BBQ of KC (Part 5)






This is the fifth part of my series. If you haven't read it yet, please check out Part 1: https://bbqofkc.blogspot.com/2025/09/bbq-of-kc.html

"What's the line for?" someone asked me seconds before this photo was taken "barbecue" I responded. I'm pictured here at the legendary Chef J in West Bottoms. What can I say about Chef J? He's a cool cat, so cool that people line down the streets just to get close. In fact, one barbecue restaurant was not enough--Chef J is expanding. He's bringing his craft to 1900 Clay St. right by Chicken N Pickle, in North Kansas City.




Chef J BBQ
This is New-School Craft BBQ. Justin Easterwood runs these massive custom 1,000-gallon, dual-stack offset smokers (better because of the airflow allowing the smoke to hit the meat from different directions with live-fire) and patient 12-plus-hour cooks, giving the brisket and ribs a deep smoke and honest bark. It’s Texas craft barbecue meeting Kansas City tradition, cooked in small batches until it sells out—something I learned the hard way when I showed up at 3:30 and the doors were already closed. They offer three sauces, a mustard—gold—sauce, a tangy vinegar sauce, and a classic Kansas City sweet molasses sauce.




Tin Kitchen
Wonderful discovery in Weston, Kansas. I of course hade their full slab BBQ ribs. They smoke their meat for 16-hours using pecan-wood, which gave it kind of a bacon-like taste, and the rub seemed simple -but wonderful- (think less is more). It was heavy on the pepper flakes; which is what I love. The seasoning on these competition-grade ribs is simple and delicious, proving that you don't need a lot of ingredients to win awards. Weston is a very historic port-city built in the 1800s with a nice flair. 




Holy Smoke BBQ
Out west a bit, almost in the middle of nowhere—my kind of barbecue joint. The prices were reasonable, the staff were genuinely friendly, and everything carried that classic hickory-smoked flavor. I happened to arrive on a Sunday and lucked into their mac and cheese special, which was excellent. Simple place, great smoke, and a name I really like too.





Wyandot Barbecue
You can smell the hickory and oak smoke the second you pull into the lot at Wyandot. It’s a total time capsule—nothing has changed since the '70s (when it opened), and that’s exactly why it’s good. The ribs are served as soon as you arrive, old-school with just some white bread and that signature sauce. It’s honest, wood-fired BBQ that’s been smoking long before the doors opened, and it doesn't need to chase trends to be one of the best in the KC area.Just to be clear, that is sauce, not ketchup!





Chop's BBQ and Catering
Chop's BBQ and Catering in Smithville is the kind of small-town spot that quietly humbles bigger, flashier places. The waitress mentioned they use cherry wood smoke, and honestly, you can taste it — the ribs have that perfect crispy bark, the meat fall clean off the bone and practically melts in your mouth. Also Smithville is home to one of my favorite open mics at Welco (not to be confused with Wilco, one of my favorite bands.)



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BBQ of KC

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