"The Gas Station BBQ Joint"
A lot of
people claim to have the best BBQ in the nation or even in the world and we all
certainly have our favorites. For those of us who live in Kansas City’s BBQ is
more than a food it’s a sport. And for this reason people can sometimes get
pretty heated in who they think is truly the best of the best. Now I’m not here
to tell you who I think the best are but I will say it’s pretty hard to argue
against a joint that day after day and night after night put out a product that
draws in swarms of people forming a line that wraps around the store and leads
out the door from open to close.
This story starts back in 1991 when Jeff
Stenney purchased his first smoker, got the BBQ bug and started the BBQ team
“Slaughter House Five”. They quickly became a BBQ force to be reckoned with
winning many Grand Championships, including the American Royal BBQ and becoming
the 1993 KCBS Team of the Year. In 1996 Jeff Stenney and Joe Don Davidson
opened Oklahoma Joe’s in Kansas City and people have been forming those lines
ever since. The Oklahoma Joe’s original location is inside a gas station at
3002 W. 47th St. however the now also have locations in Olathe
Kansas at 11950 Strang Lane Rd and in Leawood Kansas at11723 Roe Ave.
We
arrived at the “Gas Station just before 6:00PM and the line was already out the
door! After 45 minutes to an hour we made it to the counter to place our
order. We ordered BBQ chicken, a full
slab of ribs, pulled pork sandwich, red pig chili and we each of us got the Z
Man Sandwich (slow smoked brisket with smoked provolone cheese a crispy onion
ring on a toasted kaiser bun). For sides we had slaw, spicy slaw, fries, and
red beans and rice.
To start
we dove into the sides! The slaw was good but the spicy slaw was better. The
red beans and rice were good as well a light heat and good flavor. The fries
were great coated with a dry rub seasoning making them delicious
with
ketchup, BBQ sauce or just by themselves. . We of course use fries as a tool in
sauce testing. They have a couple of sauces one of which is an American Royal
BBQ Sauce Contest Champion. All of which were awesome but if you’re a heat
seeker like me try their hot sauce “Cowtowns Night of the Living Sauce”. The
chicken was really good juicy and tender with just the right amount of smoke.
The pulled pork was also cooked just right as was the brisket that made up the
Z Man Sandwich. We pulled some of the brisket off our sandwiches to see how it
holds up on its own and it most certainly did. These pit masters know what they
are doing! Once we tested the brisket on its own it was time to try the
sandwich as a whole. I thought this was the highlight of our visit that was until
we had the ribs. To put out slab after slab after slab after slab to all those
people waiting in line is one thing but for each slab to be cooked to perfection
is another and that what they do. And let’s not forget the red pig chili. Some
of the best chili any of us Pit Crawlers have ever had!
Oklahoma Joe’s is open every day except Sunday and
judging from the packed parking lot, you better hurry up and go wait in line.
Cary
