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Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 6:59 pm
by chingon
ignatius wrote: but somehow OK Joes does pulled pork well nearly every time.
Thats because pulled pork is the easiest thing to cook (especially in quantity). That and because, at its best, its basically slop, so it keeps better than any other bbq.

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 7:14 pm
by chingon
Somebody agrees with you, GRID. Either that or you wrote this:

http://www.kclunchspots.com/2009/05/okl ... treet.html

Here's a pull-quote so false it's endearing:
OK Joe's is not so much a neighborhood joint as a destination spot anyway whereas Bryant's still is a neighborhood place in a lot of ways.

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:00 am
by KCPowercat
I've been to the 31st street Gates probably 5 times in the last year, lunch and dinner....never had a bad beef sandwich.  Not once.  Lean and tasty.

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:38 am
by AJoD
One thing I do love about KC is how many times I can get roped into this conversation.

I went to Big T's once, a couple years ago, and thought it was pretty good, but can't see passing up LC's to get it. I still haven't had the burnt ends though. (Write-up here.)

I'm coming around a little on OK Joe's, the Z-Man is a pretty damn good sandwich. But like whoever said before, when I'm looking for bbq, it's not for cheese and sauce and an onion ring.

I've finally, unfortunately, begun to notice the inconsistency I've heard much about at Bryant's.

I've only had Quick's ribs once, thought they were just okay, but definitely need to give another shot. I seem to recall they have an interesting hot dog on the menu.

Never tried Rosedale, have only heard good things about their chicken.

Amazingly, still never eaten at Gates.

I don't get the love for Danny Edward's, old place or new. Though I will say, there are two things that strike me as distinctive about current KC bbq culture--one is just the sheer number of places where you can get a pretty decent bbq meal. It's not like I object to eating at Danny Edward's or Jack Stack. You can get a fine meal there, and many other bbq joints. Transcendent bbq? Maybe not. But the ubiquity of acceptable quality is impressive. Even moreso, the home bbq culture. I bet there are more smokers per household than any other large city in the US. Sure, there are some gas units and briquettes and what not. But the home bbq culture here is very significant.

One place that may have been mentioned upthread but I can't recall is Smokin' Guns, pretty impressive competition-style 'que.

Nobody's mentioned Brobeck's, I don't think, but I've heard very good things.

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 1:12 am
by Joe Smith
The best ribs I've ever eaten are the Crown Prime ribs at Jack Stack in the Crossroads. Everyone should try them at least once.

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:31 am
by slimwhitman
AJoD wrote:
Nobody's mentioned Brobeck's, I don't think, but I've heard very good things.
I have been a few times and like it....almost top 5.  My neighbor successfully competes in bbq competitions and thinks Brobeck's is top 3.  They have a really tasty ham salad dip that I take home.
http://www.brobecksbbq.com/Brobecks_BBQ.html

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 7:35 am
by ChefColby
slimwhitman wrote: I have been a few times and like it....almost top 5.  My neighbor successfully competes in bbq competitions and thinks Brobeck's is top 3.  They have a really tasty ham salad dip that I take home.
http://www.brobecksbbq.com/Brobecks_BBQ.html
I ate there yesterday with my pop's...Reading this thread made me hungry!! Deff worth mentioning!

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 8:34 am
by ignatius
AJoD wrote: Even moreso, the home bbq culture. I bet there are more smokers per household than any other large city in the US. Sure, there are some gas units and briquettes and what not. But the home bbq culture here is very significant.
that's how i summarize kc bbq culture.  it's not really the restaurants - there are actually more mexican and asian restaurants in kc than bbq - it's that there are a lot of people here who know the process of bbq, and many who participate in competitions.  most don't run restaurants.

there is no one style in kc compared to other bbq cities.  the upside is that we will q anything with various methods, the downside is that a particular person may not like 75% of what's out there.

the restaurants are really just an echo of the culture, not really an accurate representation either methinks.

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 1:59 pm
by KCMax
Playboy Interview: Anthony Bourdain (NSFW)
PLAYBOY: What’s the best barbeque you’ve ever had?

BOURDAIN: If I was looking for brisket, ribs, the burnt ends, I’d go to Oklahoma Joe’s in Kansas City. If I wanted a whole hog, I’d go to Mitchell’s in North Carolina.

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 2:16 pm
by AlbertHammond
Based on just one visit: Q39 is now in my top 3. Their Z-Man rip-off is excellent.

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 2:24 pm
by smh
Visited Slap's in Strawberry Hill today. Amazing meats. The sauce is a touch brown sugary for my taste, but the place overall was great and I can't wait to head back and take friends!

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 6:10 pm
by mean
I've been to Q39 once and Slap's twice now. Q39 was quite good, doing the sort of BBQ bistro or you might say "questropub" vibe, although the cassoulet was embarrassingly underseasoned. Slap's is also very good, much more "authentic 'cue dive" vibe. Quality meats, but their sauce is literally like syrup. I strongly disliked it, but I hate sweet BBQ sauce in general. A coworker I took thought the sauce was awesome.

Love seeing new 'cue spots making good food. At Slap's the other day, some competition champion who had apparently taken first in several recent competitions (when he walked in, the crew working was all congratulatory on whatever recent wins he had, calling him the new BBQ champion or whatever) was in line behind us, and was talking competition shop with the guys behind the counter. Clearly these guys know their 'cue.

Jon Russel's is a bit of a hike, but I enjoyed their burnt ends quite a bit, too. Love seeing new 'cue coming on the scene. Because then I can eat it.

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 6:43 pm
by smh
mean wrote:I've been to Q39 once and Slap's twice now. Q39 was quite good, doing the sort of BBQ bistro or you might say "questropub" vibe, although the cassoulet was embarrassingly underseasoned. Slap's is also very good, much more "authentic 'cue dive" vibe. Quality meats, but their sauce is literally like syrup. I strongly disliked it, but I hate sweet BBQ sauce in general. A coworker I took thought the sauce was awesome.

Love seeing new 'cue spots making good food. At Slap's the other day, some competition champion who had apparently taken first in several recent competitions (when he walked in, the crew working was all congratulatory on whatever recent wins he had, calling him the new BBQ champion or whatever) was in line behind us, and was talking competition shop with the guys behind the counter. Clearly these guys know their 'cue.

Jon Russel's is a bit of a hike, but I enjoyed their burnt ends quite a bit, too. Love seeing new 'cue coming on the scene. Because then I can eat it.
I was being a little diplomatic when I mentioned the sauce. Honestly, I did not like it. It was like maple syrup with a handful of pepper flakes in it. Very curious.

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 7:13 pm
by mean
That was almost exactly my impression. I liked the spice, but it was so overwhelmed by sticky sweetness that I couldn't eat it. And the texture is literally sticky, like syrup! Even the sweeter KC sauces (which I also think are too sweet) aren't so sweet that they're sticky! At least I've never found one. Who wants to eat meat that's as sweet as candy? Well, my coworker, for one. And "Chinese" restaurants pretty much specialize in fried meats in syrup. So I guess there's a market. But I do not understand why.

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 9:31 am
by chingon
A side effect of the already tragic "competition"-style bbq fad du jour, a la Blues Hog (aka, "bbq sauce for pancakes"). Slightly less objectionable than injecting meat and foiling, ordered from most offensive practice to least.

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 11:39 am
by mean
Competition judges like dessert meat?

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 11:05 am
by bobbyhawks
AlbertHammond wrote:Based on just one visit: Q39 is now in my top 3. Their Z-Man rip-off is excellent.
Just as an FYI, Danny Edwards also has a very good Z-Man rip-off. They use mozzarella, I think, though I'm not sure if they always sell it or if it is just a special they often have.

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 12:34 pm
by chrizow
haven't had slap's or q39 yet - but yeah, what's up with super-sweet sauce? the one that sticks out in my mind is BB's - one of their sauces there tastes like the sugary pink sauce that accompanies sweet n sour chicken on a chinese buffet.

i wish more joints would take a cue from bryant's and do more of a spicy, paprika-y sauce. gates extra hot is the truth, too.

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 1:21 pm
by loftguy
chrizow wrote:haven't had slap's or q39 yet - but yeah, what's up with super-sweet sauce? the one that sticks out in my mind is BB's - one of their sauces there tastes like the sugary pink sauce that accompanies sweet n sour chicken on a chinese buffet.

i wish more joints would take a cue from bryant's and do more of a spicy, paprika-y sauce. gates extra hot is the truth, too.

Two sauces rule my at home bbq experience.

First, Tim and Todd's. Second, Hillsdale Bank 'Hot'.

Both have a hot pepper kick woven into a sweetish base that I want to hate on, but I just can't. It works.

One of the joys of KC is the opportunity to sample peoples varied visions of best sauce for greasy meat.

Re: BBQ WARS!

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 2:42 pm
by bobbyhawks
There is no perfect BBQ sauce, but there is sometimes a perfect BBQ sauce for the occasion. For instance, I can't get into Blues Hog all of the time, but it is really good on some spicy grilled/smoked sausages. Cut into bite size dippable appetizer segments, and that sauce (along with their honey mustard) is pretty good. My favorite sauces based on situation or mood are, from memory, as follows:

-Danny Edwards
-Gates Hot
-Bryant's Original
-Hillsdale Bank "The Sauce" Hot (Organic version of hot is great, too)
-Rufus Teague - Blazin' Hot
-Blues Hog (for appetizers)
-Woodyard Hot

Gates and Woodyard are generally my favorites with BBQ chicken, but I can also pretty much drink Gates' Hot sauce by itself. Danny Edwards is great on pulled pork. "The Sauce" is a pretty great all purpose sauce, from deli sandwich to ribs (probably can also throw Tim and Todd's in there). Bryant's is a go to for brisket, along with Gates. Rufus Teague is probably most often put on ribs or just to mix it up.