Kansas City- Johnny's BBQ

Johnny’s BBQ is one of those places in Kansas City I think is a bit underrated- to say the least. When a person asks the question “so where’s the best BBQ in KC?” usually the answers involve the old stand-bys of KC BBQ such as “Gates” or “Arthur Bryant’s”. Johnny’s usually doesn’t come up until further down the list, but that’s really not how it should as far I’m concerned!

Johnny’s is growing fast in popularity these days, somewhat thanks to being featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” on Food Network, but mostly because simple word of mouth carries a lot of weight.

Johnny’s is serving up some of the best BBQ in all of Kansas City, and has two locations to serve you. The original one is located at 5959 Broadmoor Street in Mission, KS (east on Johnson Drive from I-35) and the second, newer location is out in western Olathe at 1375 W Highway 56 (just west on old Hwy. 56 from KS Hwy 7).

On my most recent trip, I had a 2 meat sandwich with pork sausage and pulled pork with some of Johnny’s ever-popular seasoned fries. There is not much I can say about the quality of the meat in the sandwich, or the quality of their smoked meats in general, except that they rank among the best in all of Kansas City! The pulled pork has lots of “bark” in it, so you really get the smoke flavor, and the meat is as tender as it can be. The sausage is smoky, lean, and juicy, and the ribs are out-of-this-world tender too! The sides are 2^nd to none, and the atmosphere and service are excellent too.

If you really want to experience the upper crust of KC BBQ and don’t want to fight the crowds at some of the bigger name places, but still want a nice, clean place to sit down and have some BBQ, then Johnny’s should be on your radar any time you are in or around the Johnson County area.

- Mike

Kansas City- Arthur Bryant's BBQ

On a recent business trip to Kansas City, I found myself unable to pass up the opportunity to visit Arthur Bryant’s BBQ. After all, this place is one of the reasons that Kansas City is famous for barbeque. In fact, the Bryant family can trace their barbecue roots back to Henry Perry, the father of KC barbeque.  According to barbecue history, Arthur Bryant’s brother Charlie was an employee of Henry Perry. The family then opened their own restaurant which Arthur eventually took over.

Look for this sign.

The original headquarters is on the Missouri side of the border but there is a relatively new location on the Kansas side, at the Legends Outlets shopping area in Wyandotte County. I imagine the atmosphere is better at the original location, or at least more of what I would traditionally expect a barbeque restaurant to look like, however, I didn’t go for the atmosphere. I went for the famous food.

You might see this truck too.

At first I thought the price of my ham and pulled pork combo meal plus fries was a bit large, and then the server gave me my amazingly large portions of food and it was worth it. It was certainly more than enough for me, and I’m not little! The fries were plentiful and hot and the ham was acceptable. I’ve noticed a lot of bragging about their vinegar based sauce (sweet tomato based sauces are more the norm around here) so I’ll just be nice and say I must have had some out of a bad batch.  I prefer a sweet tomato sauce.

Get sauced.

For a good one, you might try Hillsdale Bank Barbecue’s “The Sauce”. That being said, Arthur Bryant’s also has sweet and spicy varieties that are more like what I would expect to find in Kansas City.

Eat and be merry.

Now, let’s talk about the pulled pork. If had to describe this stuff with one word, it would be “wow!”  This was some of the best pulled pork I have ever eaten. I shoveled it down as quickly as I could and then found myself wishing for more. Arthur Bryant’s is certainly one of Kansas City’s most famous eateries and their pulled pork has got to be one of the reasons why! I can’t wait to try the original location and their nearest rival, Gates Bar B-Q, on my next trip to Kansas City!

Until next time- Swine and Dine!

Chris

Olathe- The Rub

After catching word of a new BBQ place called The Rub Bar-B-Que & Catering opening here in Olathe, the question was when, not if I would go try it. Last week I finally got that chance and I figured I should spread the word on the place now that I’ve been! “The Rub” began merely as a dream of a local competitive BBQ team. A dream they continually discussed, but never got around to following up on, until 2010 when they finally got some much needed backing from a few investors. They next found the perfect location to move into, and the rest is a tasty (and short to this point) history that based on the early returns, will be around for awhile.

If you see this place. You might want to stop.

The Rub” is located in northwestern Olathe, just south of the intersection of Ridgeview Rd. and KS Hwy. 10 on the west side of Ridgeview. It is a new twist on an old Kansas City specialty. The food is just as you would expect in a KC BBQ joint, but it is a trendier, more modern version that mimics some of the “assembly line” burrito eateries that are popular these days. You walk up and order, and watch through the glass as your order is put together right before your eyes. It’s a fast-food environment that serves up “slow food” for the masses. The location and clientele demand such a fast-paced environment however, as the surrounding area contains many large offices that send workers out looking for lunch under time constraints.

While on my first visit to “The Rub” I tried the “2 meats and 2 sides platter”, and I chose pulled pork and sausage as the meats. The pulled pork was very high quality. It had no large hunks of fat, and was not at all greasy. It was nothing but delicious, smoky pork shoulder. The sausage was a little different than anything I’d ever had at a BBQ place. It had undertones of spicy Italian sausage, as it had fennel and red pepper flakes in it, but it managed to not stray too far from what you’d normally find in served in a KC BBQ eatery. The sausage looks and tastes very much like something homemade (which is a good thing) and it hardly needs sauce with all those flavors it has going on. For my sides, I had onion straws and beans, which were both very good as well.

It's got really good stuff like this- fast. 

On the whole, I was really impressed with “The Rub Bar-B-Que & Catering” and it’s fast-paced style of serving up an old-school meal. The environment is not going to impress everyone I realize, but if you like the general type of food, you can’t go wrong with it. I can confidently say that it won’t rub you the wrong way if you just give a try!

-Mike

Glenn Elder - Lakeside Convenience

Normally, when you think of convenience store food, old hotdogs on rollers and cheap low quality microwave burritos come to mind. Rarely do convenience stores and good barbeque go hand in hand. Except for when you're talking about Lakeside Convenience, overlooking Waconda Lake in Glenn Elder, Kansas- it's one of those rare treats.

This place looks like a typical gas station. In fact, nothing outside the building indicates the delicious food available inside. Had it not been for a tip from Kansas State University Extension Agent Sarah Molzahn, who covers this area of North Central Kansas, I would have never known about this hidden gem.

Don't let this disguise fool you- this is some good grub!

Lakeside Convenience carries a good selection of barbecue supplies including smoking woods and delicious Head County sauces. These are the same sauces served with their pulled pork sandwiches.The also sell Luther’s Smokehouse jerky, the same good stuff covered by fellow blogger Mike.

They have a limited barbecue menu that includes wonderful pulled pork sandwiches seasoned with a homemade blend of spices and served on a butter toasted bun.During my recent visit, I chose seasoned fries for a side and was not disappointed.

Trust me. It's good. 

If you're looking for something different or just something handy while out at the lake, you owe it to yourself to stop in. Just look for the fish out front.

Nice fish.

Until next time, swine and dine!

Chris

Kansas City - Woodyard Bar-B-Que

I feel like I’d be doing you a disservice if I talked about unique places to dine on barbecued pork and didn’t mention “Woodyard Bar-B-Que” in Kansas City, KS. Woodyard is the consummate KC BBQ place as far as I am concerned. Woodyard is located on Merriam Lane, which on the map is just north of the I-35 and Lamar Ave. interchange, so it’s pretty easy to get to, and well worth your time.

Welcome friends.

Woodyard happens to be inside an old house of all places, with large brick smokers outside (pretty much in what used to be the front yard) that do all the cooking. In my mind, it is bare bones BBQ at its finest. I find it’s best to go when the weather is nice, because the majority of the seating is outdoors, but there are a few places to sit inside if need be. They actually happen to be in the living/dining room of the old house!

Come on in and take a seat.

 The place has really grown in popularity lately, as it was featured in 2010 on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” hosted by Guy Fieti. From a humble beginning in the 1950s as nothing more than a place that sold smoking wood, Woodyard slowly turned into a place that also used the wood to smoke meat and sell it too over the years! These days, with the publicity the TV show brought, and a recent concerted effort to cater to the “happy hour” crowd, this unique family-run eatery has really had an upswing in business.

I wish I could include aroma in these pictures. 

On my last trip there, I had the #1 rib platter, with came with two pork ribs, some of the best smoked pork sausage I have ever eaten, a side, and a couple other meats that we won’t discuss right now! The ribs were very tender, and have an outstanding rub on them that is as unique as the restaurant itself is. The sausage, like I said, was some of the best I have ever had. It was lean, but not chewy, and had good moisture without being greasy.

The real deal.

At Woodyard you walk in and order, and they bring the food to you at the table when it is ready, but otherwise this place is all self serve regarding your drinks and sauce needs. There is a roll of paper towels on the table and that’s about it! Just about the way Kansas City Barbecue was meant to be served I would say! If you’re heading down I-35 in Kansas City and are in the mood for something a chain restaurant can’t even begin to offer, make your way to “Woodyard Bar-B-Que” and step back in time for a taste of Kansas City Barbecue’s glory days! 


-Mike

Morland - Mercantile Community Support Part II

If you didn’t make it out to the Morland Mercantile Benefit supper on Friday July 15th,

You missed the best barbeque ribs in northwest Kansas!

Ribs you missed!

The buffet line. There was more, but this is the important stuff.

The event was a fundraiser for the Morland Mercantile, a community kitchen and access to food facility housed in a historic downtown grocery store building. Equipment for the Morland Mercantile will be brought in early this fall and hopefully the doors will open for business soon after.

Looks so good, and they were!

The July 15th barbeque brought in approximately $1700 in donations for the thirty racks of ribs and five gallons of beans that were served.

Chris working hard!

The ribs were expertly prepared by KCBS bbq judge Chris Petty with assistance from community supporters Alice Petty and Alex Leslie. They were slow smoked on three smokers for approximately 8 hours using a combination of mulberry and hickory wood and were hand rubbed with Head Country Seasoning.


Until next time, swine and dine!
Chris

Morland - Mercantile Community Support

Hey BBQ lovers, yours truly will be smoking up a heap of delicious Kansas City style pork ribs this Friday, July 15th! Come on down to the Prairie Junction in beautiful downtown Morland, Kansas at 5:30 P.M. for a free will offering supper to support the Morland Mercantile and enjoy the best ribs in northwest Kansas!

Tasty ribs you will enjoy! 

The Morland Mercantile is a community supported access to food facility and community kitchen that will be opening soon. Construction work is being done now on the historic grocery store building and equipment should be arriving this fall.

Morland Grocery

Tasty ribs can be enjoyed with traditional sides and even a nice cold one if you wish! Community supporters Alex Leslie and food blogger Christopher Petty will slowly hickory smoke 140 pounds of meaty and perfectly seasoned pork ribs all day until they are just right for your eating pleasure!

I wouldn't miss these if I were you...

Come on out and get a great meal and support a great cause at the same time… and remember pigs always smell better when they are barbecued!

Until next time, swine and dine!

Chris