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.

Stop #6 R.J.'s Bob-Be-Que

R.J.’s Bob-Be-Que Shack

5835 Lamar Ave.

Mission, KS 66062

Last week, the KC BBQ team was looking for some relief from the heat and some good barbeque. We found it over in Mission, KS at R.J.’s Bob-Be-Que Shack. Chef, Bob Palmgren (a French-trained pro), is where R.J.’s gets the “Bob” in barbeque. Overall, R.J.’s rated pretty highly, falling in fourth place so far.

There were highs and lows for our meal. Service was definitely a high. Although no one at our table took advantage of it, PBR bottles were $1.99, which is also a plus. R.J.’s French fries and cheesy corn were top notch. Several people at our table ordered pulled pork sandwiches and enjoyed them thoroughly; the ribs were also rated pretty highly. I’m not sure if this is more a plus or a minus (I’m thinking kind of both), but Jeff had the following to say about his ribs:

“Great baby backs, but I wish there was a little more meat. I like my baby backs like I like my Shue, with a little more meat on the bone.” Unfortunately, Shuler did not have anything to say, so Jeff came to this conclusion on his own.

On the other hand, the burnt ends did not fare as well, with complaints of the meat being dry. I thought the sauce was entirely too sweet; even the spicy sauce was sweet at the beginning making the spiciness seem a little strange, but if you like a sweet sauce, you will probably like the sauce at R.J.’s.

Here’s how the group rated R.J.’s:

Meat

Flavor 3.8

Consistency 3.4

Quality 3.7

Sauce

Flavor 2.8

Consistency 3.3

Sides

Distinctiveness 3.3

Variety 3.6

Flavor 4.1

Restaurant

Service 4.6

Atmosphere 4.1

Value 3.4

Overall Experience 3.8

R.J.’s overall average came out at 3.7/5. We all enjoyed our meals, and R.J.’s is a good spot. There is an outdoor patio featuring live music—which is great, but if you’re reading this down the road, keep in mind we came to R.J.’s during the heat wave of summer 2011, and we were sweating after walking from the car into the building. I would definitely recommend R.J.’s, but would caution you to stay away from the burnt ends—there are too many other great items on the menu to risk dry meat.

LC’s Bar-B-Q

5800 Blue Parkway

Kansas City, MO

The KC Barbeque team had mixed reviews on LC’s – some loved it, some hated it, some fell in between. Unfortunately, these mixed feelings translated into a poor score for ol’ LC’s.

First off, LC’s is a pretty good hike—especially for us Brookside kids. It is, however, on the way to Arrowhead or the K, so a good place to stop on the way to or from a game. I also hear that people call meat orders in for tailgating before Chief’s games; so if you get that idea, make sure you call ahead. The atmosphere at LC’s does not disappoint a tried and true barbeque lover. It is a no frills, down home barbeque joint. My only real complaint about its order-at-the-counter set-up is they do not bring your food to your table. It is a very small place (8 or 9 tables–tops) and there was only one other table in the restaurant when we were there—this would have significantly improved their service score. Even Gates, a much larger establishment, brings your order to your table, and after experience like the one we had at Danny Edwards, LC’s did not do themselves any favors in this department.

Now, here’s where things get a little complicated. Like I said, some of us loved it and some of us hated it, so read on and make sure you give LC’s a fair shake. We ordered a variety of menu items from burnt ends to combo sandwiches. The ribs were mediocre, but the sauce was really good. According to Ashley, it was “the best sauce so far.” She also mentioned that it may rival her current favorite, Oklahoma Joe’s—we shall see. On the other hand, Tom found the sauce “too salty,” as did Joe. Joe also had some not so nice things to say about his meal: “I don’t know what offended me more, the pork sandwich or the autographed photo of Steven Tyler.” Along with the sauce, Joe also found the meat too salty. Jeff, on the other hand, had some pretty nice things to say about his burnt ends: “I definitely missed my compass (Shuler), but the sauce andfat content in burnt ends made me feel like he was right beside me … perfect mix of sweetness and tenderness.”

In addition to mixed reviews on the barbeque itself, the sides also brought LCs’ score down a bit. They definitely lost points on variety only offering typical sides like French fries and coleslaw. The fries, however, were delicious and received rave reviews around the table. Unfortunately, the onion rings were not very good; they looked delicious, but they were very doughy and not as crunchy as they appeared.

Here’s how it all shook out:

Meat

Flavor 4.1

Consistency 3.7

Quality 3.8

Sauce

Flavor 4.0

Consistency 4.3

Sides

Distinctiveness 1.9

Variety 1.7

Flavor 3.5

Restaurant

Service 2.4

Atmosphere 3.1

Value 2.4

Overall Experience 3.3

LC’s total Score: 3.2/5

Overall, LC’s is probably a place to try. It was rated relatively highly from most of our group, but it ended up tying for last place (so far) with BB’s Lawnside BBQ. Things like service and variety of sides brought it down quite a bit. The food was way better than BB’s, but it definitely missed the mark in other areas.

Stop #3 Smokestack B-B-Q

Smokestack B-B-Q

8920 Wornall

Kansas City, MO 64114

http://smokestackbbq.com/

The KC Barbeque team had yet another great Kansas City BBQ experience. On Thursday evening, we had dinner at Smokestack B-B-Q. Smokestack is a restaurant started by the Fiorella family, who also owns Jack Stack in Kansas City (we’ll go there later in the year—it will be interesting to see how it stacks up).

Our overall experience at Smokestack was pretty good. We ordered a pretty wide variety of barbeque fare including ribs and pulled pork, burnt ends and combination sandwiches. The pulled pork is not the best I’ve ever had, but everything else comes highly recommended. Smokestack’s sides are delicious, which saved my meal and only made everyone else’s better. Grace was so full (after eating two whole ribs!) all she could muster up was “Mmmmm,” which seemed to be echoed around the table.

Smokestack was barely, just barely, edged out by Gates coming in with an average acore of 4.0 in comparison to its 4.1. Here’s how it shook out:

Meat:

Flavor 3.9

Consistency 3.9

Quality 3.8

Sauce:

Flavor 3.9

Consistency 4.2

Sides:

Distinctiveness 3.6

Variety 3.9

Flavor 4.4

Restaurant:

Service 4.4

Atmosphere 3.6

Value 4.2

Overall Experience 3.9

It seems that Nick has been named the expert among the group and Jeff could only say, “I tell you what, it was a pleasure watching a food connoisseur like Nick eat his meal. If he was impressed, so was I.” Actually, Jeff has named Nick the expert, but Nick has spoken and he was impressed; here’s what he had to say: “The quality of the BBQ at Smokestack is very impressive … the smoked chicken was surprisingly good, but my favorite part of the BBQ Challenge so far is Jeff’s obsession with what my comments will be for the night.”

I think I speak for everyone when I say that aside from the food, I’m glad to have some additional entertainment provided by the lovable banter between Nick & Jeff.

Stop #2 Gates Bar-B-Q

Gates Bar-B-Q

http://www.gatesbbq.com/

Various locations in the KC area

“Hi, may I help you?"

--- Famous first words of any Gates employee

We came into Gates on a snowy Kansas City evening, but it did not disappoint. We all had some pretty nice things to say about our meal, which were reflected in our overall scores, which I’ll get to shortly.

If you’ve never been to Gates, you’re missing out on quite the

experience, not to mention some pretty good barbeque. Those famous first words—which are shouted emphatically over and over until you reply—are a staple in the overall Gates experience. Although Gates is an “order at the counter” restaurant, its service does not disappoint. Our table was visited at least three times to make sure everything was OK and to bring to-go boxes when we finishing up.

Let’s get down to business. Most everyone enjoyed his or her meal. Gates has fabulous barbeque; the one thing that they’re missing, in my opinion, is that wide array of sides that can be expected at many barbeque restaurants. That being said, they do offer very traditional sides that really showcase the barbeque. You really get simple, authentic barbeque. “Strawberry soda, mixed plate.” – Tech N9ne via Dave. ‘Nuff said.

Grace, a loyal fan of Gates’ burnt ends, said hers were “a little dry … just not as good as usual.” Nick, on the other hand, said, “’It’s hard to beat Gates when they are on top of their game … perfect ribs tonight.”

Here’s how Gates stacked up:

Meat: Flavor – 4.7

Consistency - 4.6

Quality - 4.8

Sauce: Flavor – 4.4

Consistency - 4.3

Sides: Distinctiveness - 3.3

Variety - 3.3

Overall Flavor - 3.5

Restaurant: Service - 4.1

Atmosphere - 4.1

Value - 3.9

Overall Experience: 4.5

Our average score for Gates came in at 4.1.

Not that the competition is too stiff yet, but I am confident Gates will give the rest of our restaurants a run for their money. Jeff, who had the combo sandwich with beef and ham, said “’both melted in my mouth … just may be Kansas City’s finest.” I guess you’ll just have to wait and see …

Stop #1 BB's Lawnside BarB-Q

BB’s Lawnside BarB-Q

1205 East 85th Street

Kansas City, MO 64105

Upon walking into BB’s our group was optimistic. Unfortunately, the optimism faded when the food hit the table. Showcasing live Blues music nightly, BB’s is a fun place right off the bat. With cafeteria-style tables and checkered tablecloths, authenticity was to be expected. Almost everyone in our group commented that the atmosphere was great which was backed up by its average score of 4.9--the lone bright spot of the meal.

BB’s has an extensive menu with creative options and a host of Louisiana-style fare. Our table ordered up a pretty good variety of food to give BB’s a fair shot. Ribs were on special and they were one of the better items we had around the table. I had the pulled pork and found it very dry.

To make matters worse, BB’s barbeque sauce is not good, so the dry pork was made worse with bad sauce. To be fair, I prefer a spicier barbeque sauce and this was an

extremely sweet sauce (likened to apples and cinnamon at our table).

One of the more creative menu items turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments: the Barbeque Sundae. Layers of pulled pork, baked beans, coleslaw and sauce served in a mason jar sounds like a barbeque lover’s dream. When it showed up at the table, it was a bit of a disappointment. Tom ordered it up and said “the entrees were just OK, sides were good, atmosphere was great.” One additional comment that cannot be overlooked is the fact that the fries, a barbeque staple, left more than a bit to be desired. We would recommend opting for alternative side items.

BB’s by the numbers:

Meat

Flavor 3.1

Consistency 2.9

Quality 2.9

Sauce

Flavor 2.6

Consistency 2.8

Sides

Distinctiveness 3.8

Variety 3.3

Flavor 2.9

Restaurant

Service 3.4

Atmosphere 4.9

Value 3.1

Overall Experience 3.2

This averages out to a score of 3.2 for BB’s.

Needless to say, our group was underwhelmed by BB’s fare. Some chatter from around the table:

“Great Kansas City blues/jazz atmosphere; unfortunately, the food didn’t stack up.”

---Nick

“Potato salad-nice; fries=not so nice.”

---Joe

“Won’t be coming back, or recommending this place ...”

---Jeff

If you’re looking for a classic Barbeque experience and food that’s mediocre at best, BB’s is the place to go. I think it’s safe to say the first stop for the KC Barbeque Challenge will not be our winner ...