Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que

So good… I usually go to the OP or original location but you can’t be this place for BBQ. The ribs and fries… so good :)

Came to KC for a work conference, was recommended to Joe’s and boy was I glad! Z man pulled pork, baked beans, fries… all outstanding! If you’re in town, go here!

Good BBQ ribs and chicken, the dirty rice is awesome, ask for your fries with no salt, otherwise the salt is overpowering.

Really what can be said that hasn’t been said already. Z-​Man is out of this world, eat it! If the line is long when you get there just be patient, it moves quickly.

Of course they are fantastic! Their awards are numerous. Only wish they were open on Sundays!

I ordered the burnt ends sandwich and it was very good. I was impressed but some of their sides could have been a little better.

Meats were excellent flavor, you could tell they were sitting for awhile. It was kinda lukewarm when I started eating it. The baked beans were excellent. The thin sliced brisket can be passed on, good flavor but way too dry.

Oh how I love this place great atmosphere watch the game drink a beer if you want while you wait in line. I’ve tried many things here pulled pork is to die for.3 price rib combo I had today was perfect throw a little or alot of spicy bbq sauce and a drink and your set. This place is by far the best bbq restaurant in kc metro area. it has won countless awards. don’t drive thru kc without stopping in for a bite. Your taste buds will thanks you!!!

Like almost every KC bbq restaurant that I’ve visted since moving here, Oklahoma Joe’s is over-​hyped and subpar. The food must have been sitting out all day, as they move you through a quick «cafeteria» line. The meat was dry and luke-​warm, as were the sides.
I guess I’m not a fan of KC’s self-​served, fast food style BBQ. I would much rather order and wait for a meal to be freshly cooked and come out piping hot. BBQ should be cooked low and slow, over wood, and served falling off the bone. Also BBQ sauce should be an afterthought for sample, not a staple used to soak the meat just so it’s consumable.

Pulled pork and fries. Boom, nailed it!
Love this place every single time! A younger couple in line before us were pondering if the wait was «worth it», I almost cheered when the decided to leave.
One step closer, friends. One step closer.

New addition: The tangy NC style vinegar is GREAT! A little heat, but very good. ⁵⁄₅
Ribs: average. Ours felt «heavy». They were between that dry-​moist line with a small amount of fat. They looked the part, but it’s still just missing a flavor for me. Better smoke than the brisket/​poultry, but still ³⁄₅
Turkey — was a little more juicy this visit. Solid ³⁄₅. With sauce ⁵⁄₅.
Overall, still 6^th place.

Came here and was surprised at the line! Heard from a local that the line is out the door during lunch so I wasn’t surprised that the line was equally long at dinner. Took only about 20 minutes to be served at the counter.
This isn’t fast food, but it’s not a sit down and be served place, either. You walk up to the counter, order at one place and slide down the line to the other side where the order is brought. You then bring your food to a table.
I had the half slab of ribs which were served dry. BBQ sauce (mild and sort of spicy) are available at the table.
All in all, it was good. Average prices. I’m surprised at how good the quick service food was… Not the best but not the worst by far. I’m a BBQ junkie (or snob) so I was surprised I liked it as much as I did.

It is no secret I am a barbeque fanatic! I could eat it every day and not get tired of it. I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to taste barbeque from all around the country and I have come to the conclusion that Kansas City BBQ is the best in the nation. On that same note, I have tried barbeque from all over the city, and my personal choice for the best barbeque in KC is Joe’s. Every location serves the same amazing BBQ. You can’t go wrong!
Just like the original gas station, this Joe’s will serve you up some of KC’s finest topped with that sweet delicious sauce and those addictive fries. My meal of choice is the ribs and brisket platter with fries, but I have been known to get the cowboy platter, which is a similar meal, with one less rib and sausage. My wife prefers the famous Z-​Man, which is a brisket sandwich with provolone cheese and an onion ring. Add some more sauce and a few pickles and you’ve got one of the greatest BBQ sandwiches around.
At Joe’s, the meat is always juicy and smokey, bursting with flavor. I love the sauce! They give you a good portion on your meal when you order it, but the giant bottle of the tangy sweet stuff at the table always gets heavy use when I’m around. It’s amazing! About a year and a half ago, I was host to a visitor from Chicago from my work and I turned him on to Joe’s. Before he left, he got a couple bottles of sauce. To this day, he still raves about the sauce and can’t wait to come back and enjoy Joe’s wonderful BBQ.

Really good ribs and sausage. The briskest was okay it was more like thin sand which meat. Sauce was really good. Sides were excellent. Great Client service as well. The ribs would have to be the best part of their bbq. Very tender. Will go back.

On a recent visit to the KC area I stayed in Olathe for an early morning work obligation and ended up being right next to Joe’s; which was a HUGE unadvertised benefit. A quick jaunt across the parking lot and I was in ready for some sweet Q.
I’ve previously visited the original Joe’s location (a bright green converted gas station closer to downtown KC) and I know they make some really outstanding BBQ. This is a much newer location lacking some of the charm and character of the original, but clean, spacious, well laid out, and comfortable nonetheless. It was also MUCH less crowded than the original Joe’s, which was mostly a good thing.
I decided on brisket and pulled pork with a side of BBQ beans as well as burnt ends and french fries. Yes, that is a MAMMOTH order for one person, and I did not finish it all, but it’s KC BBQ and I wanted to hit all the highlights!
The burnt ends were as delicious as expected; hugely smokey and flavorful with a luscious texture and nice fattyness, without being greasy. Far and away the best meat I had on this visit (which is really the point of true BBQ).
The lean (or flat) brisket slices also had a really good flavor, but I don’t care for the ultra thin slicing technique. Yes, this yields incredibly tender meat, but I get no texture/​flavor from the bark and I feel like I’m eating deli meat, not BBQ. Granted, when I say that it’s incredibly good deli meat, but still…
The pulled pork DID has a nice flavorful bark and overall the taste was really good, but it was served to me quite cool (I might even say cold). Now, I realize all of this is probably smoked offsite and then transported/​stored/​reheated in one fashion or another, but temperature matters when it comes to enjoying BBQ. If I’m honest, this in and of itself probably cost this visit to Joe’s the missing star.
Both sides were very good and as I said above there was no dearth of anything.
All in all, I was once again pleased with my visit to Joe’s and I have every intention of coming back again. All things being equal I’d probably prefer the original location, but if I had a larger group I would certainly consider the short trek down to Olathe.
Highly recommended! Give it a shot.

We came to Joe’s while stopping in Olathe on our way to Lawrence. Being from Texas, I’ve had my fair share of barbecue. I wouldn’t say I’m any sort of aficionado and barbecue generally isn’t my first choice when dining out. However, I usually won’t turn it down when offered.
Being in the mood for white meat, I ordered the pulled chicken breast sandwich. It was downright amazing and the barbecue sauce was phenomenal. I think I might like Kansas’ barbecue better than Texas’ (shh don’t tell). The sandwich came with a BBQ mayo sauce on top. I’d never thought to mix barbecue and mayo, but now I think I might start. There was also tomato jam that came on the sandwich. I asked for it on the side, since I was on the fence about it at first. However, I later discovered that it went great with the dish. I also tried a side of their chili. It was just ok, but the sandwich made up for it.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SIDES:
Listed from Best (top) to OK (bottom)…
1. French Fries: These are fantastic! Crispy always fresh with an awesome seasoning. Also best bang for your buck because they give you a pile of them and I can never eat them all. Pairs well with a Z-​Man or other sandwich
2. Red Beans and Rice: Slightly spicy with perfectly cooked white rice and tender red beans. Pairs well with Ribs or Brisket
3. Gumbo: Flavorful gumbo with a nice kick to it. Could easily be the second best side but I am not always in the mood for gumbo. Pairs well with Burnt Ends.
4. Potato Salad: Solid potato salad that is surprisingly tasty. Light on the mustard but still has great flavor. I am pretty picky with my potato salads and this is a good one. Pairs well with Smoked Turkey
5. Cole Slaws: Typical coleslaw nothing too special but it is good. The spicy version is just that, same slaw with some heat. Pairs well with the Smoked Chicken.
6. Dirty Rice: White rice with spices that has a little kick to it. Not a bad side but definitely have had better. Pairs well with the Chili (when in season) or bowl of gumbo
7. Baked Beans: The beans here are just OK. Other BBQ joints in town have much better tasting baked beans so I suggest skipping this side here. Pairs well with the smoked sausage.
Hopes this helps make your side decisions easier! Because it goes without saying that the meats here are top notch!

Note to self: Self, do not eat BBQ out of state again. Or at least not from Joe’s. If this is Kansas City BBQ, I’m glad I live in Texas.
I had already had a light snack before having a late lunch here so I didn’t order big. I decided to go with the brisket plate. Brisket, one side and a piece of toast. I opted for the spicy slaw. The slaw was decent. The cabbage tasted fresh and was nice and crunchy. The flavor was light but the spicy was non-​existent.
The brisket… The sad, sad, brisket. It was nice and lean, I’ll say that. The thing that got me though was that it appeared to be sliced by one of those deli meat slicers. Every single piece of brisket was sliced uniformly thin. Really, thin. The meat was already lean so it made it a little too dry for me.
I’ve seen pictures of the line going out the door so the best part for me was that when we went, we walked right up to the counter, no line!

I’m sitting here in the restaurant and all I can think is «this is the best bbq I’ve ever had.» I’m not the biggest bbq fan because it’s messy and usually a bit crunchy or dry. But this was the best ribs and brisket I’ve ever had, no extra sauce needed!
I almost have nothing to say about the food because the pictures should say it all. We each got a dinner which came with one side. Full slab of ribs, ribs and brisket, and ½ smoked chicken dinner were all super delicious! I liked my spicy slaw!
The line was out the door, and that’s something in and of itself. This place, if it isn’t famous, well, it should be! I can’t write anymore, I have to go into food coma now.

If anyone knows KC bbq, you know to stop into Joes KC. I’ve only really been here for lunch but tonight we popped in for dinner. Surprised that there was a still a line that ended just right at the door.
This time I went for the ribs and the pulled pork sandwich and a side of beans. We also had a small onion ring, which in my opinion, are the best onion rings I’ve ever had. I typically don’t like onion rings in general but these were amazing! I’d pass up a side of fries for these any day! And the ribs we also finger licking good, literally.
If you’re stopping in KC, you have to experience lining up in a gas station and having the best ribs in town!