I had BBQ in KC

[bigal]

Arthur Bryants. FANTASTIC PEOPLE 5 STARS!!! Wife had chicken, son had ribs, daughter had a corn dog(still sitting in "time-out"), and I had brisket.

I thought Bryants was one of the best? It was good, but ................

What is "all-ya'lls" opinion?

Ribs were the only thing that was close to as good as I've made. Brisket and chicken were.............just not that great. Sauce, well I don't like tomato based sauces.

I was really let down, then again I felt really good too. As soon as we all tried a bite you could see it in everyones faces. Son even said " I didn't know you were that good til we ate here" We didn't take any leftovers as it just wasn't worth it.

Theres got to be better, where?

Thanks for the info and letting me "puff out my chest".

 

[richtee]

good thing we ain't serving 300 folks a day to break even. Consider that. Otherwise...ROCK ON Big Al!

 

[bigal]

That was what I told my wife, "home cook'n is always better". This was my first time eating at a "real" bbq restaurant, I was let down. I wanted to learn something.

Is this what I can expect eating at bbq restaurants? My stuff is good......according to my friends and family, I want to taste "the best".

Maybe I expected too much from them.

Is competition bbq better?

Thanks for the reply Rich.

 

[deejaydebi]

I had a similar experiance recently. Guys at work found this place and say it was pretty good I should go there. I went ... perfectly "cooked" burnt ends but no smoke and drowned in BBQ sauce -almost enough to gag you!

 

[swkegelguy]

Everyone here has the same respect (don't like them at all

) for BBQ places as I do until.....I was in Corpus Christie, TX working for a couple weeks. I was introduced to a place called Knuckle Heads. A biker bar/bbq and I mean BBQ! This guy does it right and serves it right. Check it out if you are ever down that way. Lunch is the best time for you get all you can eat if you clean your plate, if you can. The portions are huge and as I mentioned BBQ at it's best.

I grew up in St. Joe just north of KC and have eaten at A.B.'s along with a few others. All are ok but nothing beats the backyard with friends, beer swallowing, and the conversations that happen to keep all things the way we like them.

I am sorry to hear that your experience at Arthurs for it is one or the most respected KC area places to eat BBQ!

 

[pigcicles]

Okay Al .. pull that chest back in ya turd... where ya been?? You gotta look for the little Q joints with a big pile of wood... thems the place you get the best Q away from home.

 

[swkegelguy]

You are way right on that one Richtee, how can we compare the amount of food they serve with quality and what we do for ourselves and friends.

It seems to be a hit and miss at BBQ joints as far as I am concerned. I have traveled a lot these past 10 years for my job and have tried these places and have only a couple that I will ever consider returning too. My favorite is mentioned in my last post, the other would be Corky's in Memphis, those dry rubbed ribs and a cold Bud was the best. SORRY FOR THE SPAMMING! BUT for us guys that travel can go on and on about eating at BBQ joints.

 

[Dutch]

Al, I feel for ya; we have a place here in town that's been talked up and wrote up in the newspapers as being the best place for 'Que. I've even sampled this guys competition stuff and it's fantastic. His restaurant food is totally different-no noticeable rubs on the meat, way too much sauce (they never honored my request for the sauce on the side). About the only good marks I could give them was for their corn bread!

On the other side of town is a little out of the way place, also ran by a competition cook that has the best rib and pulled pork!! His stuff is just as good as mine!! (You can even ask Ma Dutch).

 

[camp_cookie]

There is a world of difference in serving "one moment in time" barbecue and "ready when a paying customer walks through the door" barbecue. There is a lot more staging and holding going on at a barbecue joint than we have when smoking our own. As we all know, smoking a butt isn't like throwing a steak on the grill when it's ordered. Barbecue joints have to model out their production more so than other types of eateries, and they risk more loss if they guess wrong due to the quantities involved in preparation.

Please don't take my post as jumping on you as such isn't the case. I'm just pointing out a big issue that such a joint has that doesn't really impact us.

 

[bigal]

So it sounds like the about the best "Q" I/family will eat is at home? @#%#$!!! That @@#$%$# makes me $!#%! mad!!!

This is my "dream": eat at a bbq place that is just the best, talk to the cook and get some tips. Come home and take my q to the next step.

I guess that sure took the wind outta my sails, always can "tweek" it a bit to take it up a notch. I guess I need a goal to keep going. Ribs were tough for me and that made it fun. Now I need to find the next "step" to try to "master".

Might just be clams or carp. Cook'n carp could take a loooooooooooong time to make the family happy.

Need some shingles.

 

[walking dude]

i can't remember WHO"S sig. line sez..........if you can't smell smoke.....you aren't in a bbq joint..........and i totally agree.........

i look for pits and piles of wood........and the lil hole in the wall joints i have found some of the best...........not only in bbq.........but in ALL types of eateries...........mom and pop kinda places..........

i had some of the BEST french onion soup in a place that i would not even expect that on the menu......let alone how good it was..........once again.....proves you can''t judge a book by its cover


d88de

 

[camp_cookie]

That doesn't mean that you can't learn from the folks at such a place.

A classically trained professional chef recently bought an established barbecue joint near where I live. He made the smart move of not overtly altering many things about the joint, but he did make the product much more consistent and improved the quality as well.

Each time I drop by for his ribs he and I discuss something else related to cooking barbecue. He's passed along a few tips and discussed the business side of things with me.

The guy that originally opened the joint was a competition guy that sold from a roadside stand on weekends prior to going into the business full time. He can make some great que, but he was not nearly as adept as the new guy at staging and holding. The new guy told me that when in culinary school the curriculum included classes covering such issues as well as the business side of running a restaurant.

I can cook something at home and be as good or better than what I get when I walk in to the joint and place an order. Could I beat the new guy in a head to head competition? I wouldn't stand a chance. He's just simply that good. Thankfully, he's nice enough to take the time to talk with me and give me pointers and let me tour his kitchen and examine his cooker. He is basically a one man shop with a few assistants and wait staff and in a small town. Even he doesn't face the challenge of somebody trying to run a major joint in a huge city or a chain.

All of this is to say that you aren't talking about a fair comparison, but I certainly understand your point.

 

[bigal]

I hear what you guys are say'n. My problem is when we go places the family doesn't want bbq as we eat it all the time at home. This was the one chance I had that they ASKED to eat there, and I was all excited and ready to go.

I've got to get my tail to a comp somewhere and try some good bbq.

Thanks for opening my eyes, I just assumed the "big names" would give me that "WOW" I've been look'n for.

I guess the next step is bbq beans and a sauce, haven't done much of that yet.

PigCicles, I should be around more as I have to cook for a group of 40 comming up. I'll be sure to get on chat and call you names

, it's been too long.

Later

 

[richtee]

Sauces- finishing, topping, mops... I find are really a WHOLE 'nother continent in the BBQ universe!

Another challenge for ya there Big Al! A sauce can make decent Q great, or great Q decent... no kiddin'. I have always sought to make my "nekkid" stuff as good as possible, and THEN try to work on the sauce to complement it.

Needless to say, as one changes, the other must evolve as well. But the "tail chasing" can be a blast!

This summer I was in a small local comp. I spent a solid WEEK working on my sauce. I was the only one who made their own there, and it was probably my downfall. First, I had a small pot of it heated, and spilled it as they delivered my box, and had to use COLD...and on top of that, it was a S.Carolina tart/spicy. Hit the judges in the chops what with all that other sweet goop they had been tasting. Sigh.

Ah well... I'll stick by my style and guns!

 

[cman95]

I agree with the statement about Knuckleheads in CC. Great q and good atmosphere. They even got a 1936 Knucklehead HD hanging from the ceiling.

 

[peculiarmike]

Ate lunch at Arthur Bryant's out by the Speedway yesterday. Had a sliced pork sammie with fries and beans, my personal favorite. The pork is thin sliced butt and is outstanding, wish I could get that flavor when I smoke butt. Piled about 4" tall on white bread. It's a lot. I prefer Bryant's Rich & Spicy sauce over the original.
Their fries are the best.
The neat thing about living in the USA - Each to his own.

 

[flash]

I have found I am still partial to those mom and pop stands by the side of the road if you want really GOOD bar-b-que. The big retail places always leave me lacking, although there are some half way decent ones. The places that have little to no places to sit

Yumm

 

[ajthepoolman]

I ate at AB out by the speedway as well and was disappointed. I had a rib platter and my folks split a pull pork platter.

What I don't like about AB's is the sauce. Everyone raves about the sauce. I tried all the varieties and ended up eating the ribs naked. (seriously folks, I took off all my clothes and ate the ribs!)

I don't know if the downtown location is better, but if that is the best of KC then we have some serious work to do.

My personal favorite in KC is Fiorella's Jack Stack in Overland Park. I think that their meat and their sides are the absolute best. Their beans can't be beat.

I do agree though that nothing beats home made. My pulled pork is worshiped by my brother. My dad had my smoked turkey on Tday and he now wants to learn how to to smoke meat! He wants me to teach him which is very humbling to me. I am proud to say that this is the first year I didn't have to throw any old turkey leftovers out.

 

[placebo]

That's the ONLY way I know to find a good Q-joint!

 

[bigal]

We also ate at the one by the speedway, we took the kids to the Great Wolf Lodge. Great people, really enjoyed the people that worked there. Wish I would have spent the bucks to try the pulled &/or sliced pork. Did not care for the sauce at all, boy(w/ribs) didn't either.

Small world Pec.Mike, we ate there Sat. Did you go to the KU game?

I'd like to start a "hole in the wall" type "q joint". Eat till the food is gone type place. Problem is that out here there isn't enough people.

I guess AB's made a compromise between $ & taste. I'd rather have less $ and more taste, but I know "taste" doesn't pay the bills.