3002 W. 47th Av
Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que
One of the things I love about writing reviews is to visit restaurants that have attained legendary status and to either be able to say I agree, I mostly agree but have my own take on it, or to say the group think has gotten complacent and is accepting things about the food when really it is time for more discerning tastes to move on.
I will not leave readers in suspense–I believe Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que is everything it is purported to be and more, but then comes the analysis of comparing it with the legendary restaurants of Texas and Oklahoma. The Oklahoma comparison is natural because the restaurant started out as Oklahoma Joe’s Bar-B-Que, a sister restaurant with several in the Tulsa area. For this restaurant I think dropping the name “Oklahoma Joe’s” did not affect the food that was served.
The Texas comparison comes in because of the fact that few restaurants outside of the Lone Star State seem to excel in brisket, but here it seems to be something they have mastered. There are many more subtleties such as the sauce, cooking style, and side dishes, but I would say if you want to come here as your one Kansas City experience this would not be off the mark.
I need to cover the dreaded lines and wait times found at almost all BBQ restaurants. The line here was long at the weekday lunch time I came but was nothing compared to some of the more popular Texas restaurants. Here the process of ordering went pretty smoothly.
The Barbecue
Two meat dinner with brisket and pulled pork
The barbecue here has a reputation as being some of the best in the city, and I think the reputation is well deserved. The Pulled Pork is thought by many to be among the best in the city, and is considered by the restaurant to be its specialty. I think it is equal to much of the good pulled pork in Oklahoma (where the Oklahoma Joe’s are located). This is only to say that the pork here is in good company.
The Brisket however was a revelation of the greatness that can be attained with this meat. It was literally the best brisket I’ve ever had. I am not enough of a barbecue expert to know why this is the case, but it was the case. This was the lean version, and I understood that they also had a cut with more fat on it. Possibly this one is even better.
There are a number of specialty dishes here that look interesting such as the Z-Man consisting of a brisket sandwich topped with provolone cheese and onion rings.
A variety of sauces
There is a choice of sauces but I thought the standard Joe’s sauce was excellent, and the only one I needed.
Side Dishes
The side dishes were excellent as well, particularly the BBQ Beans. These were spicy and genuinely flavorful. The Cole Slaw was a good complement to the other dishes.
Desserts
Banana pudding
The restaurant serves seasonal desserts, and the one I got was Banana Pudding .It was much like the ones I have had in other restaurants, but to me it lacked the banana flavor that I have had at some restaurants in Oklahoma.
Other Considerations
There is an outdoor patio although I think there is a relatively small percentage of time when the weather would be agreeable.
Outside patio next to the gas station
There is also a gas station next to the patio that apparently has good prices.
One of the most significant features of Joe’s, though, is its customer service. In getting the food to our table I had a mishap where I spilled iced tea into my dining companion’s sandwich. I informed one of the servers hoping to get the tea wiped up but he also gave us a new sandwich at no charge. For us this made a great meal even better.
RATING: 25
Cuisine: Barbecue
Cost: $$
Hours: Closed Sunday
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: No
Most Recent Visit: Jun. 25, 2024
Number of Visits: 1
Best Items: Brisket, Pulled Pork, Baked Beans
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Brisket |
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Pulled Pork |
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BBQ Beans |
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Cole Slaw |
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Banana Pudding |
We finally disagree on a restaurant. I visited Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que in 2012 when it was still Oklahoma Joe’s. By then Anthony Bourdain had declared this bastion of bodacious barbecue one of “13 places to eat before you die.” I must have caught Joe on a bad day. We came away less than impressed by everything but the baked beans. It just goes to show that even among those of us like you and I that write about restaurants, opinions vary. It’s also likely that should I visit again, my opinion of Joe’s may be changed.
Gil, thanks for the comment. Yes, it is possible we disagree on barbecue, but I was certainly impressed with the brisket and baked beans. However, in this same time period (2010’s to today) I have seen a number of Oklahoma BBQ restaurants go through cycles where something I raved about turned into something forgettable or vice versa. It is the same with many Mexican restaurants in El Paso. This might be a vulnerability of restaurants that serve specialized cuisine which requires certain cooking skills. I do think, though, that putting this on a list of “13 places to eat before you die” might be a bit too high of an assessment of the food here.