Joe’s KC is your typical award-winning Midwest barbecue joint. Typical, that is, in that many of these joints are established by finalists and gold-medal winners of the American Royal Invitational Barbecue competition (In the Kansas City metro area, you get your standing to open a barbecue shop not “merely” by having great food, but by winning a sanctioned KCBS competition, for which The American Royal is one of the grand dames).
What’s atypical about Joe’s is the reason it should be a stop when you visit KC: their original restaurant–the one the Slaughterhouse Five team used as a test kitchen while honing & fine-tuning their technique for competition–is a gas station.
After a falling-out among team members that resulted in giving up their original name “Oklahoma Joe’s,” they also expanded to three locations, but there’s something special about the original location that somehow makes everything taste better.
The fan-favorite is their “Z-Man” sandwich, a smoked brisket sandwich dressed with provolone cheese, a large onion ring (or two) and Joe’s sauce. Pair it with their dangerously-addictive seasoned french fries–always a portion big enough for sharing!–and an iced tea, and you won’t need another meal for 12-16 hours.