Smokestack BBQ

They recently changed their name to «The Stack» but I assume it’s pretty much the same as it was when it was «Smokestack.» I had never heard of it or been there until today, and it’s definitely a diamond in the rough.
Chad and I had the dinner for two which came with 3 meat choices, fries, beans, coleslaw and bread. We went with burnt ends, ham, and beef for our meats and everything was amazing — especially the burnt ends! We also ordered a side of cheesy corn which was amazing.
On top of the great food, we also had excellent service and didn’t have to wait very long for our food. great experience and we will definitely be returning soon.

Awesome service. Couldn’t have asked for better. Great enough that I tipped 35%.
As for the food, it was ok. In a city where BBQ reigns supreme this BBQ place is just an average place that you could find in any Midwestern town.
Pulled pork was dry, ribs were tough, burnt ends were ok but nothing to praise about.
If your into safe plain BBQ then this place is for you.

Always liked their BBQ prior to the change in ownership, and it’s even better now. I tried the ribs (excellent), sausage (excellent), cheesey corn, and fries. The corn is much much thicker than it used to be. I could feel the arteries clogging. The fries were great too…
My parents ate here the other night and said their portions were huge. But with my to-​go order, I feel they skimped on the fries. They packed everything into one container and they probably just ran out of space and I only got a small handful. Other than that, everything was GREAT (and they participate in Front Flip — bonus!)

Fresh off the road from a 12 hour exodus from Houston, Texas, I found myself en route to Oklahoma Joe’s with a posse of a dozen Houstonians and former Houstonians plus one opinionated native Kansas Citian. For a city where people just don’t go out on the weekdays, Oklahoma Joe’s was packed to the gills. The native Kansas Citian began telling us that barbeque that was just as good and never busy was 15 minutes down the road – and after waiting for a few minutes and not seeing the line move, we were persuaded to his point of view.
So after arriving at Smokestack, located in a nondescript, sleepy strip center, what I discovered is… that I am not a fan of Kansas City barbeque (feel free to direct all hate mail to…) It is just way, way too sweet for my liking. My pulled pork sandwich was hurting for something to cut the sugary flavor of the meat – I settled for a mess of pickles, but I have never wanted yellow mustard more in my life. I sought refuge in my side of beans, and that was brown sugared to death too. I fully realize the fault lies in my Texan palate, which is missing a sweet tooth and even trends toward Carolina BBQ because I loves me some salty, vinegary goodness.
Having said that – portions were mammoth, the waitress was AMAZINGLY nice in handling a gigantic group of people with a myriad of split checks, and didn’t bat an eye at the crowd descending upon their restaurant 30 minutes before closing (we were nice enough to call ahead and give them a heads up, and they reciprocated with a table already set aside for us). For all that I have to give Smokestack huge props. I may not be a fan of the style of food they serve up, but I can recognize a well-​run business from a mile away.

I called my order in before 11 and they actually answered the phone and told me they would have it ready when they opened at 11am. That was kinda nice.
I ordered the pulled pork sandwich which comes with fries and baked beans. I like my pulled pork with slaw so I asked to subtitute beans for slaw… not a big deal. they pretended it was going to be ok, but in the end, I got beans. Fine.
I also got the fried vegetable sampler or whatever. It was supposed to be onion rings, mushroom and cauliflower. I wanted to try the cauliflower in particular. They were out of it and just gave me more onions and mushrooms.
The serving size of the fried veggie combo (which is a dollar less than the say, an order of just fried mushrooms) is just huge. The dipping sauce is what was so great though… it was (this is just a guess) ranch dressing with horseraddish stirred in and lots of pepper. It was really good.
The pulled pork was not what I would consider pulled pork. It was like a poor russ which is a nasty, greasy, gritty pile of meat particles that just crumble and fall off the sandwich. I didn’t care for it.
The sauce, as others have mentioned, really is sweet. I was confused how a bbq sauce could be so sweet and still be called bbq sauce. To each his own, I guess.
The point is, I was disappointed with the sandwich. This place is really close to where I live and I wanted to be a regular. I will give it another try and order something else next time.

When I asked my friends to take me to the heart of Kansas City and eat some BBQ, they mentioned a number of names of restaurants. I said take me to a hole in the wall where its true KC BBQ. When we drove to the location I was already excited driving up to the restaurant and the branding in front of it! I immediately gave a jump and a fist pump in the air.
As we made it inside, there was quite a bit of seating and small LCD’s screens showing sports on them. The lady greeted us very warmly and gave us our menu’s, she was very helpful and funny! When I saw the choices of meats I was greatly pleased, but I came for ribs, beans, and mashed potatoes. I got everything I wanted and more! It was amazing, the ribs fell off the bone and the sauce was sweet! I would go there every week if I lived in the area!

food:
hickory smoked baby back ribs: heaven
fried onion rings: OMG. if you ‘re a vegetarian who ended up, the varied fried veggies appetizer dish is all you need.
ambience: well. it’s kinda «dive-​y». not really that clean, esp the bathrooms.
if you want a cleaner and classier joint– then probably you better off eating at Jack Stack (the rival brother)
Jackstack is like the good-​looking golden boy Straigt A kid
but Smokestack is like the sloppier brother, but is better kisser.

When they said burnt ends — they meant BURNED ends! Personally, I don’t understand the concept of paying for burned food when I can do that quite easily myself. But, after my husband went in for carryout & brought a container of burned, dry chunks of meat home, we knew that we had to go back into the restaurant to figure out what happened. This has been a favorite place that we hadn’t visited for a while. Surely, things hadn’t changed that much.
So, we went back the next weekend and told the server what happened, she apologized and promised that she would make that day’s experience much better. We appreciated the positive attitude, and it set the tone for what turned out to be a good experience! One of the owners, Ben, came by to check on the tables (loved that!), and told us that many people want the burnt ends to be just that. He said to ask for them exactly how we wanted them next time — not very burned. They should tell people that when they order, so that they are not disappointed. Then, he bought a plate of perfect, juicy, well seasoned burnt ends for us to try. Now we know!
I ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich ($ 7.25) minus the bread, with double Baked Beans (instead of a side of fries & beans). Both of them had a wonderfully sweet flavor. The pulled pork was tender, and the beans were meaty. My husband got the Chicken & Ribs Platter ($ 10.99). He said that the chicken was moist with a good smoky barbecue flavor. With the ribs, he expected more, they were slightly overcooked. The serving size was so generous that he ended up taking home a bit of both.
It’s clear that it’s a family run business, the personal interaction with the customers make the environment comfortable and familiar. Both tvs had a football game on, and we found ourselves lingering to watch it. We used our Muncharoo deal, and will go back soon using another one. Be sure to check out the pictures.

While BBQ joints are not known for their décor or ambiance, this one falls at the lower end in the category. Okay, okay, get past it, I said. But the empty restaurant pretty much said it all.
Like another reviewer said, in some other cities, this might get one more star but in BBQ cities, one needs to recognize that we have choices. And this one doesn’t belong on your list.
The burnt ends were quite acceptable and the cheesy corn was edible too. Even the beans were redeeming to some degree.
But the sliced meats were unappealing altogether and the whole package wasn’t worth the time and effort to chew it. My date and I paid $ 15 for a $ 30 coupon and here’s the deal: It was only worth $ 15!
If you must do a Kansas City BBQ Tour, okay, go here so you can check it off the list. Otherwise, you’ll be happier eating chain-​based Q just about anywhere in the U.S.

This place would rate 4 stars or better in places like Saint Louis. But, in KC, one must be at the top of their game to get 4 stars or better. I remember this place from their old location and haven’t been back since moving from KC. However, everything was adequate. Just fine.

As part of Tour De BBQ, this little place joyfully handled the crush of bicyclists and fed us some REALLY tasty smoked/​grilled chicken wings. A little more rendering would have helped, but the were tasty tasty [could they have been quickly fried, post-​smoking??? will have to try that with a couple of segments at home!] The sausage was a big hit in the crowd as well.

Came in here after being led to Gates on State Line, but found that place to be overflowing. Smokestack was another great Unilocal find. Thanks Unilocal!
Great service, good food, good atmosphere, quick turnaround and really very cheap. I came in on a Tuesday for lunch and got their special for $ 6.75: two pieces of chicken, fries, slaw (I subbed beans), a piece of Texas toast and a soda. Damn!
The food was all really well done, but I loved those beans. I found myself dipping the fries in them just because they were so perfect. I really enjoyed the sauce, but will certainly admit that I’ve had better.
Parking’s a little tight, but there’s always at least one space. And I like that this place has been around so long. 50 years, the sign said. Nice.
I had been in Kansas City a few years before and ate at a BBQ place closer to town (honestly don’t remember where it was or what it was called). Really didn’t like it, so this sort of renewed my faith in the city’s barbecue availability.

What makes great, or even good, barbecue is subjective and there’s always someone that thinks their favorite is «the best.» I am no different. Like many people, I have my favorites in Kansas City, but I am also always looking to try someplace new that I’ve never been. In some cases (see Danny Edwards Famous Kansas City BBQ), I find a place that quickly makes my top five. But in other cases (see Smokestack Bar-​B-​Q), it only makes the list of tried it once and done.
Visited Smokestack on a Saturday afternoon for some lunch and split the Lunch for Two with Os. This item’s description begins «Hope you’re hungry!» and in shear quantities of food, it did not disappoint. The Lunch for Two comes with two pork ribs, choice of three meats (we had burnt ends, beef and ham), coleslaw, beans, fries and toast.
The food was served quickly and, like I said, was in large quantities. The first items to the table were the sides, which we immediately tried. The beans were quite good — sweet and thick with a smoky brown sugar flavor that showed they were made with some care and attention. The coleslaw was not as successful. It tasted exactly like grocery store deli coleslaw (i.e. ready made container slaw). The fries were steak fries, cooked well enough to not be mushy and the toast was four slices of Texas toast … never a bad thing.
When the platter of meat arrived I was hungry and ready to sample what I’d hoped would be some barbecue goodness. But much to my pallet’s disappointment, it was not.
The ribs were OK, a bit tough and chewy, and the ham and sliced beef were average and completely forgettable. I added some of the «spicy» sauce that we’d requested to the sliced beef to add some needed flavor and was as unimpressed with it as I was the meat itself. All that was left to try was the burnt ends.
Burnt ends are an iconic item in Kansas City barbecue and to do them poorly is to have been better off to not do them at all. The burnt ends we had that day were overly fatty and flavorless, save the thick layer of bark that had a distinct burned, not burnt, flavor. Properly made burnt ends melt in your mouth and are savored, these we simply ate.
Ultimately we did not finish in one sitting the mounds of food that were brought to us. We packed a good part of our meal into some takeout containers and were on our way. Oddly enough, most of the food tasted better cold the next day than it had fresh from the kitchen.
In the end, our experience at Smokestack Bar-​B-​Q warrants two stars (and that may be just for the baked beans). I don’t see myself returning anytime soon to Smokestack since it is neither in my neighborhood nor, in my opinion, worth the trip out of my way. Like several other barbecue joints that are sprinkled throughout the metro area, Smokestack takes the steps needed to make barbecue, I’m just not convinced they do them well.

I am never in this part of the woods, but I offered to pick up lunch for my sister during her garage sale. I Unilocaled for BBQ and this was just as close as Gates. I had heard about them being associated with Jackstack, so how could it be bad?
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Well, it wasn’t bad, it was darn delicious! The pork was tender, smoky and not laced with tons a fat. The fries– perfect! The bread guy was late that day, so they asked if they could put my meat on a hoagie instead of a bun. I kind of liked the hoagie, it was less messy to eat!
If I had one negative, it is the too sweet sauce. I noticed on the way out that they do offer a hot version, but bottles are not on the table.

So I checked this place out after multiple recommendations from people I had met in KC as well as reading the reviews online. Ended up ordering some burnt ends, beans, coleslaw and fries to go.
When I got home (maybe 10 mins later?) I opened up the bag to find a relatively small portion of ends, no slaw or fries and instead about 5 containers of sauce.
The burnt ends were not bad, just nothing to extoll given how good burnt ends can be in KC. The beans were good if a little loose and lacking seasoning. In my opinion the sauce was just a bit too sweet and lacked the balance of an Arthur Bryants or OK Joes.
All in all, I wouldn’t mind stopping by again, but will definitely not go out of my way to stop there when OK Joes is an even shorter drive.

When work travel sent me to Kansas City, I had one mission in mind… barbecue, and lots of it. Luckily, we found Smokestack by accident when we wandered around aimlessly trying to find a quick lunch.
The place is small, dimly lit, and the smell of delicious slow cooked meats permeates throughout the restaurant. The small, wobbly square tables are draped with cheap vinyl coverings. The waitress was friendly, and instructed us to seat ourselves at an empty table. It’s clear that they concentrate their efforts on their food, rather than the décor of their dining area, but that’s fine with me.
On my first visit, I got the burnt ends with a side of beans. I’ve always seen burnt ends on barbecue competitions on TV, but never had the pleasure of trying it. I must say, the burnt ends lived up to all expectations. The meat was flavorful, and melt-​in-​your-​mouth tender. Generous helpings of barbecue sauce was available on the side. The sauce was tangy, and not too sweet. The beans were also probably the best baked beans i’ve ever had. Just a little tangy, sweet, and full of flavor. My workmates and I couldn’t stop talking about how good everything was. I had to grab a jar of sauce on my way out, and I’m glad to know that you can buy more on their website.
For the remainder of the week, we stopped at 3 other barbecue places which will remain unnamed. I will say that two are well-​known (food network mentioned places) and the other was another hole in the wall. While these other places weren’t bad, and better than most BBQ places I’ve been to before, they just didn’t measure up to the Smokestack.
The last day we were on travel, we had to go back one more time. This time, I got the Poor Russ baked potato. Man, simply amazing. A giant baked potato, piled with shredded smokey meat on top, and topped with cheese whiz. Butter and sour cream were available on the side. The poor russ potato also came with a small side of baked beans, which again, were just amazing.
I will definitely make it a point to stop here whenever I’m in the area again. This place remains as the best barbecue I’ve ever had.

I eat here once in a while out of convenience and find it satisfactory. The ribs are rather fatty and somewhat overcooked for my taste. The meat falls off the bone which, contrary to popular belief is not a good thing. They aren’t big on presentation here either, though the portions are large.
Well, the portions are large with the exception of their baked beans. You get a little cup, maybe 4 oz as a side order. The beans, while sweet, are very very good, so get a large order.
Smokestack doesn’t have beer or liquor which is often a dealbreaker for me.
The atmosphere is crusty. Lots of wood, carpet and huge old family photos on the wall. The staff is uniformly geriatric but they get the job done. It’s actually a nice change of pace.
You can do much better for BBQ in Kansas City, but it will satisfy a craving.

Round #2, Stop #2
A little history and description — Smokestack B-​B-​Q has been around since 1957. It moved locations a couple times and they settled in their current location over 25 years ago. The location is not hard to miss when you find it because there is a funky old smokestack sticking out the top of the building. A smaller restaurant in a strip mall in not the best area of town. Decorations and furniture are older and pretty basic.
Now for the main attraction the food! Come to this place HUNGRY! The portions are huge. I tried the Wornall Rib Special — «Local favorite! Plate full of mixed hickory cooked pork ribs. Served with beans, steak fries, pickles & toast.» I also read somewhere that their cheesy corn is a must-​try so I did. I don’t know what I was expecting when I ordered but when the waitress came walking towards me with my order I knew I was going to have leftovers for lunch!
The corn was a corn/​cheese/​bacon concoction that was t-​a-​s-​t-​y! The ribs were tender, smokey — a little fatty, but what is pork with out it? The beans, oh the beans! I was never a big bean fan but these little beauties are the making for future cravings when I am back in Denver. The sauce was the some of the best I have had so far — let me put it this way — this was the first place that had me contemplating buying a jar and how I could get it back home… let’s see bubblewrap, duct tape, a big box…
One strike — No Beer!

THIS. IS. THE. PLACE.
I grew up in Kansas City, therefore I love BBQ. This is a simple, predictable, causal relationship. It should also go without saying that my love of BBQ borders on a self-​righteous sort of snobbery. This is how we Kansas Citians are. We are as discriminating and hairsplitting with our burnt ends, ribs, and beans as any wine afficianado might be about their Pinots and whatnot.
When folks come in from out of town, this is where we take them. Arthur Bryant’s is great, Gates is always solid, but this is the epitome of Kansas City BBQ. Smoky, sweet, rich, thick, down-​home delicious.
A complete hole-​in-​the-​wall location on Wornall, the place is positively saturated with the best smells imaginable. If the place ever went out of business, any new tenant would surely find it impossible to rid the place of the sweet, delicious aroma of BBQ smoke. The service is friendly and extremely casual, and a small TV sits perched on the middle of the wall, usually playing some sort of random network TV. The prices are low, the selection is plentiful, and the portions are perfectly enormous. What to try? The sandwiches are solid, the best being the beef and the pork. The ribs are fabulous, and the burnt ends are PHENOMENAL. Lastly, the beans are simply the best in town, end of story. Perfect flavor. A plate of burnt ends, a plate of steak fries, a bowl of beans and a root beer? Nothin better.
Why are you still reading this? Go!

Coleen’s got it spot on.
I can’t believe it took me so long to review this place, but in the aftermath of Bryant’s going to the craphole, I remembered how wonderful this place is. And I have moved it into my Fantastic four of KC BBQ.
The burnt ends are the thing legends are made of. If you love burt-​ends you must, MUST attempt a pilgrimage to this place. The sauce is also not too shabby.
FYI, rumor i’ve heard from some folks is that the owners of this place are family with the «Fiorella’s Jack Stack» crew and had some family issues, thus the creation of «Smokestack».