Tag Archives: bbq

oklahoma joe’s.

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

you guys. i’m not sure how we’ve lived so close for so long and visited kansas city fairly frequently without ever having gone to oklahoma joe’s before just a couple weeks ago. i mean, it’s on anthony bourdain’s “13 places to eat before you die” list. and as he says, “it’s the best BBQ in kansas city, which makes it the best BBQ in the world.” i have sadly not tried all of the BBQ in the world, but i’ve tried a fair amount, and oklahoma joe’s (currently rebranding as joe’s kansas city bbq) is the very best i’ve had, hands down, and i’m happy that i ate here before i died, and plan to many more times.

also, you guys, we’ve become those people. you know, the kind of people who walk up to a food establishment, see a crazy-long line, and don’t walk away. in fact, we get excited. long lines equal food that’s worth the wait. i love standing in line in the cold with the rest of the crazies, listening to the regulars telling the first-timers what they’ve absolutely got to order (burnt ends, the z-man sandwich), overhearing hardcore parents telling their kids “just a few more minutes” (liars).

also adding to the charm: the original ok joe’s location is inside of a working gas station mini mart. (close proximity to snacks while you wait – score!) the fact that we drove out of our way to a weird little spot in kansas to wait an hour in line to eat bbq in a gas station sounds nothing short of crazy, but it’s just the kind of crazy that we like to be.

i’m sure you can’t go wrong here, but we listened to the recommendations of the regulars and were far from disappointed. the burnt end luncheon is only served mondays, wednesdays, and saturdays, but it’s worth going on one of those days. burnt ends are a kansas city classic, and theirs were outstanding – crispy on the outside with incredibly tender meat, just like they’re supposed to be. they were great with the cole slaw. the z-man sandwich is slow-smoked brisket, smoked provolone cheese, and crispy onion rings – yes, on the sandwich – on a kaiser roll with their signature bbq sauce. i thought we might regret getting two brisket items and not trying their also well-known pulled pork, but once the food arrived, there was no time for regret and only time for devouring. the z-man was awesome with the just-spicy-enough red beans + rice.

sit inside if you can. (but if you can’t, call in your order and skip the line) the service is awesome (bonus points), and it’s fun to watch all the other food come out and dream about what you’re going to order next time. we’ll be back.  

Processed with VSCOcam with b5 preset Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

——-
oklahoma joe’s | original shamrock gas station location
3002 west 47th avenue
kansas city, kansas

Posted in food + drink | Tagged , | 2 Comments