KCRag Forum

brewcrew1000 wrote: I think i just had the best Gas Station BBQ in Jeff City called Lutz's, place was awesome, great pork and they even had homemade potato chips with your choice of 20 different flavors, i opted for the salt and vinegar.  Lines were pretty long but not to the point OK Joe's has been becoming recently.

Wonder if the lines at OK Joe's would be less if Anthony Bourdain and other foodies didn't recommend it as the best bbq in KC.

They've had long lines far before Bourdain ever heard of it.

When I have visitors wanting KC BBQ I always tell them:

Arthur Bryant's if you want history
Jack Stack at the Freight house if you want the coolest venue
Oklahoma Joe's if all you care about is the food

Haters gonna hate, but I suspect that most people who know and care about food will pick Joe's 90% of the time, assuming the quality is still there.

KCMax wrote: They've had long lines far before Bourdain ever heard of it.

Seriously! There were lines out the door every damn day 10 years ago.

I love Gates too but would never send someone there.  Everytime I have I've got burned.  The quality control at Gates sucks.  How do you tell someone, "oh yeah, your sandwich will be 1/2 fat, but just pick that out."  Seriously people.  OK Joes is consistent and good food.  Sides are highly overrated, but the meat is good.  

What I don't understand is why Gates doesn't make an effort to put out a higher quality product.  You have 30+ minute lines at OK Joes and never more than a 5 minute line at Gates and that is on a busy day.  There are a lot of people in this city that want to love Gates but can't because they've been burned too many times.  I guess it's profitable enough to just cater to the "pick the fat out" crowd.

Nobody said half fat. Brisket cooked right has fat.....nature of the beast.  Has gates had too much fat for me in the past?  Yes. My last two trips to gates have been excellent with a perfect beef sandwich. 

I have no beef with ok joes.....I go there...well get my stuff to go....and I enjoy it. For me though I enjoy gates more. I don't go to bryants much but when I do I'm always very happy I did.

Just order your brisket "lean as" and they will theoretically pick leaner slices.  You can also request a "show" for your ribs and pick a specific rack.  Some people like it damn near burnt, others don't.  There's a whole lingo that goes on at Gates that I've only recently become aware of, probably because I try to avoid Gates as my least favorite spot.  All their pork tastes like ham to me.

KCPowercat wrote: Adm....do you not agree there is a large difference between rosedale and ok joes?  Seems you are trying to paint this as a stateline issue in this discussion that's not really happening except in your own mind.

There is a large difference in quality, other than that, not really.(I like Rosedale, just not as much as OK Joe's) Why, because Rosedale has been there longer? Wyandotte BBQ has been in KCK forever and it is terrible.

I keep seeing OK Joe's is 'JoCo BBQ'. I didn't start that. If anything I am making this a county line issue. If OK Joe's is JoCo BBQ then so is Gates, both have locations in JoCo, neither is the original.

I think his point is the style....not physically where they are located.

I don't care how many white people patronize a joint, the color of the guy serving me food, if its in KCK, JOCO, or urban KCMO.  I like a lot of different types of BBQ.  I agree with many that the most consistently delicious is probably Okie Joe's.  The most consistent overall is probably Jack Stack (on one hand I think they are normally pretty solid, but on the other, they are a bit like the Cheesecake Factory of KC BBQ).  Bryant's ribs have disappointed me to the point where I won't really order them anymore, but there may be no better, more gutbusting meal for me than a brisket sandwich, side of fries, and side of pickles.  Gates did have major problems for a few years with an overabundance of fat.  I've had great luck there in the last year with some pretty great brisket sandwiches, and if you feel you can pull it off, you can always ask for the sandwich to be lean as possible (also, head to the 12th St. location for the strange and delicious Georgie burger or the Sunday special chicken plate).  Woodyard has the best BBQ smoked chicken ever, and perhaps the best ribs in the city (great pork, too).  Danny Edward's pork is outta this world, and he follows that up with sweet potato fries and great specials every day.  Lots of great options, and really outside of Bryant's and Gates, the only specific to KC flair involved would be burnt ends.  Everywhere is a little bit different, and that is why my destination is set by my mood, rather than a specific allegiance.

Rosedale is really the bottom tier in my opinion.  It is cheap, and well, it is cheap.  At least they are open Sundays.  Their beef is always crispy, the ribs are mutant ribs, though oddly enough, as a person who hates cole slaw, I kinda like their radioactive green slaw.

bobbyhawks wrote: Gates did have major problems for a few years with an overabundance of fat.  I've had great luck there in the last year with some pretty great brisket sandwiches, and if you feel you can pull it off, you can always ask for the sandwich to be lean as possible (also, head to the 12th St. location for the strange and delicious Georgie burger or the Sunday special chicken plate). 

what is the georgie burger?  i've only been to the linwood/main and cleaver/paseo locations and have not had the opportunity to sample this delicacy.  i do like that certain items are only available at certain locations.

bobbyhawks wrote:   Bryant's ribs have disappointed me to the point where I won't really order them anymore, but there may be no better, more gutbusting meal for me than a brisket sandwich, side of fries, and side of pickles. 

The only thing i order at Bryants is the sausage, it's the best stuff and i love how they shave it like gyro meat

chrizow wrote: what is the georgie burger?  i've only been to the linwood/main and cleaver/paseo locations and have not had the opportunity to sample this delicacy.  i do like that certain items are only available at certain locations.

Sounds kinda dumb to order at a BBQ joint at first, and perhaps I ordered it on an appropriately hungover Sunday, but it really hit the spot.  It is basically just a simple fast food burger, but with pickles and slathered in Gates sauce.  I think they were only a few bucks.

I wasn't too impressed with Rosedale's either EXCEPT they have the best beans I have ever eaten. Wow.

I am interested in hearing more about under-the-radar BBQ joints outside the big four - AB, Gates, OK Joe's, Jack Stack - you could probably add LCs to that list too. I keep hearing good things about Haywards and I've been meaning to try BB's for a long time. Any other good joints that don't get as much pub?

admb4ku wrote: I like how Rosedale is true KC bbq because it is in KCK but OK Joe's is JoCo bbq because it is in KCK.

Maybe because the location has nothing to do with it?  That was my point with Rosedales.  It's in KCK and I like it.  But it's a differnt type of establishment than okjoes.

Rosedale is possibly the worst BBQ I've had anywhere in KC.  I wouldn't eat it again if it was free.

All I know is when I watch the all star game next year, they better be talking up gates, not fukcing ok joes when they do their local shots around town.

OK joes is fine, but it's not KC's signature bbq place.

GRID wrote: All I know is when I watch the all star game next year, they better be talking up gates, not fukcing ok joes when they do their local shots around town.

OK joes is fine, but it's not KC's signature bbq place.

I've never seen either featured in local shots like that - its always Arthur Bryant's.

BTW, if you don't like the fat at Gates, just ask for it 'lean as possible'.  They call it 'lean as'.

I always forget the 'lean ad's request but honestly I haven't needed it lately. Still Brisket has fat. I know that going into sandwich.

beautyfromashes wrote: BTW, if you don't like the fat at Gates, just ask for it 'lean as possible'.  They call it 'lean as'.

Oh, believe me, I learned this a looooong time ago. Mix plate lean as, sub ham for turkey! This usually ensures that the beef is dry and, though slathering it in Bryant's sauce helps.

KCPowercat wrote: I always forget the 'lean ad's request but honestly I haven't needed it lately. Still Brisket has fat. I know that going into sandwich.

Yeah, lately when I have asked for it lean the guy in the back yells back, "All our meat is lean!"  Maybe, they've heard the criticism and changed how much fat they leave.