Bbq (Branson, Smithville, Rea: appointed, hotel, restaurants)

[knrstz]

I was visiting KC this weekend and have always heard a lot about Jack stack bbq and Oklahoma Joes. I chose jack stack since my hotel was on the plaza and I was within walking distance. I was really disappointed. I ordered a sampler platter and it didn't even come with a side of BBQ sauce. There was no bbq sauce on any of the tables. IMO, BBQ is as much about the sauce as the meat. When I asked for sauce I was given a small dish with only a few tablespoons of sauce. The sauce was delicious. I love the baked beans. The ribs were great. I didn't care for the sausage or brisket. Overall it wasn't what I expected. I know KC bbq didn't get famous with this kind of food. Fogo De Chao more than made up for it the next day. Anyways, next time I'm in the area, where should I go for really good bbq?

[kcmo]

gates

[brewcrew1000]

Bryants for Sausage hands down, it looks like gyro meat, it's so awesome but never well known
Oklahoma Joes for Pulled Pork and Fries

[TabulaRasa]

Jack Stack, while having some of the better sides accompaniments in the city, is not the quintessential KC BBQ experience. It's where you take visitors who are just not the type who would go for a down and dirty classic BBQ joint, which is going to be considerably less white tablecloth.

I personally prefer Oklahoma Joe's for the quality of meat, but my favorite sauce in the city is Arthur Bryant's, hands down. Gates' appeal is utterly lost on me, at least in terms of getting food to dine in at any of their restaurants...their catered meat trays fare much better.

But while Bryant's, Jack Stack, OK Joe's, Gates, and to an extent Danny Edwards, LC's, Rosedale, etc. are the ones you'll hear about/read about most, there are lots and lots of other places throughout the metro that are great, as well.

[RjRobb2]

Originally Posted by knrstz

I was visiting KC this weekend and have always heard a lot about Jack stack bbq and Oklahoma Joes. I chose jack stack since my hotel was on the plaza and I was within walking distance. I was really disappointed. I ordered a sampler platter and it didn't even come with a side of BBQ sauce. There was no bbq sauce on any of the tables. IMO, BBQ is as much about the sauce as the meat. When I asked for sauce I was given a small dish with only a few tablespoons of sauce. The sauce was delicious. I love the baked beans. The ribs were great. I didn't care for the sausage or brisket. Overall it wasn't what I expected. I know KC bbq didn't get famous with this kind of food. Fogo De Chao more than made up for it the next day. Anyways, next time I'm in the area, where should I go for really good bbq?

I personally am not a big BBQ fan even though I am a KC native but that is not the place to go. I wouldnt even rate them in the Top 10.

Smokehouse, Oklahoma Joe, Gates, Arthur Bryant's and best of all is some of the hole in the wall places throughout the city.

[xenokc]

I'm not a Jack Stack fan either but the one of the Plaza is the worst one. The downtown one is doable.

I like OK Joes pulled pork and sometime the ribs - the sauces are outrageously salty though. LC's is good. Gates is alright. People who like fatty meat get into Bryants. Really like Brodies pulled pork up in Smithville.

Frankly, a lot of BBQ places in KC (and pretty much everywhere) take short cuts. BBQ by definition is low slow cooking for 4-6 hours. Many places will do much less than that.

[xenokc]

And BTW, BBQ is definitely not about the sauce. A lot of people think seem to think sauce it what defines it. If meat isn't low slow cooked for 4-6 hours or more, it's just grilling. BBQ was invented by low slow cooking poor cuts of meat to make it more tender.

And BBQ isn't famous in KC because of the BBQ restaurants, it's because there are a whole lot of people here who are masters of it. There are actually more Asian restaurants in KC than BBQ. Most of the BBQ restaurants here take short cuts.

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by knrstz

I was visiting KC this weekend and have always heard a lot about Jack stack bbq and Oklahoma Joes. I chose jack stack since my hotel was on the plaza and I was within walking distance. I was really disappointed. I ordered a sampler platter and it didn't even come with a side of BBQ sauce. There was no bbq sauce on any of the tables. IMO, BBQ is as much about the sauce as the meat. When I asked for sauce I was given a small dish with only a few tablespoons of sauce. The sauce was delicious. I love the baked beans. The ribs were great. I didn't care for the sausage or brisket. Overall it wasn't what I expected. I know KC bbq didn't get famous with this kind of food. Fogo De Chao more than made up for it the next day. Anyways, next time I'm in the area, where should I go for really good bbq?

I've never eaten at a BBQ joint that was run by white people that was any good.

20yrsinBranson

[xenokc]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

I've never eaten at a BBQ joint that was run by white people that was any good.

W/out getting into race, I kinda know where you are going. BBQ was started by those who couldn't afford good cuts of meat. Trying to neatly package it up and serve in a nice white table cloth restaurant (Jack Stack/KC Masterpiece) is a manufactured misrepresentation of true BBQ culture. It's taking short cuts that really misrepresents BBQ and many if not most restaurants do it, but not all. Restaurants are in the biz to make money, not always to properly make BBQ. Since BBQ by definition takes a lot more time than say, Chinese or Italian, there will be a higher % that don't do it very well.

At its best, the meat should fall off the bone. Not many places succeed at that. When done this well and with the right balance of rubs, a sauce shouldn't be needed, but doesn't hurt either.

[knrstz]

Gates is what was suggested but I ignored the suggestion. Maybe next time. Oh well.