Jack Stack Barbecue - Martin City — Restaurant in Kansas City

We went to Jack Stack's in Martin City on September 4th, 2020 and to SLAP'S BBQ on the 5th. We are used to Oklahoma/Texas BBQ. This was our first visit to Kansas City. On that Friday at 12:30 p.m., there was no wait. We waited 40 minutes in line in the heat at SLAP's on Saturday.

Jack Stack's in Martin City is so far above in quality than SLAP's BBQ. We shared the Roundup dinner (family meal) and an order of burnt ends. We requested Cheesy baked potatoes and French fries instead of coleslaw and Cheesy Corn. We wound up with plenty of leftovers so we had enough for a 2nd meal. The potatoes and beans were a large portion for 2 people for 1 meal, but we had 2 meals out of them for 2 people.

The hickory baked beans were a little too sweet, but they were very flavorful and smoky tasting because they had smoked meat in them. One of the best I have eaten, even if a little too sweet. The brisket, turkey, and burnt ends had a really nice smoke ring and smokey flavor, and were very tender and perfectly seasoned with dry rub. There was very little fat on our portions. The ribs were very tender and flavorful with the dry rub. The pulled pork was a little dry, but the turkey was wonderful. We added the BBQ sauce to the pulled pork, and it was excellent.

The STAR of the meal has to be the Cheesy Baked Potatoes. Multiple cheeses with smoked ham pieces gave the potatoes a smoky taste. The server told us the potatoes did not sell as well as the other sides, but people do not know what they are missing. Not just cheesy scalloped potatoes! The smoked ham elevates the dish! My favorite item on the menu.

The only negative comment I have to make is that they brought out the meal before the fries were delivered. The person who delivered the meal came by twice to say he was checking on the fries. It took about 15 minutes to get the fries so we had finished the meal by the time the fries arrived. Since we had leftovers, we would have preferred to eat the fries at the first meal. They did not heat up well. They should have held the meal until the fries were ready.

So.....who has the best BBQ equivalent to Oklahoma/Texas BBQ? Jack Stack's in Martin City. Fabulous meal, large portions (we don't eat large lunches), and exceptional flavor. We thought the menu prices were high compared to Oklahoma/Texas BBQ, but the portions were worth the price. The server was charming and friendly, refilled our drinks on her own, and was kept very busy. She was pregnant and was the hardest worker there. So we left a little more than 20% for a tip. We paid more ($32+)at SLAP's, had to stand in line in the heat, and received less food of lower quality and flavor. The meat at Jack Stack was well trimmed and had less fat. (Better quality raw product.) The pictures of the food on the platters was left over after we had filled...

Save yourself & just go to the Lee's Summit's location. I went here with a group of six adults, 2 babies & a 4 year old. I originally did a reservation online for six people, considering that I couldn't make a reservation any larger online. Upon arrival I went to the hostess stand where I told her that we had checked in online & we had six adults, two babies & a kid. She told me I only made the reservation for six. I said okay well we have three little kids? She said okay, then you have nine not six... I said yes if you count the kids two of them are being held & will not need a seat...she said that's why you're suppose to call if your group is bigger than six. Remind you the restaurant was super slow and barely anyone was there. She made a big deal out of nothing. As slow as they were we could have just walked in & got the table. Her tone & rolling her eyes was completely uncalled for. She told me we'd have to wait so we sat there for probably a good 5 minutes or so & she come & got us to sit at our table. My 4-year-old is autistic & shoes are not always an option for her so she was being carried. I carried her to the booth, sat her down. She took two steps to step into the booth. I walked off, the hostess came up with an attitude & told my husband that my daughter couldn't be on the ground without shoes, she was already in the booth at this point. Her feet are cleaner than anyone's shoes that were in there. I think she chose to give us a hard time because of the reservation issue that was literally not that big of a deal. If it had been a busy, busy day, okay, we'll go somewhere else. They were slow as all get out. We ate. We had a great waiter. He did amazing. Great food. No complaints on any of that. As we were leaving, two of our group had went out to the patio to wait on the group to use the restroom. My husband noticed their umbrellas so he was looking at them because he was interested to see how they worked as we are redoing our back porch & some worker comes out screaming at him saying that he couldn't touch those & her tone & attitude was completely uncalled for. She needs to realize she's speaking to a grown man, not a child. Either way you don't yell at someone that way. We definitely won't be back. Let me add on that there were 4 empty seats at our table. Definitely...

Sat at the bar. Was told there was no seating in the restaurant. To be fair, we did not have reservations. But it was a week night. You will see in the attached pictures there seemed to be plenty of open seating. It was Restaurant week and Jack Stack participates. The place has been completely renovated. Outdoor patio and the bar is a nice touch. Bar stools are not good. Curvature of the back keeps you from getting comfortable and you constantly feel as if your sliding forward. It was 7 o'clock and they were out of pulled pork. The bartender commented "we hope to run out of everything every nite". I do think 7 is a little early however. Later to find out they were also out of carrot cake. One of their desert specialities. I asked for sauce. They used to bring it out in a small plate. Now its a very small shot glass sized container. I had to get 3 refills. Hopefully they get away from that and go back to the plates. My dinner was Jacks best. Crown prime and the ribs were cooked perfectly. The burnt ends were very fatty and ate 2. Left the others. A bit disappointing. This place feels very modern and has lost the charm of the old restaurant. I've been going there for years. Might be time to visit other restaurants in Martin City.

1/ 21 As a follow up to my previous review I received a phone call today from a jackstack representative. I was somewhat apprehensive as the responses from jackstack are pretty canned. I was listened too and he made every effort to make things right. I've been invited back and I felt as his guest. I declined, but assured him I would be back very soon. More than anything I appreciated the gesture. I just want what I pay for. While I still feel the restaurant has lost some of its charm, I am looking forward to my next visit sitting in the dining room looking for the ultimate dining experience. This is back on my places to go to when visiting Martin City. Thank you...