BBQ WARS!

[earthling]

BBQ 'dining' is an oxymoron, a turnoff to me too but I agree, a mix of all styles defines KC BBQ. There is no one style, no specific type of sauce, we smoke _anything_ and no specific way to present it - that's why KC is the BBQ capital. Q39 adds another dimension.

[mean]

Fair point.

[pash]

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[mean]

I know Dickey's recently expanded to the KC area. I've had Texas BBQ in Texas quite a few times, from The Salt Lick in Austin to various Dickey's and Bill Miller chain locations to Bolner's Market in San Antonio (maybe someday I'll get to Lockhart, but man I hate Texas), and I guess the thing about Dickey's is that while it isn't all that great, it does tend to be pretty decent. I haven't yet tried any of the KC Dickey's locations, but based on previous experiences in Texas I'd expect them to be, how should I say, "surprisingly acceptable" to KC 'cue eaters, unlike that inedible shite from a certain Minnesota chain we've been dealing with for a few years now.

[chrizow]

had lunch at Char Bar a couple weeks ago. i thought they did a nice job with the space - i feared it would feel like shoehorning a restaurant into the beaumont, but it works. when they have the outdoor area going, it's going to be pretty great.

as for food, i thought it was very tasty but hugely overpriced and tiny portions. i am usually not a portion-complainer, and since it's BBQ obviously i was more than satiated, but i got the 2-meat plate, which came with one side and a piece of texas toast. the quantity of meat was about 1/5 what you get at other places, and it cost like $12 i think. basically, a 2-meat plate + one beer was like $20 plus tip.

the meat was quite good. the "house" bbq sauce is really sweet, almost like "sweet-and-sour sauce" at a chinese restaurant. what's up with that? but the other, more spicy sauces are good. i got beans as a side, which were fine.

overall i liked the place, but the prices will keep it from becoming a regular part of the rotation.

[mean]

Just so happen to have had lunch at Char Bar today. Similar to Q39, I thought, with an even more sorta hipstery vibe. Hipstercue seems to officially be a thing now.

Agree that the price is a bit steep for the quantity relative to what's on offer elsewhere. Usually when trying a new place, I get some ridiculous meat combo plate so I can try a little of everything and see what's good, knowing full well I'll be taking 50-75% home. This is the first time I've been able to eat it all. Nice smoke though, good rub. Sauce definitely too sweet for me, but (agreeing again) the spicy barbecue sauce in a bottle on the table was well above average.

So yeah, you know, it was decent enough, but the incongruity of being seated by a rail thin dude wearing black skinny jeans and an oversized neon bowtie to eat BBQ definitely made an impression. Not necessarily a good or bad one, but an impression.

[Highlander]

Ate at Q39 a week ago. Meat was very good quality but we thought it was rather bland. My son commented that the place was "hipster central". Kind of expensive and personally preferred JackStack for the higher end BBQ.

[earthling]

Yeah, Q39 lacks enough smokey flavor (they use an indoor pit) but the quality of meat is well above avg. Burnt ends, brisket and ribs above avg, pulled pork pretty generic. Still need to try Char Bar (been mostly away from KC all winter) but Q39 is good enough to make the KC BBQ rounds for visitors.

BTW, I keep hearing the 'hipster' BBQ term alot - the term isn't what it used to mean. Hipster used to mean something like well read, informed, indie-minded subset of the counter culture with broad multi-cultural tastes. Seems to be used so broadly now it doesn't mean anything - there are now uninformed hipsters, provincial hipsters and yuppie hipsters. So what does it mean now? Alternative culture is now mainstream.

[earthling]

h
the meat was quite good. the "house" bbq sauce is really sweet, almost like "sweet-and-sour sauce" at a chinese restaurant.

Am curious about that. Another indicator KC BBQ isn't about any one style. We came up with our own Thai-inspired BBQ sauce that is great with ribs, served with cilantro/jasmine rice.

Thai BBQ Sauce
1/2c ketchup
2 tbspn minced garlic
2 tbspn minced ginger
1/3c lime juice (2+ limes)
1/3c rice vinegar
1/4c hoisin sauce
1/4c green mountain seasoning sauce (or soy sauce) Get at Chinatown Market on 3rd.
1/2tspn red pepper flakes
2tbspn finely chopped cilantro
2tspn sesame seed oil

Alternate: add finely copped lemongrass

Another Chipotle based sauce we came up with...
1c ketchup
1/3c+ brown sugar
1/4c rice vinegar
3 tbspn soy sauce (or green mountain seasoning sauce)
2 tbpn worcestershire
1 lime
2 tblspn dry mustard
1 garlic clove
4 chipotles (canned OK), chopped
1/2 bundle cilantro

Alternate: Use chipotle tabasco instead of rice vinegar and chilis, not quite as good

These are open source recipes. BBQ places feel free to use.

[Demosthenes]

Yeah, Q39 lacks enough smokey flavor (they use an indoor pit) but the quality of meat is well above avg. Burnt ends, brisket and ribs above avg, pulled pork pretty generic. Still need to try Char Bar (been mostly away from KC all winter) but Q39 is good enough to make the KC BBQ rounds for visitors.

BTW, I keep hearing the 'hipster' BBQ term alot - the term isn't what it used to mean. Hipster used to mean something like well read, informed, indie-minded subset of the counter culture with broad multi-cultural tastes. Seems to be used so broadly now it doesn't mean anything - there are now uninformed hipsters, provincial hipsters and yuppie hipsters. So what does it mean now? Alternative culture is now mainstream.

Yea there isn't really a good way to describe it. Generally speaking anymore it is not used to describe someone who is actually hip, like you suggest. A hipster in today's world is basically someone who thinks they are hip, when they really aren't. They try desperately to LOOK alternative when in fact all they are really trying to do is fit in with another popular group. They don't truly care about such alternative things, they just want to look like they do so that they will be considered cool.

The term hipster is really truly broad though. Everyone's definition is a little different. The way I see it, if you are being honest to yourself then it is a good thing. The definition you gave for example, of the informed, indie-minded alternative type, people will probably call him/ her a hipster, though that is not really a negative form of the term hipster. Because that person is REAL, and is actually cool. Whereas the phony, wearing a handlebar mustache and playing the banjo type guy just because he sees other people doing it, is the negative form of the term hipster. You can usually tell the real hip person from the HIPSTER, just by listening to them.

And as for alternative culture is now mainstream as you say... that is pretty much correct. Though there is always something that will scare people away.

Anyway, I can't believe I just went that in depth on trying to describe a hipster. Lol hope it helped.

[mean]

I don't know what a hipster is, but I instinctually know that if you're wearing black skinny jeans and an oversized neon bowtie, you probably are one.

[beautyfromashes]

I don't know what a hipster is, but I instinctually know that if you're wearing black skinny jeans and an oversized neon bowtie, you probably are one.

Hey! I'm wearing an oversized neon bowtie! And black jeans. Not skinny, buy my wife did just shrink them a bit.

[earthling]

Back in town and finally tried CharBar. Only had one item (burnt end/smoked sausage sandwich) but agree this tops Q39 for upscale BBQ. More adventurous menu and I like that they have smoked jackfruit sandwich, another indicator what makes KC BBQ the capital is that it will smoke most anything. Better location, better beer menu, slightly better prices, overall better than Q39. The skull and crossbones on menu for items containing no meat is cute.

[aknowledgeableperson]

another indicator what makes KC BBQ the capital is that it will smoke most anything

40 some odd years ago I was picking up some meats for a Christmas party at a restaurant near 59th and Prospect. The owner took me back to show me his smokers and what he was cooking for his various customers (meats they brought in). There was raccoon, squirrel, rabbit, whatever. Not sure about roadkill though.

[pash]

.

[earthling]

Q39 likely to expand to JoCo....
http://www.pitch.com/FastPitch/archives ... d-location

[bbqboy]

another indicator what makes KC BBQ the capital is that it will smoke most anything

40 some odd years ago I was picking up some meats for a Christmas party at a restaurant near 59th and Prospect. The owner took me back to show me his smokers and what he was cooking for his various customers (meats they brought in). There was raccoon, squirrel, rabbit, whatever. Not sure about roadkill though.

Boyd's?

[aknowledgeableperson]

That name sounds familiar. With all of the other choices of BBQ, such as Gates and Bryant's, around this was the place many fellow employees choose to provide the meat and sauce.

[WinchesterMysteryHouse]

Yeah, Q39 lacks enough smokey flavor (they use an indoor pit) but the quality of meat is well above avg. Burnt ends, brisket and ribs above avg, pulled pork pretty generic. Still need to try Char Bar (been mostly away from KC all winter) but Q39 is good enough to make the KC BBQ rounds for visitors.

BTW, I keep hearing the 'hipster' BBQ term alot - the term isn't what it used to mean. Hipster used to mean something like well read, informed, indie-minded subset of the counter culture with broad multi-cultural tastes. Seems to be used so broadly now it doesn't mean anything - there are now uninformed hipsters, provincial hipsters and yuppie hipsters. So what does it mean now? Alternative culture is now mainstream.

Try this article and see if the term can be applied to broad classifications of behavior and presentation: http://mashable.com/2015/06/09/post-hipster-yuccie/ Young, Urban, Creative Class.

'Getting rich quick would be great. But getting rich quick and preserving creative autonomy? That’s the yuccie dream.'

So at this point in the history of KC, you've got a number of people arriving who have aesthetic concerns and actual income. Much different than the previous/existing community of downtowners' financial situations. Nobody 'cool' had a Land Rover back then, and now, that's cool. Conspicuous consumption and bragging about it are back in.

[earthling]

So after re-reading that post Q39 has improved since. Am impressed with the improvements and quality of meat, but still pricey.

Char Bar: Burnt ends and sausage great but the brisket is quite awful, not slow cooked I suspect (tried it twice). Bonus points for serving Q til 2AM and outdoor patio games.

On hipsterism, yuccies or whatever label.. it's seems to just be another flavor of conformity that pretends not to be.