Kansas City Barbeque is somewhat world renown and I think that it is without equal. And yes I know that folks from the south may disagree.. I do like the varieties offered in Memphis and South Carolina.. their pulled pork sandwiches are some of my favorites. Yet I must say that KC ribs and brisket are matchless in the world of BBQ.
Two of my favorite places to nosh on ribs and such in the KC Metroplex are located in gas stations. The best of the bunch is Oklahoma Joe's.. and yes.. I get the irony that the best KC BBQ has another state in it's name but Joe's was born in KC. Here is a bit of their story:
Oklahoma Joe’s life began on the KC Barbeque Society competition circuit in the early 90’s as the Slaughterhouse Five, a team of barbeque enthusiasts who got together to cook at weekend championships around the Midwest and the South. The team won so many awards that by 1996, they opened a restaurant. The name itself came from the BBQers friendship, and later partnership, with Joe Jon Davidson, the founder and owner of Oklahoma Joe's Smoker Company. Compared with Kansas City institutions like the circa-1920 Arthur Bryant’s, Joe's is a modern place, using state-of-the-art smokers that cook meat with a combination of natural gas and wood. They offer a wide variety of barbeque and traditional accompaniments.If you get to the KC area (please let me know if you do) Joe's is definitely one of the places to visit.. but get their early - the line is out of the door if you get their late.
Do they have barbeque where you live? Are you jealous of folks in Kansas City?
We have a grandson age 11 Nick who LOVES ribs. In fact a few weeks ago, we let him order the ribs on the adult menu...When the plate came I couldn't believe my eyes.....huge! That boy ate all but two ribs, and I'm telling you it was a RACK!
ReplyDeleteHe would love to come and visit you!
what's your other gas station bbq favorite?
ReplyDeleteI live in SC, just south of Charlotte, NC. Within a 100 miles I can get South Carolina or North Carolina BBQ.
ReplyDeleteBob, I can't imagine any BBQ better than the stuff I had while living in southern Georgia. I'd be willing to give KC a taste test. :)
ReplyDeleteI love BBQ. I did a little checking online to see what reviews I could find for BBQ places in the Seattle area. A wide variety of opinions. People from Texas, Kansas City, Georgia, S. Carolina, weighed in. No clear winners. I guess it all depends on your expectations. Even so, some people from places where they make real BBQ say there's good BBQ here. But it's almost always created by people originally from the aforementioned locations.
ReplyDeleteHere was one comment that caught my eye: "Hello to the great northwest my name is big D and I'm from kansas city mo. home to the best BB'Q in the world and I just happen to be a chef and yes there is some great BB'Q in the Auburn wa. area" I suspect he was referring to Branks. (I live about 8 minutes away from Branks.) www.branksbbq.com It's the only place where I will eat baked beans, which I usually think are nasty and not worth the after-effects.
He probably wasn't referring to Longhorn BBQ, which as another reviewer said, "Is bad even by Seattle standards, including all the sides."
There are two in the area that are in old gas stations. One I've eaten at many times, but that was 20 years ago. Pecos Pit. Some people think their sauce is too sweet. The other one, Dixies' is loved or hated. Notoriously terrible service there, but some people just love 'em. I've never been willing to wait 45 minutes for lunch during a work day.
Cave Man Kitchens advertises that they are a "smoke-house joint, not a barbecue joint." They've even catered for the White House. Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, I think. They've catered for up to 5,000 people even though they're just a small, family-run place. Just thinking about them makes my mouth water. They have the best smoked meat in the NW.
http://cavemankitchen.com/
When it comes to BBQ styles, "I've never met a BBQ I didn't like." (Though I am somewhat biased toward North Carolina styles - east and west.)
ReplyDeleteGary, smoke-house is what we'd get in Georgia. MMmmmm-mmm-good!
ReplyDeleteI agree about smoke. To me it isn't real BBQ if smoke is not involved.
ReplyDeleteWe grow up on BBQ over here ....
ReplyDeletethe BBQ out on the Patio is always good to go ... and at least 80% of the time we have friends over the BBQ provides the meal and a space for men to talk.
Here in Oz the men cook the meat while the ladies prepare the salads ... I know who has got the short end of the straw on this one but I'm not telling ....
Cleaning up though ain't so easily divided.
@Lou - Sorry for the late response. The other BBQ joint in a gas station is LC BBQ.
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