Joe's KC BBQ — Restaurant in Leawood

Wednesday afternoon. Sun’s out. Bellies empty. I’m standing inside Joe’s BBQ in Leawood, Kansas, and the first thing I notice isn’t the smell (we’ll get to that blessed aroma in a second) it’s the line. A line so long it looked like we were auditioning for a meat based remake of The Hunger Games.  And lemme tell you something: that’s always a good sign. If a BBQ joint ain’t got a line, you might as well eat your shoe with ketchup.  Now, I don’t know who Joe was. I don’t know if he was a pitmaster, a prophet, or just a man who looked at a cow and thought, “You’d be better with hickory smoke and 17 hours of tender loving flame.” But whoever he was, Joe had a vision. A dream. A whisper from the meat gods. And that vision was simple:  “Feed them. And make ‘em cry tears of Burnt end joy and bbq ham"  As me and my wife got closer to the entrance, the smell hit me like a freight train full of marinated dreams. Sweet smoke, slow cooked dignity, and a little whisper of pork that said, “You’re gonna need napkins... emotionally.”  And then oh lord the menu wall. Who the hell put full color photos of BBQ along the queue line like it was some kind of food runway? I don’t know if it was Joe, a manager, or some genius intern with a laminator, but whoever you are: You deserve a Nobel Prize in Human Motivation.  Because by the time I reached the counter, I was ready to order everything. “I’ll take the burnt ends special. Beans and potato salad. And the banana pudding. My wife got ham. She loves bbq ham and banana pudding,  Let’s start with the burnt ends, because sweet smoky Moses. They weren’t just food. They were a spiritual journey.  Each bite was like sitting front row at a gospel choir made of bbq. I closed my eyes, saw my childhood, forgave my enemies, and briefly forgot how to eat in public. That food was so perfect I almost stood up and saluted it. Then came the beans like a smoky campfire ballad, warm and deep, with a sweetness that whispered, “You ever been in love before?” The potato salad? Classic. Cool. Reliable. Like the friend who picks you up at 2 a.m. and never asks questions.  But now we must address my wife’s ham and turkey—because WHAT IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT WAS THAT?!  The ham was so tender, I’m pretty sure it became our new favorite bbq joint. I took one bite and heard it whisper, “You ever tasted forgiveness?” And the turkey? Juicier than it had any business being. I looked at it, looked at her, and said, “I think your turkey just outperformed my spiritual burnt ends. This bird has secrets.” I don’t know what Joe did to that turkey maybe he gave it a pep talk before the smoke, maybe he played Marvin Gaye in the smoker but whatever it was, it worked.  Let’s talk about the banana pudding for a second. Because holy sweet mother of creamy enlightenment I had an out of body experience. I took one bite and saw my childhood, the future, and probably a few ancestors applauding from the Great BBQ Beyond.  It wasn’t dessert. It was a religious ceremony. Even when we left bellies full, spirits lifted the line was still there. Still growing. Like some kind of BBQ pilgrimage. And every single person in that line was smiling. Because they knew. They’d smelled it. They’d seen the menu. They’d felt the call. And this this is what makes Joes BBQ so special. It’s not about gimmicks or hype. It’s about roots. About taking time to do something the right way even if it takes all day. It’s about the pitmasters who wake up before the sun, the smell of smoke curling through neighborhoods like a hymn, and recipes whispered across generations. Joes doesn’t just cook BBQ.  It passes it down like a legacy. So whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth, when you walk into a place like Joe’s, you’re not just getting a plate you’re becoming part of something.  Something bigger than you. Something that tastes like home, even if you didn’t grow up here.  And if you're lucky? There’s banana pudding at the end. And maybe just maybe that’s what...

While staying in the area, I attempted to go to Burnt Ends BBQ one evening for dinner… getting there, they weren’t open, but you could smell the beautiful smoke in the air. (BTW – I came back the next day at lunch, still not open, they’re closing that location). So, I looked for options and found this place.

I drove over to Joe’s, which wasn’t far, but when I went inside and saw the line I was thinking how damn ridiculous! But then I thought it was like the joints in Texas with long lines, so I waited.

I wanted to try a few of their meats to see how well they do them. But they offer more “prepared” dishes here, like sandwiches and plates. This isn’t how you’re supposed to do BBQ! If you’re a “legit” BBQ joint, sell that stuff by the pound!

The cashier was friendly and helpful… once I made it to her. Took me 20 mins of standing in line, which is completely unacceptable for the quality of BBQ they have here. Also, they only have one cashier – RIDICULOUS!!

All the staff I encountered were friendly and helpful. The food was decent, the beans and dirty rice were the 2 best things I ate (even better than the meats and sauces!)! Which is sad… yes, I do love incredible sides at a BBQ joint, but you gotta have amazing meats as a primary attraction! The ribs tasted like they were par-boiled first and then smoked, they were just “ok.” The brisket was ok… it was tender… Not much flavor and otherwise boring. The burnt ends were the better of the meats I tried. Nice smoke and flavor.

Overall, I can say I went, but I definitely wouldn’t go back! In fact, the next day we discussed places to go for lunch and someone local brought this place up and I refused, saying it’s nothing at all like I’ve had at the better BBQ joints in Texas (which is the STANDARD for beef and BBQ and smoking meats in the US – all the top joints are there!). So, we went to Q39 for lunch and that...

This was my first time visiting a Joe's since they expanded outside of the gas station.

The menu is rather large and does not position well when there are other folks in line, had to step back to view it and take it all in..

I ordered a ribs and burnt ends dinner, came to 21.98. I ordered the Mac n cheese as my side a 1.50 upcharge. I also ordered their seasonal dessert a chocolate mouse.

The lady preparing my order was kind but I felt rushed.the gentleman who cashed me out was super friendly and prepped me for my wait time. Overall the service was 9.5 out of 10. Or for Google a 5 star.

The atmosphere was clean and again, other than the abnormal large menu seemed pretty self explanatory on the positioning of how to order and sit yourself. A 9 out of 10. Or 5 star on Google.

Now onto the food. The burnt ends were smoked to perfection tender and yet flavorful, they did lack a natural flavor I expect from Joe's and had to use quite a bit of their house bbq sauces..for this I give them an 8 out of 10. The house bbq was a 9 out of 10.

The ribs had more flavor and were so tender the meat fell off the bone a 9.5 out of 10.

The Mac and cheese was worth an upgrade, a white cheddar Mac and the right amount of bread crumbs that didn't overpower the taste a 10 out of 10..

The bread that was on the side was toasted and buttered just right an 8 out of 10.

Onto the dessert... OK the photo makes this dessert look like somthing out of a fancy resteraunt, but when it came out it looked more line a dessert you got in middle school at lunch time. As for taste it tasted just like the lunch chocolate pudding with the vanilla whip, a very cheap gram cracker shell crust. A 1 out of 10.

Had it not been for the dessert my overall conversation for food would have been a 5 out of 5 stars but it brought it down to a 4 or 7 out of 10.

Who knows you may love the nostalgic lunch dessert...