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# 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!).

Stop# 9 Woodyard Bar-B-Que

Schloegel’s Woodyard Bar-B-Que

3001 Merriam Lane

Kansas City, KS 66106

A couple of Saturdays ago, we headed out to try Woodyard Bar-B-Que in KCK. It was a beautiful day for it, and we had a pretty good meal to pair with it. Woodyard is in a pretty industrial area, and from what I hear draws a pretty good weekday lunch crowd. It wasn’t too crowded this particular Saturday, so we didn’t have to wait too long. Woodyard offers a great patio for dining and smokes its meats right out in front of the building so you can watch while you eat.

One fair warning about Woodyard: they do not have air conditioning; so dining here on an extremely hot day would not be ideal. Otherwise, they offer a great place with plenty of seating and good service.

The food at Woodyard was pretty good as well. They have a great selection of main courses and sides—including a smoked salmon sandwich, which is unique for a barbeque restaurant, but I ordered it and tasted pretty good. There were some complaints about some of the meats being a little dry and Mitch did not think the bread stood up to his sandwich. They also didn't have french fries, but their other sides were pretty good. Other than that, I think we were all pretty happy with our meals. Woodyard scored a solid 3.9 out of 5 on our scale putting it in 6^th place over all.

Meat

Flavor 4.2

Consistency 4.0

Quality 4.1

Sauce

Flavor 3.8

Consistency 4.1

Sides

Distinctiveness 3.4

Variety 3.5

Flavor 4.1

Restaurant

Service 4.0

Atmosphere 3.8

Value 3.5

Overall Experience 4.0

We all really liked Woodyard. Personally, I think it deserved a higher score in the atmosphere category. All in all, we would recommend this place, and would definitely go back.

Stop#8: Oklahoma Joe's

Oklahoma Joe's

3002 W. 47th Ave.

Kansas City, KS 66103

Well folks, we have a new leader! Oklahoma Joe’s has beaten out Gates by 2 tenths of a point. A couple of weeks ago, we ordered take-out from Okie Joe’s and headed to Kelly’s Westport Inn for our dining experience.

Oklahoma Joe’s is quite an experience. Attached to a gas station in Kansas City, KS, its appearance is deceiving. It even ranks among Anthony Bourdain’s 13 Places to Eat Before you Die. According to Bourdain, “It’s the best BBQ in Kansas City, which makes it the best BBQ in the world.” So far, our group agrees.

For anyone who has never been to Oklahoma Joe’s, you’ve never experienced the line that wraps around the building as soon as the restaurant opens for business on Saturdays (and many weekdays, for that matter). It’s definitely an experience, but not necessary more than once. Thankfully, Oklahoma Joe’s has great carry out service.

We called our order in around 12:30, and, as promised, it was ready by 1:00. Our meals were (as reflected in the scores) delicious! We had a wide array of sandwiches around the table as well as sides. Oklahoma Joe'shas great specialty sandwiches in addition to traditional BBQ faves.

Oklahoma Joe’s did not disappoint when it came to the sides either. The French fries are among the best I’ve ever had. They also offer quite the variety including spicy coleslaw and gumbo.

We did not rate Oklahoma Joe’s on service or atmosphere, but I can attest that both are worth the wait in line. Oklahoma Joe’s totaled up at a 4.3 out of 5. Here’s how the scores came out:

Meat

Flavor 4.4

Consistency 4.3

Quality 4.4

Sauce

Flavor 4.1

Consistency 4.5

Sides

Distinctiveness 4.3

Variety 4.5

Flavor 4.6

Restaurant

Service N/A

Atmosphere N/A

Value 3.8

Overall Experience 4.3

Oklahoma Joe’s is one of my personal favorite BBQ joints in KC, and this time around it did not disappoint. Jeff put it best saying, “Okie Joe’s is always good. No different today.”

Stop #7: Arthur Bryant's

Arthur Bryant’s

1727 Brooklyn Avenue

Kansas City, MO 64127

A few weeks ago our group headed down toto test (or, in most cases re-test) one of Kansas City’s most well known barbeque joints, Arthur Bryant’s. I’m here to tell you, it deserves all the talk. Arthur Bryant’s has been featured on the Food Network and a variety of other food programs and publications.

Arthur Bryant’s has 3 metro locations; we chose to go to the original near 18^th and Vine. The restaurant is relatively large and has an order-at-the-counter format. The food was delicious and the sauce was also pretty tasty. Just a fair warning, Arthur Bryant’s adds sauce to their pulled pork, burnt ends, etc. (I prefer to add my own sauce). I ordered the pulled pork and was slightly disappointed until I reached over to my husband’s gigantic combo sandwich and ate about ½ of his turkey—juicy and delicious! The only other guest that had anything specific to say about his or her meal was Jeff (of course):

“Loved the burnt ends, although I could have used a little more.

Fries were great. Awesome piece of KC BBQ history at the original location.”

Our group gave Arthur Bryant’s a 3.9/5, which is good enough for fourth place so far. Here are the details:

Meat

Flavor 4.4

Consistency 4.4

Quality 4.5

Sauce

Flavor 3.8

Consistency 3.9

Sides

Distinctiveness 3.6

Variety 2.6

Flavor 4.1

Restaurant

Service 3.8

Atmosphere 4.6

Value 3.3

Overall Experience 4.3

Gates, another Kansas City staple, still leads the charge. Arthur Bryant’s has a lot to offer and is nestled in one of Kansas City’s most unique neighborhoods. 18^th & Vine is home to Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the American Jazz Museum and venues offering some of Kansas City’s greatest jazz music. So, if you’re looking for some good eats and unique entertainment in Kansas City, Arthur Bryant’s is a great pick!

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 #4 Danny Edwards

DannyEdwards Boulevard BBQ

2900 Southwest Blvd.

Kansas City, MO

Sorry readers, still slacking ... but last month our group (and a few special guests) tried out Danny Edwards' barbeque -- the food was pretty good, tying Smokestack for 2nd place so far, and we definitely had a good time.

We started off by welcoming a few new faces (and coozies) to the table. I didn't know you could buy Reagan/Bush Campaign memorabilia online, but we have living proof. I think the highlight of the meal was the service. Our server was excellent (one of the best I've ever had); she remembered the names of everyone at the table! Some of us actually

offered to give her a 6 on our 5 point scale.

Danny Edwards offers a wide variety of delicious sides ("Top notch," according to Jeff). They offer your traditional staples along with several unique options, including spicy jambalaya. Sides receiving special recognition were the potato salad, the onion rings and the coleslaw (with hot sauce added coming highly recommended by a few at the table).

Most everyone enjoyed their meals; however, Mitch thought the pork was dry and Joe thought the burnt ends were fatty. Either way, Danny Edwards came out OK one the scoresheets:

Meat

- Flavor 3.9

- Consistency 3.7

- Quality 4.1

Sauce

- Flavor 3.7

- Consistency 3.9

Sides

- Distinctiveness 3.9

- Variety 4.6

- Overall Flavor 4.3

Restaurant

- Service 5.0

- Atmosphere 3.4

- Value 3.7

Overall Experience 4.0

This all averages out to a 4.0/5. Nate, one of our guests, found Danny Edwards to be a "pleasant surprise" and "a great place if you're looking for BBQ other than Gates, Oklahoma Joe's or Jack Stack." I have to say that I agree.

We're looking forward to some summertime BBQ stops, and I promise I will try to keep my posts more up to date!!

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 …