Stop# 11 The Stack

The Stack
8920 Wornall
Kansas City, MO 64114

A couple of weeks ago, our group decided to try out one of Kansas City's newest barbeque joints, The Stack, which has moved into Smokestack’s old location near 85^th and Wornall. Unfortunately, The Stack didn’t fare as well as Smokestack on our rating scale, but it did have a pretty strong showing. It ranks 6^th out of the 11 places we’ve been so far.  

We were all pretty impressed with the food at The Stack. I had the ribs, and they fell off the bone—just what I was looking for! Jeff and Grace really enjoyed the burnt ends. Jeff said, “Burnt ends did not disappoint, and watching Nick enjoy his ribs led me to the conclusion that they were exceptional!” (In my opinion, Jeff is correct.) The sauce also drew positive reviews. They offer three varieties of sauces, and Nick said, “All three sauces were very good. All distinct, and good.”  The sides drew lower scores in comparison to the other categories at The Stack; Grace commented that the cheesy corn was “not the best … but the beans were really flavorful!”

Overall, we had a pretty positive experience at The Stack, and a few of us have been back for more since we originally tried it out. Here are the details on The Stack’s review:

Meat                                                                                                                                    

     Flavor             4.4

     Consistency   4.3

     Quality           4.2

Sauce                                                                                                                                   

     Flavor             4.3

     Consistency   4.0

Sides                                                                                                                                    

     Distinctiveness 3.3

     Variety            3.4

     Flavor              3.9

Restaurant                                                                                                                                         

     Service            4.3

     Atmosphere    3.0

     Value              3.9

                                                                                                                                               

Overall Experience  4.1

The total score for The Stack was a 3.91/5. I think that’s a pretty solid score for a relatively new place. The inside of the restaurant hasn’t changed much from the Smokestack days, and the food is almost as good (according to our rating scale), but we all enjoyed ourselves and would definitely go back. The Stack is definitely worth a try.

Smokestack on Wornall Closed

Sad news in Kansas City barbeque ... Smokestack BBQ, located at 8920 Wornall Road in Kansas City, MO has closed.

Smokestack was tied for 4th place in our BBQ challenge. So, according to us, the loss of Smokestack is a big one for KC barbeque.

Smokestack is not gone forever though. The president of Smokestack says that the company intends to introduce a retail line of Smokestack's barbeque. It will be sold fresh in area grocery stores.

For more information about the restaurant closing and Smokestack's new line, please read this article by Joyce Smith, from the Kansas City Star.

Stop# 10 Jack Stack Barbecue

Jack Stack Barbecue

4747 Wyandotte St.

Kansas City, MO 64112

Our 10th stop of the BBQ Challenge, took us to Jack Stack, on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza. Jack Stack has four locations throughout the Kansas City area, making it easy to find one close to you!

Some people think Jack Stack is lacking when it comes to a true “barbeque experience,” but what it lacks there it makes up for in its high quality, delicious food. Although Jack Stack was unable to overtake current leader, Oklahoma Joe’s, it did enough to put itself in a close second place.

As I said, Jack Stack offers a unique barbeque experience—Mitch said “great restaurant, not a BBQ joint.” Joint it is not, it definitely has a higher end feel, but the food stands up to the atmosphere.

Jack Stack offers some of the best sides I have had with a barbeque meal, and I was not alone. Many of the people around the table echoed my sentiments. The cheesy potato bake comes highly recommended—it is a cravable menu item.

Although the sides stole the show, the main dishes were nothing to turn your nose up at. In fact, they have your traditional barbeque staples done at least a notch above most of the rest as well as some unique menu items, only found at Jack Stack.

Giving a nod to its consistency, Jeff said, “Everything is good, every time. The Crown Prime beef ribs are the best food item of all BBQ restaurants.”

Meat

Flavor 4.6

Consistency 4.4

Quality 4.7

Sauce

Flavor 4.1

Consistency 4.1

Sides

Distinctiveness 4.1

Variety 4.3

Overall Flavor 4.5

Restaurant

Service 4.2

Atmosphere 3.4

Value 3.8

Overall Experience 4.4

Jack Stack’s total score was a 4.2 out of 5. It was definitely hurt by its higher price point and the higher end feel of the restaurant; however, it’s worth stopping in for some of what ranks among the best barbeque in Kansas City (so far!).