  Papa Bob's

What more can I say about a little place that's already been featured on TV?  Man v Food lost out to Papa Bob's "Ultimate Destroyer Challenge" which necessitates eating a fortnight's worth of barbecue and sides in 45 minutes.  Most mortals end up paying the $62 and just won't have to go to the grocery store for a bit.

I wasn't quite so ambitious and I lost out to my regular Destroyer (one pound of meat - your choices - $13.00) and had to bring half home, head hung in shame over my doggie bag.  I reasoned that when at Papa Bob's you go big.  Well, I aspired to the stars, ate small, and had lunch for two more days afterwards.  

Depending on where you are, this is possibly the farthest flung, as it's in Bonner Springs along Kaw Drive, not far from the Kansas River.  I like it that way.  You have to go there intentionally and when you arrive it feels like a big occasion, marked by no fewer than 10 sauces to try, and any variation of meats to go with. 

It's a charming white building and oh-so-clean, practically sparkling on the inside thanks to the chrome and retro '50s diner look.   The menu is vast, but listen carefully, if you don't get Brooke's Bad A$$ beans then you might as well leave and go home to reconsider your life choices.  The sweet and sour slaw is my second favorite, and will be yours too if you prefer tangy vs creamy cole slaw.  

This is a family place and the eponymous menu listings honor Bob's grandchildren.  The walls are covered in pictures and papers announcing burger and sandwich specials.  The menu is the widest of all barbecue places on this list, and if you are really bbqued-out and need a fish sandwich or some corn nuggets, Papa Bob's got you covered.

Papa Bob's is an excursion into one man's long-beloved goal to own a barbecue joint and share his passion for barbecue.  I love that when we eat there, we are manifesting his vision, and it's more than great food, it's a dream made real for him and for our bloated, happy bellies.

Papa Bob's Bar-Be-Que
11610 Kaw Dr
Bonner Springs KS 66111
(913) 422-4210 
 

5.  Jack Stack - KCPL, Metcalf, various locations

The super-watt Jack Stack is the Louis Vuitton of barbecuery around here.  It's got cloth napkins!  Actual glass for beverages!  You pay at the table!  Oh la la! There are several Jack Stack locations, and I most recently dined at one last night in fact.

On a Saturday night you will wait for a table, which has never bothered me as long as it's a meal worth waiting for - and in this case, Jack Stack always is.  Typically D and I would either be chatting at home so to sit at a bar or on a bench and wait a spell is no big deal to us.  Some folks get antsy, and D sure can get hangry, but in that case we would eat at the Chick Fil A or Freebirds that's just down the street.

Everything on the menu is sound and every Jack Stack you go to is consistent - the very definition of quality.  You will pay handsomely for some of the entrees, but I still scored a dinner time pulled pork sandwich and beans with soda and tip for under $20.00.

My favorite item there is the burnt ends platter with the macaroni and cheese.  It's a once-in-a-while treat, but it's the first restaurant meal we had when D moved to Kansas in 2014, so I'm very fond of it and Jack Stack in general.

D can't remember what he likes best there, but if I remember correctly (and I think this is a memory he wants obscured!) he enjoyed MY order of burnt ends most of all!  Aha! 

Jack Stack is where you'd take out of town work colleagues with whom you are brokering deals and are maybe barbecue beginners, angling to try a little of everything.  Or maybe you want to celebrate a graduation or a birthday or just another Friday night - it's a great choice.  The restaurant is comfortable and the service is impeccable.  Last night, for example, in my group of six, our drinks never ran dry and we were never pressured to leave even after a few hours, though it was a busy night.  That's a quality dining experience and why I don't mind the higher tab Jack Stack commands.

You can always use our technique and avoid the high prices and crowds and have Jack Stack for lunch.  You can't go wrong with any options, but you better not take all the burnt ends! D has dibs on those, err, at least the ones on my plate.

Go early to get seated quickly, and relax in your choice because while nothing on the menu is wild and boundary-pushing, it's all very solid, high-quality, and you can't choose poorly.

Jack Stack Overland Park
9520 Metcalf Ave
Overland Park, KS 66212

  
6.  Joe's Kansas City

The best thing about this place is the people who work here - from counter staff to the people clearing tables- who take exorbitant pride in their jobs and exude such thorough friendliness that you can almost forgive the 60 minute wait in a queue that begins in a gas station parking lot.

It's a long line, starting out the door, and snaking past the convenience mart part of the gas station, which is off to the side of the barbecue counter.  Finally inside the door, you now have a good 45 minutes to agonize about your order.  They've thought of this, and have printed paper menus directly inside, for you to carry on your switchbacks through the shop.

Finally at the counter I ordered a pulled pork plate with beans, spicy slaw and fries.  D says, "I'm not a rib guy" but he is rather in the minority of the 100 or so rib guys behind us in line.  He ordered the ribs anyway, and a good thing, too, since it's the best part of the menu, we've heard.  I mentioned in a previous post that the fries are too salty, the pulled pork bland, the spicy slaw without much slaw or spice, but the little riblet I snuck off Dan's plate was good.  Really, really good.  Perhaps it's the wait in line that makes the ribs that much sweeter, but I don't think it's possible for any barbecue novice to re-create at home that high order of tangy, supple meat as it drops off the bone and into my gaping maw.

Go for the ribs, the nostalgia, the celebrity, the cult following, and to pay homage to a Kansas City landmark.  You'll enjoy people-watching as you wait in line, and you'll learn a lot about yourself as you silently wish the happy eaters "hurry up already, bleep-bleepers!" so you'll have a seat when it's finally your turn to tuck in.   

You can fill up your car here too, and grab a bottle of KC Joe's sauces or memorabilia to take home.  We didn't need anything else to bring back, because we are still talking about how the ribs and people at KC Joe's are the finest around.  

Original KC Joe's Gas Station Restaurant
3002 West 47th Avenue,
Kansas City, Kansas 66103
(913) 722-3366

7.  All Slabbed Up - Leavenworth, KS

I believe this is the newest of the roundup here, and the closest to home.

It is nice to have it nearby, and it would draw more of a following were it anywhere but in the KC area.  That said, to have a barbecue joint of this caliber in a small town is lucky indeed.

I tried the burnt ends here once, and they were great, but as with burnt ends, they aren't always around.  On my next visit, I chose two meats - and while the pulled pork is well done and on par with many other area barbecues, the brisket is the real show-stopper on the menu.  I don't know if KC-dwellers will travel this far for brisket, but it's fine with me if they miss out, leaving more for the rest of us!  D and I uncharacteristically tried the fried pickles once, and were treated to huge serving - it's rare for me to highlight a fried filler side, but these were good enough that I recommend them if you've budgeted for a splurgy fatty treat.  The better, healthier choice (my friend, beans) are so tasty that I usually order an extra serving of them, which assuages any remaining pickle guilt.

The bar inside is charming, plastered with requisite signed dollar bills, and in a small town it's nice to scan the bills for outsiders who've visited our little city and left their saucy mark.  The restaurant itself sits on a gentle slope and from the outdoor seating you can have a nice view towards the VA and park, and the feeling of being a little bit outside your element above the busy street.

It's a satisfying, welcoming place and we are lucky to have it to round out the constellation of restaurants here in Leavenworth.  I've heard great things about All Slabbed Up catering, but haven't had the chance to try it yet.  We usually get take-out when close to home, and at All Slabbed Up the service is friendly and quick.

In sum, go for the brisket.  Maybe the fried pickles, and certainly the beans.  Revel in the fact that you are 5 minutes from home.  Repeat as needed.

405 Muncie Rd
Leavenworth KS 66048   

Defeat the heat with birds and presidents and BBQ

Work is overwhelming lately so I haven't been able to run as much as I'd like.  I anticipate that it will settle down in mid-August. I'm finally learning expectation management and that I may not need to do everything all at once.  As you know, if everything is a priority...nothing is a priority.  My problem is that I can't leave work at work, so if I don't accomplish my entire to-do list, I bring it home in my cranium.  That's not really fair to anyone, so I'm trying to do better.  I also like to study on weekends, weirdo, I know!

My bird watching continues and we run through about 5 lbs of sunflower seed in a few days.  It's so very relaxing to peek at them through our windows as I pass by in our tiny hallway.  We thought we'd placed the feeder perfectly to deter the squirrels, but as you can guess they outsmarted us in just about 48 hours.  D moves the feeder every few days to discourage their loitering. It's not working.  I don't mind, and the birds aren't exactly starving.  It's a tenable backyard peace.

Mr Goldfinch has a stink eye for you

Even through the steamy and condensing window glass, I snapped a pair of goldfinches and their black-capped chickadee pal, snacking heartily.  My favorite part is that I'm learning the particular feeding habits of these garden birds.  Cardinals sit and hang out, as do goldfinches.  The downy woodpeckers perch upside down and peck upwards, and the warblers are more of the grab-and-go proclivity.  Sparrows arrive in packs of 3-5, and will ground forage for spilled seeds, but get along amiably with everyone else.  

Pals

 Recently I visited the Truman Presidential Library in Independence, MO.  Say what you will about President Truman, the tour guide, library, grounds and museum were across the board outstanding.  I spent about 2 hours there, and could have filled an entire afternoon.  My favorite part?  The acknowledged contention of Truman's decisions.  I'm impressed they didn't shy away from it in order to gild his presidency.  Korea, atomic bombs, these are not decisions I would have wanted to face, either, but they were well-presented.

On my short timeline I had to skip a lot of his personal history exhibits, but I did learn about his hard luck and humble beginnings.  He'd tried and stumbled and even failed at several endeavors before entering politics - what would we think about that today?

Yes, you'll see a Dewey Defeats Truman newspaper, there, too, and the infamous "The Buck Stops Here" desk plate.

Truman's office, after his presidency

A recreation of the oval office during Truman's tenure - replicated to 95%!

 Well worth a trip, even if you are not a history buff.  I'm certainly not!  Go, though, even if it's to try out A Little Barbecue Joint just down the road.  The Truman-themed menu items are cute, but I am boring and had the chicken, which was a good value.  The beans were a real stand out.  Maybe I just really love beans?  I always order them and that's my yardstick (bean stick) for a good bbq meal.  At A Little Barbecue Joint, the sauces were on the runnier side, and definitely peppery in a tomato base.  I like mustard, cider, vinegar flavors better, but for a nice outdoor seating area, and great sandwich options, this place is hard to beat for a solid BBQ lunch.

I'm still DIYing things at home, and refronted our kitchen cabinets with lath strips, new hardware, and a slosh of Urbane Bronze paint.  I'll do the lowers in a bit:

Yes, that is the sum of our kitchen counterspace.  Yikes!

It looks a little refurbished, and when we repaint, I hope it will feel like a cabin and less like a low-end morgue.  Hate that metallic backsplash!

Here's the before, for comparison:

Not good.

It's a fun project and I can't do much damage with a total budget of about $30.  It's on pause, because my "workshop" (garage) gets so hot and humid that it's not much fun to be there on most summer days.

So for this weekend, I am studying, reading some research articles, heading for a run, and catching up with some colleagues for a BBQ dinner in KC.  D and I are going to try our hands at making our own pad thai tomorrow.  He's been getting into crossfit lately so we'll probably catch up on a WOD or two at some point.   

Finally, here's a pic of my bestie who has the pelt of a squeaky toy for you:

I'm an inside dog in the summer!

 Hope you are all finding ways to beat the heat!