Joes Kansas City Barbecue, (original location) Kansas City KS

Joes Kansas City Barbecue, Formally known as Oklahoma Joes is a Kansas institution. You can’t talk about the best BBQ in Kansas City without mentioning Joes. It has been voted one of the top barbecue restaurants in the county, and Joes Z-man sandwich is on many peoples must try list. Check the link to see some of their accolades, https://www.joeskc.com/pages/in-the-news

Like any good Barbecue restaurant there is always a line a Joes. The line moves fast but be prepared to spend at least 20 minutes in line. We arrived right when the opened on a Saturday morning and that meant for the first time I was going to be able to try Joes burnt ends. Orders of burnt ends are limited so don’t be surprised if you get there later in the day and they are sold out.

I got the burnt ends with a side of fries, it comes with a slice of bread and a few pickles as well. It has been said many times Joes has the best fries in Kansas City and I would agree. They season them with their barbecue rub and they are delicious. The burnt ends were also spectacular. They were moist, tender, with a good bark and they melted in your mouth. Joes bbq sauce pairs perfectly with their spice rub. It is one of my favorite barbecue sauces I have had at a restaurant. I do prefer the burnt ends over their sliced brisket.

To round out the meal we ordered a half slab ribs with red beans and rice and a chicken Z-man with corn. Joes ribs are among my favorites. They cook them perfectly, their rub flavor pops on the ribs and if you want to add a little sauce it takes them to another level. I always order ribs at Joes. The chicken Z-man was good, but not as good as the rest of the meal. The fries are definitely the best side but the red beans and rice, and the corn are both very good.

I have been to Joes other location and the original gas station spot is hands down the best. The atmosphere is unmatched, and the food always seems to be a touch better than at the other places. It is easy to see why many consider Joes the best in Kansas City. For me it is definitely in the top 5 of places I have tried. I hope everyone gets the opportunity to get out this year and has a meal with a loved one. Check out Joes Kansas City barbecue website: https://www.joeskc.com

travelingbbqer

January 12, 2023 0

Harp Barbecue, Raytown Missouri

Is Texas Barbecue taking over in Kansas City? To answer that question there is one place to start, Harp Barbecue. Harp Barbecue serves out of a back room inside Crane Brewing Company in Raytown Missouri, about 20 minutes outside of downtown Kansas City. Head pit master Tyler Harp grew up in the KC area, but his travels influence his barbecue just as much as his Kansas City roots. Harp Barbecue was recently voted Kansas City’s best barbecue by kansascitymag.com that included the typical KC heavy hitters like Joes, Gates, Arthur Bryants, Q39, and Fiorellas Jack Stack. Ranking number one on a list that includes those names is quite the accomplishment.

Grab a beer up front and head on back to join the line

Harp Barbecue typically only serves their full barbecue menu on Saturdays starting at 11, and offer a taco night on Fridays that starts at 5. This particular weekend however they were serving the full barbecue menu on Friday as well. Follow them on Facebook or Instagram for menu updates.

We joined the line about 5:30 and made it to the front to order in about 20 minutes. While we were there the line stayed pretty consistant in length, so I would say be prepared to wait about 20 minutes to order. With this being our first time we wanted to try a variety of items. We ordered sliced brisket, burnt ends, turkey, half slab of ribs, cheesy corn, beans, and banana pudding. We were sharing ok people lol.

Lets get the sides and dessert out of the way first. The cheesy corn was good, but nothing special. The beans were one of my favorite beans I have had. They were flavorful, with a bit of spice. They had a Texas chili flavor to them, that paired well with BBQ. I will definitely be getting those again.The banana pudding was packed with flavor. It had a pumpkin pie spice, and maybe almond flavor. I enjoyed it, the wife was disappointed there were no banana chunks or wafer in it.

Now for the meats. The Texas influence is all over the flavor profile. The ribs had great flavor, and were meaty, but they needed a little more time in the smoker. They were a little tough. I think about 30 more minutes in the smoker would have done the trick. The brisket was what you would expect from a top pit master, smokey, great beef flavor with good salt and pepper bark, and very tender. I can see why people in Kansas City are loving this brisket. The burnt ends were packed with moisture, with that same bark. They can would up to any KC burnt end I have had. When ordering the cashier mentioned the turkey was the best thing on their menu, and honestly it was right up there with the best on the tray. It had that Texas flavor, very moist, and paired excellent with the tangy sauce Harp offers. Usually turkey is so so but if you go make sure you try it, it is worth a spot on your tray.

Overall the experience at Harp was outstanding. It felt similar to the places I have been in Texas. The atmosphere in Harps serving area, the food, even the line adds to the experience. It is unique to the Kansas City area as far as I know. So is Texas style barbecue taking over KC? I would say not entirely, but Harp Barbecue will be on the scene for a long time to come. They have worked hard to carve out their place in the Kansas City barbecue scene, and have developed quite a following. I can see why many people are ranking Harp Barbecue as one of the best around, it truly is a special place in the Kansas City area. I encourage everyone to plan a visit on a Saturday afternoon. I would like to thank everyone at Harp Barbecue for a memorable evening. Tyler and the team at Harp have created something special in Raytown. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram. I will leave a link to their website as well. https://www.harpbarbecue.com

LRR

travelingbbqer

September 13, 2022 0

Meat Mitch BBQ, Leawood KS

Meat Mitch BBQ is a product of award winning pit-master and sauce maker Mitch Benjamin. They opened in December of 2021 after a long construction process. They are no strangers to the Kansas City barbecue scene though, Char Bar is also a Meat Mitch restaurant. Having really enjoying my experience at Char Bar I was anxious to try Meat Mitch BBQ.

We arrived around 5 o’clock on a Saturday evening. The decor is unique and creates an inviting atmosphere. We ordered the pit masters platter with beans and Mac and cheese, and smoky chicken suckers. The platter comes smoked burnt ends, black Angus carved brisket, smoked turkey, 3 rib bones, pulled pork, smoked rope sausage, and fries.

The ordering system is different, order at the front, sit down, and then a waiter comes by and takes drink orders. Our appetizer and pit-master platter came out at the same time. I am not sure if this is a normal because of how you order, or just an anomaly on this evening.

Overall I can describe our trip to Meat Mitch BBQ that evening as disappointing. I hate to say that but it is the truth. I say disappointing because I know from my Char bar experiences this was not what this restaurant is capable of producing. The chicken suckers had a nice buffalo sauce coating and were served with a very good homemade ranch dressing. The rub on the meat, and the variety of sauces on the table are all fantastic, but the execution just wasn’t there on this platter of food. The ribs were undercooked and not tender, the sausage was cold as soon as it arrived at our table, and the mac and cheese was average. The turkey was a bit dry but overall not bad. The brisket and burnt ends were good, but still lacked some on execution. The rub and sauces compliment each other well. The pulled pork with whomp sauce was my favorite combo. The star of the platter was the beans and fries. The beans very good, probably the best beans I have had at a barbecue restaurant. The fries had a barbecue rub on them and were nice and crispy, very good.

The question is will we go back, and the answer is ABSOLUTELY. I know that every place has an off night and I know that is what this was. Meat Mitch BBQ has a bright future on the Kansas City BBQ scene. Please don’t let anything I have said here discourage you from eating there. I look forward to venturing back there and trying The Meat Tower and some bread pudding next time. Check out their menu and make a plan to grab dinner there in the near future. Let me know your experience. Traveling BBQer https://meatmitchbbq.com

March 5, 2022 0

Char Bar, KC

Char Bar is place I had been wanting to try for a few years, but never found time to work it in while we were in KC. That changed a couple of weeks ago, when the wife, myself, and my in laws stopped in for dinner on a Saturday night in KC. The ascetic of the building is unique, fun, and inviting. The staff was very friendly, and provided great service.

love this affect on the ceiling. As an electrician I am glad I didn’t have to make up all those J boxes though

We ordered a round of drinks, and the wifes smore martini was the star of the drink orders. She said it was probably the best drink she has ever ordered.

We chose the fried pickles as an appetizer, and I will say these were the most unique fried pickles I have ever seen. they were thick sliced pickle spears breaded with a tempura like batter served with ranch dressing. They were amazing, and that is coming from someone who doesn’t really like pickles. The ranch dressing was delicious and a perfect compliment to the pickles. They disappeared to quickly to get a picture of the full order.

These were delicious and a must try if you like fried pickles

On to the main course, the womp platter. The womp platter comes with burnt ends, half slab of ribs, pulled pork, pit ham, black Angus brisket, smoked turkey, hand cranked sausage, basket of fries, jar of pickles, and two “nice fixings”. You can also add crispy pork belly bites for $5, which of course we did. The womp platter says it serves two to three so this was perfect for sharing with everyone at the table. We chose to split fries between regular and sweet potato, and had beans and potato salad as the two fixins.

I have to admit we ate at Q39 the night before so I was a little worried the meal the night before would overshadow this one, but it did not. Everything on the platter was delicious. The burnt ends stood out to me the most. The were moist, tender, with great flavor. It is tough to see them in the pictures but I assure you they are there, and worth going for them first. The pork belly bites were most surprising to me. I am not one that likes a lot of a fat on anything so pork belly is not my favorite, but I really liked Char Bars. The only thing on the platter I did not get to try, but I am told it was very good. Char Bar is definitely a place we will be visiting again. It is hard to pin down a favorite BBQ restaurant in KC, but Char Bar is definitely worth being in the conversation. If you wanting a unique atmosphere in a fun part of KC, Char Bar is your spot. Check out their menu and make a reservation when you are in KC. https://charbarkc.com/menu/

January 3, 2022 0