Tender Butts and Smokin Thighs BBQ

Where do I start, the 45 minute wait for our food with only 4 parties in the restaurant on a Sunday afternoon, the fries that tasted like the grease hadn’t been changed ever, the beans that tasted like Chili or the ribs that were undercooked and the membrane not taken off the rack. And to top it off, the BBQ sauce was horrible (completely runny like water). The cole slaw, bread bun and tea were okay. $ 25 and 90+minutes we can’t redeem! Not the worst we had, that was when we got BBQ out of a truck, but very, very close!!! Not sure how this place is still in business, the positive reviews must be friends and family.

Very good food– I had the combo plate-​my favorite was the pulled pork and the beans. The sauce was not sweet but not vinegary either– good balance. Only downside I found was a couple of pieces of brisket were fatty/​but the meat was good. Servers were great and I loved the hometown feel of the place.

Wow, this place was great. This is the hidden gem of the Northland for BBQ. The staff is very friendly and have competition experience and it showed. Wonderfully unique Carolina sauce, excellent ribs, good juicey meats, some of the best fries (crinkle cut) around. They have excellent beans, a very unique and perfectly balanced creamy slaw with horseradish. This is a charming, downtown Smithville location that is only opened on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Family friendly and a great example of how bbq restaurants should operate with creativity, balance and passion.

Very nice staff in a quaint setting in downtown Smithville. Excellent large cut fries cooked crispy and very tasty horseradish cole slaw. I did the brisket and pulled pork plate; insanely large amount of meat (4 sandwiches worth) although it just didn’t have the adequate amount of smoke /​flavor, tasted like eating a pot roast out of a crockpot — tender but no pizazz. sauce is vinegar based with lots of celery salt. I will give them another shot and try the ribs next time.

Below avg for kc bbq. Sauce was below avg as well. Service was fine, location was good.

A1 bbq got the turkey and Brisket combo melts in your mouth beans are out of this world I will be back

Week 8 in «The Kansas City BBQ Tour.» The pulled pork sandwich was tender with great flavor, not much smoke flavor but still great. The bun got a bit soggy because their sauce is thin, but the sauce is not really needed. The fries were just about perfect. Hot and crispy. But like the sauce the ranch was also thin. They received a well deserved 91%.

The first visit I ordered a slab of ribs to go. When I got home I found the ribs to be very tough and chewy. The seconed visit I ordered a beef and ham sandwich. When it came out I found that it was a chopped sloppy joe style meat witch. It wasn’t horrible but certainly not the bbq combo that I was expecting. Today I stopped in and ordered a sausage sandwhich to go. When at the register I asked for a. container to put sauce in. I didn’t want a jar or gallon, just enough for the meal. I was told that they needed another$ 2.50 for the sauce. I replied «no thanks, I will go elewhere». Then the cook/​owner shouted everyone charges for sauce. Apparently he has never been to Gates, Bryant’s, Danny Edwards, Rosedales, or any other REAL BBQ establishment. I walked out without paying, and without the food. It is very disappointing to not be able to support a local business. I hope that poor Dick Head that owns this place doesn’t lose his house when this place goes broke!

Went here for the first time tonight, and it was delicious. We got the ribs and a pulled pork sandwich. The ribs were smoky and meaty, while the pulled pork was perfect on the sandwich. The crinkle fries were good, just could have been flavored a bit more. Some seasonings of our own took care of that. It was great to be served by the owners and chat with them a little bit. They explained that their sauces were Carolina style, instead of KC, which make them thinned out a little bit, which wasn’t bad… just different. I’m happy to keep going back every time we start craving some great BBQ!

As a Californian I am deprived of real, true BBQ. Since visiting the Kansas City area, I have searched and devoured over seven different BBQ joints. This place, hands down, is absolutely the best BBQ I’ve ever tasted. Amazing meats, sauces, fried pickles, etc. The flavor and tenderness are superb. The baked beans are the best I’ve ever had. The owners and server (Cody) take pride in their work. They are self-​described as «Old School» and you can taste the difference. This place is a must visit. And the apple dumpling… don’t get me started… there isn’t enough room in this post. AMAZING!

Haven’t been in recently, but when I went the food was good. It’s a smaller local joint, but the flavor was great and I would go back. I thought they had great pulled pork nachos. The menu was a little small, but the old stand-​bys were there.

My hubby & I ordered combo plate it came with 2 ribs, 2 pieces of chicken, pulled pork & brisket. The positive was the sides & service were great! The bad was not one piece of meat showed signs of a smoke ring, no smoke flavor at all… The chicken was dry, the pulled pork was mushy & the brisket was fatty.
Also the owner stopped by the table & asked how the food was when we told her as politely as possible she sneered down her nose at us & asked my husband «what ru a food critic?»

Not a bad little place. Anyone who thinks its better than okie joes, gates art bryants or any other place outside of Smithville is completely nuts though.

We have been wanting to check this place out but haven’t had the chance with our busy weekends (they are open Friday-​Sunday). We were excited to have a free Saturday night to go. The waitress was very friendly and had our drinks out immediately.
When our food came out I was thrilled to dig in and was quickly disappointed. The pork was very fatty, the brisket tasted like jerky, the baked beans tasted like ketchup was added to canned beans and the sauce slid off of everything because of how watery it was.
I am giving 2 stars only because the service was great, but the food was awful. I’ve never had more terrible BBQ. And I really love BBQ.

We love this restaurant and the very nice owners and staff. Usually we make it in about once a week. The food is always excellent, hot, and fresh. The BBQ sauce is slightly spicy but not too much. The meats are lean and very tasty. We often get the ½ pound turkey sandwich with fries or chips but have had several other items too. Love them all! Hope this place is in Smithville for a very long time and eventually expands the days they’re open!

Fun BBQ joint in old downtown Smithville. Locally owned, service is always very personable and attentive.
Everything they have is good but we really love their chicken and brisket. For sides, the sweet potatoes fries and beans are excellent.
Corn nuggets are amazing and the fried pickle spears are def worth ordering.
When its in season btw (cooler months) the brisket chili is phenomenal.
All in all one of our go to spots after boating on the lake; great service, family owned and good food.