Oklahoma Joe's

After a grueling 8.5 hour drive from Memphis to Kansas City, I met up with one of the other Balestrieri boys - Nick. With Anthony gone, he sent his replacement, his younger brother who trained in from St. Louis.

We took KC by storm with our first stop being the legendary Oklahoma Joe's.

Located in a gas station... - do I really need to continue. People come in droves to eat here. Upon our arrival the line was 40 people deep but by the time we left, there were about 70 people waiting to order. Selected as "1 of the 13 Places to Eat Before You Die" by one of my favorite people Anthony Bourdain, this place had to be included in the tour.

The restaurant was opened by a competition BBQ team called the Slaughterhouse Five, after years of dominating the Kansas City Barbecue Society competition circuit. They guys are onto something as Oklahoma Joe's immediately became a hit and has gained a national reputation.

It was no accident that we stopped in at Oklahoma Joe's on a Wednesday, we were there for their famous burnt ends, served three days a week. Burnt ends are the flavorful pieces of meat cut from the pointy end of a smoked brisket. Oklahoma Joe's burnt ends are smoky, fatty, melt-in-your-mouth pieces of brisket covered in the legendary OK Joe's sweet sauce. Touchdown!

The legendary burnt ends

"Beans, beans, the musical fruit..."

Ratings:

Burnt Ends - 9 - these were little juicy and truly melt-in-your mouth good. If this was your last meal ever, you would die happy.

Ribs - 6 - these were a bit of a disappointment. They were a little drier than we would have hoped. We expected so much more from them after having tasted the burnt ends.

Brisket - 7 - great smoky flavor; lovely smoke ring; tender - these would have received a higher rating but we felt that the brisket could not stand alone, i.e. it had to be paired with one of the sauces to achieve it's full potential. - Author's snooty commentary: The mark of excellent BBQ, is it ability to delight without help from the sauces.

Beans - 9.5 - best beans EVER! Try them. They had pieces of pork, bacon, onions and black beans. They weren't too sweet, they were perfect!

Spicy Slaw - 5 - creamy slaw with seasoning. The slaw was not spicy as advertised. Overall very average.

Texas Toast - Good - they make this with real butter which was a pleasant surprise.

Ambiance - 10 - Honestly - It's in a gas station.

Overall - 7.5 - Burnt ends and beans were outstanding but didn't make up for the ribs being fair.